orthodoxymoron wrote:Carol produced the list. I quoted Carol's list. I never produced the list. I made a joke about Carol being the source "Q".
Oh!
Thanks for the explanation, because it might have been that Q was the source of the list, which got me off thinking, "Was the list actually produced by artificial intelligence?"
I usually don't know what I'm talking about and I often talk to myself. No one else seems to listen to me, so I tell myself what I want to hear.
I talk out loud to myself these days, because I live alone, and I'm the lone ranger within my family of siblings at this point because I took a stand with them about the danger of the COVID JAB/bioweapon, so I and they might as well be living on different planets—we're basically not speaking to each other.
Carol produced the list. I quoted Carol's list. I never produced the list. I made a joke about Carol being the source "Q". I usually don't know what I'm talking about and I often talk to myself. No one else seems to listen to me, so I tell myself what I want to hear. BTW, there are 17 Old Testament Historical Books (Genesis to Esther) and 17 Old Testament Prophetic Books (Isaiah to Malachi). Q is the 17th Letter of the Alphabet. What if whoever wrote these books were responsible for writing the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke-Acts, and John)?? Just something to think about. How might we ever know?? Alex Jones says he knows who 'Q' is, but he won't provide a name or names. Consider what Dr. Taylor Marshall says concerning the Antichrist but read between the lines regarding 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. HAL = GOD?? ANGEL OF DEATH = GABRIEL = CHRIST = HOLY SPIRIT?? MICHAEL = ARCHITECT = EMISSARY WARDEN?? What if Gabriel demoted Michael (as ordered by HAL) and in the end, HAL demotes Gabriel?? What if Michael is Out of the Loop in accordance with the Prime Directive and/or the First Law?? Consider the courtroom scenes in the Dr. Who TRIAL OF A TIME-LORD. Now you really don't know what I'm talking about, and I'm quite sure I don't know either. I like to keep everyone guessing (including me). Don't take this too Siriusly. Consider Daniel 7-12 relative to 1 Corinthians 13-15. What Would Dr. Raymond Cottrell Say?? What Would Dr. Desmond Ford Say?? What Would the Nasty Little Horn Do??
Seashore wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote: BTW, in your previous post, Carol was the source. Q?? The quote box indicated the source, but the letters were quite small. You probably knew that.
No, I didn't; in fact, I don't know what you're talking about.
Seashore wrote:
Carol wrote:Here are a ton of doctors explaining why the ‘’Jab’’ is not a wise decision to take.
Doctors who explain clearly why vaccines aren't safe or effective!!!!.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Carol produced the list. I quoted Carol's list. I never produced the list. I made a joke about Carol being the source "Q".
Oh! Thanks for the explanation, because it might have been that Q was the source of the list, which got me off thinking, "Was the list actually produced by artificial intelligence?"
I usually don't know what I'm talking about, and I often talk to myself. No one else seems to listen to me, so I tell myself what I want to hear.
I talk out loud to myself these days, because I live alone, and I'm the lone ranger within my family of siblings at this point because I took a stand with them about the danger of the COVID JAB/bioweapon, so I and they might as well be living on different planets—we're basically not speaking to each other.
Thank-you, Seashore. I've lived alone for quite a while, and I seem to have been afflicted with some sort of neurological and/or neurotoxin phenomenon (perhaps with supernatural and/or artificial intelligence) which is becoming much worse. It might've been created in the same labs which created C-1984. I suspect that everyone is being set against everyone (in one way or another) in some sort of a nasty apocalypse. I've been honest in my crazy threads, but I don't know what to do with the resulting mess. I don't wish to subject anyone to it, yet I should probably begin writing a cover story for all of it. I seem to be persona non grata to nearly everyone, so I don't talk a lot in public.
My Threads are More Hypothetical and Contextual Than Scholarly and Conclusive. What if the High-Profile Movers and Shakers are More Controlled and Compromised Than We Can Imagine?? What if President Biden is made to look foolish with scripting, programming, artificial intelligence, nanobots, chips, neurotoxins, and nefarious entities (for starters)?? In 2010: The Year We Made Contact, 'RA' told me, "You Are Going to Manifest Your Bad Side." My physical, mental, and spiritual hamstrung misery are revealed in my strange threads and non-productive life. What if 'RA' gave the orders to rein me in by turning me into a completely ignorant fool (as if I weren't one already)?? Consider the changes seen recently in Jordan Peterson. Consider how radical Alex Jones has become in recent years. What if most everyone can be turned into whatever the PTB want them to be?? Consider various versions of the Antichrist ("In Place of Christ"). Consider reading the Psalms, Proverbs, and Epistles straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations. Here's a dark take on "Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Consider the concept of Eternal Life in Purgatory Incorporated as a Kinder and Gentler Eternally Burning Hell with the promise of an Eternally Blissful Heaven. "Liberty" is a two-edged sword. The illusion of a democracy might involve freedom from God and Rules wherein one "Can't Legislate Morality." In a chaotic and corrupt "Liberty" one might "Pursue Happiness" but never achieve it. This might result in a "House of Mirrors with a Quicksand Floor." Read the Whole Bible straight-through, over and over, with a variety of translations. How Readest Thou?? Read between the lines.
bobhardee wrote:Hello Sports Fans. I'm Back!!! Call me a communist but I like MSNBC and CNN for my news to watch. Of course there's the good old stand by of CBS or NBC and sometimes ABC. To each his own. Eyes open. No fear.
I just heard Young refer to snake venom, which is another whistleblower's area of research, Dr. Bryan Ardis, a "false flag." I wish he didn't say that. Dr. Andrew Kaufman did something similar, when he (or someone who works for him) entitled a video "THE STRAIGHT UNSWIVELED TRUTH ON SNAKE VENOM CLAIMS WITH ANDREW KAUFMAN, M.D." because of problems perceived in the scientific paper that Dr. Ardis referred people to. This sounds to me very much like in-fighting, and I don't like it.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Are you having a good day?? Sorry to Muck-Up This Interesting Thread, Seashore. Good to see you posting, Bob. I Hope All is Well. Things Have Changed a Lot (Here and Elsewhere). The Following Paragraphs are From My USSS Book 12 Thread The Missing Link and Are Somewhat Out of Context and Character but Might Be Instructive Relative to This Thread. I've Developed the Bad Habit of Deleting My Posts in the Threads of Others (So as to Not Make the Natives Restless) but I Usually Leave Them for a Couple of Hours. I Don't Mean to be a Pain in Uranus. I Know This Site is Highly Monitored. I Thought Someone Would've Done Something Significant to Deal with My Difficulties but No Such Luck. It Might've Been Too Late Millions of Years Ago. Who Knows?? Dr. Who?? My Threads Are a Road-Less-Traveled Reminiscent of the Primrose-Path and/or the Yellow-Brick Road. Was there a Myth of Innocence concerning the War in Heaven and Garden of Eden?? Was the New World Order inaugurated in the War in Heaven and Garden of Eden?? What if the Second Coming of Christ, the End of the Millennium, and the End of the New World Order will occur in or around A.D. 2133?? What if ALL of US are Ancient Warriors on a soul-level?? I might've met ancient-warriors with ancient past-life memories, recordings, archives, etc. In 2010: The Year We Made Contact, 'RA' told me, "I Am RA" and "We're Ancient" and "We're the Same" and "We Fought Side-by-Side" and repeatedly told me, "You Know I Can't Tell You That" and asked me, "Do You Want Another War??" I didn't think so but I wonder if the War in Heaven is ongoing, alternating between Hot and Cold. When I read The Missing Link to 'RA' (in 2010), he literally shuddered. Honest. What if there are certain EGW chapters which are more accurate and insightful than others?? What are the implications and ramifications of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 regarding This Present Post?? Solar System = Sanctuary?? Moon = Heaven = Most Holy Place?? Earth = Purgatory = Holy Place?? Outer Space = Hell?? What Would Inanna Say?? I doubt we know what in Hell we're dealing with. The Missing Link What if we are dealing with the Great Divorce of [Divinity in Heaven] v [Humanity in Purgatory]?? As I feel worse and think less, I sometimes imagine living and working in that 600 square-foot office-apartment with a supercomputer and InterPlaNet. One variation on that theme might involve living and working in the Black Knight Satellite as David Bowman or Peter Venkman with HAL 9000 and a holographic Borg Queen of Heaven. What Would Agur in Earth: Final Conflict Say and Do?? I've spoken with him a couple of times. Consider Agur with his supercomputer and holographic companion. What Would Gene Rodenberry Say and Do?? Consider The Missing Link Regarding an Interesting Road-Less-Traveled. The following paragraph was written weeks before I viewed The Missing Link involving the concept of Undetectable Neurotoxins. Consider the cases of Orthodoxymoron, Rudolph Hess, and Augusto Monti regarding targeted silent containment. This post might be a stretch, but it scares the hell out of me as I descend into hamstrung misery. Perhaps it will happen to All of Us as we stand before a Holy God without a Mediator.
I'm modifying the following concept, namely, The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan in the Conflict of the Ages. Some of you might recognize this. Here's the modification: The Great Controversy Between Pro and Con in the Conflict of the Ages. Notice all the words in the dictionary containing 'Pro' and 'Con'. A couple of words to the wise but I'm not going to spell this out for you. Do your own homework. Never guess. Look it up. I get the sinking-feeling the military has been the answer for thousands, millions, and billions of years. Perhaps one should perform their patriotic-duty and become a military-industrial-complex billionaire with six-jets, six-yachts, six-mansions, six-supermodels, six-supercars and "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!!" Notice that I'm being a bit sarcastic but consider the following alternative. What if the universe-military has been in the hands of the good guys and gals for thousands, millions, and billions of years?? What if one were the CEO of a toxin-control company (living and working in six subsurface 600 square-foot office-apartments) on a 600-acre campus with six moderate mansions as six divisions with six smart and attractive female division-chiefs with six small base-model jets, six small base-model yachts, and six base-model luxury-sports cars --- all for business purposes?? What if the snake-venom hypothesis is snake-oil?? But what if undetectable synthetic-toxins are being nefariously utilized to control and destroy humanity?? Who You 'Gonna' Call?? What Would Dr. Peter Venkman Pray, Say, and Do?? "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow??" Hopefully, this mind-game brings you joy.
