SECOND QUARTER 2025
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #5
MAY 3, 2025

 

The Very First Commandment

The doctrine of double predestination sits heavy on the first page of our lesson this week—a weighty idea from Calvin. Calvinism does not ask, it declares: Some people are chosen to be saved, others left adrift, bound to their fate, unshaken by hope. The elect and the reprobate—two paths carved by a sovereign hand, according to this doctrine.

Calvin did not flinch. His theology carried the certainty of the battlefield, unyielding in its stance. Unconditional Election, a choice made by God alone. No choice by man, only the sovereign will of the Almighty. So goes the doctrine.

Yet there are voices against this teaching. Some turn to free will, gripping it like a lifeline. They speak of choice, of personal responsibility, of accountability, of a God who influences and watches rather than one who dictates. The argument for choice isn’t new—it was given to man by God.

Man was made in God’s image—physically, spiritually and mentally (Genesis 1:26-27). Choice was embedded in man’s very being. This creation was followed by the exercise of choice. The word of God came clearly and unyielding in Genesis 2:16-17: Eat and do not eat. These verses paint the scene—man stands at the crossroads of choice: obedience or rebellion.

The snake waits. The consequence looms.

That first wrong step, and humanity has been stumbling ever since. Sin spreads, an infection through minds, through hearts, through nations. A single choice. A lasting cost, still shaping our time.

This week, we peek back—to the garden, to the decision, to the weight of choice. The wrong choice underlies our lesson for the week. This choice, today, is the same as it was for Adam, for people and nations today, with the same kind of consequences. However, there is a difference. Adam sinned in his innocence. We do it in the context of our inheritance—our fallen nature. 

Although we can do nothing but to choose sin in one form or another in our natural state, God through His boundless grace bestowed upon the fallen race the sacred power of choice—initiated by His mercy and eternally upheld by “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

The moment humanity lost its power to choose righteousness, and even to choose God in His boundless grace, that grace was still there—swiftly intervening with the redeeming blood of Christ, restoring the sacred gift without delay. And now if anyone is  “‘willing to be made willing[,]’ God will accomplish the work for you, even ‘casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ 2 Corinthians 10:5”—Ellen G. White, The Mount of Blessing, p. 142. 

What a promise! What a God! This is what God will do for every individual, including those who administer the affairs of their particular nation. 

Monday’s lesson is about the prophecy of nations presented in the form of a metal and mineral metaphor—the statue in Daniel 2.

Historians have written thousands of books about the history of the four kingdoms depicted by this statue. In contrast, God in just a few sentences outlined the history of the world—in a mere 5 verses. Then, through Daniel, He interpreted the four kingdoms in only ten verses. 

The image described in Daniel 2 is one of the most fascinating visions in biblical prophecy. The key verses detailing this image are in Daniel 2:31-35 where King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue is described and in Daniel 2:36-45 where Daniel interprets the dream.

In the dream, the king saw a massive statue made of different materials—gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay—each representing four different kingdoms. The prophecy reveals that these kingdoms were to rise and fall, and then a final, everlasting kingdom of a lowly stone is to appear, putting an end to all nations of earth.

The metals in the image from Daniel 2—gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay—have distinct properties based on the periodic table. Here’s a breakdown of the image:

• Gold (Au): A transition metal, highly malleable and resistant to corrosion. Symbolizes wealth and stability.
• Silver (Ag): Another transition metal, known for its conductivity and reflectivity. Slightly harder than gold but still relatively soft.
• Bronze: Not a pure element—it’s an alloy of copper (Cu) and tin (Sn). Stronger than both gold and silver but more prone to oxidation.
• Iron (Fe): Iron is a widely used metal with high strength, but it rusts easily when exposed to oxygen and moisture.
• Clay is not a metal but a composite of minerals. In its dry state, it is brittle and fragile, lacking the resilience of metal. When saturated with water, it loses structure entirely, becoming diluted and unstable.

Each metal’s strength and durability reflect the declining character of the nations in this prophecy—transitioning from the unparalleled glory of gold to the increasing rigidity of iron, before ultimately fracturing into instability with the fusion of iron and clay. 

As the medals increase in rigidity they decrease in value. Jeremiah remarks about the crumbling and collapse in terms of character: “How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!” (Lamentations 4:1, KJV).

The decline in value of the metals themselves—precious gold to utilitarian iron—serves as a powerful allegory for the erosion of human character in individuals and thus mirrored in nations.

The prophecy reveals a decline in value yet an increase in strength, culminating in the iron legs—where the once-powerful kingdom fractures, weakened by the presence of clay in its feet. The contrast between mineral and metal, clay and iron, symbolizes the volatile union of church and state. In Scripture, clay consistently represents God’s people, the church (see Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-6). The iron represents the Republic of Rome which extending to our time and to another Republic as strong as iron—the United States of America. The amalgamation of clay and iron reinforces how this detail aligns remarkably not only with historical events of the Dark Ages but also in our time and place in prophecy.

