Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 224

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith _he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country_, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: _for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is G.o.d_." Heb. 11:8-10.

16. Who is the seed to whom this promise was made?

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, _And to thy seed, which is Christ_."

Gal. 3:16.

17. Who are heirs of the promise?

"And _if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise_." Verse 29.

18. Why did not these ancient worthies receive the promise?

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: G.o.d having provided some better thing for us, _that they without us should not be made perfect_." Heb. 11:39, 40.

19. What is to become of our earth in the day of the Lord?

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pa.s.s away with a great noise, and _the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up_." 2 Peter 3:10.

20. What will follow this great conflagration?

"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, _look for new heavens and a new earth_, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Verse 13.

NOTE.-As shown in the reading on "The Millennium," page 355, at the coming of Christ, the living wicked will die, and the saints will be taken to heaven to dwell with Christ a thousand years, or until the wicked of all ages are judged, and the time comes for their destruction and the purification of the earth by the fires of the last day. Following this, the earth will be formed anew, and man, redeemed from sin, will be restored to his original dominion.

21. To what Old Testament promise did Peter evidently refer?

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Isa. 65:17.

22. What was shown the apostle John in vision?

"And I saw _a new heaven and a new earth_: for the first heaven and the first earth were pa.s.sed away; and there was no more sea." Rev. 21:1.

23. What will the saints do in the new earth?

"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them." Isa. 65:21-23.

24. How readily will their wants be supplied?

"And it shall come to pa.s.s, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Verse 24.

25. What peaceful condition will reign throughout the earth then?

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord." Verse 25.

26. What seasons of worship will be observed in the new earth?

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I shall make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.

And it shall come to pa.s.s, that _from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another_, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66:22, 23.

27. What will the ransomed of the Lord then do?

"_And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads_: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 35:10.

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

The Land Of Peace. "A little child shall lead them.... They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain." Isa. 11:6-9.

28. How extensive will be the reign of Christ?

"He shall have dominion also _from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth_." Ps. 72:8.

29. What does Daniel say of this kingdom?

"And _the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High_, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him." Dan. 7:27.

NOTE.-Let imagination picture the home of the saved fair and beautiful as it may, yet remember that it will be more glorious than our brightest imagination can conceive. See 1 Cor. 2:9.

O, sweetly through the gloomy years That roll their dimming veil between, The promised goodly land appears, Arrayed in never-fading green!

And from that peaceful, happy clime, Transporting bursts of song arise, And, rolling through the mists of time, Tell us of joy that never dies.

As voyagers on the stormy deep Look for some bright and sunny bay Where winds and waves are hushed in sleep, And joy lights up the happy day, So o'er the tossing sea of years We glance the eye and stretch the hand Where, robed in fadeless light, appears The border of the shining land.

There angel hosts of glorious ones, With sinless hearts and stainless hands, Call us in glad and loving tones, And bid us welcome to their bands.

Hark! how their harps and voices tell The glories of that radiant strand, And bid us breast the waves that swell Between us and the shining land.

Ear hath not heard, eye hath not seen, The glories of that home of song; Though stormy billows roll between, I go to join the angel throng.

But of the joys beyond the tide, The welcomes on that golden strand, The best shall be from Him who died To bring us to the shining land.

H. L. HASTINGS.

The New Jerusalem

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

The Holy City. "He looked for a city which hath foundations." Heb. 11:10.