Judgments Begin at His Sanctuary,
Spiritual Jerusalem
(SDA Church) Few in Number Saved Says God
“Strange to
say, it was the leaders of Israel who, by precept and example, led the nation
into apostasy.” SDA Bible Commentary,
Vol. 4, p. 568.
Strange to
say, it has been the leaders of modern day Israel who have by precept and
example led the SDA church denomination into grave apostasy, but they are too
blind to discern the gravity of their acts of apostasy. Isaiah 56:10-12.
Adventists think the church is too big to fail. The Jews of Christ’s day
thought the same thing!
This document is of extreme importance because the SDA
church is teaching that Ezekiel 9 destruction involves only the world and not
the SDA once church militant which became apostate. This is one of the most
Jesuit-like preterist misapplications of prophesy
that any church ever misinterpreted.
In addition to the above lie, the SDA Bible Commentary and Bible teachers like Ulicia Unruh, an SDA
minister’s wife, teach that Ezekiel 9 had its fulfillment away back in the
times of the Babylonian Captivities of the Jews. How that lie ever passed the
muster of 40 plus SDA theologian contributors to the SDA Bible Commentary, one can only imagine. There was no wholesale
slaughter of the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. There was
a destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies on three different
occasions because the Jews resisted going into captivity after they were
instructed by Jeremiah not to resist. God’s purpose in their captivity was to
humble and reform His people. It was not the prophesied destruction and
slaughter mentioned in Ezekiel 9.
The Jews were given 490 years probation in Daniel’s
time. Daniel was taken to Babylon in the first captivity in 605 B.C. re: SDA Bible Commentary, p. 745 of the 1955
edition. Daniel wrote his visions after that date. Ezekiel wrote mostly prior
to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., so he wrote about 19 years before Daniel
did, and Daniel was shown (chapter 9) that the Jews would have 490 years
probation to put sin away, and that time ended in A.D. 34, commensurate with
the stoning of Stephen. So you can see that Ezekiel 9, which is a sealing
chapter, could not be fulfilled before the end of the Hebrew’s probation in
A.D. 34. Clearly, Daniel and Ezekiel were contemporaries and Ezekiel chapters 5
and 9 did not apply contingent upon a slaughter order by the Man in Linen,
until the righteous were sealed and Israel’s probation was closed in A.D. 34.
SDA Bible Commentary Comments on Ezekiel
9
CHAPTER 9
“1
A vision, whereby is shewed the preservation of some, 5 and the
destruction of the rest. 8 God cannot be intreated
for them.
1.
He cried also. Chapter 9 is a continuation of the symbolic
vision of ch.
8. The prophet records what passes before him in panoramic view, leaving for us
the interpretation as to what is represented by the various symbols. The
speaker is the same as throughout ch. 8. His identity
is shown by the prophet’s address to him in v. 8, “Ah Lord God!”
Them that have charge.
The phrase is a translation of the Heb. pequddoth,
singular pequddah, a word elsewhere
rendered “office” (Num. 4:16), “visitation” (Jer. 8:12). It is also used of
“officers” (Isa. 60:17). If this last rendering is applicable here, there is a
picture of overseers, watchers, or guards (see Dan. 4:13) who attend to the
execution of the sentences of God. The entire clause may also be rendered as in
the LXX,
“The vengeance upon the city has drawn near.”
2.
Six men. These executioners of vengeance are pictured
as human in form. In primary application they represent the
Babylonians, who were to execute the divine sentence upon the city.
In secondary application they portend the agencies of judgments
which, at the close of time, will execute sentence, first upon those who have
professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people,
and later upon the wicked in general.
Higher gate. Since the courts of
the Temple were built in stages, the inner court was the higher. “Toward the
north” designates the gate as the one where the prophet had been shown the
idolatries (ch. 8:5).
One man among them. This man was
one of the six bearing the slaughtering weapons, and not a seventh, as some
interpreters assert (see 3T 266, 267). He was “clothed with linen,” the
ordinary priestly garment, and the special garment of the high priest at the
ceremonies of the great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16).
Inkhorn. Heb. qeseth,
a word occurring only here, probably derived from the Egyptian gśty,
“the palette of a writer,” hence a case containing pens, knife, and ink. The
LXX, perhaps following a different text, reads “a girdle of sapphire” instead
of “inkhorn.” But the Hebrew seems to be the preferable reading.
3.
The glory. That is, the glory described in ch. 8:4, which was a reappearance of the vision described
in ch. 1.
To the threshold. The removal
was probably to indicate that the command for judgment would proceed from the
very Temple itself, which the Jews considered the pledge of their safety.
4.
Mark. Heb. taw, the last letter of the
Hebrew alphabet. In the time of Ezekiel this Hebrew character was
written in the form of X. The marking was done in vision, and the exact
nature of the mark is perhaps not important. An ancient interpretation that saw
in the sign a prefigurement of the cross is rather
fanciful. In the vision the mark was doubtless literal, but in significance it
had reference wholly to character. The messenger was to pay no regard to birth
or position, but to mark only those who mourned for the prevailing sinfulness
and kept themselves aloof from it.
