Sabbath School Lesson for May 31-June 6, 2025
Introduction of Lesson 10, Upon Whom the Ends Have Come
Memory Text: “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
There are some key Bible stories that foreshadow future events that will occur in the end times. Most significant are the worldwide destruction by water during the Flood, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that were destroyed by fire. Extreme wickedness of the people was glaringly apparent in both instances, with God proving Himself to be just and merciful in how the punishments were carried out.
In the case of Noah, we must admire him for his nonwavering sermons about the coming deluge and the diligent way this patriarch prepared himself and his family for the event. His faith in God gave him the confidence needed to strive for over a hundred years to warn the world of the consequences of their wicked behavior (Hebrews 11:7).
As for Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded with God’s Son to spare the righteous if just ten of them could be found (Genesis 18:32). We, too, in these last days should be prayerfully doing all we can to forestall the coming destruction, in order for as many to be saved as possible.
These and other examples in the Bible give us a foundation for better understanding the important prophecies in Daniel and Revelation.
- Sunday: The Wrath of the Lamb–Why is God angry?
- Monday: Noah’s Evangelism–Why were so few saved?
- Tuesday: The Story of Sodom and Gomorrah–What caused the cities to burn?
- Wednesday: The Judge of All the Earth–How does God’s judgment work?
- Thursday: The Pre-Advent Judgment–Why do we need an investigative judgment?
Sunday: The Wrath of the Lamb
Just as people before the Flood had plenty of time to get ready for the destruction that rocked their world, those living in the last days will have been amply warned of the horrific series of events that prophets have been predicting for centuries.
As the sixth seal is unleashed and the forces of nature are doing their worst damage to the face of the earth, everyone will be hiding themselves in caves and mountains, crying “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17).
We are told that the gospel will be carried to every nation on earth before the Lord returns, indicating that all will have had opportunity to know of the coming chaos before it happens.
Just like in Noah’s day, they will know about the final consequences of sin, but they refuse to believe it will really happen in their lifetime. “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Believers and unbelievers alike will find themselves unprepared for the wrath of the Lamb.
Verses and questions:
Revelation 6:12-17 and Matthew 24:29-30
- Why are things in nature shaken up so bad right before Jesus returns?
- Why is the event called the “wrath of the Lamb” in Revelation 6:16? What is God angry about?
Matthew 24:36-44
- Why were sinners in the days of Noah caught off guard by the Flood?
- Why did Jesus compare the Flood to the last days?
Monday: Noah’s Evangelism
By today’s standards, Noah’s lack of respondents to his preaching about the Flood makes him seem like an utter failure as an evangelist. After over a century of delivering a message that was ridiculed and led to mocking and threats from his listeners, only Noah and his immediate family were saved in the ark of safety God told them to build.
This didn’t seem to discourage the brave witness for God, however. Noah knew that it was God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7). Some now will sow the seed and others will reap the harvest. But like Noah, all must depend on God for the results (John 4:37).
And so will it be in the end times. We mustn’t be discouraged about little to no fruit coming from our personal witnessing efforts. Especially in the last days, we will be preaching to a difficult audience. But God is responsible for softening hearts, and people themselves are ultimately responsible for their choices. We can only share what we know, and continue to anticipate and prepare for our final destiny in heaven.
Verses and questions:
Genesis 6:1-8 and Matthew 24:37-39
- Why should we continue to work and witness for God when so few want to hear our message?
Tuesday: The Story of Sodom and Gomorrah
Peter makes the case that both the Flood and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of the coming destruction at the end of earth’s history (2 Peter 2:4-6).
The prophet Ezekiel reminds us that not just those living wild, ungodly lives, but even some of God’s own people will find themselves reaping the consequences of sin. Ezekiel 16:49-50 mentions sins of the daughters of Sodom as being pride and not helping the poor and needy. Their haughty, lazy tendencies were also abominations that caused them to commit spiritual adultery with God.
