Allusions, Images, Symbols:
How to Study Prophecy
Sabbath School Lesson 7
Foundations for Prophecy
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> Download Lessons for: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy: Sabbath School 2nd Quarter 2025
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"The Lamb Slain Before Time"
Scripture Texts: Revelation 5:6; Revelation 13:8
In the vision given to John on the Isle of Patmos, he sees a breathtaking scene in heaven: the throne room of God, filled with glory, worship, and majesty. And in the midst of that glory stands a Lamb—“as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). This is no ordinary image. This is Jesus Christ, bearing the marks of sacrifice, standing victorious in the very center of heaven’s throne.
But even more astonishing is what Revelation 13:8 tells us: “The Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.” Before the first sin, before the first human breath, before the first sunrise—God had already prepared a way back to Himself.
God’s Love Is Not Reactive, But Proactive
We often love in response—someone is kind to us, so we are kind in return. But God is not like that. His love is not a reaction to our condition; it is a sovereign choice, set in motion before we ever existed.
God did not scramble for a solution when Adam and Eve fell. He did not convene an emergency council in heaven. The cross was not a Plan B. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. This means God's plan to redeem us was woven into creation itself.
What does that tell us? That God’s love is not based on our worthiness, but on His character. It tells us that even in our deepest failures, God had already made provision.
God’s Wisdom Is Unsearchable
Only a God of infinite wisdom could conceive a plan that would uphold both perfect justice and unrelenting mercy. The cross is not merely the tragic execution of a good man; it is the brilliant centerpiece of God’s eternal purpose.
From the beginning, God foresaw humanity’s fall, and yet He still created us. Why? Because the joy of our redemption was worth the pain of our rebellion. In His foreknowledge and wisdom, He built salvation into the structure of time.
God's Grace Is Greater Than Our Sin
Because the Lamb was slain before time began, no sin surprises God, and no failure is beyond His reach. Your past does not define your future. The very fact that the Lamb still bears the wounds in heaven is a reminder that your sins are paid for, not just temporarily covered.
Even now, in your weakness, Christ stands in heaven as your advocate. He is the Lamb who died, and the King who reigns. Your forgiveness was not improvised—it was prepared.
Worship The Lamb
Brothers and sisters, let us worship this Lamb with hearts full of awe. Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, is proof of a God who plans, provides, and pursues us with relentless love. You are not an afterthought. Your salvation was written into the fabric of time by a God who never leaves anything to chance.
So come—bring your sins, your shame, your doubts—and lay them before the One who loved you before the world began. Amen.
More: Lesson 6 Understanding Sacrifice
Today, as the world watches headlines about a new pope or changes in church leadership, many feel anxious, curious, or even hopeful. But let us remember this truth: our faith is not in a man wearing robes, but in the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns forever.
A new pope may capture the world's attention for a moment, but to the faithful Christian, such events hold no eternal weight. Why? Because the power of our salvation does not rest in Rome, but in Calvary. Our faith does not rise and fall with any human leader—it stands firm on the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Look around the world. In China and Russia, Christianity is tightly controlled or suppressed. In India, Hinduism is dominant and the church faces persecution. Across Muslim-majority nations, billions follow another path entirely. These places do not wait for the pope’s voice. Yet still, the gospel spreads in underground churches, in whispered prayers, and in faithful lives quietly bearing witness. God's kingdom advances—not by power, nor by might, nor by hierarchy—but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).
Jesus told us clearly in John 14:1: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” And again in Matthew 24:6, He said: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
We do not fear the future. Not because we know what will happen—but because we know Who holds it.
Let us not be distracted by the movements of human institutions, however grand they may appear. The Church is not a building, not a city, not a throne—it is the Body of Christ, alive in every believer. Our Great High Priest is not elected by men—He is eternal, unchanging, seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 4:14).
So stand firm, dear saints. Do not look to titles or crowns. Look to Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The world may chase symbols. We follow a Savior. Amen.
"A Vision of the Holy One"
Text: Isaiah 6:1–5 & Revelation 4:7–11
Introduction:
Throughout Scripture, God occasionally lifts the veil of heaven and gives His servants a glimpse of His glory. Two such moments are found in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. Though centuries apart, these visions are strikingly similar—and they reveal a single, overwhelming truth: God is holy, sovereign, and worthy of eternal worship.
The Setting: A Throne High and Lifted Up
Both visions begin not with the prophet or the apostle—but with God on His throne.
Isaiah writes, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up…” (Isaiah 6:1).
John sees, “a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne…” (Revelation 4:2).
The throne is central. The first subject in both passages is not the seer, not the angels, not even the worship—but the sovereignty of God. Before anything else, God is revealed as the King who reigns.
The Creatures: Burning Praise
Next, we meet the heavenly beings—seraphim in Isaiah, and living creatures in Revelation.
In Isaiah, the seraphim cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
In Revelation, the living creatures never cease saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
These beings exist for one purpose: to proclaim God’s holiness. This triple declaration—“holy, holy, holy”—emphasizes the utter otherness of God. He is not just morally pure; He is infinitely perfect, set apart, and unlike anything in creation.
The Response: Worship and Humility
Isaiah, confronted with this vision, cries out, “Woe is me! For I am undone…” He is shattered by the holiness of God and his own unworthiness.
In Revelation, the response of the 24 elders is to fall down, cast their crowns, and say, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power…”
True worship always involves surrender. Whether in repentance or in adoration, encountering God’s holiness humbles us and compels us to give Him all glory.
The Truth Stressed: God as Holy Creator
Both visions underline this: God is holy, sovereign, and Creator.
In Revelation 4:11, the elders worship, saying:
“For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
This ties directly to Jesus Christ, whom John later identifies as the Creator in Revelation 5 and in John 1:3:
“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Jesus is not only the Lamb who redeems, but the Lord who creates. He sits on the throne, receiving the worship due to God alone.
Worship Jesus
Isaiah and John saw the same glorious reality: a holy God, exalted on His throne, surrounded by endless praise. In their visions, God is not small, familiar, or comfortable—He is overwhelming, glorious, and holy.
And Jesus is at the center of it all.
So let us approach Him with reverence, fall before Him in awe, and worship Him—not just with words, but with lives surrendered to His majesty. Amen.
More: Lesson 6 Understanding Sacrifice
"The Greater Glory"
The people of Israel were discouraged. They were rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem after returning from exile, and it was a pale shadow of Solomon’s magnificent structure. Some of the older generation wept when they saw it—not from joy, but from sorrow. They remembered the former glory and could not believe that this humble project could ever compare.
Then came the word of the Lord through the prophet Haggai: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former.” How could that be? The gold and silver were fewer. The craftsmanship was simpler. There were no ark, no tablets of stone, no visible cloud of God’s presence.
But Haggai spoke of a deeper glory.
He foretold a time when God would “shake all nations,” and the One who is “desired by all nations” would come. This was not merely about bricks and mortar. This was about Jesus Christ.
Centuries later, Jesus Himself would walk in the courts of that second temple. The Son of God, the very radiance of God’s glory, entered the place made by human hands. What Solomon’s temple had in splendor, this second temple surpassed in significance. For here, Immanuel—God with us—stood and taught and healed. Here, the glory of God was not hidden behind a veil, but seen in the face of Christ.
And now, beloved, we must take this even further. Jesus did not just fill that earthly temple with glory. He became the new temple. He said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” speaking of His body. The ultimate glory is not in stone, but in the Savior who gave Himself for us and rose again.
And today, we are His temple. His Spirit dwells in us. The prophecy of Haggai reaches forward into the church, into us, into the Kingdom that cannot be shaken. The glory that once filled a building now fills a people. The peace God promised in that place has come through Jesus, who is our peace.
So let us not look back in sorrow to what was, but forward in faith to what God is doing and will yet do. For the greater glory is here—and His name is Jesus. Amen.
More: Lesson 6 Understanding Sacrifice