Suggestive Notes

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 21, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 35, No. 12.

Sunday	Oct. 25	Eze. 41, 42	Romans 4
Monday	" 26	" 43, 44	" 5
Tuesday	" 27	" 45, 46	" 6
Wednesday	" 28	" 47, 48	" 7
Thursday	" 29	Dan. 1, 2	" 8
Friday	" 30	" 3, 4	" 9
Sabbath	" 31	" 5, 6	" 10, 11

Suggestive Notes.

Chapters 41 to 48 of Ezekiel have to do with the conditional temple, its ceremonies, rites, offerings, etc., promised by the prophet to Israel if they would only return from the captivity with all their heart. As God would have wrought with Israel when they came out of Egypt into the promised land, in making their days like the days of heaven upon the earth, so would He have wrought for Israel when they came up from the Babylonian captivity, if they had been willing; but they were not willing, consequently the last ten or twelve chapters of Ezekiel must stand as a great prophecy in its spiritual aspect of greater things which the Lord will do for His people through Christ.

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The last three days of this week's readings have to do with another very important book of the Old Testament, called sometimes the Apocalypse of the Hebrew Scriptures; that is, it deals with revelation and is the parallel book to the Revelation in the New Testament. The name "Daniel" means "Judge of God," or one who judges in God's name. He was known to his own contemporaries, for he is mentioned in Eze. 14:20, and classed among such noble characters as Noah and Job, as an example of wisdom and righteousness. We learn also from the book that Daniel occupied a very high place in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Cyrus, in spite of all the plots of malignant rivals.

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The book is written partly in Hebrew and partly in Aramaic. The Aramaic portion begins at chapter 2:4 and ends with the close of chapter 7. It is distinctively prophetic, altho in the Hebrew it is not counted among the prophets, but among the Hagiographa. By some, the book is divided into two parts: narrative, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, the other chapters prophetic; but the devoted student of God's word will find that all of them are more or less prophetic.

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God has in these prophecies given the rulers and nations of earth great practical lessons of life. What a lesson is chapter 1 of the excellency of the divine method of education; chapter 2, of God's knowledge in revealing the future; chapter 3, of His power to deliver His children. Note the contrast between chapter 2 and chapter 3. In the one is the Lord's prediction of the insecurity of all earthly kingdoms; in the other is a manifestation of human patriotism, of what man purposed to make the kingdom of man. The names which the king gave Daniel and his fellows were evidently designed to wean them away from the worship of the true God to the worship of false gods. Note the three years' course in the Babylonian schools. It has come down to us through all the ages and is still prevalent.

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In our New Testament lessons, chapters 4 to 11 of Romans are covered. The great argument is man's sin, his utter need, and God's grace in saving him through Jesus Christ.