Lesson 6 · May 6, 1893

Can We Know of the Time?

1.Review questions:—

Notes

(a) Explain how Christ can come as a thief in the night and his people be looking for him when he comes.

(b) Give four texts that prove that Christ's coming is a literal coming.

(c) What difference will there be in the reception of Jesus by the wicked and righteous?

2.To whom is Christ to appear with salvation? .
3.What are those called who look for him? .
4.What is their light? ; .
5.What particular portions of the Scripture give light on the coming of the Lord? .
6.What is prophecy? See note 1.
7.How was prophecy written? .
8.What is said of the interpretation of prophecy? . See note 2.
9.If the prophet did not speak according to his own mind, who is responsible for what he says? .
10.Then who instructed all the prophets what to write? See note 3.
11.Does Jesus make known the definite time of his second advent? .
12.How near does he come to giving us a definite time? . See note 4.
13.What expression does the Saviour use which shows that the term "generation" means but a short period in this connection? .
14.What does Jesus expect his people to be doing when he is at the door? .
15.What will the unbelievers be doing in this generation? .
16.What do they say? .
17.What is said of their ignorance? .
18.How could they have known differently? . By the word of God.
19.What should those who know of the time be doing? .

Notes

1. Prophecy is history written before it is made. God, who knows the end from the beginning, speaks through his prophets to the world, that they may know what is coming in the future, and be prepared to meet it. The Saviour often spoke of himself as fulfilling the words of the prophets concerning his work. Had the people given heed to the prophetic Scripture, they would not have rejected him. So in the last days they that study the word of prophecy and believe it will be in the light, while those who reject this word will be lost.

2. "That no prophecy of the Scripture, whether that referred to above, or any other, is of any private interpretation, proceeds from the prophet's own knowledge or invention, or was the offspring of calculation or conjecture. The word 'epilusis' signifies, also, impetus, impulse, and probably this is the best sense here—not by mere private impulse of his own mind."—Clarke.

3. In we learn that it was the Spirit of Christ that was in the prophets that led them to speak the words they spake. In the opening words of the book of Revelation, we are informed that it is a "revelation of Jesus Christ," which he sent through his angel to John. This angel tells John () that he was the fellow-servant of John and the other prophets before him. Then every prophet was instructed by Christ's angel, and Jesus himself was the authority for all that was spoken.

4. "By some of the ancients a generation was fixed at a hundred years, by others at a hundred and ten years, by others at thirty-three, thirty-five, and even at twenty years. So that there was nothing uniform and settled in this matter."—Cruden. "Genea, birth, race, descent, offspring; it denotes an age, or generation from the point of view of race."—Bullinger.

Bible texts in this lesson

Hebrews 9:28 · 1 Thessalonians 5:4 · 1 Thessalonians 5:5 · Psalms 119:105 · John 8:12 · 2 Peter 1:19 · 2 Peter 1:21 · 2 Peter 1:20 · 1 Peter 1:10 · 1 Peter 1:11 · Matthew 24:36 · Matthew 24:34 · Matthew 24:33 · Matthew 24:42 · 2 Peter 3:3 · 2 Peter 3:4 · 2 Peter 3:5 · Romans 13:11-14 · Revelation 22:9

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