Lesson 5: The Nations, Part 2

5.7 – Questions

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Bible Study – Answers to the Questions

1. Why is it important to remember that all earthly achievements will pass away?
1 John 2:17 says, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” Keeping this perspective helps us set true priorities—not fleeting fame, but eternal fellowship with God. When we focus on heavenly things, we invest our time, energy, and resources in what really lasts.

2. In what way is the sea beast the natural outgrowth of Babylon’s mindset?
The sea beast of Revelation 13:1–10 mirrors Babylonian pride—human power raised against God. Each of those empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome—was marked by arrogance, oppression, self-deification, and persecution of God’s people. Today’s materialism, human pride, and religious intolerance continue the same patterns birthed in ancient Babylon and Rome.

3. How do we find the right balance between obeying God and obeying the government?
Romans 13 urges submission to governing authorities—so long as they don’t conflict with God’s commandments. If human laws demand that we break God’s commands, then, as Acts 5:29 says, “We must obey God rather than men.” Adventists strive to be good citizens—honest, peaceable, respectful—yet are ready to suffer rather than violate God’s law.

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Spiritual Principles

• Recognize impermanence: Everything earthly fades away—only God’s kingdom endures.

• God’s Word over human systems: Obedience to God always takes precedence.

• Faithful even under pressure: True loyalty shows itself in trials.

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Everyday Application

• Regularly measure your goals against eternity.

• Train your character to be faithful in small things, so you can stand firm in greater challenges.

• Live simply and bear witness to God’s kingdom through your lifestyle, words, and priorities.

• Pray daily for wisdom to know when to submit quietly and when to resist courageously.

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Conclusion

The world hastens toward an end long foretold by God. Kingdoms rise and fall, leaders ascend and collapse, but God’s Word remains. For those who trust Christ, the end of human empires is not fear but hope: the eternal, unshakeable kingdom of our God awaits.

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Thought of the Day

“Build your life not on the shifting sand of human greatness, but on the rock that endures forever—Jesus Christ.”

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Illustration – “The Sound of the Bells”

It was a cold autumn morning in Prague. The sun barely pierced the dense fog cloaking the ancient city. Tourists on the Old Town Square snapped photos of centuries-old buildings—witnesses to kingdoms long vanished. The Astronomical Clock struck nine, and somewhere in the narrow lanes a church bell began to toll.

Amid this scene, Marta Dvorak hurried over the cobblestones. In her backpack she carried no guidebooks, only a well-worn Bible. She belonged to a small fellowship that met weekly in a hidden wine cellar beneath an unused church. Not by choice—but because a new decree had banned public preaching without state approval.

Marta remembered how it all began. The government claimed the restrictions were for “public order.” But she knew the real motive ran deeper—a fear of independent truth, a dread of a message that couldn’t be controlled.

“You must prophesy again,” Pastor Josef had read to them from Revelation 10 at one of their last daylight gatherings. “To many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

Now, weeks later, the group met in secret to do just that.