Adult QuarterlyThe Second Coming of Jesus Christ

A Study in Ezekiel; Daniel; Zechariah

QUARTERLY AIM: The student will learn to recognize and identify prophetic events and be assured of the certainty of the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled.

1—God’s Sheep Find Their Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

8—God’s Nation Is Physically Blessed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

15—Dry Bones Are Given New Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

22—The Temple Will Be Rebuilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

29—The Waters Will Be Healed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

5—The Specific Allocation of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

12—The Nations of the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

19—The Number of the Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

26—The Coming Time of Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

2—The Coming King of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

9—The Deliverance of Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

16—The Smitten Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

23—The Wonderful Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

February

Vol. 107, No. 1, Winter Quarter, 2019. Editor in Chief: Kyle W. Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Dean Grigsby, dean.grigsby@bogardstore.org © 2019, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave., Texarkana, TX 75503-2928 www.bogardpress.org; 1-800-264-2482

December

January

Dr. David Robinson was born in Greenville, Mississippi and grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was saved in 1956 and was baptized by Cones Road Missionary Baptist Church. He graduated from Hot Springs High School, attended the University of Mississippi and graduated from the Missionary Baptist

Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1966 earning the Master in Bible Languages and Doctor in Bible Languages Degrees. He surrendered to preach in 1960 and was ordained to the gospel ministry in December of 1962. He has pastored churches in central and southern Arkansas. From 1967 to 1999 he served as an instructor in the Missionary Baptist Seminary. He served as Registrar at the school from 1978 to 1988 and as Chancellor and Editor of the Missionary Bap-tist Searchlight from 1988 to 1999. He served as Chaplain for the Pulaski County Sheriff ’s Office from 1992 until 2007. He served on the Sunday School Committee of the ABA from 1987 to 1998 and as Pres-ident of the ABA in 1999 and 2000. He has served as Parliamentarian for the ABA since 2001. Presently, he is pastor of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he has served since 1971. He has written Young People’s Sunday School lit-erature, the BTC Adult Quarterly, and he currently writes the Sunday School Adult Quarterly used in the churches of the American Baptist Association. He may be contacted at dcrobinson@aristotle.net.

About the Writer

American Baptist AssociationThrough-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons

2029 John 13—21

Ezra; NehemiahHabakkuk; HaggaiMalachi; Esther

1 Peter2 Peter

1, 2, 3 JohnJude

2020

EzekielDaniel

ZechariahRevelation 1—11 Revelation 12—22

Genesis 1—11Job

2021 Genesis 12—50 Matthew 1—13 Matthew 14—28 Exodus

2022 Romans

LeviticusNumbers

DeuteronomyHebrews

JoshuaJudgesRuth

2023 Acts 1—14 Acts 15—28

1 Samuel2 Samuel 1—4

1 Chronicles 1 —10Mark 1—8

2024 Mark 9—16

2 Samuel 5—241 Chronicles

11—291 Kings 1; 2

James1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

Psalms 1—72

2025 Psalms 73—150 Galatians

1 Kings 3—222 Chronicles 1—24

2 Kings 1—13Joel; Obadiah

1 Corinthians

2027 2 Corinthians

Isaiah 1—392 Chronicles 29—32

2 Kings 17—20Nahum

Isaiah 40—662 Kings 21—23

2 Chronicles 33—35Zephaniah

PhilemonPhilippiansColossians

2028 Ephesians

1 Timothy2 Timothy

Titus

JeremiahLamentations2 Kings 24; 25

2 Chronicles 36

John 1—12

Winter Spring Summer Fall

2026

ProverbsEcclesiastes

Song of SolomonLuke 1—13:21 Luke 13:22—24

Hosea; Amos;Micah; Jonah;

2 Kings 14—162 Chronicles 25—28

December 1, 2019

God’s Sheep Find Their Shepherd

1Text: Ezekiel 34Focus: Ezekiel 34:11-13, 23-31

Key Verse: “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.”

Ezekiel 34:23

Sunday Devotional: The Good Shepherd, John 10:14-18.

Application: The student will learn of God’s eternal purpose in Israel and that no matter what else may happen, God will fulfill His promises.

