This week, we will continue looking at the problems caused by the Fall and the desire for human government as opposed to God’s governance. These truths are powerfully revealed in the book of Daniel, which shows that God was right when He warned His people about what would happen when they turned away from Him and chose earthly monarchs instead. This is exactly what they got: earthly monarchs instead, and sinners lording it over sinners—never a good combination.

In this lesson, we will explore humanity’s long and often tragic journey of self-government through the lens of Scripture. From the table of nations in Genesis to the hopeful vision in Revelation, this lesson traces how human attempts to rule without God have consistently fallen short. With key texts from Genesis, Samuel, Daniel, and Revelation, we uncover the contrast between earthly kingdoms and the everlasting kingdom of Christ—one that will never be destroyed. Join us as we reflect on God’s ultimate solution to our broken world and the hope of His eternal reign.

This week we will explore different ways the Word of God talks about marriages, good and bad. We can then draw lessons from these examples to understand better how God relates to His people, even when they fall short, and we can learn some truths about His love that can help us better grasp last-day events.

This week, we are going to study a handful of big concepts at the core of Revelation. There are many, and so we will choose a few to illustrate the all-important point that understanding the ancient foundations behind Revelation enables the student to see countless nuances in the text, each of which can yield important lessons about the nature of humanity, of God, and of the conflict being waged in our universe and, thus, in our lives, as well.

Why does Bible prophecy cause so much confusion—even among Christians?

Some avoid it altogether, thinking it's too complicated or divisive. But that wasn’t always the case. For centuries, believers found unity and clarity in God’s prophetic Word.

In this week’s lesson, we’ll explore simple, powerful principles that bring prophecy into focus—and show how it can still inspire faith and understanding today.

God’s law is not a set of abstract principles but commands and instructions intended for our flourishing. God’s law is, in its totality, an expression of love as God Himself expresses it.

Part of loving one another is sharing a concern for the well-being of those around us. When others are afflicted by poverty, oppression, or any kind of injustice, we should be concerned. When others are oppressed, we should not turn a blind eye. Instead, we should ask ourselves what we can do, individually and corporately, to advance God’s love and justice in a way that reflects to our broken world our Lord’s perfect character of righteousness and love.

Many struggle with the question: If God is good, why is there so much suffering? Where is He in the midst of pain? The cosmic conflict helps shed light on this crucial issue, yet many questions remain. But when our search for answers falls short, we can look to Jesus on the cross and see that God is trustworthy, even when some questions remain unanswered—for now.

For the cosmic conflict to occur, God must allow the enemy some freedom and power within certain parameters, though the details are unknown to us. Even God's angels operate within these "rules of engagement." Understanding that God governs by love, not coercion, helps us grasp this concept and better understand the great controversy.

The theme of a cosmic conflict, in which the kingdom of God is opposed by the devil and his angels, is not one that we can neglect without missing a great deal of what the biblical narratives are about. The Gospels alone are filled with references to the devil and demons who oppose God. This week, we will address how the two following questions might be answered according to some crucial biblical passages:

1- Where does Scripture teach that there is a cosmic conflict between God and Satan?

2- According to Scripture, what is the nature of the conflict?