Bible Study - Sabbath School Podcast

Read Ellen G. White, “The Voice in the Wilderness,” pp. 97–108, in The Desire of Ages; and “Heralds of the Gospel,” pp. 166–176, in The Acts of the Apostles. How fascinating that Revelation 14:6, 7, the first angel’s message, parallels the gospel message of Jesus in Mark 1:15.The first angel brings the everlasting gospel to the world in the last days in preparation for the Second Coming. Just like...

Read Mark 1:9–13. Who is present at the baptism of Jesus, and what happens? John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. As Jesus comes up out of the water, He sees the heavens being torn open and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove. He hears the voice of God from heaven, “ ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’ ” (Mark 1:11, ESV).These events point to the importance of Jesus’...

Read Mark 1:9–13. Who is present at the baptism of Jesus, and what happens? John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. As Jesus comes up out of the water, He sees the heavens being torn open and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove. He hears the voice of God from heaven, “ ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’ ” (Mark 1:11, ESV).These events point to the importance of Jesus’...

Read Mark 1:1–8. Who are the characters in these verses, and what do they say and do? These verses have three main characters: Jesus Christ, referred to in Mark 1:1; God the Father, implied in the words of Mark 1:2; and John the Baptist, the messenger and preacher who is the main subject of the last section of this passage. Mark 1:2, 3 contains a quotation from the Old Testament that Mark presents...

Read Acts 15:36–39. Why did Paul reject John Mark, and why did Barnabas give him a second chance? The reason for Paul’s rejection of the young man is given in Acts 15:38. Mark had withdrawn from them and had not continued in the work of ministry. Paul’s attitude is understandable, if blunt. Missionary life, particularly in the ancient world, was rough and demanding (compare with 2 Cor. 11:23–28)....

Read Acts 12:12. How is Mark introduced in the book of Acts? It seems probable that John Mark, the most likely author of the Gospel of Mark, was a young man when the events in Acts 12 occurred, probably in the A.D. mid-40s. He is introduced in verse 12 as the son of a woman named Mary. She was evidently a wealthy supporter of the church and held the prayer meeting at her home, made famous in Acts...

Read for This Week’s StudyActs 13:1–5, 13; Acts 15:36–39; Mark 1:1–15; Isa. 40:3; Dan. 9:24–27.Memory Text:“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel’ ” (Mark 1:14, 15, NKJV).Who wrote the Gospel of Mark, and why was it written? No Gospe...

Check out the intro to the new lessons☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻: We're about to start the new quarter - The book of Mark - here in this link you can access the lessons in standard, Teacher's and easy English 😁📖🎶https://www.adultbiblestudyguide.org/archives#lessons

“There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. . . .“There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no cruel, deceivin...

Read 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10, 11; and Revelation 20:11–15. What do they say about why the wicked are raised to life again? To resolve the sin problem so evil never arises again, everyone must be convinced that God has been fair and just in all His ways. Ultimately, every knee shall bow and acknowledge God’s justice in the great controversy, even Satan and his evil angels, and that there w...

Read Revelation 20:4–6. What are the righteous doing during the 1,000 years, and why is it important? During the millennium, the righteous will have an opportunity to observe firsthand God’s justice and love in how He has dealt with the sin problem. Who doesn’t have questions they would like to ask God about a lot of things? Now, during the millennium in heaven, the redeemed get to ask those quest...

Revelation 19 ends with a dramatic portrayal of the return of Jesus and the destruction of the wicked. But the story is not over. Revelation 20 introduces us to a period lasting 1,000 years, known as the “millennium.”Read Revelation 20:1–3. What is Satan’s fate when Jesus returns? The imagery in Revelation 20:1–3 is symbolic. Satan is not literally bound with a chain and locked in a pit. For 1,000...