The vision had primary
reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. It will have
another fulfillment during the closing scenes of this world’s history. It
parallels closely the visions of Rev. 7; 15; 16. The
distinguishing mark in Revelation is “the seal of God” and, like the mark in
Ezekiel, is based on character qualifications. God places His
mark of approval upon all who, through the power of
the Holy Spirit, reflect the image of Jesus (see COL 67).
This stamp of approbation has been likened to God’s mark of ownership, as
though God inscribes upon those who qualify for citizenship in His kingdom His
name and address—“God, New Jerusalem” (TM 446).
Note by Ron: The primary reference could not be the destruction
of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, because God and Lord who make the decree in
Ezekiel 9, verses 1 and 4 respectively, are ordering total destruction. That is
contrary to what God (Lord) told Jeremiah and Daniel. God would not order a
wholesale slaughter of His people before their 490 years of probation was over,
and it commenced with Daniel 9, and Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel. As
stated previously, that 490 years of probation ended in A.D. 34. There
was no sealing associated with the Nebuchadnezzar
Captivities! End note by Ron.
“The
outward, visible sign of this completion of the work of grace in the soul will
be the observance of the true Sabbath of the Bible (see 8T 117). This will be
brought about in the following way: The seventh-day Sabbath has always stood as
God’s appointed rest day for man. Established at creation (Gen. 2:1–3), it was
designed to be of perpetual obligation. The command to observe it was placed in
the bosom of the moral law (Ex. 20:8–11). Neither Christ nor His apostles
abrogated the Sabbath. The great apostasy following the death of the apostles
presumed to set it aside and substitute in its place another day of rest, the
first day of the week. But the Word of God predicts a great work of Sabbath
reform to precede the second coming of Christ. (Isa. 56:1, 2, 6–8; 58:12, 13;
Rev. 14:6–12; see GC 451–460). It also predicts that simultaneously Satan, the
great apostate leader, will exalt his own counterfeit system of religion,
presenting a false sabbath, Sunday, as the day of worship (Rev. 13; 14:9–12; cf. Dan.
7:25). He will be successful to the extent that he will be able to unite
the whole world in a great religious reform movement, a prominent feature of
which will be the exaltation of Sunday (Rev. 13:8; 14:8; 16:14; 18:3; see GC chs.
35–40). As a result of his efforts in this direction the whole world will
be divided into two camps, those who are faithful to God and keep His Sabbath,
and those who join the universal counterfeit religious movement and honor the
false sabbath. The observance of the true Sabbath will
thus become the distinguishing mark of the true worshiper of God.
Yet
it is not the outward observance of the Sabbath that constitutes the mark. The
seal stands for that character qualification that all must have who are
accounted worthy of citizenship in the kingdom of glory about to be
established. Only those who have purified their souls will cling to the Sabbath
in that awful time of trouble preceding the return of Jesus. Insincere Sabbathkeepers will abandon the ranks of God’s people and
unite with Satan against heaven, and join in the battle against the Ruler of
the universe (TM 465). Thus only the genuine and true remain as the sole
defenders of God’s holy Sabbath. These are joined by others of God’s true
children who, until now, have been scattered throughout the various communions
of Christendom, but who, under the increasing light of the loud cry, embrace
the Sabbath and join God’s remnant people (see GC 611, 612).
The mark is placed upon those
“that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done.”
Those who belong to this class have been described as distinguished by their
soul anguish over the declensions among God’s professed people.
They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and
deception of every kind are in the church.
They feel powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity and hence are
filled with grief and alarm (see 5T 210). Those in the other
class seek to throw a cloak over existing evils and excuse the great wickedness
everywhere prevalent. They claim that God is too good and too
merciful to punish evil. The Lord will not do good,
neither will He do evil, they say. They assert the Lord
does not expect so high a standard, and will be satisfied with a mere desire to
do right. But the Lord cannot change His standard. To do so would be to
change Himself. Rather, He supplies grace [His Holy Spirit Power] for the acquirement of
every virtue and the correction of every defect.
He asks of every Christian that full advantage be taken of these provisions. He
demands no less than perfection. Unless this is
attained, the soul will be found without the seal of God when probation closes.
6.
Begin at my sanctuary. In its primary application
this decree marks the
close of Jerusalem’s probation.
God had exhausted His resources in appealing to rebellious Israel. His
restraining power would be removed from the invading Chaldeans. Mercilessly
their armies would execute the sentence to “slay utterly old and young.” They
would begin at the sanctuary, where the gross sins of the people had been
concentrated.
Note by Ron: Earlier in the Commentary
comments on “Six men,” it says that the “primary application represents the
Babylonians.” This is being misinterpreted by SDA’s like Ulicia Unruh and her
minister husband to refer to the Babylonian Captivities. That is the direct
inference of this serious error, because it was the Romans, not the
Babylonians, who fulfilled the literal Ezekiel 9 slaughter versus CAPTIVITY, of
the Jews in A.D. 70! The decree was not fulfilled until A.D. 70, some 36 years
after the close of Israel’s probation (490 years) in A.D. 34. End note.
