Sabbath, October 31, 2020
Lesson 18 – Herodias and Spiritual Babylon
Herodias is derived from the root word Herod, which means “arises from a hero.”8
“Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him [John the Baptist], and would have killed him; but she could not.” Mark 6:19.
“The head of John the Baptist was carried to Herodias, who received it with fiendish satisfaction. She exulted in her revenge, and flattered herself that Herod’s conscience would no longer be troubled. But no happiness resulted to her from her sin. Her name became notorious and abhorred, while Herod was more tormented by remorse than he had been by the warnings of the prophet. The influence of John’s teachings was not silenced; it was to extend to every generation till the close of time.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 222.
An evil, adulterous, murderous woman
- Who was Herodias? Whom did she influence?
SUNDAY
Matthew 14:3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
Mark 6:17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.
“Several years before this, Herod had listened to the teaching of John the Baptist. He had been deeply impressed, but he had not forsaken his life of intemperance and sin. So his heart grew harder, and at last in a drunken revel he had commanded that John should be slain to please the wicked Herodias.” –The Story of Jesus, p. 130.
MONDAY
- Just as the people persecuted Elijah, whom did Herodias hate and persecute? Of what sins was she guilty along with her daughter?
Mark 6:18, 19, 22, 24, 28 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. 19Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:… 22And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said to the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee…. 24And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist…. 28And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
“John the Baptist had been first in heralding Christ’s kingdom, and he was first also in suffering. From the free air of the wilderness and the vast throngs that had hung upon his words, he was now shut in by the walls of a dungeon cell. He had become a prisoner in the fortress of Herod Antipas. In the territory east of Jordan, which was under the dominion of Antipas, much of John’s ministry had been spent. Herod himself had listened to the preaching of the Baptist. The dissolute king had trembled under the call to repentance. ‘Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.’ John dealt with him faithfully, denouncing his iniquitous alliance with Herodias, his brother’s wife. For a time Herod feebly sought to break the chain of lust that bound him; but Herodias fastened him the more firmly in her toils, and found revenge upon the Baptist by inducing Herod to cast him into prison.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 214.
“The cheap, common talk, the words of flattery, the foolish witticism, spoken to create a laugh, are the merchandise of Satan, and all who indulge in this talk are trading in his goods. Impressions are made upon those who hear these things, similar to that made upon Herod when the daughter of Herodias danced before him. All these transactions are recorded in the books of heaven, and at the last great day they will appear in their true light before the guilty ones. Then all will discern in them the alluring, deceptive workings of the devil, to lead them into the broad road and the wide gate that opens to their ruin.” –Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 340.
TUESDAY
- To what woman in the Old Testament could Herodias be compared? Explain how those two ungodly women were similar to spiritual Babylon.
Revelation 2:20; 17:4, 6 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols…. 17:4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:… 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
“We must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel. Licentiousness, unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large degree; and ministers who are handling sacred things are guilty of sin in this respect. They are coveting their neighbors’ wives, and the seventh commandment is broken. We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” –Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, p. 188.
“Young men and women who have tried to be Bible Christians are persuaded to join the party, and they are drawn into the ring. They do not prayerfully consult the divine standard, to learn what Christ has said in regard to the fruit to be borne on the Christian tree. They do not discern that these entertainments are really Satan’s banquet, prepared to keep souls from accepting the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb and preventing them from receiving the white robe of character, which is the righteousness of Christ. They become confused as to what it is right for them as Christians to do.” –Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 340.
WEDNESDAY
An adulterous, murderous city
- Just as Herodias influenced King Herod Antipas, over whom will Babylon exercise spiritual influence? What are the crimes and false doctrines of spiritual Babylon at the end of time?
Revelation 17:2; 18:3 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication…. 18:3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
“We must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel. Licentiousness, unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large degree; and ministers who are handling sacred things are guilty of sin in this respect. They are coveting their neighbors’ wives, and the seventh commandment is broken. We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” –Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, p. 188.
THURSDAY
- What horrible threats will Babylon make against the reformers in the last days?
2 Chronicles 33:11 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
Revelation 18:13, last part, 24; 12:17 … Slaves, and souls of men…. 24And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain on the earth…. 12:17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
“The vision that Christ presented to John, presenting the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, is to be definitely proclaimed to all nations, people, and tongues. The churches, represented by Babylon, are represented as having fallen from their spiritual state to become a persecuting power against those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. To John this persecuting power is represented as having horns like a lamb, but as speaking like a dragon.” –Evangelism, p. 197.
FRIDAY
- What did Jesus do when He was told about John the Baptist’s death? What should God’s people do when they are threatened by spiritual Babylon?
Matthew 14:12, 13, first part; 10:23 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13When Jesus heard of it, he departed there by ship into a desert place apart:… 10:23But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
“As the captive exiles heeded the message, ‘Flee out of the midst of Babylon’ (Jeremiah 51:6), and were restored to the Land of Promise, so those who fear God today are heeding the message to withdraw from spiritual Babylon, and soon they are to stand as trophies of divine grace in the earth made new, the heavenly Canaan.” –Prophets and Kings, p. 715.
“Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it is declared: ‘Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’
Revelation 18:5. She has filled up the measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her. But God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they partake not of her sins and ‘receive not of her plagues.’ Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: ‘Come out of her, My people.’ These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.” –The Great Controversy, p. 604.