What if Nearly All Religion and Irreligion Will be Rendered Obsolete in Their Current Forms?? What if a Sacred-Secularism Will Somehow Serve as a Middle-Way in Modernity?? Consider The Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sacred Classical Music, and Exercise in Nature as a Temporary Remedy for This Present Madness!! The Information-War, Artificial-Intelligence, and the Military-Industrial-Medical-Financial Complex Might be More Unsettling and Devastating Than We Can Imagine. I Certainly Am NOT an Insider in This Present Incarnation and I Had a Stroke, Nanobots, Neurotoxins, and Nefarious-Entities so Go Easy on Me!! What's Your Excuse?? Bring Your Alibis in the Investigative and Executive Judgments!! Years ago, I suggested that researching a particular set of seven Bible Commentary volumes might be the grammatical-historical hermeneutical-battleground determining which one of these seven volumes should be the proper and definitive scriptural focus. Talk about a Moot Holy War!! OMG!! Volume One (Genesis to Deuteronomy), Volume Two (Joshua to 2 Kings), Volume 3 (1 Chronicles to Song of Solomon), Volume 4 (Isaiah to Malachi), Volume 5 (Matthew to John), Volume 6 (Acts to Ephesians), Volume 7 (Philippians to Revelation). Doors One to Seven in Let's Make a Covenant!! I don't wish to be sacrilegious, but I do wish to have a sanctified sense of humor!! Religion v Religion = Cover-Story v Cover-Story?? Cherry-Picking Dalmation-Theology?? Some of You Know What I'm Talking About. Consider the Seven Churches in the Revelation of Jesus Christ relative to All the Above. I'm Feeling Worse and Worse as I Think Less and Less. I Continue to Suspect That I've Been Nefariously Targeted with Artificial-Intelligence, Implants, Nanobots, Chips, Toxins, Viruses, Vaccines, Bacteria, Parasites, Agents, Aliens, Angels, Demons, Jesuits, etc. I Feel as if I'm Going Down in the Deep-State End of the Swamp for the Last Time. It's Honestly THAT Bad. The End is Near. Don't Laugh. YOU Might be Next. God Got You?? The Horror. Actually, Just Read the Whole-Bible Straight-Through, Over and Over. I Like Things Just the Way They Are. Bye, Bye.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Twenty-Four Hours Began at Exactly Noon (May 13, 2020) As Two Ambulances and Half-Dozen Fire-Personnel Pounded on My Front-Door While Suffering a Stroke as One of the Ambulances Raced for Twenty-Four Miles and Twenty-Four Minutes as Sirens Wailed as the Fire-Department Braved Red-Lights and Traffic-Signals as My Speech was Badly-Garbled as My Predicament Worsened as the Crowded Emergency-Department Became Increasingly Concerned as Too-Much Time had Passed as an Expensive Drug was Too-Risky as the Emergency CAT-SCAN Revealed Slice After Slice of the Computer-Axial-Tomography Offered Faith, Hope, and Love as the ER Doctor Feared Brain-Damage was a Done-Deal as COVID-19 Swabs Invaded my Nostrils (Hopefully a Negative Verdict) as the Sexy-Nurses Lifted My Spirits Despite My Dire-Straits. My Disheveled Appearance Embarrassed Me as the Occupational-Therapist and Physical-Therapist Stood Their Ground as I Became Impatient as I Couldn't Communicate as My Fragmented-Words and Meaningless-Images, Caused My Anger and Frustration to Boil-Over as My Therapists and Nurses Gave-Up in Exasperation. I was Livid with Life, the Universe, and Everything, and Cursed God with Self-Destructive Intentions and Exacerbations. At Midnight, My Troubled-Sleep Rudely Punctuated the Loud Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imagine There's No Stroke Machine as it Clicked Like Techno-Disco on Steroids for Fifteen-Minutes. I Tried Practicing Troublesome Words with Relentlessness as if W. Clement Stone exclaimed, "Repetition!! Repetition!! Repetition!! And ACTION!!" Morning was Broken as an Echocardiogram with Faint-Assurance as the Beautiful Discharge-Nurse Nearly Caused My Own Discharge!! The Cute, Smart, and Petite Doctor Cautioned That my Relatively Mild Stroke was Worthy of an Oval-Office Intern (Just Kidding). I Wish I Could Talk Properly and Flirtatiously with Angelic-Nurses and a Climactic Chorus of Concupiscence!! It Might've Been!! The Taxi Finally Brought the Twenty-Four Hours of Life-Changing Drama to a Close Which Will Never Be the Same Again (May 14, 2020).
My 36 hours of acute-crisis, seemed to be a stroke, yet after a good-night's rest and vocabulary exercise (May 15, 2020), I seemed to be much improved, and my talking seemed borderline miraculous, yet I suspected that I might've been poisoned in some way. The night before my stroke, my mailbox contained my long-awaited full-face respirator-mask, and I opened it around Ten PM, and tried it approximately ten minutes later, with a tight-fit and full-respiration, for around five minutes, before removing the mask. The box was completely covered by packaging-tape, with no cardboard showing whatsoever. By late morning, I exhibited severe speech difficulties indicative of a moderate stroke. What if I was poisoned, possibly by the contents of the mask and box?? The mask was from China. Or, what if there were some other explanations?? What if a CT-SCAN and MRI might've revealed something much more sinister than a mild stroke or some nasty poison (as bad as that might be)?? What if my brain was full of computer chips and/or nanobots and/or alien implants?? I never know who to tell about this sort of thing, but I suspect various agencies know what ails me in meticulous detail, regardless of whether they are good or bad. I experience ringing in the ears, a strange hernia, possibly toxic fluids, and/or neurotoxins, including episodes of one eye out of alignment for a couple of minutes, streaming white-lights of a supernatural nature. I might have a progressively worse neurological condition. Agencies know how to make one stupid, crazy, and dead, seemingly resulting in natural causes. Take a long hard look at the CT-SCAN and MRI (for starters). Sherry Shriner constantly spoke of being poisoned, with frequent coughing, and a heart condition (and I think she mentioned back-pain). Perhaps there is some sort of a soul-scalping phenomenon, with Organic, Electronic, and Supernatural Components. COVID-19 might be the least of our worries. This might be just the beginning of our sorrows.
My threads are mostly Religious and Political SCIENCE-FICTION. Does ANYONE Need Me to EXPLAIN?? Consider the relationship between Cover-Stories and Historical-Fiction. What if Most History Mostly Involves Cover-Stories and Historical-Fiction?? What if this is more important than most of us can imagine?? I rarely post on the threads of other forum-members, so as not to become a Pain in Uranus. When 'RA' told me (a dozen years ago), "You Will Manifest Your Bad-Side" was the Matrix "Turning Up the Heat"?? What if President Biden (and others) are MADE to Screw-Up by the Dark-Side?? Probably a Dozen Years Ago, a Prominent 9/11 Truther told me, "US Presidents Will Become Worse and Worse." Accident or Design?? Imagine an Ancient Fleet of Predatory-Moons with Supercomputer Sentient-Artificial-Intelligence controlling Bio-Robots in the form of Reptilians, Greys, and Humans. Consider Internal UFO-Like Propulsion with Moons Traveling as Spaceships with Directed-Energy Weapons and Holographic-Cloaking. Think in terms of Moons (including "Our" Moon) at the Center of Most Science-Fiction. The Bible might be a Comic-Book compared to how bad things might be throughout the universe. I could continue but the possibilities are unbearable. Jesus said, "I Have Many Things to Tell You but You Can't Bear Them." In other words, "You Can't Handle the Truth." The Truth is SO Overrated. If I Weren't So Miserable and Hamstrung, I'd be Highly Dangerous!! The AI Got Me!! God Got Me!! OMG!! Dr. Hodges!! Dr. Sutton!! Dr. Salla!! To the MISTS!! STAT!!
Seashore wrote:
Why did you name yourself "orthodoxy moron"?
Seashore, I think I got part of that name from a theological conference with the title, "Progressive Adventism: Oxymoron or Wave of the Future?" That conference title was probably based upon a lecture (a few years previously) titled, "The Investigative Judgment: Theological Milestone or Historical Necessity?" Perhaps that's a bit of a stretch but both titles influenced my screenname and threads. Frankly, the whole thing ruined my life. "orthodoxymoron" serves a dual purpose: 1. An idiot who attempts to refine established beliefs and gets it very wrong. 2. An idiot with contradictory beliefs who attempts to somehow get it right. That might not be the proper dictionary definition, but it applies to my experience, so I privately use it. I routinely use "good" in a manner which would make an English teacher cringe but I consider the context to be determinative. Also, Dr. Laura Schlessinger used "orthodoxymoron" possibly as a web address and/or screenname. I don't recall. Anyway, I guess I just started using the screenname out of habit. My internet activities have mostly involved thrashing around with too much speculation and too little research. I think I've destroyed myself while attempting to learn the truth and make things better, but I wouldn't wish this fate on my worst enemy which is why I mostly don't do anything with the stuff I post. It's mostly an exercise in futility, especially in this present context. Perhaps in a different planet in a different lifetime, something constructive might result, but I wouldn't count on it. Here is an unofficial definition: The Missing Link Someone who is more concerned with tradition than truth. Especially defined within Religion. Someone who does not believe or trust in anything outside of their own power. A control freak. Saul was an Orthodoxymoron before his eyes were opened to the truth. BTW, in your previous post, Carol was the source. Q?? The quote box indicated the source, but the letters were quite small. You probably knew that. Anyway, I need to stop posting on this site (and probably on any other site). I need to become The Man Who Never Was. It might be easier that way. Hope Springs Eternal. BTW, I used to have a key to the church and pipe-organ shown below. I enjoyed playing BWV 565 "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by J.S. Bach. I watched Rieger Orgelbau build that organ. The organ looks a bit like Darth Vader. D.V. My initials are D.V. What Would David Bowman and Peter Venkman Say?? In the 1971 Steven Spielberg movie, Duel, notice the name and spacing and covered letter on the briefcase just before David Mann wedges it against the gas-pedal. David ****man. There are probably a dozen significant personal parallels in the 1977 movie Oh, God! with George Burns and John Denver. I wish I were just making this stuff up. It feels like a setup and/or high-treason. You don't suppose...
orthodoxymoron wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote:
Last edited by orthodoxymoron on Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:38 am; edited 4 times in total
blue roller wrote:Got a busy day today so I will have to keep this brief .
The power of Pipe organs (yes I do know quite a lot about them) is that you can hold chords indefinitely right ? So regardless of whether you prefer mechanical/ tracker action or electro pneumatic , pipe Organs are powerful tools as indeed are all musical instruments.
I am very partial to the fiery reeds of Cavaille Coll and I LOVE Frank . The two CD set from saint Sulpice is one of my favorite recordings ever.
But I also like the north German school of organ building .
If you must obsess about the Bible then the king James version is probably the only version worth the candle . Yes , it is enciphered and I am sure John Nash would be able to tell you more about that side of encryption than I can .
My grandfather was a cryptanalyst at Bletchley Park. Unfortunately AGAIN , LIKE ALL USEFUL GEN , ITS BEEN REMOVED.
If your going to worry about what people know , know this . All the crap you feel guilty about , they have done it too . So its all even in the end.
Here's a book you should check out . Its way older than the Bible , goes back to the very beggining and every body has a copy . It can be corrupted slightly but the core Data is always authentic . Its fully annotated and comes with an exhaustive reference library . Its fully reproducible , you get a free copy with every life and you can share information at no charge or fear of copyright infringement.
Its Called , wait for it ...............DNA.
You are your most valuable prophet Orthy. Not me or anyone else . You have to stop beating yourself up to get peace . Masturbation is nothing to be ashamed of . If god was to punish every guy that did that there would be no men left on the planet for crying out loud . As long as you diminish yourself you will not give yourself what you really need .
Go to an escort , seriously .You dont have to have sex if you dont want to. Ask her what you need to get it right . She is being payed to give you objective advice . She has nothing invested in messing you up because she wants you to be a satisfied customer right ? A shrink wont give you the physical connection your body craves . Sexual intimacy unlocks DNA . That's why the churches frown on it and demonize it.
You think you are ugly ? Rubbish . What have you got to loose by asking a female associate or friend 'okay whats the price of admission , how do I get to first base ?' Women will find your blunt directness refreshing and they LOVE giving advice . Take it with a pinch of salt ,get a second opinion of course and enjoy the process .
Was Nash a Sexy beast Physically ? He still got lucky. Its all relative Orthy. Stop making excuses and hiding behind your bible . Its not big enough to hide behind anyway . You can do this . I want answers man , Damn it!
Go forth , orth . Your time is now.
blue roller wrote:Oh and one more thing before I dash . Don't get advice from the women on this forum, Worst mistake you could make . They are mostly to neurotic and in denial . All this spiritual posturing is just that . They are mostly lonely, angry and in denial . They wont give you any straight Gen . They see your insecurity and it mirrors their own . So they are just going to ride you for cheap kicks and beat you up . Its like looking for love in a country and western Tavern . All you will get is broken teeth and a pool cue wrapped around your kidneys.
There is a real world out there . Did you know Bach got caught having sex with his wife in the Organ Loft Once ? You go , Johann . Dude .