These scenes will be
re-enacted in the last days. Judgment, then, too, begins at the “house of God”
(1 Peter 4:17), with those to whom God has given great light and who have stood
as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, but who have betrayed
their trust (see 5T 211). These unfaithful shepherds receive first the
abuse that will be heaped upon them by those who have been deceived by their
guile (EW 282). Later, they perish in the general destruction
that precedes and accompanies the second coming of Christ” (see Rev. 15–19).
Note
by Ron: Finally some modicum of truth comes to fore! And I don’t believe the
Commentary writer(s) involved were Shepherd’s Rod! I don’t believe Ellen White
was a Shepherd’s Rodsmen! I don’t believe God and
Lord were Shepherd’s Rodsmen! The words general
destruction are iterated by Ellen White, but she
re-applies Matthew 22:1-10, and verse 7 is the same event as the Ezekiel 9
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. It all begins at His Sanctuary before the
final cry to the highways, the world, if we factor in Ellen White’s
reapplication of Matthew 22:1-10 to the end-time.
7.
Defile the house. The Jews expected that God would spare His
house from defilement. In this they were disappointed. In part the defilement
was effected by the bleeding corpses of the idolatrous worshipers.
8.
I was left. In vision Ezekiel saw Jerusalem reduced to a
city of the dead. It seemed to him that he was standing alone in the midst of
the slain. No notice is here made of any who, because of the protecting mark,
were saved. Evidently they constituted a small minority.
Residue of Israel. The ten tribes
had already gone into captivity in 723/722 b.c. (2 Kings 17:6). A considerable group from the southern kingdom of Judah had been removed in 605 b.c., and especially in 597 b.c. (see
p.
568). Ezekiel pleads for the remnant still left. The nature and magnitude
of the sin justified the judgment.
9.
Earth. Heb. ’ereṣ,
which may also be translated, “land.” Either translation makes good
sense. The people asserted that the Lord was not concerned with the conduct of
men. They imagined they had free scope to act as they chose toward one another,
no one calling them into account for their deeds. The result was moral decay.
ELLEN G. WHITE COMMENTS
1
5T 207
1,
2 GC 656; 3T 266
2–7
TM 431
3–6
5T 207
4
GC 656; PK 590; TM 445; 3T 266, 370; 5T 210, 474
4–6
5T 505
5,
6 3T 267; 5T 211
6
GC 656
10
TM 432
11
EW 279; SR 402
End SDA Bible Commentary comments on Ezekiel 9
What 44 thought leader contributors to the SDA Bible Commentary are saying in their
comments on Ezekiel 9, is that the Man in Linen ordered the men with slaughter
weapons to destroy Jerusalem and men, maidens and little children, centuries
before their Daniel 9 probation was ended in A.D. 34. That is preposterously
ignorant and/or intended misinterpretation of Scripture. What they are saying
in essence is that Matthew 24:15, 16, applied in the time of the three
different Nebuchadnezzar Captivities, when Matthew 24 was not written until
centuries later!
There was no instruction to the Jews of those
captivities except that they not resist, which they disobeyed, thus resulting
in the destructions of Jerusalem, and some Hebrews being killed. But there was no wholesale slaughter as in A.D. 70, with a remnant
fleeing to Pella, 3 ½ years prior.
What the SDA
Bible Commentary is teaching is the Bible contradicting lie that God told
Jeremiah to order the Hebrews not to resist being taken captive, but at the
same time, God Almighty, with a loud voice (Ezekiel 9:1), caused them that had
charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in
his hand, while the Lord (verse 6) orders them to slay utterly old and young,
both maids and little children and women, and to BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY. So
according to the SDA Bible Commentary’s comments
on Ezekiel 9, they make Jeremiah and Ezekiel contradict.
Jeremiah says that God told him the Jews were going into captivity and Ezekiel
says that God told him that the Jews were going to be slaughtered to include
men, maidens and little children BEGINNING AT HIS SANCTUARY! And that,
centuries before Daniel’s 490 year prophecy of Daniel 9, which gave the Jews
490 years probation to put away their sins of idolatry.
Notice these paragraphs on the book of Jeremiah, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 347:
c.
Jehoiakim (609–598 b.c.). Earlier
called Eliakim (2 Kings 23:34). After deposing
Jehoahaz, Necho II placed Jehoiakim, second son of Josiah (see on 1 Chron. 3:15), on
the throne (2 Kings 23:34). Judah was now under Egyptian suzerainty and paid a
heavy tribute for Egyptian friendship (see on 2 Kings 23:35). In 605 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar
invaded Palestine, took part of the Temple vessels, and deported some of the
royal family and nobility to Babylon. Among these captives were Daniel and his
three companions (see Dan. 1:1–6; Vol. II, p. 95). Jehoiakim
was thus forced to switch his allegiance from Egypt to Babylon.
At that time (see pp. 505, 506), in the battle of Carchemish, Egypt was
severely beaten, and Necho II made a hasty
retreat to Egypt with the remnant of his army. In spite of solemn assurances of
fidelity to Babylon (see 2 Kings 24:1), Jehoiakim,
who was pro-Egyptian at heart, openly rebelled in 598 b.c. This led to the second
invasion of Judah and the capture and death of Jehoiakim.
The king seems to have met a tragic end (see on 2 Kings 24:5).
d.
Jehoiachin (598–597 b.c.). Also called Coniah (Jer. 22:24) and Jeconiah
(1 Chron. 3:16; Jer. 24:1). After a brief reign of some three months this son
and successor of Jehoiakim
surrendered to the besieging Babylonians and was deported to Babylon with his
mother, wives, sons, and palace officials (see 2 Kings 24:10–16). Ten thousand
captives were taken to Babylon in this second deportation, which included the
chief men and the craftsmen of the city. The prophet Ezekiel was among these
captives (see Eze. 1:1–3). For the light thrown by
archeology on this captivity see pp. 575, 756; (Vol. II, pp. 96, 97, 99).
During at least a part
of the time, Jehoiachin was kept in prison, from
which, in the 37th year of his exile, he was freed by Nebuchadnezzar’s
successor, Amel-Marduk, the Biblical Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27–30).
e.
Zedekiah (597–586 b.c.).
Earlier called Mattaniah (2 Kings
24:17). After deporting Jehoiachin,
Nebuchadnezzar made this 21-year-old son of Josiah puppet king over Judah.
Zedekiah faced a difficult task. The upper classes of
Judah had been deported and the people who were left behind were hard to
manage. Jeremiah compared them to bad figs unfit for food (Jer. 24:8–10). To
add to the difficulty of the situation, ambassadors from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon were in Jerusalem (see Jer. 27:3)
presumably for the purpose of inciting Zedekiah to join them in revolt against
Babylon. Jeremiah warned Judah
against their intrigue, and admonished not only Judah but these nations as well
to submit to the yoke of Babylon (see Jer. 27; 28:14). He warned
that the failure of Judah to submit would result in the utter ruin of
Jerusalem. But contrary to all this instruction, Zedekiah revolted (see Vol.
II, p. 97).
Nebuchadnezzar acted
swiftly and terribly to crush the revolt. His invasion filled Zedekiah and all
Jerusalem with apprehension and terror (Jer. 21:1–10). In a desperate attempt
to gain the favor of God, the king and people joined in a solemn covenant with
Him promising to free all Hebrew slaves in Jerusalem (ch. 34:8–10). But
when Nebuchadnezzar temporarily lifted the siege because of the threat of
Pharaoh’s army (ch. 37:5), the covenant was forgotten
and the freed men were cruelly re-enslaved (ch.
34:11–22). Jeremiah was seized and imprisoned as a traitor (ch. 37:11–15). Soon, however, the siege was resumed. The
Jews fought desperately to save the city and themselves from the fate that
threatened them. The city held out for
30 months (see Vol. II, p. 98; Vol. III, p. 92). But in July, 586 b.c., the
Babylonians made a breach in the walls. With a small bodyguard Zedekiah managed
to escape, but he was overtaken and captured near Jericho (see ch. 39:2–5). Jerusalem was sacked
and burned (ch. 39:8), and nearly all of the remaining Jews taken into captivity
(ch. 39:9, 10).” SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 347, 348, 1957 edition. The
pagination may be different in later editions.
·
Would
you say that “nearly
all of the remaining Jews taken into captivity” is very different from the A.D. 70 Ezekiel 9
slaughter of men, maidens and little children?
·
Would you say the SDA Bible Commentary makes Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah very
contradictory when it says that the primary application is the Babylonian
captivities rather than the Roman slaughter and destruction in A.D. 70, 36
years after the close of Israel’s probation in A.D. 34?
Jeremiah 33:1-11, promises the Jews a return from
their captivity to prosperity, and a restoration of the voice of joy, gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. Jeremiah’s call to
office came about 627 B.C. (SDABC, Vol. 4, p. 344). He was commanded by God to
put the main substance of his preaching into writing. (SDABC, Vol. 4, p. 344), so he was a
contemporary of Daniel.
"If thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they
are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies
shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on
every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within
thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou
knewest not the time of thy visitation." Luke 19:42-44.
God and Ellen White say that Ezekiel 9 will be
literally fulfilled again. The first account of its fulfillment was from A.D.
27-70. We have repeated the history of the Jews. So the following highlighted
words now apply to the professing SDA church. In order for Ezekiel 9 to be
literally fulfilled again, it must be preceded by the same literal profanations
and abominations committed by the Jews, and so it is:
“From the crest of Olivet, Jesus looked upon
Jerusalem. Fair and peaceful was the scene spread out before Him. It was the
season of the Passover, and from all lands the children of Jacob had gathered
there to celebrate the great national festival. In the midst of gardens and
vineyards, and green slopes studded with pilgrims' tents, rose the terraced
hills, the stately palaces, and massive bulwarks of Israel's capital. The daughter of Zion seemed in her pride
to say, I sit a queen and shall see
no sorrow; as lovely then, and deeming herself as secure in Heaven's
favor, as when, ages before, the royal minstrel sang: "Beautiful for
situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, . . . the city of the
great King." Psalm 48:2. In
full view were the magnificent buildings of the temple. The rays of the setting
sun lighted up the snowy whiteness of its marble walls and gleamed from golden
gate and tower and pinnacle. "The perfection of beauty" it stood, the pride of the Jewish nation. What child of Israel
could gaze upon the scene without a thrill of joy and admiration! But far other
thoughts occupied the mind of Jesus. "When He was come near, He beheld the
city, and wept over it." Luke 19:41. Amid the universal rejoicing of the
triumphal entry, while palm branches waved, while glad hosannas awoke the
echoes of the hills, and thousands of voices declared Him king, the world's
Redeemer was overwhelmed with a sudden and mysterious sorrow. He, the Son of
God, the Promised One of Israel, whose power had conquered death and called its
captives from the grave, was in tears, not of ordinary grief, but of intense,
irrepressible agony." The Great
Controversy, p. 17.
