The Purpose Holds

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 28, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 22.

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The Purpose Holds

“Study to show thyself approved unto God.”

Lesson XI.—Sabbath, June 13, 1896.

The Purpose Holds.

1. How long does the Lord say the earth shall remain?

“The earth abideth forever.” Eccl. 1:4.

2. For what purpose was the earth created?

“He hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” Isa. 45:18.

3. What characters will those have who inherit the earth?

“Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.” Isa. 60:21. See also 2 Peter 3:13.

4. What more does the Lord say of them?

“Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke 20:36. See also 2 Cor. 5:4, 5.

5. Then what was the original design of God in creation?

6. In view of this give some of the promises of God relating to it?

“Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5.

“Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner.” Prov. 11:31.

7. See how many times this promise is repeated in different ways in Psalms 37.

8. What gives thoughts of joy in the song of the saints in heaven?

“We shall reign on the earth.” Rev. 5:10.

9. What does Paul say that God preached to Abraham? Ans.—“The Gospel.” See Gal. 3:8.

10. In preaching the Gospel to Abraham, what promise did God make? Ans.—That he would give him the land; that his seed should possess “the gate of his enemies.” See Gen. 13:14–17; 22:17, 18.

11. How did God confirm this promise? Ans.—By his covenant and oath. See Gen. 15:17, 18; 22:16–18. See also note.

12. Why was all this done?

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.” Heb. 6:18, 19. See verses 16–20. See also margin.

13. Who was the seed referred to in this promise?

“And to thy seed, which is Christ.” Gal. 3:16.

14. How do we become partakers in the promise?

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Verse 29.

15. What does Paul say has been done that we might have a part in this promise?

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree; that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Verses 13, 14.

16. Through whom, then, are the promises to Abraham fulfilled? Ans.—Through Jesus Christ. See verse 14 above.

17. How much territory do they include? Ans.—The world. See Rom. 4:13.

18. What promise did God make to Mary respecting Christ?

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32, 33.

19. For what purpose does Christ say he came into the world?

“Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” John 18:37.

20. What throne did David and his successors occupy?

“Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.” 1 Chron. 29:23.

21. What does God say shall come to Christ?

“And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold 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.

22. What 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. See also Ps. 8:6.

23. What promise does God make through David?

“He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.” Ps. 72:4. See also verses 6, 17–19.

24. What other promise did David receive?

“His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.” Ps. 89:36, 37.

25. How does another prophet express the same hope?

“And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” Zech. 14:9. See also chap. 9:9, 10.

26. And when the dominion under the whole heaven is given to Christ, the Seed of Abraham, the royal Successor of David, over whom will he reign?

“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Dan. 7:27.

Note.

“The ritual of the covenant itself is that which was frequently applied among most of the ancient nations, the Greeks and Romans, the Chaldeans and Macedonians. The sacrificial animal was divided into two halves, between which the contracting parties passed, thereby intimating that they would deserve to be so killed if they ventured to violate the agreement. But as, in fact, the act here described was not strictly a covenant, but a sign or promise on the part of God, only given under the form of a covenant, God only passed through the dissected parts in the shape of clouds, smoke, and fire; Abraham was a passive spectator, and the very beginning of the ceremony points to this feature; for God commanded Abraham, ‘Take for me a heifer,’ etc. Wherever a real covenant was intended, it was customary among the Hebrews also that both parties should go between the divided animal. Jer. 34:18, 19. And on one particularly solemn occasion, when a perpetual alliance between God and Israel was ratified, the blood of the sacrifices was partly sprinkled on the altar, which represents God, and partly upon the people. Ex. 24:4–8.”—Kalisch.

“A young heifer, a she goat, and a ram, each of three years old, were wont to be divided in the ceremony of human engagements between contracting parties, and the pieces set far enough apart to let these pass between them, as if to call down on themselves the fate of the victims, if they broke the covenant thus ratified.”—Geikie’s Hours with the Bible, vol. 1, p. 341.

Lesson XII.—Sabbath, June 20, 1896.

The Earth Restored.

1. When ancient Israel heard the report of the spies, and resolved to return to Egypt, what oath did God take?

“But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” Num. 14:21.

2. What does Peter say God has promised by the mouth of all his holy prophets?

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:20, 21.

3. Through whose seed or line of descent was the Restorer to come?

4. To whom did David understand that God referred in the promise?

“Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” 2 Sam. 7:18, 19. See note .

5. After their course of long-continued transgression, what sentence did God pronounce against Israel?

“And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be

no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” Eze. 21:25–27.

6. After God rejected his people as a body, what promise did he make to them, and when was this promise to be fulfilled?

“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim; afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.” Hos. 3:4, 5.

7. Before that time what does God say he will do for his people? Ans.—Bring them from captivity, and restore them to their land. See Jer. 30:1–7. See also “Patriarchs and Prophets,” pp. 196–203.

8. When God has delivered his people so that strangers no longer oppress them, whom do they serve?

“But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.” Jer. 30:9.

9. What testimony does Ezekiel add to this? Eze. 37:21–27.

10. How many kingdoms will there then be?

“And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.” Verse 22. See Dan. 7:27.

11. From what places does he say that God will gather his people?

“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.” Eze. 37:21. See also Matt. 24:31.

12. When this is done, what becomes of all their sins and uncleannesses?

“Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.” Eze. 37:23.

13. Where are they to dwell?

“And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever.” Verse 25.

14. What covenant does God make with his people then?

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore.” Verse 26.

15. When God makes this covenant of peace with his people, what effect does it have on all creation? Ans.—It brings peace and rest and life and blessing. See Eze. 34:25–29.

16. When this restoration takes place, what will be in the midst of the people? Ans.—God’s sanctuary. See Eze. 37:27; Rev. 21:2, 3.

17. What other promises does God make concerning his people? See Eze. 34:11–16, 22, 23. See also note .

18. Who is the true shepherd of the Lord’s flock?

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11.

19. What vision was given to Ezekiel? Ans.—The vision of dry bones which became men. See Eze. 37:1–10.

20. What did God say this vision taught? Ans.—The resurrection of the righteous. See verses 11–14.

21. Through what great event, then, are God’s people to inherit the promises? Ans.—Through the resurrection.