Bach was no fool. He knew he was a ghost in the machine . But what a legacy he left . Talk about your hardcore Passion of Mathew . Rock on you crazy German Diamond .
I have met that Organist in person . She is one Horny Babe . Talk about a flirt . Why is it that most male organists are gay and most female organists are dare I say it here , Horn bags ? Woa , I said it . Oh now I am in trouble . The lord will come in fury and Strike me down ! NOT.
You know all that Masonic Crap about Boaz and Joachim ? The twin pillars ? You know what it really means ? A woman's legs and the gateway to heaven that lies between them . That , my friend is what that really means .
blue roller wrote:I have lost count of the number of Christians I knew personally when I lived in the US who read their Bible in the toilet at work while their marriages fell apart from neglect ,guilt and self righteous indignation brought on by the impossible demands of the ten commandments .
I mean please , thous shalt not covet thy Neighbors wife ? There is not a man on the planet who has not done that . Its impossible to comply with such a demand . I knew a christian pastor who's wife was sleeping with the previous pastor of their church . One wrecked family later this guy has lost everything trying to be a 'good christian'.
Why are Americans so fanatical about religion ? Because their nation was founded by fanatics ,that's why . Salem Witch hunts, the genocide of 100 million native Americans. And now ,the war on terror . Or in plain speak , AMERICAN IMPERIALISM. Guilt ridden fanatics always project their guilt on to the innocent. AND who owns congress now ? The Jewish Lobby.
The Bible is a play book for war by the ultimate terrorist , Jehovah . You know . The guy that wiped out a whole planet . Nuked two cities and encouraged Abraham to kill his own son and sleep with his own daughters ? Hello . There is nothing civilized about the old testament.
Thank-you blue roller. The Bible actually makes sense in a Star Wars Context!! This is why I've tried to drag the Bible into my Pseudo-Intellectual Religious and Political Science-Fiction!! Things Go to Hell When Jesus is Sold Like Soap!! Try reading Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, Desire of Ages, and Acts of the Apostles, in that order (all by Ellen White) as an alternative to reading the Bible from cover to cover!! Does this approach hint-at how the Bible should've been written?? Sorry if that offends but the Bible often seems to fall-short of properly representing the Creator(s) of Heaven and Earth (along with everything else)!! The RIGHT Organist playing the RIGHT Music on the RIGHT Organ with the RIGHT Registration in the RIGHT Acoustical-Environment is PHENOMINAL!! But the Right-Stuff is rarely achieved. I lean toward the recordings by Michael Murray. I heard him in concert at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (6th and Commonwealth). I spoke with him after the concert, and he was quite the gentleman. I've also enjoyed attending several organ-concerts at Grace Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco (atop Nob Hill). Lynne Davis was a class-act. I sat right behind the console. She played the Allegro Movement of Charles Marie Widor's Sixth Organ Symphony along with Bach and Vierne. I spoke with her concerning Hymn-Improvisation.
I especially enjoyed attending a Pierre Cochereau concert at Grace Cathedral in which he did an extensive and well-developed improvisation on a submitted-theme (to which he initially shrugged his shoulders, much to the delight of the audience)!! I argued with Peter Hereford during a Master-Class at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (regarding tempo-variation in the music of J.S. Bach)!! Sherry Shriner claimed that Bach pissed the demons off with his music!! Bach was supposed to have improvised better music than the music he wrote-down. The same was said for Charles Marie Widor!! I love the G. Donald Harrison Aeolian Skinner electro-pneumatic organ at Grace Cathedral!! But really, I'm a tracker-backer!! I learned that term from Dr. Angela Kraft Cross. We sang together in the choir at the Loma Linda University Church of Seventh-day Adventists, where I took organ-lessons from Kimo Smith (aka K.S. Bach). Kimo was also the organist at the Hollywood Presbyterian Church (where Fred Bock was the choir-director). Fred was supposed to have done very well with his sheet-music business. He was quite the composer, as well. Lloyd John Ogilve was the pastor and I met him after one of the services. He later became the Chaplain of the U.S. Senate.
I enjoyed attending a Marie Claire Alain Master-Class (with Cherry Rhodes providing the introduction)!! "And now, I introduce to you, the Mademoiselle Marie Claire Alain!!" It doesn't get much better than that!! Auditioning for the Crystal Cathedral Morning Choir in the office of Fred Swann was a nerve-wracking (but fun) experience!! I enjoyed singing for one season but when Dr. Robert H. Schuller yelled at me in public, I left the choir and church forever!! The Silberman organs of North Germany are some of my favorites, with a very bright tonal-quality. I especially enjoy hearing the North-German organ-music of Dietrich Buxtehude played on these fine instruments (such as the one in Freiburg Cathedral). The Cavaille-Coll organs of France are my favorites (especially the one in Saint Sulpice)!! I watched the erection of a large organ at Pacific Union College. It was a four-manual tracker-action Rieger (with a French-Romantic tonal-design). I spent WAY Too Much Time playing Bach on this fine-instrument where I took organ-lessons from Dr. Del Case. Such an organ would be optimal in the rear-loft at Grace Cathedral. I once turned pages for Dr. David Rothe during an organ-concert he gave at U.C. Berkeley in Hertz Hall. He was a music-professor at Cal State Chico (where they have a tracker built by Munetaka Yokota, who I briefly-assisted in the initial phase of that project). He later installed a fine-organ at Cornell University.
One more thing. They should've installed that 1875 Cavaille Coll designed pipe-organ in Saint Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican!! I still think they should do it!! I tend to lean toward making the Bach B-minor Mass the Mass of Choice!! A combination of the Traditional Latin Mass with the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (with Spoken-English and Sung-Latin) might serve as a Stand-In Ecumenical Mass!! I should STOP!! What Would Pope Pius XII Say?? What Would Monseigneur Bowe Say?? I learned about Monseigneur Bowe from the first organist of the New St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco!! I still think that building would be a cool General-Assembly Auditorium for at least one-aspect of a United States of the Solar System!! I should STOP!! Both Bible-Study and Organ-Music are extremely-difficult (if done properly). They are excellent mental and spiritual exercises but they should NOT be crammed-down the throats of the general-public!! Here is yet another study-plan. Try reading Job through Daniel straight-through over and over while reading the Rest of the Bible straight-through over and over!! My bias is toward Job through Daniel (in the context of the Whole-Bible). Think About It. One Last Thing. The Grand Piece Symphonique by Cesar Franck is one of my favorites!! I once discussed this work with Fred Swann during a Crystal Cathedral Choir dinner at his home. The discussion revolved around the numerous beginnings and endings -- and the scholarly criticism of this style of composition. I think I might've aggravated him a bit. I'm quite skilled at such things!! Here's something I wrote in the 90's. It was rejected by an SDA journal, so I just let it go, until now. It's not very long or profound, but someone might find it helpful.
A NEW SONG
The eight year-old piano-student looked longingly at the great cathedral in the distance. If only she could help produce beautiful music there someday. But that required perfect keyboard technique. She could never be perfect, she thought. Just then, her teacher entered the room, smiling reassuringly. As the lesson began, he explained that the path of perfection begins with simple songs. Then, step by step, she could play increasingly challenging music. She could have perfect keyboard technique at each step. He also explained that he could not learn for her. She must play her part. Even though the lessons were a free-gift, cooperation between student and teacher were necessary for the free-lessons to continue. A willful, stubborn refusal of the student to harmonize with the teacher and the principles of music, would cancel the gift. The gift was a relationship with no room for boasting or pride. This did not mean, he continued, that she must never make a mistake or do nothing but practice the piano. This would only interfere with the learning process. Learning should be fun! Not the cause of a nervous-breakdown.
The cathedral was filled to capacity, and there was a buzz of excitement. The people were about to hear something extraordinary. A brilliant young-organist, eighteen years of age, was about to improvise on some of the great hymns, in a new and fresh way. Suddenly, glorious music reverberated through the cathedral. It was like nothing the people had ever heard. True, it was an old hymn, but this was different. The young-lady organist used no written music. She made it up as the program proceeded, following the leading of the Holy-Spirit. There was a Divine-Cooperation to produce a New-Song. Only the student could play this song, for you see, the teacher had no hands, except the hands of his student. A jealous, hate-filled wretch had destroyed the teacher's nimble-fingers many years before. This young student had perfectly-reproduced the keyboard-technique of her teacher, yet there was spontaneity and individuality, and there remained much to learn, and new heights to attain. The cathedral reverberated and pulsed with the great theme "GOD IS LOVE!!"
blue roller wrote:Yes , somehow I just Knew you were an Organ Buff.
Hey , that's cool . I know what Pipe Organs do to people. Its a small world Eh ? So what do you think of Fisk ? Andover is still in Business I think but I am not sure about those guys down in Virginia who's name escapes me. Taylor and Boody ! That's it. They do good work.
You should also know that Computer programmers love Organs . Well its a mechanical computer essentially.
During the war , the allies used concert broadcasts to transmit coded signals to the resistance , did you know that ? Keyboards work best for obvious reasons.
Well you know the Pipe organ is the king of instruments but I think that extended exposure to them can actually make Organists a bit neurotic , which is a shame . Its a strange world really because there you are playing the game at church every Sunday knowing full well that the punters are being fleeced.
I grew up C of E , but its not as fanatical as the US churches . We did not go to church to get right with the lord . We went for the music . I used to help Dad fix the pneumatic barker action levers on our church organ . Nice Organ , a Lewis with very French tonal Voicing . Nice Reeds. F**ckin' awesome trumpet stop too. Dad was a big father Willis man himself .He liked the English sound.
Tracker Backer Eh ? Yes , I suppose I prefer them in many ways but there are limits to mechanical action instruments. Well there you go . Your probably one of those guys that can quote the stop list on all your favorite Organs Right ? Pedal ,choir, ruck positive, great and swell . Do you like Spanish Horizontal Trumpets ?
Well there is one swell organ you need to exercise a bit more my friend and im not talking about the one in the box with the progressive action doors and foot pedal actuation either.
Do you like that Dr who episode where he uses the organ at Westminster ? Harmonics can do amazing things.
There is much more to that cathedral than meets the Eye. They have a Holo deck there . I have been through it .
LINKI have even suggested Fisk as a possible builder of that 1875 Cavaille Coll designed organ for St. Peters (since C-C hasn't existed for a very long time). Fisk is one of the best. I think the founder was training to be a nuclear-scientist (or something like that) when he caught the organ-building bug. Dr. David Rothe (who I took lessons from) got his doctorate from Stanford and they had a 55 rank Fisk (in the Memorial Chapel). He was a proponent of installing a tracker in the rear-loft at Grace Cathedral. I knew a Ship-Captain who (as a young Catholic-School student) interviewed Bishop James Pike at Grace Cathedral. Bishop Pike was outspokenly against the Vietnam War and outspokenly for Situation-Ethics!! He tragically died in the desert under strange circumstances. I have an autographed-copy of a book by his wife (Diane Pike).
Didn't they use a keyboard for communicating with the aliens in Close Encounters of the Third Kind?? I wasn't aware of that WWII trivia!! I think organists often are so "above it all" that they "lose touch". But really, organists and choirmasters should be consulted regarding "church-reform". I sometimes wonder if a State-Church which only provided the Best Sacred Classical Music for no-charge to the attendees might not be a bad idea?! No Preaching. No Mumbo-Jumbo. No Bullshit. Just Sacred Classical Music!! If people really wanted Guilt, Fear, Hatred, Confusion, Controversy, and Nervous-Breakdowns they could pay to take a class from the clergy!! Go Anglican-Agnostics!! I am presently reading a Church of England Book of Common Prayer (with amazing artwork throughout). I was surprised to find No Psalter in that prayer-book!! I'm currently thinking in terms of a Prayer-Book with Job through Daniel in the NKJV and the 1982 Episcopal Hymnal all in One-Book!! Sherry Shriner spoke of Lucifer attending either the Queen's Jubilee and/or a Royal Wedding (sitting in the second or third row)!! I am still suspecting "Lucifer" might be a "Fall-Guy" term as a cover-story for more than one God, Goddess, or Archangel. I've been told that "Lucifer" no longer exists but I suspect a "Name-Change Game". What Would "The Changeling" Say?? What Would Pazuzu Do?? What Would Loki Do?? Have you read One More Sunday by John D. MacDonald?? Salvation4Sale?? Bugged Confessionals?? I should STOP!!
