YEA Lesson Library
The Last Great Day
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about God’s kingdom and what a fantastic place it will be.
Scriptures
Leviticus 23:36
Numbers 29:35
Nehemiah 8:18
Ezekiel 37:1-11
John 7:37-39
Revelation 20:11-15
Revelation 21:1-6
Revelation 21:5
Words to Know
JERUSALEM - the name of a city; the name of the city of God.
THRONE - a chair or seat that a king sits in
The Lesson
Do you remember that the Israelites carried their homes with them like the turtle? They camped out every night in a tent. Do you remember why God made the Israelites live in tents for forty long years? This was because they didn’t believe God and they didn’t obey Him. We leave our homes and come to the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days so that we will remember this. But why are we here for eight days?
It is because God wants us to enjoy one more Holy Day. God has something He wants us to learn from this day too. This is a very special Feast. We call it the Last Great Day. God commands us to have another special worship service on this day. He wants us to sing songs to praise Him and to listen to a sermon. We’re not to do our regular work on this day. This day is holy!
Someday God’s Kingdom will be on this earth for one thousand years. Then God has something so wonder- ful left for His people. We learned that nothing on this earth will last forever. Now the time has come for God to send down a new heaven and a new earth that will last forever.
A new city of Jerusalem, as pretty as a beautiful bride all dress for her wedding will come down. God is making it just for us.
At that time a loud voice will be heard from God’s throne. That voice will say God is coming to live with us. He’ll be there to wipe every tear from our eyes. Who can promise you that you will have no more tears? Only God can. That means there will be no more death or crying or pain. You won’t skin your knee or break your arm any more. You won’t get sick. You won’t even get a cold. We won’t need hospitals or doctors. No one will hurt or be sad anymore. God will fix everything that is broken. Doesn’t that make you very happy?
God said, “I am making everything new!” Can you imagine everything being brand new?
A new city will come down out of heaven from God. It will be the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. The old city of Jerusalem has cracked streets and broken down walls. People do a lot of fighting and killing in the old city. But the new Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven won’t be like the old city. It will be filled with the glory of God. It will glow like a precious gem, crystal clear like Jasper. At this time there will be no need for a Temple in the city. God will sit on a beautiful throne. At this time God and Jesus Christ will be worshiped by everyone. No evil will be done. There won’t be any stealing, lying or Sabbath breaking done in this beautiful city.
Can you image how beautiful this city will be? Can you imagine how happy everyone will be? You can trust what God says. God is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. He is God! Everyone can learn His ways and follow Him. We will have eternal life! That means we will live forever with God. We’ll never die or get old.
We can get to know God even better and learn more and more about His wonderful ways. This will be like drinking fresh spring water – the water of life. And it won’t cost anything. It will be free, and it will be plentiful. Do you want to be in that beautiful city and live forever? Then you must believe God and obey Him. Doesn’t the Last Great Day show us a wonderful time to come? Isn’t it a great day to celebrate?
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the Last Great Day. It helps me to remember what wonderful things you have for me. Help me to always believe you and obey you so I can be in that city where there will be no more tears or hurting. I love you and I want to live with you forever. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Leviticus 23:36
Monday - Numbers 29:35
Tuesday - Nehemiah 8:18
Wednesday - Revelation 20:11-15
Thursday - Revelation 21:1-6
Friday - John 7:37-39
Saturday - Ezekiel 37:1-11
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. State that this life is not all there is and something much more wonderful awaits them.
2. List some things that will be better in the new heaven and new earth than what we have now.
3. Tell that the Last Great Day is another Feast that follows the Feast of Tabernacles.
4. Explain that they must believe and obey God if they want to be in the new heaven and new earth.
Topics & Themes
Belief
Eighth Day
Eternal Life
Feast of Tabernacles
God’s Kingdom
God’s Plan
Jerusalem
Millennium
New Heavens, New Earth
Obedience
Temporary
Trusting God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students and teacher’s books, enough alphabet cubes for every student to have plenty to do the activity, elastic thread, songbook, CD/cassette tape and music player, attendance and memory verse charts, stars
Preparation
The Bible does not have a lot of scriptures for reference on the eighth day, the day after the Feast of Tabernacles. Two scriptures in the Old Testament are Leviticus 23:36 and Numbers 29:35-38. We have traditionally called this Holy Day “The Last Great Day.” The NIV calls the eighth day the closing assembly. Some believe that it is the closing for the Feast of Tabernacles. Some believe it closes the fall Holy Days. Others believe it is the closing assembly for the yearly cycle of Holy Days, signifying the completion of God’s plan of salvation for mankind and establishment of His kingdom on earth. We are learning that God has layers of meanings in each of His Holy Days.
It is also important to let the children know that if people may seem a little sad on this day, it’s because the Feast has been so wonderful that people don’t want it to be over. God’s Spirit has been felt. It’s important the children understand that this day symbolizes absolute joy! It is a day that shows another part of God’s plan for His people. Along with the meaning of this day, there should be a quiet, Spirit-filled joy for our eternal future with God.
How to Teach This Lesson
Review - Encourage the children to talk about the turtle mentioned in the Feast of Tabernacles’ lesson. Ask: What does the turtle remind us of? See if anyone can re- member why the children of Israel camped out for forty long years. Explain that at the end of the forty years the Israelites got to go into the Promised Land. The Promised Land was a wonderful land that had everything they ever wanted. God gave it to be a picture of the new heaven and new earth that will come down from heaven.
The Last Great Day is a different Feast from the Feast of Tabernacles - Discuss that when Jesus Christ returns, He will reign as King on this earth for one thousand years. But this is not the end. There is something even better that happens after that. So we have one more Holy Day.
