SECOND QUARTER 2025
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #10
JUNE 7, 2025

 

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:11,12, NKJV).

The entire Old Testament has been given to us as a lesson book.  The history that Paul reviews in all of the preceding passages highlights the unbelief of the people who had all partaken of Christ, the “same spiritual Rock.” Yet with that huge blessing and advantage, they did not remain faithful to Him.  Paul then warns, to all who have partaken of Christ, upon whom the ends of the ages have come, that the same can happen to us.  “He who thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall.” Paul is speaking to the inherent weakness we all know so well. We face a myriad of temptations and opportunities for unfaithfulness.

But wait!  There is more: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common   to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Paul quickly gives us a “but God” solution.  “But God is faithful.” He will not allow us to face any situation for which He will not also provide all that is needed to face it and come forth victorious. Furthermore, that victory will not be because of our faithfulness but because of His.  His faithfulness toward us and His faithfulness in us will be what keeps us from falling.  It is His faithfulness that yields faithful followers when we believe and let Him do His work.

The Wrath of the Lamb

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (Revelation 6:15-17).

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

The striking events described at the return of Jesus in the sixth seal of Revelation chapter 6 and the flood event described in Matthew both paint a picture of people not caught unaware but willingly unprepared. Those in Noah's time had a preacher of righteousness who shared for 120 years while building this seemingly foolish spectacle, yet managed not to actually enter the ark even after the beasts of the field made their miraculous procession (which goes to show that in the end, miraculous signs will not change a heart that has rejected the gifts freely provided).  They had much information, but did not believe, and therefore willingly did not know or live by it.  

In the case of those in the sixth seal, they knew of the Lamb in that they knew what to call Him when He came.  That is to say, they knew of Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross.  They may even have talked about it, or sung about it, or prayed about it, but they had not actually let it make a difference in their heart or life.  Those in Revelation 6 knew about the Lamb as information, but obviously did not put their full faith and trust in this Lamb; they didn’t really know His heart toward them.  They knew of the cross but not really.  To them, it is merely an event or transaction. The reality of the truths and lessons of the cross were not applied to their heart. We can see this by their reaction to Him. They hide from Him as Adam and Eve did in the garden from God.  Why are they hiding in the mountains and the caves? They see a wrath-filled Lamb.

The only antidote for this condition of the human heart for the people described at the end of the sixth seal is a clear understanding of the cross.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16,17).

If we know and experience the cross, we will run toward the One who gave Himself for us.

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).

If we know and experience the cross, we will be drawn and not hide.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (John 12:32).

If we know and experience the cross, we will not be afraid.

“The light from the cross of Calvary is now shining forth in clear, bright rays, revealing Jesus, our Sacrifice for sin. … The great heart of infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion.” —Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, p. 634.

Noah’s Evangelism

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37).

One hundred and twenty years seems like a long time for us today.  Three generations, perhaps.  But for Noah, it was less than one generation.  Noah lived 950 years, so 120 years was 13% of his life.  For a healthy blue zone Seventh-Day Adventist who lives 90 years, that would be equivalent to a 12-year effort for us.  Twelve years to finish the work!  No problem, let’s get it done.

Of the time following the Great Disappointment, the messenger of the Lord writes the following: “In the great disappointment of 1844 the faith of His people was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Had the Adventists in the early days still trusted to the guiding Hand that had been with them in their past experience, they would have seen of the salvation of God. If all who had labored unitedly in the work of 1844 had received the third angel's message and proclaimed it in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts. A flood of light would have been shed upon the world. Years ago, the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the closing work would have been completed, and Christ would have come for the redemption of His people.” —Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, p. 115.

The very first statement made by Mrs. White about a delay when she said “so many would be found unready” and spoke of “a long delay” was as early as 1868.  It would seem as if the Lord’s purpose was to have a relatively short message of mercy to finish the work in 12 years or so. The cleansing work could have been accomplished, the sealing completed, the latter rain would have been poured out, and the worldwide messages delivered.  Relative to lifespan, a short period like 12 years would have been equivalent to Noah’s 120-year effort to reach the world.

The Bible says of Noah, “Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22).  What if Noah didn’t do as the Lord had commanded him?  Would a flood have come, and all humanity been lost, including Noah and his family along with the hope of the coming Messiah, or would the Lord have extended time and held off the flood?  Knowing God, it would have been the latter.  In His mercy, He would continue to endure the cries of the evil and suffering at all costs to Himself, for our sake.

If we continue along the line of thinking that the Lord’s original plan for the advent movement was a relatively short time for finishing the work compared to our life span, as was Noah’s compared to his, we must reason as follows.  It has been 181 years since the passing of time, which would mean that we have continued 15 times longer than was intended.  If Noah had done that, it would have been the equivalent of Him taking 1800 years to build the ark and reach the world.  That would have been a 1680-year delay!

If Noah did as the Lord commanded, and saw no delay, then our delay implies that we have not followed in the Lord's order.  Have we been distracted?  Have we become comfortable occupying until He comes?  Have we become satisfied with eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage? Let us be about our Father's business and cooperate with Him in finishing the work that He has set before us.  

