For long centuries now, Christians have been awaiting Christ’s return. It is, truly, the culmination of all our hopes — and not just ours, but the hopes of all God’s faithful throughout all history.

Read Hebrews 11:13-16. What great promise is there, not just for the people of old but for ourselves, as well?

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In many ways, these verses make no sense if the common and popular version of death were true. What is the passage talking about, these people “not having received the promises”? They’re dead, supposedly now up in heaven with Jesus enjoying their great reward. When, for example, Billy Graham died, over and over we heard how he was now in heaven with Jesus.

There’s an irony, too, in this view, because often when someone dies, we hear, “May he [she] rest in peace.” But what is going on here? Are such people resting in peace, or are they up in heaven doing whatever they are supposed to be doing (such as watching all the “fun” down here)?

How does Jesus describe death? Read John 11:11.

In fact, the idea of their resting “in peace” is, of course, the truth about what happens at death, isn’t it? The dead, truly, are at rest. “To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. ‘If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death,’ ‘he shall never taste of death.’ To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life is hid with Christ in God, and ‘when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.’  John 8.51-52; Colossians 3:4.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 787.

Jesus compares a person’s condition between death and resurrection morning to an unconscious sleep (John 11:11, John 11:14), but He also emphasizes that both the saved and the lost will receive their reward after the resurrection ( John 5.28-29). He highlighted the necessity of being prepared for death, whenever it comes.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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The prophetic big picture of history doesn’t just allow us to sit back and do nothing as events unfold, events that we really can’t control. So often the attitude can be, “Well, final events are going to happen as predicted, so what can we do about it other than just simply go along with them? After all, what can I alone do?”

But that’s not how Christians are to relate to the world around them and, especially, to final events. Revelation 14 tells us that our purpose at this time in history is to tell others about God’s judgment and help them prepare for the second coming of Jesus.

Read Revelation 14:6-12. What is being taught here, and what are we to proclaim to the world? Why is this message of such urgency?

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As Adventists, we believe that “present truth” (2 Peter 1:12) is found, specifically, in these verses that we refer to as “The Three Angels’ Messages.” Here we find the essence of what our calling is at this time in earth’s history.

Notice, it starts out with the “everlasting gospel,” the wonderful news of Christ’s death and resurrection, upon which our only hope of salvation rests. There is also the message that “the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7),a powerful waymark that points to the end of time. Then, too, there is the call to worship the one “who made heaven and earth,” in contrast to the fearful warning about those who, staying in Babylon, worship “the beast and his image.” Finally there is the depiction of God’s end-time people: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (NKJV).

Read Revelation 14:11. What does it say about the lack of rest for those who worship the beast and his image?

No rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his image? Though various ideas exist regarding what this exactly means, all would agree that these people do not experience the kind of rest that God offers those who are faithful to Him.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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