real.solid.

stories LESSON 12

CORNERSTONECONNECTIONS
DECEMBER172022

Scripture Story: 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20.

Commentary: The Great Controversy (or Love Under Fire),

wiping the slate clean

chapter 41.

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Photo by Colleen Cahill

keytext
“But the day of the Lord will come

flashlight like a thief. The heavens will disap-

“The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their sinful neglect of God and their pear with a roar; the elements will
fellow men, but because God has conquered. They lament that the result is what it is; but be destroyed by fire, and the earth
they do not repent of their wickedness. They would leave no means untried to conquer and everything done in it will be laid
if they could.
bare.”
“The world see the very class whom they have mocked and derided, and desired to
(2 Peter 3:10, NIV)
exterminate, pass unharmed through pestilence, tempest, and earthquake. He who is to
the transgressors of His law a devouring fire, is to His people a safe pavilion” (The Great
Controversy, p. 654).
 what
did not come to
life until the thousand
years were ended.) This is
the first resurrection. Blessed and

do you think?
holy are those who share in the first
resurrection. The second death has
no power over them, but they will be
How fair is God? Have you ever questioned God’s fairness? On priests of God and of Christ and will
a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the least fair and 10 being perfectly reign with him for a thousand years.
fair, what do you think of the following situations?
____ A teen dies young from a driving accident. INTO
THE
“When the thousand years are over,
____ A good person wins the lottery. Satan will be released from his prison

STORY
____ An unethical business person becomes increasingly and will go out to deceive the nations in
wealthy. the four corners of the earth—Gog and
____ A country experiences a natural disaster and “And I saw an angel Magog—and to gather them for battle.
thousands die. coming down out of In number they are like the sand on the
____ The devil was not destroyed immediately. heaven, having the key to seashore. They marched across the
the Abyss and holding in his breadth of the earth and surrounded
hand a great chain. He seized the camp of God’s people, the city he
the dragon, that ancient ser- loves. But fire came down from heaven
pent, who is the devil, or Satan, and devoured them. And the devil, who
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and bound him for a thousand deceived them, was thrown into the
years. He threw him into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast

did you Abyss, and locked and sealed it

over him, to keep him from deceiv-
and the false prophet had been thrown.
They will be tormented day and night

know? ing the nations anymore until the

thousand years were ended. After
that, he must be set free for a
for ever and ever.

“Then I saw a great white throne and

here are several steps to short time. him who was seated on it. The earth
a criminal trial in the United and the heavens fled from his pres-
States. These steps are there “I saw thrones on which were ence, and there was no place for
to ensure that every person seated those who had been given them. And I saw the dead, great and
gets a fair chance to defend authority to judge. And I saw the small, standing before the throne, and
50 themselves in a court of law. First, a person souls of those who had been books were opened. Another book
is charged with a crime; however, the accused beheaded because of their was opened, which is the book of life.
person is considered innocent until proven testimony about Jesus and The dead were judged according to
guilty. Next, a jury of 12 regular citizens is because of the word of God. what they had done as recorded in the
selected. Both lawyers make opening statements They had not worshiped the books. The sea gave up the dead that
that explain why they think the accused person beast or its image and had were in it, and death and Hades gave
is either guilty or innocent. Next, witnesses are not received its mark on up the dead that were in them, and
called for both sides of the argu- their foreheads or their each person was judged according to
ment. When all the evidence hands. They came to what they had done. Then death and
has been given, the lawyers life and reigned with Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
recap with closing statements Christ a thousand The lake of fire is the second death.
and the jury is left to make a years. (The rest Anyone whose name was not found
decision. of the dead written in the book of life was thrown
into the lake of fire.”

(Revelation 20, NIV)

OUT punch lines
OF THE “And try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows

STORY
of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough
to receive it” (Malachi 3:10, NKJV).

“God then confronted Job directly: ‘Now what do you have to say for
How does God judge the evil people?
yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and
press charges?’” (Job 40:1, 2, The Message).

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one
who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8, NIV).

How are the righteous people involved in the process? “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered
me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4, NIV).

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me

from trouble and surround me with songs of
Do you think the righteous people are judging the evil people, or are they deliverance” (Psalm 32:7, NIV).
judging God’s decisions? Explain.

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Why would God permit Himself to be put on trial?

What is the second death? further

Does the punishment of the lake of fire seem like an unduly harsh penalty
insight 51

to you? Why or why not?

