The Sabbath-School by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 12, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 11.

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The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—APRIL 14.

Inheritance of the Saints.

A RESTORATION FORETOLD.

1. What was the nature and extent of the dominion given to Adam?

2. By what means did he forfeit it?

3. Who usurped the dominion?

4. Who is the serpent?

5. Since Satan obtained the dominion by conquest, what would take place should he, in turn, be conquered by another?

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." Luke 11:21, 22.

6. Immediately after the fall of Adam, what did the Lord say to the serpent?

"And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life." Gen. 3:14.

7. In this address to the serpent, how was Satan's final overthrow announced?

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Gen. 3:15.

8. By what means is the destruction of Satan accomplished?

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Heb. 2:14.

9. Who is the one here spoken of, whose death results in the destruction of the devil?

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Heb. 2:9.

10. Then who is the "seed" referred to in Gen. 3:15, who was to bruise the serpent's head?

11. When Christ destroys Satan, what will he gain?

12. What prophet foretold the winning back of the dominion which Adam lost?

"And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." Micah 4:8.

13. How extensive was the first dominion?

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen. 1:26.

14. And how extensive is the dominion over which Christ shall rule?

"I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Ps. 2:7, 8.

Those who have followed the course of these lessons, will at once turn to Gen. 1:26-28 for an answer to the first review question. God gave Adam dominion "over all the earth," and "over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." This dominion, however, as we have seen, was given to Adam in a sinless state, with the design that it should not be marred by sin. Since it was a perfect dominion, as soon as sin should be introduced, it would be forfeited. The circumstances of the introduction of sin, are given in detail in the third chapter of Genesis. There we learn that the serpent, who is "the devil and Satan" (Rev. 20:2), was the one who caused our first parents to lose the dominion given to them.

By this conquest, Satan usurped the dominion. A strong man may keep his goods in peace, but if a stronger than he comes, he will be overpowered, and his goods seized. So if Satan were overcome, it follows that he would lose that power which he usurped. Such an overthrow is announced in Gen. 3:15. In Heb. 2:9, 14 we learn that Jesus is the one who accomplishes the destruction of Satan. Then Jesus must be the "seed" who was to give Satan his mortal wound, by bruising his head. Christ has conquered Satan, and has thus obtained the right to all which Satan claims as his own. He has not yet completed the destruction, but when that is accomplished, then the dominion will be Christ's by right of conquest.

At that time Micah 4:8 will be fulfilled, when the "first dominion" is restored. As this dominion embraced the whole world, so the Lord, who, in spite of Satan's usurpation, has ever remained the real owner of the universe, has promised that he will give to Christ "the uttermost parts of the earth" for a possession.

E. J. W.