Sabbath: Into Eternity
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 20th of June 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study
Psalms 80:1-19, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Revelation 21:9-27, Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, Revelation 21:4, John 6:44.
Memory Text:
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2, NKJV).
What does the future hold for you? What lies ahead? It might seem daunting, exciting, scary, and wonderful all at once. Know that Jesus is faithful and that His words are true (Revelation 3:14). There will yet be turbulent times ahead (Matthew 24:21-22), but He has promised that He will never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He will do exactly what He says He will do—He always has and always will (Hebrews 10:23). And “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13, NKJV).
Regardless of the number of days left for us on earth, we should fix our eyes on Jesus, looking steadfastly to Him. This is not always easy in a world that clamors for our attention, but may we, like David, say, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net” (Psalms 25:15, NKJV).
This week, let’s learn about the reward of heaven (Matthew 5:12, Revelation 22:12); what heaven will be like; and ultimately, how incredible it will be to finally be with the One who created us, loved us unto death, has redeemed us from our sin, and is coming back soon. We need to just hold on in faith until then.
At times, it is deadly sad, regardless of the certainty and absolute assurances provided in the Bible about eternity, human life on the face of the earth sounds hollow and empty. A casual scan of world affairs portrays an image of despair, which is spinning toward a terrible crash. Despite this depressing scenario, this week’s lesson brings hope from extinction. The hope of eternity makes the troubles we go through look like a walk in the park. The Bible gives us a final picture of who we shall be after all the pain and tears we have experienced in this life.
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” (Psalm 126: 5–6, NLT).
Through the strength and courage of the grace of God, let us hang on and be of good cheer; it will not be long. He who said that He is coming to bring the miseries of this life to a permanent end is faithful. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT).
Dear Lord Jesus, in your mercies and eternal love, please hold us by our hands and see us to the finishing line. Amen.
The future has a way of awakening desire within us. At one point or another, we have all looked forward to something—a vacation, a celebration, marriage, children, a meaningful conversation, or a new opportunity. Desire grows through expectation, yet when the long-awaited moment finally arrives, it rarely satisfies us as completely as we imagined. Our desires often outrun their fulfillment; we attain what we sought, only to discover that it is not enough. This pattern can give rise to fear, leading us to wonder whether even our greatest joys will eventually fade into disappointment. The Bibles says that this longing points beyond the limits of earthly experience- Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, God “has set eternity in the human heart,” placing within us a desire that nothing temporal can fully satisfy.
God is like an author who exists completely and sufficiently outside the story He writes, and He is not bound by the frustrations that characterize our present world. The promise of eternity is not an endless repetition of fleeting pleasures, but the fulfillment of our deepest longing in the presence of God Himself. Psalm 16:11 declares, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Unlike the satisfactions of this life, which eventually diminish, the joy found in God is inexhaustible because He is infinite. This is why eternity need not be feared. The Bible’s vision of our future is not one of endless desire without fulfillment, but of perfect communion with God, where every longing finds its true home. As Revelation 21:3–4 promises, God will dwell with His people, and “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” The desires that so often outrun satisfaction in this life will finally rest in the One for whom they were always intended.
Is there a problem with aspiring to be “like Him?” This question might arise as we consider the counsel from John’s letter that appears as our memory text.
While both phrases use the idea of being “like Him” (God/Christ), their theological depth, context, and intent are fundamentally opposite. Genesis 3:5 presents a destructive deception based on usurpation, power, and self, whereas 1 John 3:2 presents a transformative promise based on glorification and adoption. . 1 John 3:2 blesses us with a relationship that we, and indeed all living things, need above all else: we need the Lord. We become humble servants of God, yet gain an identity as those who belong to Him.
…and what is that? This takes us into eternity—not only to live forever, but to love and be loved, to care and be cared for, and to nestle ourselves at His holy feet or under His wings, feeling His liberating, warm love as we praise God eternally, singing and listening to the testimonies of the saints about the beautiful impact of God’s touch in their walks of life. Just imagining it is so uplifting and beautiful. We all yearn to be identified as His—God’s children.
This quarter’s study has been a beautiful journey. I recommend that we keep this quarter’s lessons as a handy reference and return to them often. We are at the end of this quarter, but we have gained wisdom that will be invaluable in our Christian walk.
God bless you all.
Thanks, Stanley.
