5

Notes, Questions & Prayer Requests

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

DS-005
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________
LESSON FIVE
____________________________________________________________
CONFLICT OVER FALSE WORSHIP
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________
QUIZ QUESTIONS
____________________________________________________________
1. The book of Daniel contains many outline prophecies that
____________________________________________________________ outline world history from Daniel's day to the time of the end. True
2. The Babylonian wise men devised a false interpretation of
____________________________________________________________ Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, but fortunately Daniel gave the
correct interpretation. False
____________________________________________________________
3. The head of gold in Daniel 2 represented the nation of
____________________________________________________________ Babylon, of which Nebuchadnezzar was the king. True
4. The stone that crushed the image represents an atomic bomb
____________________________________________________________ that the United States drops on Russia. False
____________________________________________________________ 5. The progression of empires in Daniel 2 indicates that God is in
full control of human events. True
____________________________________________________________
Bible texts in this lesson are primarily quoted from New King James Version
copyright Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Copyright 1989 and 1994 by SEMINARS UNLIMITED. Christian ethics dictate that this
material not be copied without written permission.

8
Lesson 5 lays a very basic foundation for the Sabbath and the mark of the
LESSON 5
beast. While neither issue is mentioned directly in this lesson, the
foundations that are laid here will pave the way for the student to very CONFLICT OVER FALSE WORSHIP
easily accept the Sabbath truth. Study the introduction to this lesson very Answer Key
carefully.
The points raised there are crucial. Lesson 3 illustrated the conflict over 1. a. gold b. threescore c. six d. Dura
obedience. This lesson illustrates the conflict over worship. The point that 2. governors, captains, judges, treasurers,
needs strong emphasis is that it matters how we worship God. counsellors, sheriffs, rulers

The story of the fiery furnace as told in Daniel, Chapter 3, illustrates so 3. worship
very clearly the crisis that God's people will face in the last days. 4. burning, furnace
Throughout this lesson keep drawing the attention of your students to the 5. not
issue of how people worship God, as it is illustrated through this story. 6. second graven bow
7. furnace
Question 2 8. careful
9. a. deliver b. us c. we d. not e. serve
Most people would see the issue as treasonous. Certainly God would f. worship
allow a little compromise so that people wouldn't be considered traitors to 10. times
the state. So it will be in the last days.
11. slain
People who disobey the state’s decree will be considered traitors, but 12. bound
obedience to that decree will mean disloyalty to God, just as it did in
13. a. loose b. hurt
ancient Babylon.
14. four
15. Son, God
Question 4 16. servants, God
The death penalty would be exacted upon those who did not worship the 17. no, God
image. This would not be an easy decision to make, for those who refused 18. worship
would die. Keep before your students that this story is illustrative of the 19. image
conflict that God's people will face in the last days. 20. worship
Once again the death penalty will be passed. It will not be easy to serve 21. killed
God. In fact, to serve God will be considered treasonous to the state. 22. buy, sell
Yet, just as God had faithful people in ancient Babylon, so God’s people 23. him, made
in the last days will remain faithful. However, only those who have a
24. sea, glass
2 7
 relationship with Jesus will be able to remain faithful.
Question 24
Move into your appeal with a strong entreaty to remain faithful to Jesus
Question 6
Christ, to have a deep personal relationship with Him and be loyal to God
no matter whether threatened with death or economic restrictions. You will want to give strong emphasis to this question also. Remember
that you are laying the foundation for the study on the mark of the beast,
in which the worship commandment will be the issue of overriding
Response Questions: importance in the last days.
Daniel 3 gives a graphic illustration of the fact that the commandment
1. Do you clearly see that the issues in the last day will be the same as
about worship was a major issue in ancient Babylon.
they were in Daniel's day, the issue of worship and obedience? if
so, place a check mark in Box 1.
2. Is it your desire to be faithful to God in the final crisis as the three Question 7
Hebrews were faithful to God in the crisis they faced in ancient
Babylon? If so, put a check in Box 2. Nebuchadnezzar needs to be given credit. He didn't just throw them into
the furnace on the hearsay evidence of those who told stories against
them. He wanted to hear it from their mouths. He was willing to give
them a second chance to prove their loyalty to the king.

Question 8
People who have a solid relationship with Jesus don't have to think twice
when an issue of obedience comes. These people immediately follow the
commandments of God when they understand what God is asking them to
do.
Relating this thought to your students will help them to see the
importance of making a decision to keep the Sabbath. When that issue
arises, you want them to see the importance of deciding to follow Jesus
because they have a relationship with Him.
To decide not to follow truth would thereby indicate that they do not have
a relationship with Jesus. In every lesson try to stress the importance of a
relationship with Jesus.

6 3
 The only purpose in reciting this is to show your students that Revelation
Question 9 13 is picturing the same kind of events at the time of the end that Daniel 3
This is probably the most important statement in the whole chapter. illustrates in the story of the fiery furnace.
Deliverance is not the issue; obedience is. Emphasize the note under If any of your students press you for the identity of the various beasts
Question 9. mentioned in this lesson, refer them to the fact that Lesson 24 on the mark
Encourage your students to decide to follow God from principle and not of the beast will clearly answer those questions, but that we need to study
from convenience. “No matter what the cost, l need to follow God. Even a lot more before we can clearly understand who these powers are.
if He doesn't work everything out for me, I'm still going to follow Him.” Again, make sure that it is clear to your students that the issue in
These kinds of statements will help your students to develop the faith they Revelation 13 is over worship, just as the issue in Daniel 3 was over
need to make a decision if they may lose their job over the Sabbath. You worship. So many people have been brought up with the concept that so
can even illustrate this further by telling the story of some of the martyrs long as one worships God, it’s all right, that it doesn’t matter how one
in the early days of the Christian church who willingly gave up their lives worships just so one does worship.
rather than yield one point of truth. This lesson very clearly illustrates that there is true worship and false
While your students will not have the Sabbath truth in mind because they worship. So while you will not identify how people are worshipping
know nothing about it at this point," you are helping to prepare them so it falsely, you must clearly build the message that it is possible to worship
will be easier for them to make their decision when that issue comes. God falsely.

Question 15 Question 21
Read the note under this question. If you have a personal experience Again you have the death decree mentioned, just as you had in Daniel 3.
where you knew that God was with you in a troublous time and you felt
His presence and strength with you, relate that experience here.
Question 23
You want your students to get the picture of a loving God who is
interested in them, who cares about them and their needs. Draw the parallel clearly. The issue in the book of Revelation is worship
to the beast versus worship to the Creator. Of course, you clearly
You might even want to ask your students if any of them have had a
understand that Revelation 14:7 is a reference to the Sabbath
similar experience where they’ve gone through a fiery ordeal, yet have
commandment.
sensed that God was with them through the trial.
Your students will not understand this at this point, and again you do not
want to mention the Sabbath. But you are laying a foundation here for
Question 18 your presentation of the Sabbath. This issue is over worshipping the
Creator or worshipping the beast.
This section is not meant to be an exhaustive study on Revelation 13. You
will not even identify any of the powers mentioned.
4 5