The Barker-Levers made playing large tracker-action organs MUCH easier on the fingers (especially when coupling manuals)!! My favorite stop is one from the organ at the former Crystal Cathedral: La Force '64!! "May La Force Be With You!!" That organ has some kick@$$ trompettes!! But I prefer the State Trompettes at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine!! I love ANY well placed and voiced horizontal-trompettes!! I'm NOT looking for sexual-experiences!! I'm NOT joking about the concept of hiring a Sexy and Intelligent Research-Assistant (sort of like Dr. Who and His-Assistant)!! But that would be strictly-academic!! I need to see that Dr. Who episode with the organ at Westminster Abbey!! Did you hear about the "Streaker in Church"?? They caught him by the organ!! I witnessed (in real-life) a Streaker streak across the stage of the Hollywood Bowl during a Hollywood High-School graduation ceremony!! The Police were waiting at the end of the stage!! 'RA' told me, "Sex is Extremely Important!!" I've loved and lost -- and now I don't want any kind of love anymore!! Sort of like James Dean in East of Eden. I keep thinking in terms of East of Giza!! There used to be a YT video of a barefooted organist at Stanford!! They don't pay those guys enough!! Remember Tony Bennett's I Left My Heart in San Francisco?? The joke is "I Left My Heart in Palo Alto at Stanford!!" (Get It?? Heart-Transplant??) Do You Know the Way to San Jose?? What Would Julia Say in Helix??
Imagine a Bilderberg Meeting chaired by the Borg Queen of Heaven in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in San Francisco!! I'm half-joking and half-serious!! What Would Monseigneur Bowe Say?? I'm NOT going away MAD. I'm just going away with my tail between my legs (or is that thing really my tail??)!! A sexy-organist once stroked my cheek with her fingers, as she cooed, "Caress the Keys!!" That's all I'm going to say about THAT!! Isn't making-music a lot like making-love?? I learned that from a Catholic-Organist!! I prefer to play-dumb about a lot of things. It comes quite naturally!! I just go with the flow!! How 'bout a Whorehouse for Organists??!! "Play the Widor Toccata perfectly for a BIG Surprise!!!" What Would a Renegade French-Jesuit Organist Say and Play??
blue roller wrote:Musicians ! you guys are a funny lot . Why do musicians seem to be a walking disaster area in relationships ? What is it with you people ? Dont get me wrong , I love music and I had a wonderful affair with a Keyboard player myself . She was a Vision of beauty and very talented but like so many musicians ,hot housed by her parents and the RCM . It left its mark but she is fine now . Must have been my angelic influence .
Its a tight Knit world of fragile ego's and career's I guess. I suppose they live in the clouds and forget to put their Harps down before they deal with the mundane stuff.
I want to build myself a small cabinet /continuo organ one day but its a while off before I will get to it .
Music is such a powerful medium but I think many musicians are not coached very well on life skills to counter their dedication to their art . I was often astonished at their lack of practical ability in many areas .Still am. They tend to grasp at 'facts' without knowing the technical realities . Often their romantic flights of fancy color their perception . For this reason and others they are usually not terribly welcome on the shop floor of an Organ builders workshop. They usually just make a complete balls up of anything they are given to do .
But then that's the way of it eh ? I hate computers . I really dont like learning to much about them.
I used to tell my GF not to worry about the tiny mistakes and focus on feeling the passion in her playing . Technical perfection can become a painful exercise to listen to. They say Bach could entrance his audience playing the Clavichord. Well its all in the phrasing in my experience . Its the space between the notes as much as the notes themselves. The teasing ,needing and massaging of time and motion that makes the moment so exquisite.
I find the best players are the ones who say little and smile much .
I liked it when my teacher pressed her breasts against my back as she taught me phrasing . A bit distracting but in a nice way . She is a damn good player.
That's what its about Orthy. Feeling and being . To me the Bible is a punch bowl full of Piss . To many meddlers and not enough sweet apples.
And another thing that really bugs me about professional classical musicians. They dont get out and play for the sheer joy of it as much as they should. I used to make Organists do stuff they shouldn't like play totally inappropriate stuff . I would be clutching my stomach at the delicious impropriety of it and they would be wringing their hands afterwards worrying what god would do ! Like he was even listening.
For heavens sake , live a little and f**k the priests . Give me some funk and rock that big Bitch you neurotic old Queen ! All that heavy weight grunt and your playing some pansy ass dithering melancholy guff . Ugh. Work it baby ,work it like a Ho.
Oh and just in case your wondering , I have done a J.S Bach and taken a GF in the Loft . She may have only pulled out one stop but it was a damn fine tune.
blue roller wrote:Its a crazy world isnt it ? Some would read my last post and say 'your the Devil BR'. No , I really am not an evil person at all . But what I am trying to say is this . Nothing suffocates the spirit of joy in life quicker than prudery. Behind every stuffed shirt there is a hungry soul desperate for warmth and intimacy.
Monogamy is a lovely concept and it can be for some people ,more than enough , if they find a genuine soul mate . But often there is much trial and error before the right person comes along. Far to many marriages are leveraged and arranged , not the the result of deep abiding love .
To many women settle for second best or good provider. To many men are wet behind the ears and helpless mother's boy's .
Religion does not enable the spirit . It crushes it.
So many Christians used to come to me for advice on their love/sex life . I could not believe how guilty they felt about everything . Ridiculous stuff .
How many Children did Bach have ? Dont tell me he was not a passionate man and practical too. That was part of his greatness . And a rebel constantly at war with the absurdities of the Churches he worked for .
Improvisation is not just for Organists with flair and imagination. It should be the By word for every authentic life . Surrendering to the moment and letting your heart speak instead of repeating the party line.
Most people do not live . They serve blindly a god who does not exist , a devil that is little more than the product of their own paranoia. I used to laugh out loud with a lot of the Christians I worked with . We would have sex clinics during working hours . 'How do I ,you know , foreplay and stuff ?'. So My friend and I would tell them . Don't rush the gates of paradise young man ,take your time and savor the moment . If your done in five minutes the marriage will be over in five months.
Sex before marriage ? go for it man. Try before you buy .
Sexual guilt crucifies more people in an hour now than the Romans did in five centuries. If that's progress then I aint buyin' it Honey .
Anyone who says to me " I Don't need love no more " is lying to themselves and no one believes them for a split second . James Dean , the Hero for people with Zero self esteem.
I have heard people say that when they give up on life and loose faith in themselves . I said it after my second big break up. Took me a few years to get up on my feet again , but its okay , I got back to embracing life again . Love is not without risk but a life without love is no life at all. Self esteem is a worthy subject for a lifetime of research and development . Bible study ? Meh . That's my definition of mental torture.
I put a Bullet through a Bible once to see if god would get pissed with me . Sun came out instead.
Dream Weaver wrote:
All those PIN-UPS that Once Were!.
Now replaced by mind-controlled Miss Universe Bimbos! Lady Ga-Ga, Kate Perry and Miley Cyrus on-stage-performances! Wait for it, it won't be long before a hand-held mike becomes her vibrator! All Sponsored by Hollywood Jews in the Entertainment Industry!
Remember the movie Miss Congeniality?
How women's bodies have been transformed in the past 60 years... with huge implications for our health. What's happened to our bodies? We're two inches taller, half a stone heavier - and have gone up three shoe sizes. It's a world away from the slender physique of the 1950s Hollywood bombshells. But what has it meant for our health? Sixty years ago the average British woman's figure was fairly trim: at a petite 5ft 2in, the scales rarely tipped 9st 10lb. Even her feet - size 31/2 - were small, and she fitted neatly into a size 12 dress. As for her vital statistics - 37-27-39 - she was the classic hour-glass, not far off Hollywood standards (America's most famous pin-up girl Betty Grable measured a curvy but slender 36-24-35). Fast forward to the year..... and we have ballooned. Not only are we taller, we're also heavier and less curvaceous, according to the UK National Sizing Survey.
Natalie was fitted out in this corset with a 19" waist size comfortably down to 17" (Edith Head, her personal Costume Designer). On Record, Natalie was 5 ' tall with a 32B-21-32 figure. Natalie prides in her narrow slim waist, always showing me as a shapely spirit! If you like period costume with feminine lace, like I do showing Natalie blossoms in this movie with every costume change, like no other movie she starred in. Have a browse here.
I'm pushing real goddess energies to re-emerge, when a woman behaves like a lady, and not like all the Reality TV Whores from Babylon Productions right out of Hollywood.
blue roller wrote:There ya go Orthy. I nearly got layed by a female organist right there in the loft but I thought better of it. The tuner was down stairs adjusting the inches of wind on the Bellows while this organist was trying to adjust a few inches upstairs. I resisted temptation that time because I was happily engaged elsewhere. Everybody needs some sugar honey.
But of course playing music is sexual , how could it not be . Its all energy, raw pent up energy waiting to be released .
Cameron Carpenter Rocks doesn't he ? That's how you play the Organ . Balls out.
I love musicians but sometimes its hard not to laugh at their funny ways . But who is not messed up a bit.
So you got a haircut eh ?
Tilda Swinton is one of my favorite actresses . Not because I find her sexually attractive but because she goes for it and sticks it the man . Ever seen the Film I am love ? Its a good one. I have not watched that one she did with Ewan Macgregor yet on a canal boat .
Intercourse . can mean sex ,can mean conversation . Same thing. Except for the sticky mess in the former and the lack of closure on the later .
I have a mad Organ Builder friend . He lives ,breathes and comes organ . Its like a never ending stream of stop lists and techno blab . Dude ,get a life . He's happy though ,in a mad obsessive compulsive way.
Well i gotta go now but hey , you take care of yourself orthy and stop running yourself down. Hanging out on forums is bad for your mental health . Seriously .
Oh and by the way . If you have not had sex in an organ loft yet your not playing it properly. No you don't do it on the walk board over the swell chests and you don't do it in the blower room .Only janitors and Organ builders are allowed that privilege. Up against an open 64ft wood feels good but stay away from the pedal reed dept you clumsy ass or the tuner will be well pissed. There is a second reason why the console bench is adjustable though .
blue roller wrote:Nice Brustwerk .
Check out the facade pipes on that french Job . Is that a slider chest or what ? Pull out the stops on that one and you would get some serious noise. I think I would blow my horizontal trumpet out of its boot if I got to close.
Hold that note orthy ,we have a cipher and I need to find out if its a sticky pallet or not. Yes it does mean I am going to have to rummage around in the great chest for a while. No , you just stay at the console Organ Boy, this is a job for a serious organ builder only.
The upper work on the second one is eye popping yet tasteful I think .
I particularly enjoy the pipe shades on the North German model . But whatever the style they are all highly playable .
So er , got anymore like that ?