Compare the above highlighted words with the following
Bible description of Babylon.
Revelation 18
1And after
these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and
the earth was lightened with his glory.
2And he cried
mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,
and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and
a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3For all
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings
of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the
earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4And I heard
another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5For her sins
have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities.
6Reward her
even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in
the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7How much she hath glorified herself,
and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in
her heart, I sit a queen, and am no
widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8Therefore
shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she
shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9And the kings
of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her,
shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her
burning,
10Standing afar
off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas
that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one
hour is thy judgment come.
11And the
merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their
merchandise any more:
12The
merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine
linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine
wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious
wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and
wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses,
and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14And the
fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which
were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more
at all.
15The merchants
of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear
of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16And saying,
Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and
scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And
every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as
trade by sea, stood afar off,
18And cried
when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What
city is like unto this great city!
19And they cast
dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that
great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of
her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets;
for God hath avenged you on her.
21And a mighty
angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying,
Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be
found no more at all.
22And the voice
of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no
more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be
found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at
all in thee;
23And the light
of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom
and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were
the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24And in her
was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon
the earth.
Is this why Ellen White said that God’s people are
worse than the heathen idol worshippers?
Worse than Babylon -- "God's professed people are selfish and
self-caring....They are idolaters, and are worse, in the sight of God, than the heathen, graven-image
worshippers who have had no knowledge of a better way." Testimonies, Vol. 2, 440-442.
Ellen White says in
over one-hundred statements that Adventists are moving in the same path of disobedience
as did God’s first chosen people, the Jews. Here are a few examples:
“The same disobedience and failure which were seen in the Jewish church
have characterized in a greater degree the people who have had this great light from
heaven in the last messages of warning.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 456.
History repeats
itself. “The thing that has been, it is that which shall be: and that which is
done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9). In other words, “The important movements of the present have their parallel
in those of the past.” (G.C. 343).
That the Advent
Movement is an important movement of the present no one can deny and it has its
parallel in the history of Ancient Israel: “The remnant church is called to go
through an experience similar to that of the Jews.” (1 SM,
387). Not one of us can afford to ignore the following warning:
“The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude
just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me, again
and again, to ILLUSTRATE the position of the people of God in their experience
before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought
every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today her is
seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to
discern the Precious Truth.” (1 SM, 406; 2 Cor 4:4).
The “precious truth” mentioned here is the light sent to the Seventh-day
Adventists in 1888.
"I have been shown that the spirit of the world is fast leavening
the church. You are following the same path as did ancient
Israel. There is the same falling away from your holy calling as God's peculiar
people. You are having
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Your concord
with unbelievers have provoked he Lord's displeasure. You know not the things that belong to your peace,
and they are fast being hid from your eyes. [The very words applied to fallen
Israel on page 17 of The Great Controversy] Your neglect to follow the light will place you in a more unfavorable position than the Jews upon whom
Christ pronounced a woe." Testimonies, Vol. 5, pp. 75-76.
"Like ancient Israel, the church has dishonored her God by
departing from the light, neglecting her duties, and abusing her high and
exalted privilege of being peculiar and holy in character. Her members have
violated their covenant to live for God and him only. They have joined
with the selfish and world-loving. Pride, the love of pleasure, and sin have
been cherished, and CHRIST HAS DEPARTED. His Spirit has been quenched in the church. Satan works side by side
with professed Christians yet they are so destitute of spiritual discernment
that they do not detect him." E.G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 2, pp. 441-442.
graven image
"Among the professed followers of Christ, there is the same pride,
formalism, vainglory, selfishness, and OPPRESSION, that existed in the Jewish
nation." E.G. White, Sketches from
the Life of Paul, 251-252.
Worse than Babylon -- "God's professed
people are selfish and self-caring....They are idolaters, and are worse, in the
sight of God, than the heathen, graven-image worshippers who have had no
knowledge of a better way." Testimonies, Vol. 2, 440-442.
“Then I was pointed
back to the years 1843 and 1844. There was a spirit of consecration then that
there is not now. What has come over the professed peculiar people of God? I
saw the conformity to the world, the unwillingness to suffer for the truth's
sake. I saw a great lack of submission to the will of God…
I saw that many who profess to believe the truth for these last days think it
strange that the children of Israel murmured as they journeyed; that after the
wonderful dealings of God with them, they should be so ungrateful as to forget
what He had done for them. Said the angel: "Ye have
done worse than they." Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 128, 129.