SABBATH
- What can neither Herodias nor Babylon destroy? What will be the reward of those who triumph over spiritual Babylon?
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
“The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directed to the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls!
‘I was a sinner,’ it will be said, ‘without God and without hope in the world, and you came to me, and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope.’
“Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. ‘When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me,’ they say, ‘to speak words of hope and comfort. You brought me food for my physical necessities, and you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother. You sympathized with me in my sorrows and restored my bruised and wounded soul so that I could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached out to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a Father in heaven who cared for me.’” –Welfare Ministry, p. 317.
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MISSIONARY REPORT from Rwanda
To be read on Sabbath, October 31, 2020
The Special Sabbath School Offering will be gathered on Sabbath, November 7, 2020
“The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.” Exodus 35:29.
Dear brothers and sisters around the world:
Receive cordial greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died so that we might inherit eternal life.
The Republic of Rwanda is called a country of a thousand hills. Although it is located in central Africa, it is numbered with East African countries. Bordering the Republic of Burundi on the south, the Republic of Uganda on the north, the United States of Tanzania on the east, and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west, Rwanda covers 26,338 square kilometers (10,169 square miles) and has a population of about 12 million, which is growing rapidly.
The country has wonderful tourism attractions, including Volcanoes National Park in the northern part of the country, where mountain gorillas are found, Akagera National Park, and Nyungwe Forest National Park. As for the economy, many Rwandans are farmers with very small pieces of land, where both traditional and modern agricultural methods are used. The country is land locked, so most of the goods coming from abroad are expensive.
As for education, the number of people who cannot read is being decreased by free primary and secondary education in government schools, and loans are given to those who are able to enter the University of Rwanda. The country has four official languages–Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili; but Kinyarwanda is the Rwandans’ mother language. According to Wikipedia, Christianity is the largest religion in Rwanda. The most recent national census shows the following categories: Roman Catholic, 43.7 percent; Protestant, 37.7 percent; Seventh-day Adventist, 11.8 percent; Muslim (mainly Sunni), 2 percent; no religious affiliation, 2.5 percent; and Jehovah’s Witnesses, 0.7 percent. There is also a small number of Baha’is and some who hold traditional indigenous beliefs.
The message of the International Missionary Society, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Reform Movement, entered Rwanda in early 1993, when missionaries from Tanzania, including Elders Parmenas Shirima, Bright Dickson Fue, and Mwanjabeke, visited Rwanda and continued to support the work, despite discouraging circumstances. The work of the Lord was greatly hindered by the genocide in 1994.
By the end of December 1996, the number of believers increased significantly as more than 200 Rwandan believers who had received the message of Reformation in refugee camps in Tanzania came back to join the believers, especially in Kigali City. The missionary activities increased, supported by the above ministers and the General Conference as the organization of the Rwandan Field was strengthened.
There are now forty local churches and seven branches throughout the country. The membership is 760, and there are many interested souls. The field is divided into three missionary zones–Northwest, South-Central, and East, with six ministers and one ordained elder.
For the church’s registration according to the laws of the country, we received The Permit for Preaching [AQUIT DE DROIT] on January 23,1998; the Certificate for Temporary Registration on October 29, 2002; and the Full Registration as an Organized Church on September 9, 2008. But now we are in the process of updating our church registration according to the new law regarding faith-based organizations in Rwanda, even though obtaining that is difficult for us because we struggle with bringing our physical structures up to the government’s standards. To carry out God’s work in the areas of the country where the message of reformation has not reached, we have a plan for the Rwandan Field to become a Union, even though there are obstacles to this.
We have severe financial problems, and even though our members have little income, they have been squeezing themselves economically to remodel the church buildings that have been closed because of standards recently imposed by the government. Some buildings are far enough along in the remodeling process to be used, but only temporally, because we have not yet completed the necessary work; other church buildings are still closed.
We also have projects that will benefit the Lord’s cause, such as the Murambi School Project, which the authorities have accepted and authorized. We have a large plot of land in Murambi in Kigali City. However, because of financial limitations, that project was delayed but not completely abandoned. We planned to build a primary school and a secondary school on that plot, but we only managed to build the fence.
In addition, we have plans to start nursery schools, since education is the highest priority of the Rwandan government; for example, we have started educating small children in the Nyamata local church, in a town that is near Kigali City. The work is growing rapidly; we opened the school with 20 children, and now we have more than 180. School buildings are needed, especially because right now we are using the church building to work with the young children. In the eastern part of the country, we have another large bare plot of land in the Kigonge area, where we propose to start a school or sanitarium.
The Spirit of prophecy tells us: “There are schools to be established in foreign countries and in our own country. We must learn from God how to manage these schools. They are not to be conducted as many of them have been conducted. Our institutions are to be regarded as God’s instrumentalities for the furtherance of His work in the earth…. We need to stand as a united company who shall see eye to eye. Then we shall see the salvation of God revealed on the right hand and on the left. If we work in harmony, we give God a chance to work for us.” –Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 531. The possibility is within our reach to help the cause of God in this field.
We plead with our brethren worldwide to pray for us and unite their efforts with ours to help to advance the message of reformation in Rwanda through these projects. May the meek and lowly Jesus Christ influence and benefit every member and friend of the reformation message to ponder deeply how to help to support these plans.
–Elder Ngoboka Steven
Rwandan Field President