Genesis 3:5 is Lucifer’s attempt to pervert God’s desire to create humans “like us.” And he lied to Eve. He used a narrow sliver of truth to deceive Eve – yes, she would become “like God” in that she would know what “evil” means in experiential way. God did not experience evil in Himself. He only experienced the results in Satan’s evil influence.
God never intended for her to know any evil. God wanted His created beings to experience only good and happiness.
I have had the same thought you express:
This has been an outstanding, practical set of lessons well worth keeping as reference.
We have come to the end of a brilliant quarter which focused on our relationship with God. It would be both a travesty and tragedy if we absorbed all of the knowledge this quarter but somehow miss out on eternal life!!
I encourage you my brothers and sisters, as I encourage myself, to stay in the ship because soon and very soon we will reach the heavenly shores!!!!!
Lord,please take away the challenges,storms,and the traumas from our lives. Please do not hesitate to come to our aid when we call. Forgive our sins and help us to forgive others.
Amen!
Priscilla, in our Sabbath School today, we noted that the more challenging the situation for the Christian, the more God can be glorified by the Christ-like behavior of His followers. And the more persuasive the witness will be.
Furthermore, “challenging storms” are opportunities for us to grow in our Christian experience. Evangelist Emilio Knechtle preached one of his most powerful sermons on the theme that “there is no Christian growth without suffering.”
Certainly God will always come to our aid when we call, but often He comes to walk through the storm or trauma with us, rather than delivering us from it.
That said, He understands when weak humans we pray like you suggested, but I thought you might want to keep these truths in mind. 😊
Inge, is Knechtle’s sermon available to see/hear? Thanks!
Hi Lorayne, The sermon I mentioned sticks in my memory because I heard it in person at a camp meeting in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was an evangelist converted from being a German-American business man in the financial industry in New York – meaning he came from an affluent background. His conversion was radical, and he had a mentor by the name of Pastor Sohlman. (Don’t remember his first name.) Emilio’s sermons were riveting, partly because of his personal testimony and other stories. But they were long. He had one sermon called “Eden to Eden,” and I think it was nearly 3 hours long. The pastors jokingly called it his “Evening to Evening” sermon.
I found that American Christian Ministries has a playlist of his sermons, but the titles don’t give enough away. But if you like old-fashioned never-boring sermons, you can’t go wrong with the list. I would guess that the sermon I referenced is one of these. (The sermons are mainly listed as “series,” so it’s hard to tell what is what.)
From the site:
Thank you. I have never heard of this person. So many gems I find here. God bless.
Great!
There’s so much for us to take away from this quarter’s lessons. The main thing I’ll be keeping close in my heart will be all the promises we believers have and will have as things get harder for us in this world and as these last days events are upon us. As the hymn says, “Great is Thou Faithfulness.”
May God continue to be with us and strengthen us all as we strive to be found written in the Lambs Book of Life.
Honestly I thank you for all you contributions since I started reading and also going through these comments I have been strengthened my relationship with Christ and Christ is using each and everyone of you to put up these comments in each and every way to help others to understand more of him this quarter has made me love more and more Jesus and I hope he nourishes and and everyone of us to stand for him when things are good and bad
The opening narration of the old Star Trek : The Original Series, created by Gene Roddenberry. The full monologue that launched a cultural phenomenon reads:”Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before!” As a child, I had the burning desire to grow up to be an astronaut. While that fantasy wasn’t realized in my life, the dream of interstellar travel remains in my heart as well as the pages of the Bible and “Spirit of Prophecy,” for those that love the Lord.
Eternity is endless! Can you just imagine exploring other galaxies and planets without the need of spaceships or spacesuits? Going on field trips with Jesus will be beyond amazing. We will have to travel faster than “warp speed” to get back in time for Sabbath worship. It’s going to be greater than the wildest sci-fi, more fantastical than the greatest fantasy, because it will be real. The Bible says that we cannot even imagine. (1 Cor. 2:9)
Trust me, heaven and the new earth will be anything but boring. Let’s just live our lives for Jesus. Everything else is as they say, “gravy” or “frosting on the cake.” The trials and tribulations, the pain and suffering on this planet will be worth it all when we see Jesus. “Heaven will be cheap enough,”
We must have a positive hope for the future. Although we can all face troubled times, looking forward to a prize helps calm us down when going through difficulties.