What happens next? - Discuss how everything on this earth wears out. And God is preparing a new heaven and a new earth. He’s even preparing a new city. Have pictures of the old city of Jerusalem to show the students. You can probably find them in National Geographic or at your local Chris- tian books store. Point out how the wall is old and broken down, how the streets are cracked and how so much fighting goes on there. Very often, people are hurt and killed in Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem - Talk about how God will send a new Jerusalem down from heaven with a loud voice. Draw a verbal picture of how beautiful it will be. Talk about how beautiful a bride looks on her wedding day. This city will be far more beautiful. Ask the students to tell you some things they learned in their lesson that will be different from today. Encourage them to point out things such as: there will be no more tears because people won’t be sad, they won’t get sick or skin their knees and there won’t even be hospitals.
Eternity is wonderful! - Discuss that God will sit on His throne. He is the beginning and the end of all things. Everyone will learn to follow Him. Discuss drinking of living waters. No one will get sick or die. It will be complete happiness forever. Ask: What do you have to do to be in this wonderful city and live forever?
Review Questions
1. What does God have planned for us when this life is over?
2. Give four things that will be better in the new heaven and new earth than they are today.
3. When do we celebrate the Last Great Day?
4. What do we have to do to be in the new heaven and new earth and live forever?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Have the students make necklaces spelling out “I am making everything new”with alphabet cubes and elastic thread. After they tie it together, explain that it is a circle with no end. When they wear this, let it remind them that when we live with God there is no end; it goes on and on and on. (If the boys want to give it to their moms or grandmothers, that’s perfectly fine.)
REACH Activity
1. In your Bible notebook, add to your list of God’s Holy Days (chart or paragraph) begun during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
2. Find the Concentration game (Holy Days, Passover, and Sabbath) you made during the spring holy days. Play it with a younger sibling or friend.
3. Do a sword drill with the Daily Devotional Scriptures. Read the Scripture reference to the child. Then start the timer. When the child has found the verse, stop the timer. Read the verse and talk about how it relates to the lesson. Challenge the child to see how quickly he/she can find each of the verses in the Bible.
4. Sing:
A. From the CEM Hymnal: “There’s a Great Day Coming” on pg 136, “God Be With You” on pg. 200, “It is Well With My Soul” on pg. 60, “Be Thou My Vision” on pg. 120, “Shine, Jesus, Shine” on pg. 154, and “To the Work” on pg. 159.
B. From The Group Songbook: “Be Not Afraid” on pg. 86, “Here I Am, Lord” on pg. 86, “Pass It On” on pg. 26, “Lord, Be Glorified” on pg. 31 and “Seek Ye First” on pg. 67.
C. From Kids Classics Collection: “Everybody Ought to Know” on pg. 11, “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam” on pg. 21, “Onward, Christian Soldiers” on pg. 26, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” on pg. 34, and “I’ve Got Peace Like A River” on pg. 63.
5. Make a thank you card to send to someone who did something to make the Feast of Tabernacles special for you this year.
6. Make a word search with all of God’s holy days in it. Share it with a friend.
7. Draw a picture of a throne. Color it, using your favorite color tools. Write your memory verse across the bottom as a caption. Display at home or at church.
8. Read your memory verse. Say it out loud three times. Then, in your Bible notebook, write down five things you would like God to make new.
9. Write a haiku about the Last Great Day. A haiku is a Japanese poems which consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. Then copy your haiku onto a piece of transparency film. Find a calendar picture to place behind the transparency film. Cut strips of construction paper to make a frame and to anchor the film to the calendar photo behind it. Display in your room.
10. Sometimes we are very sad when we go home from the Feast of Tabernacles. Write about how you feel in your Bible notebook. Then go give your mom a hug because she’s probably feeling sad too.
11. Read 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. We can only imagine what God’s kingdom is going to be like. By celebrating God’s Holy Days, we get a glimpse into how wonderful it will be. Write in your Bible notebook how 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 makes you feel.
12. Read John 7:37. Draw a picture of a scene of flowing water. Write John 7:37 as a caption across the bottom of your paper. Add color with your favorite color tools.
13. Read Revelation 22:1-2. Draw a picture of what you think this might look like. Write Revelation 22:1-2 across the bottom as a caption. Add color with your favorite color tools. Display in your sabbath classroom at church.
14. Listen to the song “Holy Highway” by the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound. Then read Isaiah 35:8. Write in your Bible notebook about how the song relates to the verse.
15. When God resurrects everyone, we’re going to get to meet people that we have only heard about. Who would you most like to meet? Why? Write about this in your Bible notebook. Be sure to include the questions that you might ask.
16. Living in God’s kingdom will be absolutely amazing. What are you looking forward to the most? Take a survey of your family and friends. What does each person think will be the best part of God’s kingdom? Once you’ve collected answers, make a pictograph displaying the answers you received. Write a title and include a key. Add color. Share with the people you surveyed.
17. Make a holy day book. Using three sheets of copy paper, fold them into fourths to make a book. Staple in the back middle. Cut to separate the tops of the pages. Make a cover (front and back) out of construction paper. In your book include a title page, an index, a table of contents, and two pages for each holy day, Passover, and the Sabbath. Include information about the meaning of each day and why we celebrate it. Cite scriptures. You may wish to list your favorite song for each day. Add color. Share with your friends and family.
18. Remember to thank God for the blessing of the Holy Days.
Song
“My God is So Big” is on page 14 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the children in thanking God for creating a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem for us.
Printable Pages
