Shawn Boonstra’s Sabbath School Guide Explores Unchanging Prophetic Message
“When John wrote Revelation, he didn’t write it in a vacuum. That’s what this guide is demonstrating: all the allusions, the languages, the symbols that he uses in Revelation—they’re all based on Old Testament stories.”
About the Author
Later this month, Seventh-day Adventists around the globe will begin studying the new Second Quarter 2025 Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, titled Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy. Written by Shawn Boonstra, the Voice of Prophecy’s speaker/director, the guide dives into the Adventist church’s techniques for interpreting prophecy—techniques that, Boonstra emphasizes, originated long before the church existed.
According to Boonstra, this quarterly lesson may look different than some expect. For example, it doesn’t include the prophetic charts many Adventists are familiar with and often associate with the topic of Bible prophecy.
“We’ve got lots of books with those charts; we don’t need another one,” Boonstra expressed. “With what I’ve covered, I want people to understand that our method of interpreting Bible prophecy has stood the test of time for two thousand years. It didn’t drop out of the sky in the nineteenth century.”
“I want people to understand that our method of interpreting Bible prophecy has stood the test of time for two thousand years. It didn’t drop out of the sky in the nineteenth century.”
The guide will take readers through the Old Testament, dissecting specific narratives to highlight the thread connecting them to each other and the very last book of the Bible.
“When John wrote Revelation, he didn’t write it in a vacuum,” Boonstra explained. “That’s what this guide is demonstrating: all the allusions, the languages, the symbols that he uses in Revelation—they’re all based on Old Testament stories.”
Boonstra rattled off just some of the stories the guide will focus on, naming creation, the Exodus, the Psalms, Ruth, and Esther. He wants readers to realize that every major story in the Old Testament anticipates what the Adventist church is called to proclaim now.
“If you were to bring back John or Daniel and show them what we’re preaching as Adventists, they wouldn’t be surprised.”
“The message has been consistent all through the history of God’s people, from the fall in Eden to the present day. It hasn’t changed,” he said. “If you were to bring back John or Daniel and show them what we’re preaching as Adventists, they wouldn’t be surprised.”
Boonstra also wrote the quarterly’s companion book, How to Study Prophecy. The book dives even deeper into the Old Testament and ancient history to round out the context of the church’s timeless prophetic message. For example, the book will further cover Genesis 10’s “Table of Nations” by digging into details like Nimrod’s true identity and why God set up His people in opposition to “the nations.”
To purchase the book, visit vop.com/store. You also have a chance to receive the book via a donation—click the button below.
A great way to learn more about the topics covered in the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is by watching the show It Is Written Sabbath School, which releases a new episode each Saturday about the concurrent Sabbath School lesson. Starting on March 29, Boonstra will appear on the show alongside host Eric Flickinger, associate speaker for It Is Written, to provide additional insights into Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy.