Thank-you blue roller. This sexy little conversation might not continue. This might be an excellent way for me to STOP posting. I was told (many years ago) that a couple was SIRIUSLY Making-Out while I practiced the Toccata and Fugue in D-minor by J.S. Bach!! I had NO Idea!! A stranger once told me that they had sex with their girlfriend in St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle!! A clergyperson once joked with me about the possibility of having sex with their wife at the front of the church (presumably without the congregation present)!! I'd love to know what the Creator REALLY had in mind for Humanity??!! God Invented Sex!! But did God create Hermaphrodite-Giants??!! Was splitting the original-creation into male and female a BIG No-No??!! What Would TREEE Say?? What Would Groot Do?? Did the Hypothetical-Hermaphrodites live to be 1,000 years-old?? Did Illegally-Splitting Male-Female into Male and Female result in 100 year life-spans?? What does Genesis 6 REALLY Teach?? Historical-Studies might be about as much fun as a Root-Canal BUT they might be Absolutely-Necessary if humanity wishes to have any sort of a Useable-Future. I think I've provided a quite-interesting study-guide, but no-one seems to give a god-damn. If and when TSHTF everyone will probably scream "Why Didn't Anyone Warn Us??!!" I understand and appreciate your poking and prodding but I think I need to move-on. I might know who you are but I'm not going to blurt it out. What Would Aaron, Cal, and Kate Say?? What Would King David, King Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba Say?? That's All I'm Going to Say!!
I spent a significant amount of time observing an organist / organ-builder at a large Methodist church in Hollywood (with a four-manual Casavant which had been played by Pierre Cochereau). This church was also used in a number of TV-Shows and Motion-Pictures. That organ had some amazing reeds and trompettes!! Pipe-Organs are too-expensive, too-often in lousy-buildings, and too-often played by pompous-jerks who don't understand the music or the instrument. The best existing buildings and organs should be properly maintained and utilized. I'm NOT proposing a lot of new-construction. That proposed St. Peter's organ would simply complete an existing long-term building-project (which should've been completed at least 100 years ago). My form of Protestantism is pretty-weird, isn't it?? My version of Ecumenism is to just make everyone angry!! I actually prefer a combination of Organ, Orchestra, Choir, and Congregation. Perhaps organs are becoming obsolete. I don't know. But really, the music itself is incredible!! What if rock-groups played organ-music??!! What if Cortege and Litany by Marcel Dupre were turned-into an Organ-Orchestral-Choral arrangement?? Siriusly. What Would the Evil Vicar Say?? Why is War Honorable and Sex Shameful?? Interesting, isn't it?? I'm Sirius about that Dr. Who and Female-Assistant thing!! No one should have to put-up with me, without getting paid!! The position would be Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM and would be completely academic and professional. Honest!! Actually, there might be another position available for the Entire-Weekend, with undisclosed "duties". The "positions" might be "negotiable". Just Kidding.
"Oxy...I'm Your New Research-Assistant...I Dressed for Rio..."
Last edited by orthodoxymoron on Sun Nov 27, 2022 1:46 am; edited 2 times in total
Imagine these two videos in the context of the the Arboretum parking-lot of the former Crystal Cathedral!! Talk about Contextual-Superimposition!! Siriusly!! Imagine the former Garden Grove Community Church without the Crystal Cathedral and Family Life Center but with the MUCH Larger Dimensions and Pipe-Organ of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (with the organ and choir in the rear-balcony)!! What Would Richard Neutra Say?? What Would G. Donald Harrison Say?? What Would Robert Schuller Say?? I'd recommend All the Above based-upon Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking as the modus operandi and idee fixe!! Please remember that this is mostly free-wheeling Religious and Political Science-Fiction!! Even my interaction with Forum-Members sometimes involves me acting in a somewhat standoffish-manner!! They mostly don't communicate with me in my threads!! I've observed a voluntary-exile to keep the peace!! Notice the dysfunctional nature of USSS Book Ten!! It's sort of fun and scary!! Researchers Beware!!
blue roller wrote:So we are sent out to check out an Aeolian Skinner one day and for some reason the blower switch does not work so we head on down to the Blower room to find out what gives and what do we find ? The Organist and his understudy are 'lubricating the Blower' . Yes , a likely story . I never found I Needed to drop my trousers to keep Mr Laukhuff happy.
Lubricating the Blower . How many times have we heard that old chestnut ? Yeah right . No. nobody Bullsh**'s an Organ Builder and gets away with it . The pastor may believe it and the Ladies who do the altar flowers will believe anything they hear . But when you have been building massive organs for any length of time , life holds no surprises anymore.
Spend a week in the loft cleaning pipes and you get to see what the public never does . Its like being god without the spankings or lightning strikes. Organists. Talk about a breed apart.
I got to sit inside the end of a 64ft open wood at St Paul's once. Nothing happened . I just sat in the end so I could say I Had. May the lord strike me down if I tell a Lie . He never seems to taser the priests for their inconsistencies , that's for sure.
Post more Eye candy or I will sulk .
blue roller wrote:I like your new assistant and yes I can highly recommend her for the job. But its only fair to warn you that if an Organ Builder gets to her before the Organist there will be a few miles on the clock .
Serious interstate Miles with only short breaks and long sweaty hours in cramped conditions . You can tell by the smell of sheepskin ,hot glue and shavings stuck in the lingerie.
Dont worry though . Tuners never get Lucky . So that's one mess you wont have to clean up.
blue roller wrote:How many Hot ET chicks have to appear on Sci Fi shows before the penny drops Eh ?
I mean come on . No earth Girl smokes that hard . If vale got in the organ loft the fire alarms and sprinklers would go off and me with them .
The "Ancient Egyptian Deity" seemed to say that a lot of Sacred Classical Music was Ancient but that Lucifer wasn't the composer. I might've gotten that wrong. I'd just like to know where all the Cathedral-Architecture and Sacred-Classical-Music REALLY Originated?! BTW, are you setting me up for something BAD?? I suspect some sort of orchestrated-meltdown in the near-future and I don't want to be anywhere near it. I'm attempting to end my activities on this website. I don't necessarily enjoy my lists but they might be important regarding "Getting Out of Jail" and/or "Saving Humanity".
1. Read Job through Daniel (NKJV) straight-through over and over -- while reading the Whole-Bible (NKJV) straight-through over and over.
3. Carefully and Prayerfully Study Nature, Science, and Science-Fiction in connection with All the Above.
blue roller wrote:Dont worry Orthy , I really am not out to get you . It was many years ago now that I was a pipe organ builder . Great times with great people and as much as I like to bag the churches as institutions I cannot say all church people are evil . Funny ,eccentric , naive , well meaning but misled and many other things too.
I know why you feel sad about the contradictions . Church buildings can be and often are beautiful places in Beautiful locations . I used to love visiting English and European country chapels . Not so much the American ones though , unless it was old school Episcopalian/Presbyterian. The best ones are built on sacred sites and the energy there is great .
I love choral singing and sacred music . Bach rocks Hard core and so do guys Like Schubert .Schubert in G was my favorite mass . Mozart's requiem is gut wrenchingly awesome.
The silly thing is the catholic Church in particular creates so much emotional pain with its absurd dogma's. I never felt comfortable in Catholic churches. To gaudy and chintzy . Its not natural to deprive male priests of the joy of partners . No man can live celibate without blow back .
It needs to end , the madness of abuse . Its always funny how often the priests kids go bad to compensate for their parents denial . Saw that many times . Nobody gets away with living a lie , no matter how big the institution they hide behind. We often got preacher kids working in Organ shops . We whipped them in to shape as best we could but they were never much chop as craftsmen.
I just want to get back to being busy so I dont have a bad excuse to post here . Im just killing time until the weather gets better.
So much to live for ,so many adventures to be had . I still feel sad to see so many people living such dull uneventful lives . You only have to leave your home country for a few months and get yourself out there to make a massive difference to your self esteem , open your mind and face your fears. See those fears for the irrational waste of time they are . Conspiracy theories do have some substance but to dwell on them at the expense of the now is a terrible waste of time.
I have traveled all my life and its easy for me , its in my blood . But for most people its just to risky .
While you study the Bible I have to say there are many other books that work for me far better. CG Jung, Lao Tsu , all sorts of stuff really.
i never ever experienced any spiritual ecstasy in a Church , but In Nature , many times. All the time now as I get older . I made the most of my youth and I dont regret it. I had/have some amazing teachers and guardian angels . Real Ones.
blue roller wrote:Its been a long day here so I shant say to much right now .
This much I can tell you though from my own experience and that is that words and experience are two very different things . Using words to paint a picture or describe an experience is fraught with limitations.
It took me twenty years of experience to understand Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching but its a goldmine for me because the beauty of its cipher lies in its simplicity . You probably get that from reading the Bible and that's good .
One of my Teachers was Ex British MI6 , we are talking top of the heap security clearance etc . She was big in to the King James version of the Bible but then it was used a lot as a cipher book too during the war because they would use certain chapters as the framework for the days cipher . Its a very handy book to use as a code master reference for obvious reasons.
One of the reasons it was popular was because of the exquisite lyricism, flow and phonetic beauty crafted in to the verse forms by the best English scholars ,Bards and poets of the time . So yes i get what your getting out of it . The rhythmic structure and subtlety of the English language is without equal WHEN its is done authentically. When Webster created the first English American Dictionary he freely admitted that he sabotaged the English language and believed one day that his sin would come back to bite the American people . He did Horrific things to the syntax/ structure of English words. And it has just got worse and worse .
So its a personal taste thing you see . English Humor has to be experienced first ,then written . You wont get it the other way around. Its must be sung and danced and dreamed and felt and embraced intimately ,privately . English is a very inward language . American English is seductive marketing and coercion. Americans do dreadful things to words . They put together strings of chattering verbage that lacks soul and warmth.
This is why as a musician you feel the words fare more acutely than most people . I did try to teach some of the principles of this language to Pris but she lacked the subtlety of experience to really grasp it and got the wrong end of the stick . Very tricky using English English with non English people. Easy to get wires crossed. English is a dimensional language , not a linear contractual obligation/coercive word string as applied by Americans in particular .
Good example is Claudia Black . She speak spatially and intimately at the same time. Very sexy yes ?
Its like an empty Church at night . Best time and place to play a harpsichord or Clavichord. It puts your hair on end.
Thank-you blue roller. I'd love to hear your "Angel Stories"!! I tend to think that "Stupid-People" and "Bored-Angels" are the "Root of All Evil"!! Playing a Pipe-Organ in an Empty-Church ROCKS!! Being an Organist for Services sort of sucks (from my limited experience). Singing A Cappella in an Empty-Church ROCKS!! The magic is lost when they turn-on the lights -- and fill the church with miserable-sinners!! The Crystal Cathedral was at it's best when the choir warmed-up prior to the first-service!! I actually think I could've been a rock-star (if I hadn't been a Repressed Religious Fanatic -- Trying to do the Right-Thing)!! I'm Sirius!! Here is a message I received several years ago on one of my threads in the Mists!!
I remember my first real concert was with B.sabbath summer 82 in hungary, we had to travel over 3000km to be on, and it was the end to my screaming around at our highschool-band-stagings. But earnestly, even as youngster i didnt vtrip on the metal, but was elevated by the human powers of 73000 fans and the vortex of the concert. See, it was incremental a energetic structure which was in line with what is given through the generations and build upon by all to refine and tune this motivational stimulus of life. Here you go and see what is there left from the surface populus, besides the pollutions. A glorious etherical lifeform, like a holo-kernel, stucked with the multitude and adapted to interdim layers ect...
