OUR BIBLE BAND

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 1, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 47.

Schedule for Week Ending December 11, 1909

Day	Date	Morning	Evening
Su.	Dec. 5	Dan. 1, 2	1 John 4
Mo.	" 6	" 3, 4	" 5
Tu.	" 7	" 5, 6, 7	2 John
We.	" 8	" 8, 9, 10	3 John
Th.	" 9	" 11, 12	Jude
Fr.	" 10	Hos. 1, 2, 3, 4	Rev. 1
Sa.	" 11	" 5, 6, 7, 8	" 2

Suggestive Notes

Our Old Testament lessons open with the prophecy of Daniel, covering that entire prophecy and eight chapters of the prophecy of Hosea. The name Daniel means “judge of God;” that is, one who judges in God’s name. He is mentioned in Ezekiel, in the 14th chapter, along with Noah and Job, as an exemplar of wisdom and righteousness. He held a high place at the courts of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Cyrus, and this in spite of all the plots of malignant rivals. His education and wisdom seem to have far excelled his fellows’, not only in his school course in the university of Borsippa, but in his position as one of the king’s counselors.

The book of Daniel is written partly in Hebrew, partly in Aramaic. It is narrative interspersed with prophecy. In a series of visions the prophet is shown the world’s career from his own time to the time when God shall set up His everlasting kingdom. The effort to place it at a later date than Daniel is certainly more than met by the evidence of the book itself. Those who do this are those who do not regard the supernatural in the Word. Seemingly they can not believe that God knows more about the future than does man.

Hosea, whose name means “salvation,” is the last of the great prophets of the kingdom of Israel. His prophecy was written about 750 B.C. He predicts with more or less definiteness the coming captivity, and warns his people against wicked alliances. It is a very striking prophecy, full of hopeful remonstrance, tender expostulation, and earnest entreaty. There is in it also somewhat of prophecy of the future.

Our New Testament lessons begin with the 4th chapter of 1 John and close with Revelation 2. The second epistle of John is addressed to “the elect lady and her children,” which some think refers to a woman, and some to a church. It seems to us that it refers to a church (ecclesia); and the third epistle is a personal epistle to Gaius, or Caius, to whom the letter was sent. He is not identified with any person thus named in the New Testament. He seems, however, to be a real person, and one held in high esteem by John.

The Revelation, not “the Revelation of St. John the Divine,” but simply “The Revelation,” is the title of the last book of the Bible. What would be the better title is furnished in the first clause of the text, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It was written probably about 95 or 96, and announces itself as a divine disclosure and prophetical book. It is one of the most wonderful if not the most comprehensive book in all the Bible, including within itself that which inevitably drives one, in its thoro study, to all the books of the Scriptures. It deals with the symbolism of the former prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. The first chapter is an introduction; the second and third deal with the seven churches of Asia, typical of seven different conditions in the church from the first advent to the close of time.