“I was shown the
conformity of some professed Sabbathkeepers to the
world. Oh, I saw that it is a disgrace to their profession, a disgrace to the
cause of God. They give the lie to their profession. They think they are not
like the world, but they are so near like them in dress, in conversation, and
actions, that there is no distinction…” “As I saw the dreadful fact that God's
people were conformed to the world, with
no distinction, except in name, between many of the professed disciples of
the meek and lowly Jesus and unbelievers, my soul felt deep anguish. I saw that
Jesus was wounded and put to an open shame. Said the angel, as with sorrow he
saw the professed people of God loving the world, partaking of its spirit, and
following its fashions: "Cut loose! Cut loose! lest
He appoint you your portion with hypocrites and unbelievers outside the city.
Your profession will only cause you greater anguish, and your punishment will
be greater because ye knew His will, but did it not." Testimonies for the Church,
vol 1, p 131, 133.
Is all of the above why Ellen White made the following prophesy
concerning the fate of the professing SDA once church militant?
"Jesus sends HIS PEOPLE
a message of warning to prepare them for his coming. To the prophet John was
made known the closing work in the great plan of man's redemption. He beheld an
angel flying 'in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to
preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to
him for the hour of his Judgment is come and worship him that made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters [Rev. 14:6, 7.].
The angel represented in prophecy as delivering this message, symbolizes a
class of faithful men, who, obedient to the promptings of God's Spirit
and the teachings of his word, proclaim this warning to the inhabitants of
earth. This message was not to be
committed to the religious leaders of the people. They had failed to
preserve their connection with God, and had REFUSED THE LIGHT FROM HEAVEN
therefore they WERE NOT of the number described by the apostle Paul: 'But ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye
are all the children of light, and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness' [1 Thess. 5:4, 5].
The watchmen upon the walls
of Zion should be the first to catch the tidings of the Saviour's
advent, the first to lift their voices to proclaim him near, the
first to warn the people to prepare for his coming. But they were at ease,
dreaming of peace and safety, while the people were asleep in their sins. Jesus
saw HIS CHURCH, like the barren fig-tree, covered with pretentious
leaves, yet destitute of precious fruit. There was a boastful observance of the
forms of religion, while the spirit of true humility, penitence and
faith--which alone could render the service acceptable to God--was lacking.
Instead of the graces of the Spirit, there were manifested
pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness, oppression. A BACKSLIDING CHURCH closed
their eyes to the signs of the times. God did nor forsake them, or suffer his
faithfulness to fail but they departed from him, and
SEPARATED THEMSELVES from his love. As they REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS, his promises were
NOT FULFILLED to them." E.G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, pp. 199-200 [The
1884 edition of The Great Controversy, 199, 200].
SDA Watchmen will NEVER AGAIN show
the House of Jacob (let alone Babylon) its sins:
"Here we see that the (SDA) church-the Lord's sanctuary-was the
first ("For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.
1 Peter 4:17) to feel the stroke of the wrath of God.
("The wrath of God"=the 7 last plagues-Early Writings, 36, 52, 64,
289; Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1.) The ancient men, those who had stood as
guardians of the spiritual interest of the people, had betrayed their trust.
They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked
manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These words
strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit
His people in judgment. ("He loves us so much, no matter what we do, we'll always be the apple of His eye.") Thus Peace
and safety' is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a
trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob (the
leadership) their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who
feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children ALL perish together." (ALL excludes nobody-not one. ALL from the
leadership to the cradle roll are slain!) Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 211.
(The chapter this is taken from begins on page 207, quoting Ezekiel 9).
Will you perish together with them? If you don’t leave them as Christ
and His followers separated from the prefigure
apostate church of His day, you will perish with them.
"Christ was a protestant...The Reformers date back to Christ and
the apostles. They came out and separated themselves from a religion of forms
and ceremonies. Luther and his followers did not invent the reformed religion.
They simply accepted it as presented by Christ and the apostles." E.G. White, Review and
Herald, vol. 2, 48, col. 2.
Paul left
"And as they persisted in their rejection of the gospel the
apostle (Paul) went into the synagogue, and spake
boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things
concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not,
but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and
separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus." Acts, 19:8, 9.
"Fearing that the faith of the believers would be endangered by
continued association with these opposers of the truth, Paul separated from
them, and gathered the disciples into a distinct body." E.G. White, Acts
of the Apostles, p. 286.
“I was shown the necessity of those who
believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those
who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should
attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach
error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the
commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has
delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty
wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with
us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He
sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the
power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care
over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and
weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us
becomes contaminated with the darkness.” {EW 124.3}
“I saw that we have no time to throw away in
listening to fables. Our minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied
with the present truth,..." EW
p. 125.