A FIRST LOOK

This quarterly is a study of the books of Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah. Time and space constraints prevent us from making a detailed analytical study of these books. These lessons will be limited to a study of specific prophecies dealing with the first and second coming of Christ. Since our lessons do not go through these books systematically, it will be very beneficial to study each of these books at greater length to get an overview of the times and ministries of these prophets. Each of these men prophesied near to the seventy year period of the Babylonian captivity of Israel, or about five hundred years before Jesus was born. We begin with Ezekiel. Ezekiel was carried away as a captive to Babylon, and he wrote this book there. Like Jeremiah before him, Ezekiel was a priest

4

Daily Scripture Reading

M. — The Shepherds of Israel, Ezekiel 34:1-10.T. — God’s Care for His Flock, Ezekiel 34:14-22.W. — Ezekiel Sees into Heaven, Ezekiel 1:1-28. T. — Called To Be a Prophet, Ezekiel 2:1—3:27.F. — The Figure of a Siege, Ezekiel 4:1-17.S. — The Figure of the Razor, Ezekiel 5:1-17.

who was called to be a prophet. His prophetic ministry reveals his priestly background in his concern for the Temple, priest-hood, sacrifices and the glory of God that was manifested in the Temple. The prophecies of Ezekiel were presented in a number of striking visions he used to present the message of God. Although the prophet’s messages often included doom and judgment, they also offered great hope to Israel in those trou-bled times. When Ezekiel gave this prophecy, Judah had been taken away into captivity by Babylon, and it must have seemed to many that they would never again occupy their homeland. Ezekiel reminded them that God had not forgotten His people, and as God’s chosen people, all the promises God had made to them would come to pass in due time.

I. God Will Gather His Sheep

In verses 1-10 of this chapter, Ezekiel presented the meta-phor of a shepherd and his sheep. He began by issuing woes and warnings to the false shepherds who had neglected their spiritual duties toward those in their care. The term “shepherd,” as used here, refers to those who are in positions of leadership and influence. In ancient Israel, this mostly meant the priests, prophets, kings and others in governmental authority. These men were responsible for teaching the truth to the people, but instead they had made their own lives comfortable and had not

A CLOSER LOOK

Text: Ezekiel 34 5

Ezekiel 34:11-1311. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.12.  As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.13. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

taught the people the truth. The result was that the flock was scattered over all the face of the earth. Like sheep, we are all needy creatures, and the only thing that will minister to our needs is the Word of God. If a shepherd is not feeding his flock the Word of God, he is not ministering to his flock, no matter what else he may be doing. Notice that eighteen times in verses 11-29, God used the term “I will.” The things that are impossible for men are easily within the power of God. No man or organization could regather the scattered flock of Israel, but God will bring them into the land once more. First, we learn that God knew who they were and where they were. There are no lost tribes of Israel. God has never lost any of His people. We may not know where they are, but God does, and when He is ready, He will seek them out and bring them together once more. As Jesus taught in John 10:11, 27, the Shep-herd knows His sheep, and the sheep hear the voice of the Shep-herd. The Good Shepherd will leave the ninety-nine sheep and go and find the lost one and bring it into the fold once more. The people of Israel, like these sheep, are scattered among many other nations and many kinds of people. God will once more bring all His people together again. This promise was not fulfilled in the return of Israel following the Babylonian captivity. This is a promise that will only be fully realized when Jesus comes again. Two important steps have already been taken in this process. First, in 1948, Israel became a nation once more. Then in 1967, Jerusalem came under the control of Israel. Both of these steps are a part of God’s plan to regather Israel to the land He has promised them. Geography is very important here. Israel will be regathered, but they must occupy the land that God gave to Abraham. The people and nation of Israel have always been somewhere, but this process will end with Israel being in the land God histori-cally gave to them through His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God will not only regather His people, He will also provide for them. Ezekiel specifically told us that God will feed His flock spiritually. Years of ignorance of God’s Word will give way to a desire to know God and walk in His ways. Notice the wonderful provisions God will make for His people. He will bind up those who are broken and restore lives shattered

6 God’s Sheep Find Their Shepherd

by sin. He will strengthen those who are sick. However, the time of blessing for God‘s people is also a time of judgment for those who have harmed them.

