Foreword

We live in momentous times. On every front—science, religion, politics, the natural world—new things are seen daily which have never been witnessed before. New scientific discoveries continue to amaze us, while the condition of nature presents worrying trends, and the quest for freedom continues amid new conflicts and unrest across the globe.

Many people live in expectation of great events to come. Those expectations vary widely, but the whole earth is preparing for something. For the Christian, the near future is set to reveal the final events in the showdown between good and evil. It is certainly a great and awe-inspiring time to be alive.

Among various religions and cultures, there are many different theories about what the future may hold. The word “Adventist” in our name denotes an expectation that the coming of Jesus is imminent. However, though there are many Christians, their expectations of His coming are not all the same.

Just like Jesus’ first coming to earth as a man was misunderstood by His own people, so the second coming is not well understood today. Common views on the subject are often based on a wrong premise, leaving out important points and leading to dangerous conclusions.

The nature of the kingdom, the final events, what it takes to be ready—all of these are points on which there are different opinions and conflicting views. However, something as important as the end of the world and the ushering in of the everlasting kingdom must be as fully comprehended as the Word of God has revealed it.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), is a prayer that not only refers to the present but also looks forward to that time when God’s will shall be carried out by all of earth’s inhabitants. But how will this become a reality? Rather than describing popular errors, we will study together the principles of truth from God’s word. The error will be dispelled by truth itself, just as darkness naturally disappears in the presence of light. Teachers are encouraged to become familiar with the issues involved, in order to appropriately deal with them in their classes, so that particular questions may be answered.

This quarterly is for your encouragement and learning. It explores questions and issues which are current in the world today. It is our hope and prayer that you will receive a blessing from the study of the subjects presented.

The General Conference Sabbath School Department