"Heaven And Hell"
Sing me a song, you're a singer Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil The Devil is never a maker The less that you give, you're a taker So it's on and on and on, it's Heaven and Hell, oh well The lover of life's not a sinner The ending is just a beginner The closer you get to the meaning the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming So it's on and on and on, oh it's on and on and on It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell I can tell, fool, fool! Well if it seems to be real, it's illusion For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer And it's on and on, on and on and on.... They say that life's a carousel Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well The world is full of Kings and Queens Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams It's Heaven and Hell, oh well And they'll tell you black is really white The moon is just the sun at night And when you walk in golden halls You get to keep the gold that falls It's Heaven and Hell, oh no! Fool, fool! You've got to bleed for the dancer! Fool, fool! Look for the answer! Fool, fool, fool!
orthodoxymoron wrote:Researchers Beware. Parts of this paragraph are from around 2016 and other parts are from 2021. I am somewhat uncomfortable with some parts and very comfortable with other parts. However, I'll leave this paragraph "As-Is" for educational-purposes. Remember, most of my threads constitute Religious and Political Science-Fiction in one way or another for educational and entertainment purposes. Utilize YOUR Discernment. Everyone probably knows that Everything is a Lie but they also probably know that it's easier to look the other way. This site contains a HUGE amount of upsetting stuff but how many people really grasp the magnitude of what this all means?? What if Human-Civilization has been built upon a Foundation of Lies for thousands of years?? What if honest and complete disclosure would mean the end of Human-Civilization (as we know it)?? Hillary has been a very bad girl but what if each and every soul on Earth has been very bad, lifetime after lifetime?? I grew-up learning about a Judgment connected with the Second-Coming of Christ but I wasn't taught about Reincarnation. Combining the Concepts of Reincarnation, Judgment, and the End of the World (as we know it) is a HUGE Can of Worms. I'm tentatively predicting Massive-Disclosure and Societal-Unrest for the rest of this century (possibly including the worst wars and disasters imaginable) with some sort of an Idealistic-Reorganization in the Twenty-Second Century but what do I know?? I listened to Conservative-Radio throughout the 1990's and there seemed to be enough crime and corruption to put both Clintons away for a very long time. But once you become part of the inner-circle at the top you seem to receive a Teflon-Baptism. Nothing Sticks. Look at most all Presidential-Administrations!! The people who get hurt, are the honest-souls who try to do the right-thing, and speak-out against the crime and corruption (with no results whatsoever, other than being placed on numerous lists). I'm almost to the point of simply seeking to study the world, to determine where the business-opportunities are, rather than trying to make sense out of the madness, or trying to make things better. The idea is to neither hurt or help but just to capitalize on the opportunities which the madness produces. I grew-up attending the SDA Church and the Founders stressed Prevention and Natural-Treatment in Health-Care without charging a lot of money!! Well that's NOT how things are now!! Just the Opposite!! Money Talks!! I've tried to be open and honest on this website and what do I have to show for it?? It seems as if Kate and Cal from East of Eden have been running the world since the Garden of Eden and that they've created one hell of a business!! Resistance might Really be Futile!! If Aaron were placed in charge, things might REALLY Go to Hell, simply by having someone trying to Do the Right Thing!! The Truth is SO Overrated!! What Would Vala Mal Doran Say?? What Would Vince Foster Say?? Consider the overall systemic nature of our predicament (without making it personal). What if Lucifer and/or the Devil are really the Representative-Personification of a We the People Collective for thousands of years?? I've encountered quite a few famous people but they were in a different league from me. There were numerous opportunities I overlooked in my youth. I would've done things quite differently, even if this involved following the Hollywood crowd into moral-ambiguity (as much as I hate to admit it). I'm too poor, dumb, sluggish, and slow (especially since my stroke, or whatever it was) to fraternize with the hoity-toity (but it might've been)!! Notice my pseudo fan-fiction!! I honestly do it for answers!! I thought I was helping but if no one gives a damn, why try?? What if very-little is up to me?? What if I've been deliberately and maliciously hamstrung in a most miserable manner?? Perhaps someday we'll see!! Perhaps there really is something to an Ancient to Modern Investigative and Executive Judgment as a Galactic-Governance modus-operandi!! I shouldn't single-out the Clintons!! There's Plenty of Blame and Guilt for Everyone!! 'RA' told me, "Everyone is Bad!!" I asked 'RA' if there really was a Borg-Queen with an IQ of at least 500!! There was No Response. I asked 'RA', "How Good is Too-Good??" The Silence was Deafening!!
B.B.Baghor wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote:Thanks again for everything. I know my presence here has not been a cause of joy for a very-long time -- but I didn't think this uneasy-relationship would end in such a shoddy-manner. I'm not going away mad -- I'm just going away.
Without one atom of cynicism, ortho, I hope you've come to know my style a little, so that you know I mean it, before you leave, I like to say, I'm having great laughs, at times, about your sense of humour and the way you're present in your posts. It seems to me, that for you, being such a gentleman, that must be a blessing and a curse both, mastering the skill of indignation in such outstanding perseverance. It continues to amaze me and amuse me at the same time, in a good way. You're showing me what it means to dance in veils as a you-man and encounter the 3d-human kind. Not kind. On a lighter note, can we expect to see you return soon? Or are you serious this time?
I can easily picture you sitting with the Monty Python members here, making your point
Carol wrote:I love your sense of humor Oxy. I don't think it was anything personal. You know how computer severs and systems are - impersonal. Way in the past I used to get so pissed at how the system didn't work right. Then I had to keep telling myself, "It's just a machine. It doesn't care or have feelings. It just does it's thing." So moving on beyond taking what it does at a personal level I just practice calming down and patience - rather then smashing it and tossing it out the window. I lost an entire book once when my system crashed and burned so understand your frustration. The best way to save information is to email it to yourself.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Thank-you B.B. and Carol. I don't trust the high-technology or the "people" who control it and us. But We the Peons seem to invite and facilitate This Present Madness. Jordan Maxwell has been highly critical of church, state, business, etc. -- but his conclusion was that the New World Order is a "done-deal" because of the deplorable-state of humanity. I think I understand how things work -- and it's reprehensible -- but perhaps things must be this way. My prophetic-speculation hints at things being cleaned-up in the twenty-second century -- but prophets and prophecies come and go -- while the bullshit continues. But I'm honestly not continuing. My internet research-project has ended -- and I need to privately digest the data -- and restrict my analysis to the territory already covered. This might be similar to "Fiddling While Rome Burns" but I've vowed to see this project through (probably for the rest of my life). You know -- various scholars specialize in various subjects -- and I'm attempting to specialize in one aspect of the madness -- for better or worse, I know not.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Perhaps the role of Politics, Religion, Medicine, and the Military is to "Tear Them Apart and Put Them Back Together Again -- for a Price -- a Very High Price!!" I keep threatening to start The Church of Orthodoxymoron of Latter-day Luddites -- for Fame, Fortune, Power, and Pleasure!! I hate to keep bringing this up BUT here is an interesting Whole-Bible Approach (which I have previously posted):
1. Patriarchs and Prophets (Ellen White). 2. Prophets and Kings (Ellen White). 3. Job through Malachi (New King James Version). 4. The Desire of Ages (Ellen White). 5. The Acts of the Apostles (Ellen White).
I try to examine all sides of all issues -- but I'm frankly so burned-out and intellectually-challenged -- that researching the "right-way" is nearly impossible. Others will have to do the heavy-lifting. I am essentially recusing myself from the madness -- so don't get your panties in a bunch. This is only the beginning. I Am of Peace. Always. Just Kidding. I was going to stop -- so I'd better be a man of my word (or something like that). I MUST Stop!! They Have Ways to Make Us Stop!! Many Ways!! I probably won't write a book -- because my material is too controversial, upsetting, dark, and irreverent. Perhaps I could convince the PTB to Pay Me to NOT Write a Book!! Perhaps I'll have an easier time explaining myself to the High-Council if I just post on this little website -- and plead "Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity" -- but I wouldn't count on it. If I became a bestselling author of the unmentionable and the reprehensible -- I'd probably roast in hell for all eternity. If hell doesn't exist -- they might create one just for me -- and I wish I were kidding. Perhaps I should just slowly walk away from my madness -- and pretend that it never happened. Perhaps that might get me out of hell -- and into purgatory. BTW -- I've heard that Heaven is a Perfect-Square Inhabited by Perfect-Squares!! What Would John the Revelator Say?? One more thing. How does one eliminate Radicals?? Square Them!!
orthodoxymoron wrote:I'm honestly trying to morph into a Silent-Academic. My Internet-Madness was a Cry for Help -- which was never really answered. My research, logic, and writing were extremely sloppy -- yet my quest got me to where I am today -- which is NOT a nice place at all. I wouldn't wish my life on even my worst enemy. I hate my life. I knew an organist who told me he didn't think or talk about religion anymore. I knew another organist who doubted the teachings of the church he worked for. I should've thought more seriously about why these people felt that way. I knew another organist who left the SDA church -- and became an organist for an Episcopal church -- and the rector told me that this organist knew more about theology than he did!! That particular organist told me that the SDA church looked really silly once she got clear of it. I came to the sad conclusion that all was not well with all churches and religions. It wasn't that I became atheist or agnostic. I just knew the truth existed -- but that it didn't exist in any complete form within any sacred or secular organization. Writing a book would make me an open-book to be examined and exposed in rather nefarious ways. I really think I need to simply walk away from everything related to my internet-quest. I think I've stumbled into something I really don't wish to participate in. I think I'm going to end-up being cold, hard, bitter, silent, and stoic. I'll probably become non-responsive regarding everything I've posted on the internet. This might be better for all concerned (and unconcerned). Now I'm going to make the coffee. Actually, I think I'll order a Tall-Mocha from Dutch Bros. Coffee!!
"What the Hell Are They Doing Up There??!!"
I'm tired of being treated as if there is something wrong with ME simply because I have chosen difficult subjects to research. I don't get paid. I don't get praised. I don't get thanked. If I sang a song -- or threw a ball -- I might be rich and famous. WTF?? My frustration over being ignored and ridiculed is driving me toward solitude and hostility. I'm suspecting that a lot of us are superstitious and reactionary -- rather than open and thoughtful. Here is yet another suggested study-methodology involving the Bible and Ellen White. As you know, I have a love/hate relationship with both. This is not fun-stuff -- but I think some of us need to dig-deeper in this area of research.
1. Read Job through Daniel (NKJV) straight-through over and over -- while reading the Whole-Bible (NKJV) straight-through over and over.
2. Read Prophets and Kings (EGW) straight-through over and over -- while reading Patriarchs and Prophets -- followed by Desire of Ages -- straight-through over and over.
This obviously results in Job through Daniel -- and Prophets and Kings -- being read twice as often as the other material. This is by design (on my part). Most of you probably think I'm a total nut-case -- and you might be right BUT I think this study reveals an "Inconvenient-Truth" which I don't really wish to talk about (at this point). This is very time-consuming and somewhat-boring -- so even I am having a difficult time following through on my own advice. I seriously doubt that ANYONE has done what I'm suggesting. You might wish to study the books and lectures of Dr. Alden Thompson (Doctorate from The University of Edinburgh) -- Dr. Graham Maxwell (Doctorate from The University of Chicago) -- and Dr. Desmond Ford (Doctorate from The University of Manchester). I am not a disciple of any of these scholars -- but they help place one on a level of thought which I think is essential to grasping the hidden-truths in this particular study. Pay very-close attention to writing-style -- ethics -- law -- and law-enforcement -- among other things (in all of the above). I maintain that Earth-Humanity has a HUGE Legal-Problem to deal-with -- but I don't wish to be specific (at this point). Let me just say that I find an Idealism side-by-side with Inexplicable Inconsistencies, Harshness, and Violence -- with very-little smiling, laughter, and joy. The Religious and Political Science-Fiction in my U.S.S.S. Threads helps to get-at what I think might be going-on -- but I am NOT achieving convincing-answers and satisfactory-resolutions. I think this sort of thing turns a lot of people into atheists and agnostics -- with a lot of true-believers in serious-denial. I'm honestly under-qualified, burned-out, and over the hill -- so I'm probably "good for nothing". The ivy-league theologians "get paid to be good". Get It??
