Daily Lesson for Monday 16th of June 2025

However much fealty Nebuchadnezzar, impressed by what Daniel had done, at first paid to Daniel and to his God (see Daniel 2:1-49, especially vv. 46–48), it didn’t last.

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The king underscored his defiance of God’s message by constructing a statue made entirely of gold. The message? Babylon will never fall, and Nebuchadnezzar will always be king. And anybody who dared to challenge that idea would be put to death. It serves as a powerful reminder that our human desire for self-determination can quickly blind us to the truth about how the great controversy will most certainly play out.

In some ways, Nebuchadnezzar displays characteristics of Lucifer: he was ambitious, self-important, and prideful enough to rebel openly against God’s authority. In other ways, of course, there are marked differences: Nebuchadnezzar eventually came to faith in the true God, and it is likely that we will meet him in the kingdom he originally fought so hard to defy.

Think how easily these three men could have rationalized their way out of this dangerous situation. After all, were they not being fanatics, willing to be burned alive over merely bowing down? Couldn’t they have just faked it, bowing to tie their shoelaces while praying to their own God? Was it really worth what they were facing? Obviously, they thought so, even though their words showed that they knew that they might not escape with their lives.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25b-12-worshiping-the-image/

Daily Lesson for Sunday 15th of June 2025

One of the most powerful prophecies in all Scripture is Daniel 2:1-49. Writing more than five hundred years before Christ, the prophet set out world history, starting from his time in Babylon and then through Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the breakup of Rome into the nations of modern Europe as they exist today.

In fact, talking about these European nations, one text says that “ ‘they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay’ ” (Daniel 2:43, NKJV). This prophecy has been amazingly fulfilled. That is, despite all sorts of intermarriage between the people (from princes to plebes) of these nations, they remain divided.

Image © Steve Creitz at Goodsalt.com
Manhattan

For example, the British monarchy is called the House of Windsor, a nice English name. However, that name is a relatively recent ­development—1917, actually. Before then, the family was called Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, a distinctly German name, because many of the British royalty—through mingling “with the seed of men”—were blood relatives with the Germans. However, those blood ties were not enough to keep them from war, and so, during World War I, wanting to dissociate themselves from their hated enemies, they changed the name to the House of Windsor.

The apocalyptic prophecies in Daniel all follow the foundation set in Daniel 2:1-49. That is, the rest of these prophecies, like Daniel 2:1-49, follow the sequence of one world empire after another until God establishes His eternal kingdom (see Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14). In other words, the prophecies go through history in an unbroken sequence of empires, starting in antiquity and ending in the future, even to our time. This is the historicist approach to interpreting prophecy and is what the texts demand. This use of the historicist approach is crucial for understanding last-day events, particularly as they are depicted in the book of Revelation.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25b-12-daniel-2-and-the-historicist-approach-to-prophecy/

Daily Lesson for Sabbath 14th of June 2025

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Read for This Week’s Study: Daniel 2:31-45; Daniel 3:1-12,17-18; Revelation 13:11-17; Romans 1:18-25; Acts 12:1-17; Matthew 12:9-14.

Memory Text:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).

This week, we will look at two more Bible stories that foreshadow last-day events in remarkable detail.

First, we will examine the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which has obvious allusions to the issues portrayed in Revelation 13:1-18. Then we will turn to the New Testament, where we find that the experience of the early Christians also can help us understand what to expect between now and the return of Christ.

Both examples highlight remarkable courage and provide keys to finding peace of mind under the most trying of circumstances.

Again and again, Jesus said such things as “Do not fear,” and “Why do your thoughts trouble you?” It is important to remember that the focus of prophecy is Christ, and, as such, we must be able to find the same counsel throughout the scenes portrayed in earth’s closing moments. “ ‘Let not your heart be troubled,’ ” He taught His disciples, “ ‘you believe in God, believe also in Me’ ” (John 14:1, NKJV).

In other words, yes, last-day events will be difficult and trying for those who seek to stay faithful to God. But ultimately, we should view these events with hope, not fear.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 21.

Sunday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25b-12-precursors/