The metaphor of metal and mineral is “present truth” today:

 “We have come to a time when God's sacred work is represented by the feet of the image in which the iron was mixed with the miry clay…. The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God's forbearance”— Ellen G. White, MS 63, 1899: 4SDABC 1168-1169.

As churches extend their hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of government we can know the stone kingdom of God is about to strike the statue at its weakest point—the amalgamation of clay and iron—the union of church and state.

In the context of human character and societal decline, iron symbolizes a shift away from high ideals. The move from gold to iron reflects nations that once prioritized wisdom, beauty, and harmony but now value power, control, and brute strength. This is the world in which we live today. The final stage of declining value precedes inevitable fragmentation, as clay merges with iron—symbolizing the unstable union of church and state.

Moving on to the prophecy of Daniel 7, we learn that it is parallel with chapter 2, minus the head of gold, accurately depicting the rise and fall of the same empires, demonstrating a remarkable consistency with historical events. Given that these visions were recorded long before their fulfillment, their precision strengthens the reliability of Bible prophecy. This accuracy serves as a foundation for trusting that God's promise of a final and eternal kingdom, free from suffering and human corruption, will also come to pass.

The rise and fall of empires, foretold in ancient words. Kingdoms rise. They expand. They fall. History moves forward, but not blindly. The prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7 mapped it all before it happened. The accuracy is undeniable.

These visions, recorded in the distant past, align with history in a way that commands attention. Since these predictions of earthly rule are true, then what of the final promise? This promise is a kingdom beyond corruption, untouched by suffering—this is not just an idea. It is a certainty, based on God’s unerring word.

But certainty does not come without conflict. Human power resists divine prophecy. The rulers of the world believe in their permanence, building fortresses of wealth, armies, and laws. Yet, prophecy has already spoken their fate. The question is not if, but when. And when the end does come, there will be no remnants of failed rule, no trace of empire’s mistakes. The kingdom of God will stand alone.

The facts come clean, laid out without excess. The accuracy of Daniel’s prophecies is not debatable. Empires have come and gone, each fitting into the pattern predicted long ago. This consistency is the foundation upon which believers stand—knowing that the final kingdom, the one beyond suffering, is not merely a hope. It is the guaranteed future.

The past has spoken. The present watches. The future waits. The kingdom of God is coming.

Between Land and Sea

The sea churns, restless. It never stays still. The waves rise, crash, and withdraw—always moving, never quiet. The land stands in contrast. Solid. Unshaken. A place to plant crops, build homes, raise families. This is where civilization finds its footing, where laws are written and upheld. The Bible draws this contrast with precision: the land is a place of stability, the sea a force of chaos.

In prophecy the sea is the realm of upheaval, of nations adrift on the tides of human ambition. Consider Revelation 12:15, 16—water as persecution, as force wielded against the faithful. The dragon sends a flood after the woman, the church. But the earth comes to her aid. The land opens its mouth, swallowing the tide before it can overwhelm. It is a moment of deliverance, a picture of salvation, where stability triumphs over the raging waves of oppression.

But stability has its own complexities, a truth worth understanding. The founding of the American Republic on earth is seen through the same prophetic lens of Revelation 12:16 and 13:11. The land becames a refuge for the persecuted, a place where religious freedom thrives. A safe haven, at least for a time. That was its lamblike beginning—on land that shielded the faithful from the turbulent waters of tyranny.

Then comes the warning. The beast of the earth, once so gentle, speaks like a dragon. It happens slowly. First, whispers of control. Then, laws shift, tilting toward suppression. One day, it roars. The land, which once provided freedom, becomes the very force that enforces oppression. It mirrors history—where governments rise in righteousness, only to twist under the weight of power and human failing. The promise of stability collapses beneath ambition.

Now the report shifts—clean, direct. Religious persecution is not a relic of the past; it is a living force, shaping nations and policies today. The United States, long a beacon of freedom, stands at the crossroads of decision, of choice, as in Genesis.

America’s foundations, built on religious liberty, are at risk of being undermined. The prophecy warns of the shift—freedom turning into control. As debates on faith and governance intensify, the question remains: Will the land remain a refuge, or will it swallow its own promise? This is the choice. Can we learn from Adam’s choice? This choice is the same as it was with him, for people and nations today, with the same kind of consequences.

The tides shift. The waves press forward. The land—once solid—must decide. 

And we must decide. The choice remains for you, for me. What will it be? 

Let’s Close With God’s Wonderful Promise on Friday:

“‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.’ Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.

 “One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: ‘He had bright beams coming out of His side: and there was the hiding of His power.’ Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God—there is the Saviour’s glory, there ‘the hiding of His power.’ ‘Mighty to save,’ through the sacrifice of redemption, He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised God's mercy. And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and declare His power.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 674.

 

~ Jerry Finneman