Memory Text: John 11:25
SABBATH: No biblical resurrection give proof of a supposed afterlife experience of the dead. Aside from personal hope (Job 19:25-27, Heb. 11:17-19, Ps. 49:15, 71:20) & future promises (Dan. 12:1, 2, 13), the OT & NT give real resurrection cases (Jude 9, Luke 9:28-36, 7:11-17, 8:40-56, 1 Kings 17:8-24, 2 Kings 4:18-37, John 11). What the Bible teaches is the unconsciousness of the dead (Job 3:11-13, Ps. 146:4).
SUNDAY: Moses died at 120 years & was raised by Christ (PP, p. 478, 279, Deut. 34:5-7, Jude 9). We see him & Elijah in the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36, 2 Kings 2:1-11). Some Greek Church Fathers from Alexandria say that when Moses died, two Moseses were seen; one alive in spirit & the other dead in body; one ascending to heaven & the other buried on earth. It’s false & from the immortal soul concept.
MONDAY: God used Elijah to raise the son of the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-24) & Elisha to raise the son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:18-37). In the former, the widow was about to cook her last meal for herself & son & then die because of the drought during the reign of Ahab. The miracle of Elijah spared their lives & later he would revive her dead son. Elisha would also do same for a widow.
TUESDAY: Jesus helped everyone regardless of their race or rank. He went about doing good & healing the oppressed. There were whole towns where there was not a moan of sickness in any house because He healed all the sick. The Jews would later come to see Him as the Messiah (Acts 10:38, SC, pp. 11, 12). Unlike the widows of Elijah & Elisha, Jesus helped one without even her asking (Luke 7:11-17).
WEDNESDAY: The compassionate work of Christ was not restricted to any class; Moses was a great leader, the Phoenician widow was not an Israelite, the Shunammite woman was famous, the widow of Nain had only one son, & Jarius was a ruler of the temple (Deut. 34:10-12, 1 Kings 17:9, 2 Kings 4:8, Luke 7:12, Mark 5:21-24, 35-43). Jesus called death “a sleep” for He could awaken the dead one.
THURSDAY: By the power of His word, God called the world into being. By the same power, at the end of time, He’ll call the dead back to life in the resurrection. He only said, “‘Lazarus, come forth!’” & the dead man came to life. Here, too, Jesus used the metaphor for sleep in talking about death (John 11:1-44). Lazarus has been dead for 4 days & his corpse, already was rotting. Jesus gave him life.
FRIDAY: “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.” He who has the Son has life (1 John 5:2). Christ said, “He who believes in Me though dead, shall live again.” Thus, His divinity is the Christian’s assurance of eternal life (see John 11:25, 26). Looking forward to the time of His second coming, Christ gave hope for the resurrection of the saints—they shall be changed & taken to heaven without dying.
—Ellen G. White, “The Death of Moses,” pp. 469–480, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Voice of Stern Rebuke,” pp. 129–142; “A Prophet of Peace,” pp. 237–243, in Prophets and Kings; “The Centurion,” pp. 318, 319; “The Touch of Faith,” pp. 342, 343; “ ‘Lazarus, Come Forth,’ ” pp. 524–536, in The Desire of Ages.
Keywords
OT- Old Testament
NT- New Testament
DA- The Desire of Ages
The resurrection of Moses- The first resurrection in the Bible was of Moses. Except for Moses, all these people were raised as mortals who eventually would die again.
PP- Patriarchs and Prophets
The two women who had their sons resurrected- These women (The Shunammite woman & the widow of Zarephath) had different backgrounds but the same saving faith.
Captions
SUNDAY- The Resurrection of Moses
MONDAY- Two Old Testament Cases
TUESDAY- The Son of the Widow of Nain
WEDNESDAY- Jairus’s Daughter
THURSDAY- Lazarus
Discussion Questions
📌 Many people died during the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha, as well as during Christ’s own earthly ministry. Only a few were resurrected. (See Luke 4:24–27.) Thinking, too, about the experience of all of the dead, whether resurrected in the past or at the Second Coming, what difference does it make, at least in regard to what it was like to be dead?
📌 Many writers over the centuries have written about the futility of a life that ends always in death. Along with other living creature s—chickens, beavers, oysters, et cetera—we all die. However, for humans, in a sense our predicament is worse than for the animals, because we know that we are going to die. (See Eccles. 9:5.) Chickens, beavers, and oysters don’t. Why, then, is the promise of the resurrection so crucial to us?
📌 If you think that the soul is immortal and that the dead, especially the righteous dead, live on in heaven after they die, what need is there for the resurrection at the end of time?
📌 If someone called and asked, “Is Sally there?” you might answer, “Yes, but she’s sleeping.” If, however, someone called and asked, “Is Sally there?” you are not going to answer, “Yes, but she’s dead.” Why not? What does this teach us about the nature of death?
For October 22–28. Happy Sabbath!
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