Sunday
February 21
1. TRUE AND FALSE PROPHETS
a. Name one method by which God reveals His will to men and women. Numbers 12:6.
“Dreams from the Lord are classed in the word of God with visions and are as truly the fruits of the spirit of prophecy as visions. Such dreams, taking into the account the persons who have them and the circumstances under which they are given, contain their own proofs of their genuineness.”—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 569, 570.
b. What warnings are given against false prophets, and what protective measures must the church adopt today? Deuteronomy 13:1–4; Romans 16:17; 1 John 4:1.
“The Spirit was not given—nor can it ever be bestowed—to supersede the Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the word of God is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.”—The Great Controversy, p. vii.
“The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.”—Ibid., p. 593.
Monday
February 22
2. THE RAM AND THE GOAT
a. What does the great ram in Daniel 8 symbolize, and how was that prophecy fulfilled? Daniel 8:3, 4, 20; Esther 1:1, 3.
b. What does the “very great” goat symbolize, and how was that fulfilled? Daniel 8:5–8, 21, 22.
“Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that it might be seen whether it would fulfill the purpose of ‘the Watcher and the Holy One.’ Prophecy has traced the rise and fall of the world’s great empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. With each of these, as with nations of less power, history repeated itself. Each had its period of test, each failed, its glory faded, its power departed, and its place was occupied by another.”—Education, pp. 176, 177.
c. What should we consider about the reasons why men such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar fell from power? Ecclesiastes 10:17; Luke 14:11.
“Alexander found it much easier to subdue kingdoms than to rule his own spirit. After conquering nations, this so-called great man fell through the indulgence of appetite—a victim of intemperance.”—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, p. 29.
“The man or woman who preserves the balance of the mind when tempted to indulge passion stands higher in the sight of God and heavenly angels than the most renowned general that ever led an army to battle and to victory. Said a celebrated emperor when on his dying bed, ‘Among all my conquests there is but one which affords me any consolation now, and that is the conquest I have gained over my own turbulent temper.’ Alexander and Caesar found it easier to subdue a world than to subdue themselves. After conquering nation after nation, they fell—one of them ‘the victim of intemperance, the other of mad ambition.’”—Child Guidance, pp. 95, 96.
“God calls upon you to yield pride and stubbornness, and to let His peace rule in your hearts. A meek and quiet spirit must be cherished. Carry Christ’s meekness with you in all your labors.”—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 348.
Tuesday
February 23
3. THE MIGHTY LITTLE HORN
a. What does the mighty little horn represent, and how was that fulfilled? Daniel 7:8; 8:9–12; Revelation 13:1–3.
“This prophecy [of Revelation 13:1–10], which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy.”—The Great Controversy, p. 439.
“The crown removed from Israel passed successively to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. God says, ‘It shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him’ (Ezekiel 21:27).”—Education, p. 179.
b. How are the expressions “great,” “very great,” and “exceeding great” used in a comparison between three political powers? Daniel 8:4, 8, 9.
c. Through Bible symbols, to what is Daniel 8:10 referring? Revelation 1:13, 16, 20; 2:1.
“[Revelation 2:1 quoted.] These words are spoken to the teachers in the church—those entrusted by God with weighty responsibilities. The sweet influences that are to be abundant in the church are bound up with God’s ministers, who are to reveal the love of Christ. The stars of heaven are under His control. He fills them with light. He guides and directs their movements. If He did not do this, they would become fallen stars. So with His ministers. They are but instruments in His hands, and all the good they accomplish is done through His power. . . . If they will look to Him as He looked to the Father they will be enabled to do His work.”—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 586, 587.
“[When John the Revelator was given a vision of his Lord,] how changed is the Saviour’s appearance! He is no longer ‘a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3). He bears no marks of His humiliation. His eyes are like a flame of fire; His feet like fine brass, as it glows in a furnace. The tones of His voice are like the musical sound of many waters. His countenance shines like the sun in its meridian glory. In His hand are seven stars, representing the ministers of the churches. Out of His mouth issues a sharp, two-edged sword, an emblem of the power of His word.”—The Sanctified Life, pp. 77, 78.
Wednesday
February 24
4. ROME IN TWO PHASES
a. Who is the Prince of the host, and how did the little horn magnify itself against Him? Daniel 8:11, 25; Revelation 19:16; 17:14.
“The line of prophecy in which these symbols are found begins with Revelation 12, with the dragon that sought to destroy Christ at His birth. The dragon is said to be Satan (Revelation 12:9); he it was that moved upon Herod to put the Saviour to death. But the chief agent of Satan in making war upon Christ and His people during the first centuries of the Christian Era was the Roman Empire, in which paganism was the prevailing religion. Thus while the dragon, primarily, represents Satan, it is, in a secondary sense, a symbol of pagan Rome.”—The Great Controversy, p. 438.
“Jesus loves His children, even if they err. They belong to Jesus and we are to treat them as the purchase of the blood of Jesus Christ. Any unreasonable course pursued toward them is written in the books as against Jesus Christ.”—Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 195.
b. What ministry did Jesus enter upon when He took His place in the heavenly sanctuary? Hebrews 3:1; 8:1, 2; 9:24.
“Jesus is our Advocate, our High Priest, our Intercessor.”—Lift Him Up, p. 319.
c. After the fall of imperial Rome, how did the papacy transfer the intercessory ministration of the heavenly sanctuary to its own institutions on earth? 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4. Why is this change unacceptable? John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5.
“In His intercession as our Advocate Christ needs no man’s virtue, no man’s intercession. Christ is the only sin bearer, the only sin-offering. Prayer and confession are to be offered only to Him who has entered once for all into the most Holy Place.”—Ibid., p. 319.
“Priests and rulers have no right to interpose between Christ and the souls for whom He has died, as though invested with the Saviour’s attributes, and able to pardon transgression and sin. They themselves are sinners. They are only human.”—The Faith I Live By, p. 105.
Thursday
February 25
5. THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY CLEANSED
a. How does Daniel’s prophecy foretell that the daily ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary would be hidden and marred? Daniel 8:11, 12.
“I saw in relation to the ‘daily’ (Daniel 8:12) that the word ‘sacrifice’ was supplied by man's wisdom, and does not belong to the text, and that the Lord gave the correct view of it to those who gave the judgment hour cry.”—Early Writings, pp. 74, 75.
b. How long would this apostasy be allowed to continue overshadowing Christ’s atoning ministration in heaven? Daniel 8:13, 14.
“As our Mediator, Christ works incessantly. Whether men receive or reject Him, He works earnestly for them. He grants them life and light, striving by His Spirit to win them from Satan’s service. And while the Saviour works, Satan also works, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, and with unflagging energy. But victory will never be his.”—The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901.
c. What can we understand when we know the beginning and the end of the 2300 days? Isaiah 43:25; Revelation 14:6, 7.
Friday
February 26
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
a. How can we identify the prophets that have a genuine message from God?
b. Describe the meaning of the ram and the goat.
c. Explain the differences between “great,” “very great,” and “exceeding great” in reference to this prophecy.
d. What earthly power has sought to counterfeit the work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary?
e. What event should we be able to see by faith at the termination of the 2300 days?