Sabbath School Lesson for June 21-27, 2025
Memory Text: “So he said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ ” Jonah 1:9 NKJV
There is something in the statement Jonah made to the sailors to identify himself that reminds us of the first angel’s message in Revelation 14:7. Jonah, a reluctant prophet who God patiently encouraged to preach to a very wicked city, was quick to point out that he worshiped the Creator, which is the very Creator God we are told to worship in the last days. We, too, have been told to warn people about a dramatic judgment about to fall on individuals who must repent to avoid disaster.
Other Bible stories that provide images of last-day events are the fall of Babylon, a kingdom also mentioned in the three angels’ messages. And the Persian king Cyrus, who by liberating God’s people so they could rebuild Jerusalem, became a type of Christ.
Although these images are imperfect, partial representations of things in the future, they give us principles that can help us navigate the confusing, worrisome events in our world today. Jonah, Belshazzar, and Cyrus are characters we can learn from, as we try to do God’s will under the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
- Sunday: The Reluctant Prophet–Jonah obeyed His Creator, but reluctantly.
- Monday: A Work of Repentance–We, too, must repent and call others to repentance.
- Tuesday: Belshazzar’s Feast–Belshazzar’s lack of humility was a problem.
- Wednesday: The Drying of the Euphrates–Modern Babylon will be caught off guard by the Second Coming.
- Thursday: Cyrus, the Anointed–The Persian king Cyrus was used by God to “save” His people, the Jews.
Sunday: The Reluctant Prophet
It’s easy to identify the lessons in Jonah’s story. The three days and nights in the belly of a big fish brought Jonah to his senses, and gave him the motivation he needed to preach in a terribly wicked city. Jonah was swallowed by the fish because of his own sins, but Jesus spent three days and nights in a tomb because of ours.
The themes in the book of Jonah are quite pertinent to the last days. Despite Jonah’s initial failure to follow God’s directions, his final evangelistic effort in Nineveh was an astounding success. Jonah recognized God as his Creator, and was used by Him to preach about judgment against a city that was exceedingly wicked.
We must look at ourselves today and constantly ask God to give us the courage to come out of our comfort zone and preach things that are necessary for people to hear, even if our safety is threatened by doing so. Our salvation, and theirs, depend on faithful obedience to God, no matter what He asks of us.
Verses and questions:
Matthew 12:38-41 and Luke 19:10
- What was Jesus trying to tell the scribes and Pharisees about their desire for a sign?
- In what ways was Jesus’ ministry greater than Jonah’s?
Jonah 1:9 and Revelation 14:7
- How significant will worship of the Creator, and thus the Sabbath, be in the last days, and why?
Monday: A Work of Repentance
Jeremiah 18:7-10 provides an explanation for why Nineveh was not destroyed in forty days, as Jonah had predicted. God makes ample provision for nations and individuals to repent and turn from their evil. When that happens, God is happy to relent and avert the destruction that comes without our repentance.
Nineveh’s revival after Jonah’s preaching was heartfelt and widespread. God was more than happy to stop the coming disaster, even if His reluctant prophet was disappointed that the Assyrian enemy was spared. However, the Ninevites’ foolish pride later returned and they forgot God, leading to Nineveh’s downfall when a coalition army of Medes and Babylonians attacked them in 612 B.C.
The warnings that need to be made in the last days will be all the more dire and necessary, because the prophecies at that time will not be conditional. The Second Coming, and all that accompany it, is guaranteed to happen, no matter how much repentance there is. But, those who do repent will receive protection and a place in heaven, when the final plagues and tribulation are over. Our solemn duty then is to repent and share the warning messages we’ve been given.
Verses and questions:
Jonah 3:4-10 and Jeremiah 18:7-10
- What appropriate response did the Ninevites have?
- What does God’s response show us about His character?
Revelation 18:4
- Although God won’t save the world from its final end, how can repentance still be beneficial?
Tuesday: Belshazzar’s Feast
Every chapter in Daniel brings us a story to be remembered. There was a party told about in chapter five, hosted by Nebuchadnezzar’s successor Belshazzar, that people to this day remember. It isn’t remembered though for the lavish refreshments and entertainment, but for the astonishing handwriting on the wall that no one but Daniel could interpret for the drunken guests.
