Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-12-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR DEG. II
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY by TUT
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, Rev. xxi, Ia, 22-
27--Memory Verses, 3, 4-Golden
Text, Rev. xxi, documentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. M. Stearns.

Holy City, but only the hrst two
verses and the last verses refer to the
city. Verses and A refer to this earth
when II shall be New Earth wherein
! dwelleth righteousness Verse 1; III Pet
| Iii, 10; lisa. XIV, II; Xvi. 22). Only In
these four passages do we read of the
new earth. and 1t Ia possible that the
passages In Isaiah refer to the millen-
NAL earth when the devil shall be
bound in the bottomless pit for thou
sand years (Rev. Xxx. 1-6). while the
other two may refer to the ages be-
yond the millennium.
The time will come when this earth.
so long cursed by sin and Satan, shall
be filed with the knowledge of the
glory of the Lord. and the nations shall
learn war no more (Num. xiv. 81; lisa.
II. A: XII. O.: Hab. Ii. IA: Mic. iv. ~. A
king shall reign In righteousness. and
the result will be peace. quietness and
assurance forever Elsa. xxi. /, 10.
The way In which God will bring this
all to pass it so plainly written that
only those who refuse to believe that
God means what He says can fail to
understand it. Following the letters
to the churches Of last weeks lesson.
we see In chapters iv and the COM
pleted church gone from the earth to
be with Christ in glory, and we do not
find the church again in the book till
we come to the marriage of the Lamb
In chapter xix and then the return OF
Christ In glory, as the rider upon the
white horse. accompanied by all the
armies In heaven. to bind the devil.
send his associates to the lake of fire
and set up His millennial Kingdom OF
righteousness.
The church being taken away, we
have In chapters vi to xviii, inclusive,
an account OF the great day of the
wrath of the Lord. OF which the proph-
cts have so much TO say-the time OF
tribulation such as never was and new
er will be again dan. xii. L; Jer. xxx,
Z; Matt. xiv, 81: Rev. xvi. Is, 49,,
which the Lord shall put an end to by
His coming in glory. In those days
the nations shall gather under one
leader against the Lord and against
12-14), and this leader shall be wor-
SHIPPED by all the world. all whose
names are not In the book OF life. and
he shall be the devil incarnate. the
antichrist. No such person Is yet in
sight, and there is as yet no nation OF
Israel against whom they will gather,
but many things may develop from
the present European conflict.
After the church shall have been TAX
en- and the tribulation begun great
multitude from all nations shall be
saved who are said to come out of the
great tribulation (Rev. vii. IA, Il. W.
Many of these may have TO seal their
testimony with their blood. Then in
chapters vii. Is; xiv, Is, we read of
$4,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel
who are neither the church OF chapters
Nv and nor the tribulation saints OF
chapter vii. but just what they are
said TO be-sealed ones of the tribes OF
Israel who will have their own place
in the kingdom. BY the judgments Of
the tribulation period this great age
shall close and a new age begin, with
Jesus Christ as Israels Messiah on
the throne OF David, as we shall see In
our next lesson. Then He shall begin
His reign, which has not yet begun.
for He is on His Fathers throne, wait
ing for the time when He shall come
TO His own throne and reign till He
shall have put all enemies under His
feet. The last enemy to be destroyed
will be death (Rev. iii, 81; Cor. XIV,
%, 26).
From lisa. lxv, 20-22. it looks as IL
there would be death during the mil
leamum. but not as now, for one dying
then at the age of 100 will be said to
die in childhood, and many may live
right through, but in the new earth
after the thousand years. when the
tabernacle Of God shall be with men
and He shall be as familiar with men
on earth as He was with Adam and
Eve in Eden. then on this earth there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow
nor crying. neither shall there be any
more pain. land there shall be no more
curse, but the throne Of God and of
the Lamb shall be In IL. and His serv-
ants shall serve Him" chapters XXI,
3, A; xii. 3-5).
Now, as to the holy city. the new
Jerusalem, the bride. the Lambs wife.
which shall need no light of sun or
moon. because the glory OF God and
the Lamb shall be the light OF II and
In the light OF which the saved nations
OF earth shall walk and shall bring
their glory and honor into IL xxi, 2.
oil. 22-26). can only gaze and gaze
and wonder and adore until shall find
myself dwelling In 1t as Ey eternal
home II is described as TO its form
I perfect cube. 1900 miles long and
road and high verse l6l. reminding
$ OF the holy OF holes In the taber-
'acle and in the temple. each of which
vas perfect cube as 20 form and In
which there was no light but the glory
IT God above the mercy seat between
ne chernbim. What may be signifed
" foundations garnished with all