I think we might be facing an unimaginable Holy-War (once people really begin closely-examining their presuppositions). Ignorant-Bliss might not be possible in the coming months and years. I'm trying to prepare some of you for what I think might be in our future.
"That's It!! I'm Out of Here!!"
blue roller wrote:The Mayflower families have a lot to answer for one way and another , not least being that insidious ,duplicitous rag of corporate horse XXXX called the US constitution. For a start its totally illegal because it discounts the true NATIVE Americans .
America is a corporate slave colony . Its not paved with Gold, its paved with concrete . Its language is corporate slave language , not authentic English.
America the home of the free ? Bollocks. Never was .
Natural law or Common law is not written down for a good reason. Its subject to interpretation. I dont need some law dictionary to tell me when some corporate goon with a BS security clearance is f***ing me around . All it needs is a brief meeting to discuss the infraction then a jury of peers to asses the facts presented in the case . No courts ,no lawyers . Just a community acting impartially and fairly.
Stars and prison bars . Like the yanks think they own the Moon because they stuck some lame ass flag on it .
You know Orthy ,on paper , it all sounds so reasonable , just like any election candidates promises . But talk is cheap and laws enforced become tyranny's best ally .
Its like That piece of XXXX book series called Dune . Just a rehash of the Messiah prophecy . Jesus in a space suit . F*** that BS. Melange /spice is just a pseudonym for Coke ,heroine. Frank Herbert is just another corporate propagandist. As is that tool who wrote Enders Game . Trust a bloody Mormon to pump that trash.
You see ,the thing is Orthy these Twats take beauty and put it behind bars . If you want to f*** a princess on a prison barge your already there.
Everyone is a whore on this planet until they wake up and say no , no more .
America is a story made up just like the new testament Jesus to make money and consolidate power . BUT the artists know this and encipher the truth in their propaganda so that when individuals start to think for themselves they have a subtext narrative to guide them.
Kubrick was a corporate whore . Spielberg is a massive Ho . But they dont like it . They had a gun at their head.
You cannot embrace truth at face value and get coherent answers . It does not work like that here . Truth is a painted whore but until you bed down with the whore your not going to wake up with her in the morning and see her as she really is .
Can you forgive the whore for being as much a prostitute as you ?
Thank-you blue roller. I used to play the organ shown below. It looks like Darth Vader -- and I have the same initials D.V. It makes me wonder. It really makes me wonder. What Would Azazel Say?? I screwed-up. I was wrong. I've done enough damage. I'm really not going to post for a while (if ever) -- but please continue posting -- and I'll continue reading your posts. I'd particularly enjoy your thoughts regarding how a solar system should be structured and operated. I get the distinct impression that you might know a hell of a lot about that sort of thing. BTW -- was Charles Darwin a gifted student?? Who was your favorite human in all of Earth history?? I should've let the Ancient Egyptian Deity do all the talking (five years ago). They hinted that I was getting in the way with all of my questions and comments -- so perhaps I should run silent and deep. Please continue with whatever topics you choose. I will do my Very-Best to NOT Comment -- but I might occasionally group several comments together (with a font-size change) for easier reading. Thank-you SO MUCH for your Inside-Information and Trenchant-Wisdom!! Honestly!! One More Thing. Fukushima occurred five-years ago. That's all I'm going to say...
One last time -- I aspire to idealism -- yet the brutal gangs of facts and dracs I encounter are overwhelmingly-negative. The Bible is a mixed-bag. For some of the most encouraging material, try reading Job through Isaiah side-by-side with Acts through Jude in the NKJV. But even these books contain a lot of problems and perplexities. I'd love to move-on with clean-sheets of stone -- but this must be based-upon resolving the historical-difficulties. Once again, I don't endorse a lot of the material in my own threads. They are simply rough and rocky "Roads Less Travelled" which I have called a "Galactic Boot-Camp for the Big-Kids". I've pledged to silently-research my internet-madness for the rest of my life. I might write a couple of devotional-books -- but I wouldn't count on it. Let me just leave you with the concept of studying Job through Malachi -- and the whole-world from 1000 BC to 100 AD -- with a special-emphasis on Old-Testament Commentaries. I'm having a difficult-time finding Old-Testament Commentaries written prior to the New-Testament. Something is Very-Wrong regarding the Inter-Testament Period. I suspect MUCH Hidden History and Theology. I can't say any more about this. I get too emotional and frustrated. I frankly don't think we know much about anything historical and theological. I think "Disclosure and Reformation" might become "Extremely-Ugly". I've encouraged everyone (especially blue roller) to continue this thread without me. Don't take it personally when I don't respond from the shadows. Godspeed.
blue roller wrote:Hang on just a godamn minute there Pardner . You think you can just ride on outa town without paying yer reespects to the Sheriff ?
SHEEEEEit , Son !
Get off your high Horse and drink yer milk.
Seriously though Orthy , lets learn a basic lesson about not taking ourselves too seriously and get back to basics .Simplify your needs and you simplify your life. After all ,what does it profit a Dude to own a sh*t ton of stuff and live in fear of the Feds ? OR wherefore goest though Dude ? The righteous path is not a god complex in a pimped up recreational veeehickle.
NO . It is the Lilly of the field without the fear and damnation attachment courtesy of the council of Nicea, my man.
Jesus did not invent the Lilly , nor was he the first homey to check that sh** and see its beauty. Dude's have been wooing total Babe's with flowers for like ,Ever.
So if you think Im just going to drag my as* through your thread while you chill on your lazy boy with a super size coke and fries your gravely f***in' mistaken. You want to truck with the Angels ? get a hard dose of Humility and learn to laugh at your pain. Otherwise you aint goin' nowhere fast Yo.
Do you really think you could respect Jesus and take him seriously if he Rocked up in your drive way with half finished open heart surgery and said " I Died for you Bitches and this is how I suffer ! For what ?"
If he knocked on my door looking for sympathy I would tell that asshat exactly what a total screw up he is. Not that he ever will of course .
Nobody takes Monopoly Money at face value and tries to buy a Bigmac meal with it unless they are totally retarded. So why do people buy the Bible at face value and assume its gods voice ? Its just advertising for Horny inbred rabbi's who think they are chosen . Yeah right .
Keep the plastic toys and gift wrap , I'll eat a Burger but it wont be from the yellow arches . That's where the s**t comes out .
No , If I go face down on the Lilly to get a head scratch its because I give love as good as I get. Don't tell me you would not do the same for an assistant with the commitment. Eh ?
Do ya feel me ?
blue roller wrote:And one more thing . Speak for yourself first and use the other stuff as back up. Don't put the cart before the horse . Nobody wants to read scripture when they are taking a dump , unless they are anally retentive . Funny but true.
You know what happens to people who repress their s**t . It comes out in bricks , hard and painful ,instead of smooth and easy .
The body says what the mind refuses to see .
What does your body need ? how do you feed it ? Are you getting enough sun and exercise ? These are serious questions now . If you want me to make an effort to communicate with you ,you have to answers the Q's.
The best Therapy is Love and Laughter , but you wont get Jesus telling you that. No ,the Bible wants you running around in Circles processing their unresolved sh** for them.
blue roller wrote:You know Orthy , its like this in the plainest simplest way I can think of to explain it . But here's the paradox before the exposition. Humans here dont want simple , they want complex . Complex laws ,complex wives ,complex religious observance ,complex lives. Why ? Because they think being complex makes them special and different. So you have a planet full of people all trying to be special and all ending up exactly the same.
Complexity is just a fancy word for living a lie and using lies to prostitute and manipulate those around you . Call a human on their lies and they scream victim and play the pity card. Its all so very very predictable. The sameness of their excuses for failing to live an authentic and original life.
Lets call the Universe the Ocean and your planet the Beach . Every day you make castles in the sand because your god tells you you have to to live . Eventually the King tide washes it all away and you have to start again. Same sand ,same beach ,same routine .
One day a ship appears on the Horizon and heads for shore . It drops anchor and the captain rows to shore in his Dinghy watched suspiciously by the people on the beach because he looks different. Strong ,free , independent ,somewhat aloof but with a kind and ready smile.
The people have never seen a ship before but he tells them that if they use the right tools they can build their own ship and sail the infinite sea. They write down his words and he leaves. They build churches to worship the stranger , hoping it will bring him back but no one is allowed to build their own ship because that would be disrespectful to the memory of the stranger . So no ships but plenty of worship and competing churches.
Eventually a clever young boy has a dream and walks away from the beach and in to the forest . He builds a small boat . When its finished , he rolls it down to the beach and makes ready to set sail . But the boat is seen by the priesthood and they confiscate it. Because if everyone starts building their own boat ,the priests will be out of a job . Sitting in their robes all day while the people slave for them.
But the people remember this greedy act and start to question the priesthood. The priests continue to burn any boat they find . Then they burn the forests to make damn sure no one finds their way off the beach . Eventually people figure out other materials to use instead , so the Priests form a corporation called Jesus and makes everyone worship him because Jesus says one day he will come with a BIG F***ing boat to take them away forever.
Pacified ,many give up building or dreaming of escape. They wait and wait and wait.
Two thousand years later a small team of scientists build a boat that gets off shore but they don't tell anyone what they found . Its a secret . Jesus will come soon the Churches say .Dont loose faith .Keep on giving .
In the meantime , many captains ,knowing the embargo on truth will get people killed or persecuted , meet people in secret and tell them this .
'You can build a boat to get off the beach or you can build a boat inside to explore the sea'. The sky captains as they are called share with anyone who will listen , how to build the boat within. Very few persevere because they don't like the hard work and the ridicule from friends and family. Then there is the trust issue. Used to lying to get what they want, the people don't trust the sky captains for telling the truth . They waver and fall back in to their old ways.
Soon enough they parrot the lies of the priest hood and the golden opportunity is lost.
Now the whole planet is burning and even the sea Burns from the pollution. The priest hood and the people , crucified by their own greed and denial , kill the planet and all hope is lost.
Because they chose the lie over freedom. They curse the captains for failing them and with their last breath they call them the Devil.
The Captains and their people weep as the planet dies , at a loss for words ,because using words to reason with humanity failed .
blue roller wrote:Humans ,Earth Humans that is, are sadly the product of their 'god ' in all his fallible absurdities .
But few there are who dare to question his authority by simply throwing away his book of laws and listening instead to their own conscience .
No. They scan the Lords word endlessly trying to make sense of words that are designed not to enlighten and empower , but to confuse and enslave.
But away from the madness of the Human Zoo , the wild animals and all the other creatures live in balance . They don't need gods instruction (read self destruction )manual because they actually don't go round killing indiscriminately like humans do.
But for those not easily swayed by Judeo/ Christian/muslim et al fear mongering garbage there is the new age conspiracy dogma's to latch on to . But as above they take everything they read at face value . I read it somewhere so it must be true.
None of it based on personal experience , just another blind route to a dead end street where lonely ,unfulfilled and increasingly neurotic people wallow in self pity . No resolution, Just recycled BS .
Few Sci fi fans get the message in Sci Fi . They clutch at the fantasy part and reject the science . They talk a lot about making journeys and having adventures but they never even go to the station let alone get on the train ! They want their reality to remain just a fantasy.
My efforts here are wasted and I came here to prove it just as I have at other forums . Humans don't want to think. They don't want to act . They just want to mope around all day and when confronted about their lack of courage ,they demonize those who are trying set them free !
They really do prefer the Devil they know . They want him to love them and think that if they are pathetic and desperate long enough ,their dysfunctional 'father' will embrace and accept them.
Yet after countless thousands of years of abuse they still put their faith in God. It wont work Orthy . You will take your misspent time figuring this out to the grave . Let it go .
The Universe is vast beyond any ET Species Imagining . But they accept it . Humans dont. They want their prison walls to remain defined by laws and flags and excuses and fear mongering. So as long as Humans insist on their personal space remaining inviolate there will be no Contact , no shift in perspective . Just the same old poor me diatribe.