It is believed that despite his many missteps, Nebuchadnezzar may have died a believer in the God of creation. Belshazzar, on the other hand, knowing the story of Nebuchadnezzar, failed to humble himself as his predecessor had, and his nation suffered a crushing defeat as a result (Daniel 5:22). Besides the intemperate partying that night, Belshazzar disrespected God’s temple vessels, all the while they were praising “the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone” (Daniel 5:4).
In the last days, all people will have had an opportunity to know God’s truth (just like Belshazzar had), but they will refuse to do anything about it, resulting in their eternal ruin.
Verses and questions:
Daniel 5:1-31
- What led to the defeat of Babylon?
- What more can we do to humble ourselves before God and others?
Wednesday: The Drying of the Euphrates
Several ancient historians describe the overthrow of Babylon by the Persians as achieved by the diverting of the Euphrates River. The riverbed was dried up to the extent that their soldiers could go under and through their city gates, easily capturing the unsuspecting citizens and killing their ruler Belshazzar (Daniel 5:30). It was said to have been a time of festival in the city, with lots of dancing and indulgent pleasures–sounding exactly like the party atmosphere described in Daniel 5.
Revelation 16 describes seven bowls filled with the wrath of God being poured out on the earth before the Second Coming of Christ. The sixth bowl consists of the drying up of the Euphrates River–a image familiar to those with knowledge of Babylon’s downfall in the sixth century B.C.
Christ’s coming in the clouds of glory will catch modern Babylon by surprise as well, even though many prophetic signs will be given that point to its destruction. The “handwriting on the wall”, although rightly interpreted by God’s true church, will not be enough to save many of those in the last critical hours before His return. The time for all to repent and receive God’s protection is now (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Verses and questions:
Daniel 5:22-30
- Why was this “handwriting on the wall” given to such a proud king when it was too late for him to repent?
- What benefit has the knowledge of this event been to those living in the last days?
Revelation 16:12-19
- What similarities are there in this passage with Belshazzar’s story?
- What lessons can we learn from these prophecies of doom and gloom? What positive things can be derived from them?
Thursday: Cyrus, the Anointed
The Persian king Cyrus is seen as a type of Christ. Remember that in the Bible a type is a person, thing, or event that points to a later fulfillment or reality, called the antitype. Several things point to Cyrus being a foreshadowing or type of Christ. Isaiah even called Cyrus “His anointed” (Isaiah 45:1), a title which Christ used for Himself when He stood up to speak in Nazareth at the beginning of His ministry (Luke 4:18).
The vast Persian Empire was the largest collection of territories ever seen in the world. People at the time even called Cyrus “the great king” and even “the king of kings”. In addition, Cyrus attacked Babylon from the east–reminding us of Christ’s Second Coming which will come from the east–“For as lightning comes from the east…” (Matthew 24:27).
The most convincing thing about Cyrus being a type of Christ, however, is probably the fact that he was responsible for allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. Christ will accomplish this by coming back victoriously for His people at the end of earth’s history. Cyrus was a savior from a human standpoint; but Jesus is our Savior in a heavenly way…and His Kingdom will last forever.
Verses and questions:
Isaiah 45:1 and Luke 4:17-19
- Why do you think oil is used in anointing ceremonies–even for earthly kings? What does it symbolize?
2 Chronicles 36:22-23
- Why would God use a pagan king to do His will?
- How was Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, also used by God?
Friday: Final Thoughts
History does seem to repeat itself, as we notice various kingdoms and nations come and go in the world, even today. God portrayed how and why this happens by sending Jeremiah to the house of a potter. There he observed that when a vessel became marred, the potter would melt it down and reshape it into something better. See Jeremiah 18:1-4.
So in the same manner, the nations surrounding Israel would have the opportunity to live up to God’s standards and prosper, or depart so far from morality that different outcomes would be necessary. Even Israel was not immune to the Potter’s molding. They went back and forth, having either trials or prosperity, based on how they pleased God.
As we wait for the end of the world and Jesus to take His faithful ones to heaven, let’s not forget the words of the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” and let God mold us on a personal level to be fit vessels for Him.
“Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
after thy will,
while I am waiting,
yielded and still.”
Next Week: Oppression–The Background and the Birth of Moses (new quarter’s study, “Exodus”)
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