The first chapter of Romans gives an exhaustive list of sins that will keep us out of heaven. In addition to sexual immorality and unnatural, shameful things done with our bodies, we can also be guilty of covetousness, envy, deceit, violence, pride, and being unmerciful and unforgiving of others. Such are the multitude of sins we must all be conscious of and willing to confess.
Verses and questions:
2 Peter 2:4-11, Jude 5-8, and Ezekiel 16:46-50
- What were some of the sins of those destroyed by the fires of Sodom and Gomorrah?
- How does their moral condition compare with what is seen in our modern world? How can Christians easily fall into some of these categories?
Wednesday: The Judge of All the Earth
One day Abraham had some heavenly visitors, one of them thought to be the Son of God. They had some good news and some bad news for Abraham. The good news was that his wife Sarah would have a son. The bad news was that God intended to destroy the wicked cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham’s nephew Lot had chosen to live.
Several points in this story might instruct us about coming worldwide destruction the earth will someday experience. The fact that God was willing to share his plans with Abraham shows us how open and transparent He is when it comes to His judgment activities.
God was patient with all of Abraham’s questions, even though they involved a close scrutiny of God’s love and justice. Mercifully, He will allow the righteous to have the same investigative privilege for a thousand years in heaven, prior to the final Day of Atonement, when the whole earth is destroyed by fire.
Verses and questions:
Genesis 18:17-32 and Revelation 20:4, 11-15
- Why is “the Judge of all the earth” willing to undergo such close scrutiny from His created beings?
Revelation 14:6-12 and 18:1-4
- How were the warnings from angels who visited Abraham similar to the warning message that is to go to all the world before Christ returns?
Thursday: The Pre-Advent Judgment
As part of God’s investigation into the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, God shared His findings with Abraham in an attempt to show why God was about to allow such a terrible event to happen. Outcries for help had come to God’s throne, and the situation warranted His personal investigation, before fire would engulf the populations of those wicked cities (Genesis 18:20). It was perhaps the only way to solve the massive problem of sin that had gotten so out of hand there.
God did not just tell Abraham what He was going to do, but allowed him to question His actions. He was not just transparent, but was willing to dialogue and negotiate the details. This is why people believe an investigative judgment process is happening in heaven in the last days.
During the investigative judgment going on in the heavenly sanctuary, angels are offered an opportunity to see the books opened (Daniel 7:9-10) and names being reviewed, so at His Coming, Christ can bring to heaven those who have been found faithful (Revelation 22:12), and leave behind those who must be denied access to heaven’s holy environment.
Verses and questions:
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 22, 26-27
- Why must there be an investigative judgment in the throne room before Christ comes?
Ecclesiastes 12:14, Matthew 12:36, Isaiah 43:25, and Jeremiah 50:20
- Why is such a comprehensive record necessary for a fair trial to occur in heaven?
- What happens when we have a sin forgiven, and how does that make you feel?
- Why is God justified in blotting out our sins?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Besides the obvious examples of the world destroyed by water, and Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by fire, there are many other allusions in Scripture that reveal future, prophetic events.
We see God’s handiwork from what happened at Creation in the beginning, with the earth first being “without form, and void”–down to the end, with Jeremiah describing the earth’s cities broken down and left desolate, leaving it “without form, and void” during the millennium. Satan will be bound here with no one to tempt, because the “rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:3, 5).
And then there were the stories in Daniel. Daniel and his friends asked for a cleansing, vegetarian diet, and after just ten days, they were found to be ten times wiser and better than their trained superiors who served the king. Having a message of health will also make us more fit to serve the Lord. We need all our mental and physical faculties to serve our heavenly King well in the last days.
The colossal image created by King Nebuchadnezzar, which all were forced to bow down to and worship, reminds us of the test God’s people will have in the final hours of earth’s history, when we will again be told to bow down to human dictates involving worship. Seeing how Daniel and his friends responded to their challenges back then is helpful in our Christian walk today.
Next Week: Ruth and Esther
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