Apostasy is working on wrong principles. What
is Ellen White’s instruction in such an event:
"Even though you may not be able to speak
a word to those who are working on wrong principles, leave them. Your withdrawal and
silence may do more than words. Nehemiah refused to
associate with those who were untrue to principle, and he would not permit his
workmen to associate with them. The love and fear of God were his
safeguard-Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone. Thus as did Moses, you
will endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. But
a cowardly and silent reserve before evil associates, while you listen to their
devices makes you one with them Come out from among them and be separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be
a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty." Review & Herald Vol. 4, p. 42.
Scripture on Home Churches
Act 16:32 And they
spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Act 16:34 And when he
had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced,
believing in God with all his house.
Act 16:40 And they
went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they
had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Act 18:7 And he
departed thence, and entered into a certain [man's] house, named Justus, [one]
that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
Rom 16:5 Likewise [greet] the church that is
in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of
Achaia unto Christ.
1Cr 1:11 For it hath
been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of
Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1Cr 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know
the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and [that] they
have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
1Cr 16:19 The
churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord,
with the church that is in their house.
Ellen White on Home Churches
When the young men and women were kept away
from the Alpha of apostasy in the church, what did they do; where did they meet
for worship?
Ellen White on Home Churches in the Alpha of
Apostasy:
"There is a little hope in one direction:
Take the young men and women, and place them where they will come as little in
contact with our churches as possible, that the low grade of piety which is current
in this day shall not leaven their ideas of what it means to be a
Christian." E.G. White, Manuscript Release #995, p. 5.
"God has a church. It is not the great
cathedral, (or the super mega church), neither is it the national
establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who
love God and keep His commandments. 'Where two or three are gathered together
in My name, there am I in the midst of them.' Where
Christ is even among the humble few, THIS IS CHRIST'S CHURCH, for the presence
of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a
church." Upward Look, p. 315.
"The church is in the Laodicean
condition. The presence of God in not in her
midst." Notebook Leaflets, p.99.
"The church is in the Laodicean state.
The presence of God is not in her midst.--NL 99 (1898). Latter Day Events,
p. 49.
"To the end of time, the presence of the
Spirit is to abide with the true church." E.G. White, Acts of the
Apostles, p. 55.
"The enemy of souls has sought to bring
in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines
which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of
reorganization. Were this reformation to take place,
what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to
the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion
would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for
the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A NEW ORGANIZATION would be
established. Books of a NEW ORDER would be written. A system of intellectual
philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the
cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be lightly
regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in
the way of the NEW MOVEMENT. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than
vice, but GOD BEING REMOVED, they would place their dependence on human power,
which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand,
and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.
Who has authority to begin such a [NEW]
movement? We have our Bibles, we have our experience,
attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that
admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in
harmony with this truth?” E.G. White, Selected Messages, Vol. 1, 204, 205.
The following emails to me prompted this (above)
documentary response:
From: George Jordache
To: AdventistHotIssues@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday,
December 14, 2011 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: [AdventistHotIssues] Overcoming Sin
I praise the
Lord for this blessed assurance : Overcome as Christ
Overcame! The whole Plan
of Salvation is maide null and void without this
clear crystal reality of individual and collective overcoming of sin
through the means of Christ's Spirit, The soul of Christ's own Life!...As the
days are passing, the SDA are becoming more and more deceived in their false
hope of being saved without overcoming the sin...In this way they are
justifying their gross disobedience by God's Laws and their lack of faith in
The Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...There is no concern about
conquering the sin, or being sanctified and glorified in their character. The
whole theology of the Sanctuary is just pure theory without life...One need
to look down the Christian history again and again...It is all about
overcoming sin, character and faith that works by works...How is possible to
pervert such a simple thing of common sense which is coined as Walk your Talk
and Talk your Walk! I am just pondering over the clear, divine simple
theology of this Forum.... Just a few interested in these gems of Truth, just
a few still believing in "that old time
religion"...This childish generation is beyond any term of
comparison...this is why a prophet's mission is so difficult to be
done..." But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto
children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying,
We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and
ye have not lamented"... George Response from
Ron: |
Dear Brother George,
I believe there will be but a very few remnant
saved out of the professing SDA church. That is God's assessment in Ezekiel 5.
Notice His words in verse 3: "Thou shalt also take thereof a few in
number, and bind them in thy skirts." Ezekiel 5 is another eloboration on Ezekiel 9, depicting God's feelings
about spiritual Jerusalem, and why He is going to permit its destruction. After
but a "few" are "taken in thy skirts" (Marriage terminology
connotative of the bride--similar to the account of Ruth and Boaz), the rest,
3/3, and three thirds equals a whole, is destroyed.
The application of Ezekiel 9 in The Great
Controversy, pp. 653-656, is to Babylon, which is clearly specified on page
653 by the following words:
"Such are the
judgments that fall upon Babylon in
the day of the visitation of God's wrath. She has filled up the measure of her
iniquity; her time has come; she is ripe for destruction." GC 653.
But the prophecy is twofold:
“The disciples had been filled with awe and wonder at
Christ's prediction of the overthrow of the temple, and they desired to
understand more fully the meaning of His words. Wealth, labor, and
architectural skill had for more than forty years been freely expended to
enhance its splendors. Herod the Great had lavished upon it both Roman wealth
and Jewish treasure, and even the emperor of the world had enriched it with his
gifts. Massive blocks of white marble, of almost fabulous size, forwarded from
Rome for this purpose, formed a part of its structure; and to these the disciples
had called the attention of their Master, saying: See what manner of stones and
what buildings are here!’" Mark 13:1.
To these words, Jesus made the solemn and startling
reply: "Verily I say unto you, There shall not be
left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Matthew
24:2.
With the overthrow of Jerusalem the disciples
associated the events of Christ's personal coming in temporal glory to take the
throne of universal empire, to punish the impenitent Jews, and to break from
off the nation the Roman yoke. The Lord had told them that He would come the
second time. Hence at the mention of judgments upon Jerusalem, their minds
reverted to that coming; and as they were gathered about the Saviour upon the
Mount of Olives, they asked: "When
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of
Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Verse 3.
The future was mercifully veiled from the disciples.
Had they at that time fully comprehend the two awful facts--the Redeemer's
sufferings and death, and the destruction of their city and temple--they would
have been overwhelmed with horror. Christ presented before them an outline of the prominent events to take
place before the close of time.
His words were not then fully understood; but their meaning was to be unfolded
as His people should need the instruction therein given. The prophecy which He uttered was
twofold in its meaning; while foreshadowing the destruction of Jerusalem, it
prefigured also the terrors of the last great day.” The
Great Controversy,
p. 25.
Note: A twofold Prophesy:
1. Prophesying the destruction of
Jerusalem.
2. Prophesied the terrors of the last great
day BEGINNING AT HIS SANCTUARY.
“Jesus declared to the listening disciples the
judgments that were to fall upon apostate Israel, and especially the
retributive vengeance that would come upon them for their rejection and
crucifixion of the Messiah. Unmistakable signs would precede the awful climax.
The dreaded hour would come suddenly and swiftly. And the Saviour warned His
followers: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee
into the mountains." Matthew 24:15, 16; Luke 21:20, 21. When the idolatrous
standards of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground, which extended
some furlongs outside the city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find
safety in flight. When the warning sign should be seen, those who would escape
must make no delay. Throughout the land of Judea, as well as in Jerusalem
itself, the signal for flight must be immediately obeyed. He who chanced to be
upon the housetop must not go down into his house, even to save his most valued
treasures. Those who were working in the fields or vineyards must not take time
to return for the outer garment laid aside while they should be toiling in the
heat of the day. They must not hesitate a moment, lest they be involved in the
general destruction.” The Great
Controversy, pp. 24-26.
Ezekiel 5 (KJV)
1And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's
razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee
balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
2Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the
midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt
take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt
scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
3Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number,
and bind them in thy skirts.
4Then take of them again, and cast them into the
midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come
forth into all the house of Israel.
5Thus
saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and
countries that are round about her.
6And she [JERUSALEM—SDA CHURCH IN END-TIME
CONTEXT] hath changed my
judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my
statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have
refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.
7Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye
multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked
in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to
the judgments of the nations that are round about you;
8Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I,
even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the
sight of the nations.
9And I will do in thee that which I have not
done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine
abominations.
10Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in
the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute
judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the
winds.
11Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD;
Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things,
and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither
shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.
12A third part of thee shall die with the
pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a
third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third
part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
13Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I
will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall
know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my
fury in them.
14Moreover I will make thee waste,
and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all
that pass by.
15So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an
instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that
are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in
fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of
famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy
you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of
bread:
17So will I send upon you famine and evil
beasts, and they shall bereave thee: and pestilence and blood shall pass
through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
"Study the 9th chapter of
Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled yet the time is passing, and
the people are asleep. They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted.
Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths
revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual
experience. The time is short. God is calling will YOU hear? Will YOU receive
His message? Will YOU be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon,
every case will be decided for eternity. Letter 106, 1909,
pp. 2, 3, 5, 7. (To "The churches in Oakland and
Berkeley, September 26, 1909.)" E. G. White Manuscript Releases Volume One, p. 260.
“The time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be
fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to
the very letter.”— Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1303.
The Signs of the
Times, February 12, 1880: “The
desolation of Jerusalem stands as a solemn warning before the eyes of modern
Israel.”
“The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn
warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them
through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity.” Prophets and Kings, 416.
Who is modern Israel (below) in your
estimation? Is it BABYLON? Nay! It is spiritual Jerusalem, the professing, new
movement SDA church.
"Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally
fulfilled yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to
humble their souls and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the Lord
bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed to them,
but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience. The time
is short. God is calling will YOU hear? Will YOU receive His message? Will YOU
be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be decided
for eternity. Letter 106, 1909, pp. 2, 3, 5, 7. (To "The churches in Oakland and Berkeley, September 26,
1909.)" E. G.
White Manuscript Releases Volume One, p. 260.
“The time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be
fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to
the very letter.”— Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1303.
“The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn
warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them
through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity.” Prophets and Kings, 416.
All blessings,
Ron
LXX Septuagint. A. Rahlfs,
editor, Septuaginta (2 vols.; Stuttgart, 1935)
chs. chapters
b.c. Before Christ