“By a life of rebellion, Satan
and all who unite with him
place themselves so out of
harmony with God that His
Does the reward of eternal life seem “too good” for the righteous
very presence is to them a con-
people? Why or why not?
suming fire. The glory of Him
who is love will destroy them.”
—Ellen G. White, The Desire of the Ages, p. 764
Who do you think this trial is intended to convince?
 connectingtolife
Sabbath note of all the things you would like to see Thursday
Read Psalm 86:5. wiped from the earth: the pain, the heartbreak, Read Matthew 24:43, 44.

C omplete the What Do You Think? activity,

and read through the Did You Know? sec-
tion.The American justice system prides itself
the wars, the famine, the gunshots and vio-
lence, the poverty. . . . Seeing everything that
is happening around the world, how do you
I f you were responsible for protecting your
house from burglars, you would probably put
an alarm system in place, lock your doors, and
on being as fair as possible. The accused is feel about a fresh start? What things in your keep an inventory of your valuables. You don’t
innocent until proven guilty. The convicted can own life would you like “wiped clean”? want to be caught unprepared.
appeal a decision. One judge does not make the ___________________________
decision in a criminal trial, but a jury of 12 peers ___________________________ Of course, even though Jesus’ coming will be
is chosen. These safety features are designed like a thief—unexpected and surprising—we
to catch mistakes so that people get a fair trial Tuesday want to let HIm in! But we also want to be
and the wrong person is not convicted. How- Read Psalm 7:9; Psalm 44:21. ready so that we can go with Him to heaven.
ever, even with all of this, mistakes are made.

If God is perfect and good, do you think it is

I n the Flashlight quotation Ellen White
describes the experience of the wicked
before God wipes everything clean again. Is it
What do you think you need to do to be ready
at a moment’s notice for Jesus’ coming?
wrong to “put God on trial”? In what way do hard for you to think about the wicked people ___________________________
you think it is OK to “test” God? being destroyed? Ellen White gives us a better ___________________________
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___________________________ view of what the people who have ultimately

___________________________ rejected God are experiencing. God is a fair Friday
God who reads the heart. He would not destroy Read Psalm 19:14.
Sunday
Read 1 Corinthians 6:2.
a well-meaning person for misunderstanding.
The people who are being destroyed are the R emembering that it is a friendship with
Jesus that will make the difference, what

R ead the Into the Story section and com-

plete the questions in Out of the Story.
During the millennium, after Jesus takes us
ones who have hurt other people and feel no
remorse. They have caused pain and misery
and their only regret is that God has “caught”
do you think you need to do to develop that
friendship? Write a contract with God: “Lord,
I want to be Yours. I want to be ready. I don’t
to heaven and before we come back to the them. They will never change. know how to get to know You better, so please
new earth, we will be very busy reviewing, or come closer to me. Just as I am, I am Yours.”
“judging” for ourselves, God’s decisions. In a Think seriously: Is there anything you are Sign your name. Date it. Keep it. Remind
way God will be on trial. holding on to that you would hate to be caught yourself of your ultimate goal—to know Him.
52 for but don’t want to give up?
Malachi 3:10 tells us to try God and to test
Him at His word. The millennium will be a Wednesday
chance to do just that—to dig in and ask all
the questions we need to ask. T he Punch Lines show two different kinds
of “testing” God. One is being self-involved
and whining, while the other is an act of faith.
Why is this person not saved? Why is that
person in heaven after all the bad things they A real, living relationship is an evolving thing.
did? Make a list of questions that you struggle You trust God only by watching Him come
with, and start praying now for some answers. through for you. We can think about Jesus’
___________________________ coming with certainty and happiness only
___________________________ when we have a relationship with God and this week’s reading*
know that we will be seeing our best friend
The Great Controversy (or Love Under
Monday come in the clouds.
Fire), chapter 41.
Read 2 Peter 3:10.

T he Key Text tells us that Jesus’ coming Give one example of a self-involved and whin- *Love Under Fire is a special adaptation of The Great
will be a surprise, “like a thief,” and that ing test of God, and then give an example of a Controversy, created for you by the Ellen G. White
the earth will be demolished and scrubbed test that is an act of faith. Estate and Pacific Press. Get more information about
it at http://www.cornerstoneconnections.net/article
clean. Watch the news tonight. Make a mental ___________________________
/191/about-us/conflict-of-the-ages-companion
-books#.URlhF1rBO9s. By following the weekly read-
ing plan, you will read at least one book of the
Conflict of the Ages Series each year.