When it comes to finishing the work, evangelism, and outreach, the cross of Calvary has everything to do with our motivation and method for evangelism.

“By diligence in canvassing and faithfully presenting to the people the cross of Calvary, the canvasser doubles his power of usefulness.” —Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, p. 339.

“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption—the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.” —Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 315.

“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel's message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure.” —Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 91.

Something tells me that Noah included and cooperated with every most precious message the Lord sent him.  If he hadn’t, he would have only delayed the completion of his work.  Perhaps our handling of the most precious message the Lord sent us should inform us as to the reason for our delay and remedy its cause.

Sodom and Gomorrah and the Judgement

Sodom and Gomorrah are an emblem of evil and depravity.  It was a localized version of the antediluvian world.  The thoughts of the cities of the plains were continually evil.  The cries and the incurable injustice arose before God.  He heard and felt the cries of the oppressed and abused in Noah's day, and he heard those from the cities on the plain in Abraham's day. The Lord's response to the spiritual and physical atrocities of Sodom and Gomorrah was this.  “And the LORD said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down’” (Genesis 18:20).

 Now, being the Judge of all the earth, isn’t it interesting that He would “go down”?  He would personally come Himself to the place of evil to investigate, to see if the outcries against them were true. Did the condition justify the destruction and eternal loss of these cities?  Were there any that bear my name still that need deliverance? And this He would do before their probationary time would close and before executing a final outcome.

An investigative judgment is only fitting for the Lord to carry out.  He would search and examine to look for a reason not to destroy them.  We know this is where God’s heart is because of the answers He gave to Abraham’s questions.  If it were possible, He would save them all, but for their unbelief and hardened hearts.

Why would God need to investigate the Sodomites—doesn’t He already know their hearts? Yes, He does. But those in Sodom and Gomorrah themselves did not know their own hearts. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Lot and his family didn’t know. And onlookers, like Abraham, Sarah, and the angels, didn’t ultimately know. For their sake, mercy is extended, and the fire is delayed so that the true nature of each person’s heart can be revealed through their actions in the presence of the heavenly visitors.

So the heavenly ambassadors come directly to Sodom, and each is investigated as they live out the thoughts and desires of their hearts. Their actions “show the work of the law written in their hearts (or not), their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them” (Romans 2:15, emphasis supplied).

The angels come to investigate if there are any who are followers of God.  Are there any that bear His name who want to be delivered from this place that has reached a point of no return?  And in the process of this rescue mission, the hearts of the rest in the city make it perfectly clear that they want no part of God and want their city and all that it represents above all else.

Lot himself was blind to the true condition of the world around him as he perpetuated the sense of justice and order by sitting at the gate.  He thought he could mask from the guests the true condition of the city. He felt his reason and arguments would somehow calm all the people of the city who wanted to do him and his angel guests harm. And his own moral compass was completely off as he offered to send his daughters out to appease the appetite of the city's people.  The longer Lot had lived in Sodom, the more his spiritual perceptions were affected. 

When it came to the heavenly rescue, each of God’s representatives (Lot and his family) demonstrated their own hearts.  The son-in-laws wanted the city and would not leave. Lot, his wife, and daughters all lingered, that is, they all delayed.  But notice that God did not just leave them there. What did the Lord do when they lingered? The Bible says that the angels took hold of their hands.  Not to force them.  We know this because they could have forced the son-in-laws to leave.  But taking hold of their hands as if to say, we must go now, it will be okay.  Read carefully this whole encounter in Genesis 18 and 19.  The applications that parallel the investigative judgment are too numerous to cover here.

As it was in the days of Noah and the cities of the plains.

As I studied these passages of scripture this week, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the absolute impending extinction of God from the planet in Noah’s day and the cities of the plain in Lot’s day. The image that comes to mind is the flame of a tea candle that is running out of wax, picturing the spiritual influences in the antediluvian world and Lot and his family's influence on the cities of the plain. And God steps in at the last minute to save and rekindle the flame before it goes out forever. Will this be the lot of us to whom the ends of the ages have come?

I am so thankful that Bible prophecy gives us a completely different image than a flickering, fading candle.  While the world is definitely on a rapid course of self-destruction, the Bible pictures a different end for God’s people:

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!’” (Revelation 18:1,2).

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).

These are the images of light so illuminating that it cannot be missed.  A light so penetrating that all honest hearts will respond.

“It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time, a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth…

“Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, ‘Behold your God.’ The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character, they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.” —Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 415.

“This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God” —Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 91.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

“Those who will walk in the footsteps of the meek and lowly Jesus will be sensible that the light of life is illuminating their pathway. Said the prophet, ‘Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.’ While the world is lying under the gross shadow of error, ignorance, superstition, and death, the follower of Jesus walks in an atmosphere radiant with spiritual light. As he draws away from the traditions and customs of the world, and lifts the cross, and enters the way of truth, he finds that ‘the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’ Every step of faith and obedience brings him into closer connection with the light of the world, in whom ‘is no darkness at all.’”—Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times, February 24, 1888.

Let us look to the cross of Christ, being captivated by the undying love of God, resting assured in His pardon, walking upright by His grace to bring a message of redemption for all.  Arise and shine!  Now is the time like no other.

 

~Kelly Kinsley