Sabbath School for Adults: Lesson 9: From Contamination to Purification

Friday February 28

Further Thought: Below is a chart summarizing what we have looked at so far regarding the sequence of kingdoms depicted in Daniel 2, 7, and 8. What does this tell us about the cleansing of the sanctuary?

Daniel 2 Daniel 7 Daniel 8

Babylon Babylon ---------

Media-Persia Media-Persia Media-Persia

Greece Greece Greece

Pagan Rome Pagan Rome Pagan Rome

Papal Rome Papal Rome Papal Rome

--------- Judgment in heaven Cleansing of sanctuary

Second Coming Second Coming    ---------

As we can see here, there are parallels between the chapters. Not only are the nations depicted in parallel to each other, the judgment scene in Daniel 7—which arises after the 1,260 years (a.d. 538-1798) of papal Rome—directly parallels the cleansing of the sanctuary, which in Daniel 8 arises after Rome, as well. In short, this heavenly judgment in Daniel 7—the judgment that leads to the end of the world—is the same thing as the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8. We are given here two different depictions of the same thing, and both occur after the 1,260-year period of persecution perpetrated by the little-horn power.

Discussion Questions:

1.  How does the chart above show us that the cleansing of the sanctuary, the same thing as the judgment in Daniel 7, must occur sometime after the 1,260-year prophecy of the little horn—and yet before the establishing of God’s final kingdom?

2. The prophecy of Daniel 8 depicts history as something violent and full of evil. The two animals, symbolizing two world empires, fight each other (Dan. 8:8-12). The little-horn power that arises after them is a violent and persecuting power (Dan. 8:23-25). Thus, Scripture here makes no attempt to downplay the reality of suffering in this world. How should this help us learn to trust in God and His goodness, despite the reality of evil we see all around us?

Inside Story

Testimony From the Tomb

By: Andrew Mcchesney 

Adventist Mission George Cobb is the man who died twice.Little is actually known about Cobb, and no photos of him are known to exist. But his grave has attracted attention for decades because his tombstone in a cemetery in Brunswick in the U.S. state of Maine bears a birthdate and two death dates. It reads:

Born June 10, 1794Died Nov. 10, 1848Fell asleep May 9, 1882In fact, Cobb was baptized on Nov. 10, 1848, and he asked that the date of his conversion be carved on his tombstone after he was laid to rest in the grave on May 9, 1882, at the age of 88.

This is one of the interesting examples again of the faith and the willingness and the determination of our pioneers to share their faith in whatever means possible, including having something engraved on your tombstone that will share your faith after you have fallen asleep,” said James Nix, director of the Ellen G. White Estate.

The tombstone includes text from the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Nix has sought to find a photograph of Cobb and to track down his d escendants—but without success. “I have looked high and low for a picture of Cobb,” he said. “I have asked up here, ‘Are there descendants of Cobb?’ I would like to know about this man who cared that much to leave instructions and money to carve all that extra text on his tombstone.”

Karen Glassford, a third-generation Adventist missionary, who works as education and communication coordinator at the church’s Institute of World Mission, said that when she initially saw the tombstone she suspected that the first death date might refer to Cobb’s baptism.