The Kingdom of God, Student Workbook, SW02

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T H E K I N G D O M O F G O D

Mass Murder of Jews in WWII

During the Second World War, over six million Jews were killed during the conflict of the war in Europe. Hundreds of thousands of innocent children and babies were slaughtered due to Hitler’s insane campaign to rid the world of all Jewish people–old men, women, boys, girls, teens, middle aged folk–anyone of Jewish heritage. How can we say that God is in control when so many millions of innocent people have been needlessly tortured and murdered, as in this terrible example of the Jews?

Resistance to Daniel’s Prayer in Daniel 9-10

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In the book of Daniel, we see this godly saint praying to God on behalf of the children of Israel. As you recall, the people of Israel were in captivity due to the injustice and idolatry they practiced before, and, as a result of God’s discipline, he allowed his people to be sent into captivity. In deep intercessory prayer (see Daniel 10), Daniel seeks God after three weeks of mourning. He is visited by an angel who tells him that he ought not to fear, because from the first day that he had set his heart on understanding this and on humbling himself before God his words were heard, and that he, the angel, had come because of Daniel’s prayers. However, “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia” (see Daniel 10.12-14). Most believe this is a citation about the kind of spiritual warfare that is taking place all around us, invisible yet potent and real. What is your opinion of this important but controversial case study? How does such a text help or hinder our understanding of God’s reign being challenged today? God as Lord, reigns over all, but his reign was challenged through satanic rebellion in the heavenlies, and through the voluntary rebellion and disobedience of the first human pair on earth. This challenge, known theologically as “the Fall,” has resulted in the curse upon creation, leading to corruption and death. It has produced tragic results in three distinct spheres: kosmos (the production of a godless world system), sarx (the imputed and imparted sin upon human nature), and kakos (ongoing influence and chaos of the Evil One).

Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis