Sabbath School Department.
By G. H. Bell
1. OVER what did God give man dominion? Gen. 1:26. 4. What beautiful home did God prepare for him? Gen. 2:8. 5. What grew in the garden? Verse 9. 6. Of what tree were Adam and Eve forbidden to eat? Verse 17. 8. What did he say to her about the fruit of the tree? Verses 4, 5. 9. What had God said about it? Verse 3. 10. Which did Eve believe? 11. What proof have we that Eve believed Satan rather than God? Verse 6. 12. How did Adam and Eve show their consciousness of guilt? Verse 8. 13. What excuses did they make when God questioned them in regard to eating the forbidden fruit? Verses 11–13. 14. What did God say to Adam? Verses 17–19. 15. Why were Adam and Eve driven from the garden? Verses 22, 23. 17. Who will enter the New Jerusalem and have a right to the tree of life? Rev. 22:14. 18. How did God show his love and care for mankind? Rom. 1. 19. Who was the serpent that tempted Eve? Rom. 2. 21. How does Satan try to mislead us? Rom. 3. 22. How did he mislead Eve? 23. What is the moral character of unbelief itself? 24. For what does this sin prepare the way? 25. What does Paul call it? 26. What course are we all inclined to take, when we have done wrong? Rom. 4. 27. What would be the result of such a course? 28. What course should we pursue, as soon as we find that we have done wrong? Rom. 5. 29. How may we obtain forgiveness of sins? Rom. 6. 30. How may we secure an entrance to the kingdom of God? After God had finished the work of creation, he gave Adam dominion over all the earth, and every creature in it. And God, seeing that it was not good for man to be alone, made a woman to be a companion for him. For food he gave him herbs, fruits, and grains; and for a home, the garden of Eden, in which was everything beautiful and desirable. Of only one tree were they forbidden to eat; yet Eve, tempted by the serpent, took of the fruit of that tree and ate, and gave to Adam and he ate. The serpent first led her to doubt God’s word, and then to disobey him. When God came into the garden, they showed their sense of guilt by hiding among the trees; and when questioned, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. Adam indirectly blamed God also, for he said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me,” &c. God told Adam that the ground was cursed for his sake, and that he must lead a life of toil and sorrow, and finally die and return to dust. Adam and Eve could no longer have a right to the tree of life, so God drove them from the garden. The garden was removed to the third heaven, and there the tree of life now flourishes. None but those who keep the commandments of God will ever enter the New Jerusalem, or eat of the tree of life. 1. We see that God did everything that could be done for the comfort and happiness of Adam and Eve, thus showing his love and care for mankind. 2. In Rev. 20:2, the serpent that tempted Eve is called the devil and Satan. In John 8:44, he is called the father of lies. 3. Satan tries to mislead us just as he did Eve, first tempting us to disbelieve God, and then to disobey him. Unbelief is in itself a sin, and as soon as we indulge in it we are easily led into other sins. Unbelief is the sin that so easily besets us. Heb. 12:1; 3:12, 18. 4. As Adam and Eve tried to hide away from God, so are we all inclined to shun God and good men when we have done wrong. Such a course will never mend the wrong nor make us happy. 5. As soon as we know that we have done wrong, we should heartily repent, make humble confession, ask pardon, and believe that God for Christ’s sake forgives us. Isa. 55:6, 7. 6. Through repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ we have forgiveness of sins that are past, Acts 20:21; and by obedience to the commandments of God we secure an entrance to his kingdom. LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES.
1. WHERE do we find a second revelation concerning the four great successive monarchies of the world? Dan. 7. 2. When was this revelation made? Dan. 7:1. 3. How long was this after Nebuchadnezzar had the dream recorded in the second chapter?—About 48 years. 4. Was Nebuchadnezzar living when this second revelation was made?—He was not. 5. To whom was this revelation made? 6. In what manner was it made? 7. What verses contain the record of this wonderful dream? 8. What did Daniel see? Verses 2, 3. 9. Describe the first beast? Verse 4. 10. What changes did he witness in this beast? 11. What did the second beast resemble? Verse 5. 12. What was seen in its mouth? 13. What was said to this beast? 14. Describe the third beast? Verse 6. 15. What was given to this beast? 16. Describe the fourth beast? Verse 7. 17. What did this beast do? 18. What verses contain an interpretation of this dream? 19. What are these beasts said to represent? Verse 17. 20. What did the fourth beast represent? Verse 23. 21. By what part of the image was the fourth kingdom represented in the second chapter? 22. How was the division of the fourth kingdom represented in that chapter? 23. Into how many parts was it to be divided? 24. How is this division into ten parts shown in the vision of the seventh chapter? Verses 7, 24. 25. What was it predicted that the fourth kingdom would do? Dan. 2:40. 26. What similar action is predicted of it as represented by the great and terrible beast? Dan. 7:7. After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, and about 48 years after his wonderful dream, recorded in the second chapter of Daniel, the Lord gave the prophet Daniel a vision of the four great kingdoms. In his dream, Daniel saw the sea in great commotion, and four fierce-looking beasts coming up out of it. The first beast was like a lion, with the wings of an eagle; the second was like a bear, and had three ribs in its mouth; the third was like a leopard, and had four wings; the fourth was so fierce and strong, and so unlike anything in nature, that Daniel could only say that it was dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly. Read Dan. 7:2–8. Verse seventeen tells us that these beasts are four kings [kingdoms], and verse twenty-three, that the fourth beast is the fourth kingdom upon earth, which must mean the fourth universal kingdom, for there had already been many kingdoms. The division of the fourth kingdom into ten parts, shown in the second chapter by the toes of the image, is represented in the seventh chapter by the ten horns of the beast. In the second chapter, the symbol of the fourth kingdom is said to break in pieces and bruise; and in the seventh chapter, the beast is said to devour, break in pieces, and stamp the residue with his feet. So we see by these striking similarities that the fourth beast must denote the same kingdom that was represented by the legs of the image. G. H. Bell.