II. God Will Send the Great Shepherd

A flock regathered might soon scatter again, but God prom-ises to send a Good Shepherd to watch over them and protect them. In John chapter 10, Jesus plainly told us that He is the Good Shepherd, the one Shepherd who was set over all of God’s people. Note once more that the main job of this Shepherd will be to feed the sheep. God alone is the judge between the sheep and the evil beasts. Jesus gave us a wonderful parable about this in Matthew 13, which is often called the parable of the tares. The servants wanted to go into the field and root out the tares that were sown by the wicked one. The master instructed them to let the tares grow with the wheat, and they would be separated at the harvest. God knows the hearts of men, and He alone will judge between them. For many years, Israel has been a prey for other nations. The Jews have been used and abused many times and in many places, and this is still happening today. But when Israel is finally gathered safely in Jesus, there will be no more hurt or pain among the people of God. The promise that David will feed Israel, be their shepherd and prince, seems to refer to the house and lineage of David, not the man himself, although, it certainly can be interpreted that way. Either way, this is clearly a messianic prophecy that was partially fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, of the house and lineage of David, and will be completely fulfilled when Jesus returns again. He will bring peace and justice to all

Text: Ezekiel 34 7

Ezekiel 34:23-2523. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.24. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

the earth and, especially, to the people of God. Israel will not be out of the wilderness, but they will be safe while they are in it because of the presence of the Great and Good Shepherd, the all powerful Christ.

III. God Will Provide for His Flock

This prophecy of peace and blessing is very much like the message in Isaiah chapter 11. Both passages tell of a time of peace and harmony in what we call nature. At this time, the evil beasts will no longer control portions of the planet. Men can live safely in the wilderness areas of the land. This is in harmony with Isaiah’s promise that the lion and the lamb will dwell together, and both will eat grass like oxen. God will also make His people a blessing to all other nations. This was a part of God’s promise to Abraham. It has been spiritually fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the ultimate fulfillment will take place during the Millennium. We cannot imagine the wonderful blessing that God will shower on this earth at this time. We do have glimpses of the nature of the millennial kingdom of Jesus, but we will not know

8 God’s Sheep Find Their Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:26-3126. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.27.  And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.28. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.29. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.30. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.31.  And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

the full impact of this wonderful time of peace until we are living in it. When the awful effects of sin are reversed, we will see an abundance that our world has not known since the Garden of Eden. God created man to be a food gatherer, not a food producer. The entrance of sin into our world brought with it the thorns that caused man to have to earn his living through toil, sweat and tears. All that will be reversed in the coming kingdom of God. Ezekiel now dealt with the problem of the heart in Israel. The people had worshiped other gods and had forgotten that they had a special relationship to the one true God because of the covenants He had made with them. Peter mentioned some-thing similar to this for Christians. If we fail to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and to produce spiritual fruit, it is possible to forget that we were once purged from our sins. (See 2 Peter 1:5-9.) When God regathers Israel to the land of promise, the people will know that God is God and Jesus is His Son. That knowledge is not merely the admission of a fact. It involves an awareness of the presence of God and a new relationship to Him. This knowl-edge means knowing God in the same way that sheep know the voice of their own shepherd and follow only him. Men will also know the one thing that so many people do not realize today. They will know that they are not gods them-selves. It should be obvious, but only God is God. We are the creatures, not the Creator. Getting that right is the beginning of real wisdom.

The nation of Israel is important to God. These people are not somehow better than the people of other nations. Israel is the result of God’s sovereign choice, but that choice was not made with respect of persons. In Jesus, God offers blessings to all men everywhere, Jew and Gentile alike. All men can be saved; all men can be baptized and find fellowship in one of the Lord’s churches and in so doing, be an active part of the kingdom of God. The nation of Israel is a great proof of the goodness and greatness of God. There have been many nations on earth down through the ages. Ask anyone you meet about the Amelekites, the

Text: Ezekiel 34 9

A FINAL WORD

Hivites, the Jebusites or the Hittites, and they will most likely just be puzzled at those strange names. Then ask them about Israel, and they will immediately recognize this nation. Israel is living proof of the authenticity of the Bible and the accuracy of God’s Word. God has kept His promises to Israel in the past, and this is a good indication that He will do so in the future. All of God’s promises will come to pass. His Word will never return to Him void. Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will abide. Whether we live in good times or bad, we can be confident that God is in our future, and that the future is bright for the people of God.

1. Name some ways God’s people are like sheep. 2. List some unique attributes about the nation of Israel. 3. How are the events in Israel in 1948 and in Jerusalem in 1967 fulfillment of prophecy? 4. What can we learn about future prophecies from prophecy fulfilled in the past?

10 God’s Sheep Find Their Shepherd

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION