Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class on June 15, 2024.

Main Theme: Lucifer attempts to undermine God’s law in order to establish his own dictatorship. Those who remain loyal to God’s law show their loyalty to God as their Creator and Redeemer.

Read in Class: Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: How does worshiping the Creator find its final expression?

Apply: Read Daniel 6:4-5. On what basis was Daniel accused and persecuted? Have you ever seen
anyone being persecuted for being loyal to God’s law? Have you ever been persecuted for remaining loyal to God’s law?

Share: Your friend quits keeping the Sabbath to avoid conflict with his wife and her family. He says God understands he has to keep peace in the family. What do you tell your friend? See Matthew 10:34-39 and Revelation 2:10.

Read in Class: Revelation13:1-10. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: Where does the beast rise from and who gives itauthority?

Apply: How do we live in expectation of the second coming without becoming alarmists every time something happens?  

Share: Your friend asks what this beast does to commit blasphemy? Why was Jesus accused of blasphemy? Is the beast committing blasphemy by claiming to be God? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Revelation 13:11-18. Summarize this passage.

Study: How does this beast differ from the first beast in Revelation13?

Apply: What change do you see in this beast, and how does it speak? Think about the political instability in America today. How might that one day lead to the fulfillment of this prophecy?

Share: Your friend says there is no way a country based on religious freedom could ever turn around and  persecute its own people for religious reasons. What do you tell your friend? What instances in both Biblical and secular history might you base your answer on?

According to Time, Read in Class: Daniel 3:4-24 or portions of this passage.

Study: What parallels do you see between Daniel 3 and Revelation 13?

Apply: What specific things happen in Daniel 3 that encourage you to be faithful to God when Revelation
13 plays out.

Share: Can you think of someone who may be suffering persecution in one way or another who could use some encouragement? How can you encourage them this week?