Read John 14:1–3 and Titus 2:11–14. In the light of the challenges of the future and the coming time of trouble, why are these verses so encouraging? Jesus’ words, “ ‘Let not your heart be troubled,’ ” are His reassurance that He will never leave us and is coming again to take us home. This world is not our home. A better day is coming. Once in every 25 verses, the New Testament speaks of the retu...

Read Revelation 22:11, 12; Daniel 12:1, 2; and Jeremiah 30:5–7. What events occur just before the Second Advent? The close of human probation is followed by a time of trouble “ ‘such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.’ ” Revelation 16 describes seven last plagues that will be poured out on the wicked world. But, as with the plagues that fell on Egypt, God’s people will be sh...

Read for This Week’s StudyRev. 22:11, 12; Jer. 30:5–7; Ps. 91:1–11; Jer. 25:33; Rev. 21:2; Rev. 20:11–15.Memory Text:“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor s...

As early as 1851, Adventist pioneers identified the second beast of Revelation 13:11–17 with the United States of America. But it must have been difficult back then to see how the United States could cause all the world to worship the first beast (Rev. 13:12). Even by the 1880s the entire United States Navy consisted of just forty-eight aging ships. But since the end of the Cold War, no power matc...

Read Revelation 18:1–4, Habakkuk 2:14, and Matthew 24:14. How do these verses say God’s work on earth will be finished? The angel announcing the fall of Babylon has “great authority.” Like the angels of Revelation 14, this angel represents human messengers. This angel reveals the glory of God so fully that it illuminates the entire earth. The Greek word for authority or power in the New Testament...

Read Joel 2:21–24 and Acts 2:1–4, 41–47. What prediction was fulfilled in the first century? What impact did it have? The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost powerfully launched the Christian church. Three thousand were converted in a day. Acts records miracle after miracle of God’s transforming grace: “Many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about fi...

In the last days, the great controversy will be played out, in a dramatic way, over worship. Do we worship the Creator, or do we worship the beast and its image? There is no middle ground. The first angel of Revelation 14 urges men and women to “ ‘worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’ ” (Rev. 14:7, NKJV). In further support of heaven’s appeal, the third angel reveals...

In the coming crisis over worship, God’s faithful people will not yield to worldly pressures (Rev. 14:12). They will be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) and cannot be moved. In ancient times, seals attested to the authenticity of official documents. They were a distinctive, individualized mark. Since the final conflict centers on worship and God’s authority as revealed in His law, we would ex...

Read Proverbs 23:23, John 8:32, and John 17:17. What common thread runs through these verses? Throughout the ages, the great controversy has been a battle between truth and error. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Jesus is the author of all truth. He declared, “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ ” (John 14:6). The truth that sets us free from Satan’s deceptions is found in...

Read for This Week’s StudyJohn 8:32; Ezek. 20:12, 20; Rev. 7:1, 2; Rev. 14:1; Joel 2:21–24; Hos. 6:3; James 5:7, 8; Rev. 18:1–4.Memory Text:“Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23, NKJV).Suppose you had a daughter driving home from college for summer vacation. As you wait for her to arrive, you anxiously monitor the weather reports. You be...

Worshiping the beast and its image alludes to Daniel 3, in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were commanded by the king of Babylon to bow down to a golden image or be thrown into a fiery furnace. Ancient Babylon, modern Babylon—the issue is worship. True worship springs from a mind taught by God’s Word, a soul transformed by His love, and a heart filled with His Spirit. Then we will not be “co...

Read Revelation 13:11–18. How does this second beast differ from the first beast of Revelation 13?The first beast rose out of the sea; the second beast comes “up out of the earth” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). The sea represents “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:15, NKJV). The earth, then, represents a sparsely populated area of the world. This second beast arises near the close of the pr...

Rather than worshiping the beast, God’s people find their greatest joy and highest delight in worshiping Him. Their obedience springs from their heart of love. They are committed to Him because they know how committed He is to them. Read Revelation 13:5. Write this identifying characteristic in the space below. Recall from lesson 4 that God gives us a key for understanding prophetic time—one proph...