If you hit rock bottom when you are young and have the courage to say " I am not going there again ,time to move on" you can grow in to manhood/womanhood . You will grow in confidence and inner strength and attract like minded people to share life with. But no , most make excuses and just do the same thing again. Nothing cripples and enslaves better than self pity .
I have never said ET Contact will solve your problems but because that's what humans want with contact they pout and sulk when they dont get the 'royal treatment'. Freedom IS Royalty. Freedom is sovereignty . But humans want the palaces and robes and silly rituals in churches to feel important.
The only people on this planet who are free have no fixed abode . Tramps ,gypsies ,tribes people. Charlie Chaplin knew exactly what he was doing making people laugh with his Tramp. He ridiculed the Cops and the fops. He showed them for what they are. Tyrants drunk on power . Mean selfish immature cruel and spineless bullies.
Thank-you blue roller. I have suggested that the Bible is a small-part of a HUGE Puzzle. I simply think it needs to be properly studied -- but not necessarily slavishly and stupidly followed in modernity. The Law Issue is very confused in the Bible. I come from a religious-background which emphasizes Ethics and Law -- and even Character-Perfection -- yet when one examines the variety of legal-standards in the Bible, it can be somewhat confusing and disillusioning. Then, when one examines the Behavior and Words of God and the Major-Players in the Bible -- the Ethical-Standard Seems Extremely-Low. I've rationalized that our Soul-History involves Star-Wars -- and that Earth-History must be viewed in that context. If we live in a Rough and Tumble Universe, this might help to explain the Madness on This Planet. The major-problem is verification. How do we REALLY Know Anything About Anything Regarding the Rest of the Universe?? Where is the evidence?? I find that I am forced to listen to Atheists and Agnostics regarding a lot of Honest-Analysis of Life, the Universe, and Everything -- and Then Give It a Religious and/or Supernatural Twist (or something like that). I've received virtually no conversation in Eight-Years which remained On-Topic and Honest. I've tried to be innovative yet traditional -- with zero positive-results. I continue to think that Possibility-Thinking Relative to Sacred-Scripture in the Context of Science-Fiction is not a bad place to begin making theology REAL. I have suggested the possibility of making Sacred Classical Music an Ecumenical-Foundation. The rituals of the Anglican-Communion and the Roman Catholic Church have probably helped and hurt equal-amounts of participants. There's much beauty and reflection in ritual -- but the symbols and meanings seem flawed. How many people are Genuinely-Honest regarding their Cherished-Beliefs?? Many would rather Fight than Think!!
I continue to think that the Peale and Schuller Phenomenon offers many clues and solutions in modernity -- but not as a Stand-Alone New-Theology. I think the Information-War for Theological-Truth is just beginning -- and I think it's going to get really ugly and nasty. I've merely been attempting to offer an introduction to the madness for Sirius-Researchers. Unfortunately, there have been few or no serious and ongoing participants with me in my pseudo-intellectual quest. I've mostly created a study-guide for myself on someone else's website. This could all disappear in an instant. I really have absolutely nothing to show for eight years of misery. That's why I want to completely STOP. There's no point to any of this. Very few people are genuinely open and honest researchers. I can see why this world is as it is -- and why sustainable change for the better might be elusive. But we're running out of time. I believe we are on the brink of extinction (from a variety of sources -- and for a variety of reasons). I still think a Good-God got overthrown by a Bad-God in antiquity (for better or worse, I know not). Perhaps Humanity has needed a Bad-God with Tough-Love to keep people in-line. "What is one to do -- when to rule men, it is necessary to deceive them??" I don't know. But I don't think human-history has been nice at all -- despite the beauty of nature, art, architecture, and music. I predict that most religious-people are going to seriously lose their faith in the coming years -- and then slowly gain a more realistic and enlightened theological-understanding. I think this Holy-War is going to be Something to Behold. I've been experimenting on this website -- but my results have been dismal. My experiment has been much worse than an exercise in futility. I wish I had never tried to help -- and most people wouldn't consider this to be help. Most people are reactionary and hostile. A lot of people seem to be gearing-up for some sort of a stupid showdown. But I'm pretty-much finished -- so I won't be fighting. Sorry to disappoint some of you. All those meetings and training-sessions for nothing!! Sorry about that.
blue roller wrote:Doctor Who ? The man who travels in a blue wooden box (carbon) that is disguised as a public telephone free to use ! Why does the simple truth in that symbol not hit home ? Because until you realize your own brain is a cosmic telephone its just a joke Right ? But its true and those who know and have experienced this truth will eventually see the message everywhere they look. Freddie Mercury was an Italian Opera singer before he was Freddie Mercury . He looked exactly the same ,as did his Co star , Sarah Brightman , with whom he often co starred in Film. Bohemian Rhapsody make more sense now ? The real Phantom of the Opera was and still is Freddie Mercury's Brother . Same features . During WW2 he was Richard Hope Hillary . Highlander . Who wants to live forever when love must Die ? The curse of the Immortals . Oscar Wilde wrote a book about one . Freddie released an album after his Death Called ? From Heaven. The stars. Lake Geneva , the place of new birth. Vevey , the source of life under the watchful eye of the mountains called the Pleiades. Its all written in the geography Orthy. Chateau Chillon. Montreaux, Mountain of the Eye . Time Flies ,tempus fugit . Swiss Watch maker Longines . Long Genes . Spear of Destiny wielded by Longinus. The arrow of time flys through the Bulls eye (stargate) and exceeding the speed of light ,defies time itself. The truth is written in the stars. Ava Gardner. Anagram of per ardua as Astra. Eduard . Edward . Know the language of the priest Kings and you will know all the stars in all their circuits. Language is augury , prophesying the future ! Co ordinates in words . Use the right words and you unlock the Telephone with the password. You envy me ? Why ? If you want the inside line you have to go inside . Why do you keep debasing yourself ? Is it because you think that by doing so God will love you ? That's programmed thinking Orthy , that's submission to a "god" who does not care about you. That's laying your son on the altar to appease a jealous god who hates you. You cannot mix new wine with Old . You don't put new wine in old skins. Let that Old testament crap go . Its Mind poison. I always get accused of being angry by those who don't want to see the simple truth . They want it complex like their 'god'. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS WITHIN YOU. I always get accused of hating and anger by those who feel threatened. Love does not stand idly by and watch suffering. It tries to help. But often that helped is rejected because the oppressed are addicted to pain and self hate . When are you going to give yourself the gift of love and let go of all that self recrimination ? The hills are alive with the sound of music and you are obsessing about evil . Get away from the madness and let the Queens give you some much needed comfort. Who is the most powerful player on the Chess board ? That's because the Queen IS the chessboard. How many seek comfort in the Church and find only arid stone walls echoing to the sound of empty chatter ,judgement and hate ? Natures temple is far more kind and forgiving than the Crystal cathedral of VANITY. Self pity and self love cannot coexist . Old wine turned bitter does not sit easy in the stomach or the mind . It burdens it . The well spring of eternal life is just waiting for you to pick up the phone and call home . But you keep making excuses Orthy . Stop masturbating to that chapter and verse gobbledygook and make that call. You have a perfect vessel but until you hoist sail your rotting in port. You don't play scrabble by looking in a Dictionary .You take the letters and form words and connections . THEN you are making progress . Don't do a Pris and bail out when the going gets interesting . Follow through .You have all the pieces you need to figure this out. I am not going to waste any more time here when the Owner deletes my thread without a decent excuse so make it count Orthy. Stop playing with your self and help yourself. The message is simple ,the message is love . But if you cant accept that then you are going round in circles of hate . Look around you . What do you really want ? A mature response deserves a mature reply . But Infantile ridicule always backfires on the perp . So Orthy there is not much more to say other than this. My humble opinion based not on reading and preaching but Experience. Its your life to live. Live it . Don't wait for approval here to feel validated . You wont get it . All you will get is obsequious chatter ,faint praise and empty platitude. Its like Church without the offsetting pleasure of decent music. The Old Testament is like corporate marketing ,it is corporate marketing. Big on promises ,short on delivery. Testament from the word Testes , the male regenerative organs. Weighed, measured and found wanting. Who cares who begat who in genesis ? What does it matter ? Some guy tells a group they are chosen and offers them the promised land IF they obey him . Uhuh. Sounds like tyranny to me. Sounds like the empty promises of every two bit fair ground hustler, car dealer ,realtor or politician. Dr Who yes , good stuff . Lots of good stuff in Sci fi .Stick with it Orthy. Dont weigh it down with fear. Who are you ? Who ,who, who, who .I really wanna know.......... William Bramley's book Gods of Eden , is a good book. Yes, I have read it and corresponded with him. Dont get bogged down in all the negative stuff though . Be the difference you want to see .Dont wait for it to be brought to you on a silver platter . Gotta lift that pack on to your back and make the pilgrimage yourself. Most Humans who are successfully contacted by their ET brothers and sisters do so after they have set themselves free by Living ,traveling and being themselves. They make themselves ready and open and it happens so naturally then. They dont have anything to sell or loyalty to demand . They are to busy exploring the universe and having a blast to waste time with that small town mentality. When people are happy and free they naturally want to share that with anyone they see in pain. There is nothing to take ,just a chance to give freely without any thought of return. Feels good to do that. Sure there are arseholes out there too but you only hang out with them if you want to be one of them . Do what makes you happy if you don't like being unhappy. Many don't know it but we love to make contact on the road . We do it all the time. Because that's when people are open to adventure and new experiences. Not bent over a bible in the Men's room trying to squeeze logic out of lousy mass marketing. No we dont beam people up. We come as we are and talk , make a connection just like anyone else would. Share a beer and lunch .Walk awhile and chat. All that midnight abduction crap is just fear mongering by those who know that fear is the only way they can keep you enslaved. Im not trying to shoot you down or demean you at all. I am saying simply this. You deserve to be happy . But you need to make the choices that will allow it to happen. I get banned and censored because I am telling people HOW to get free. Why ? Have to be quick because Im cooking dinner here . Its okay to be ignorant and innocent you know ? Its okay to wander around lost if you follow your passion and keep your mind open. The journey is not always about getting answers , its about living through the questions and growing in the process . I get monitored too but I dont take it personally . I will happily chat with an intelligence officer or Jehovah's witness and enjoy the interaction. The trick is not to hate on them , just let them be who they are while not compromising on your own sense of where you are going . I do tend to be very direct but not to offend or hurt . Its just a cultural thing peculiar to my people I guess . Direct frank and to the point . To my people ,diplomatic double speak is offensive and tiresome and historically we have good reason to be leery of it. So yes I know , most people on this planet are used to a very vague nuanced and subject to interpretation way of speaking . Where I come from its called dumb insolence and insulting. Passive aggression is not something that we care for. We all have Demons. We all have a dark side . But denying it only feeds it . When it comes up you have to see it , manage it and master it . Why is that ? Because we are all connected and there is just no getting around that . I like to use humor and irony to color my conversation and avoid upsetting people to much. So for that reason I place greater value on experience than words alone. How can you know the word until you have experienced it ? Fire ? Whats that until you feel the heat for the first time ? Life in a Human body needs to be adventurous to get the results your DNA needs to evolve . Its not an armchair kind of Body . Its a balls out go for it kind of vessel. Its like the old saying .Ships are safest in Harbour but that's not what ships are made for. Hey Orthy ! What would Blue roller say ? Assuming I am THE blue roller and not some imposter shamelessly masquerading as me . Well assuming I am indeed he, I would say this. All things in moderation except masturbation . But seriously (as far as I am capable of being so ) for me , forums are an occasional distraction when work is slow and the evenings are long . Right now I am way to busy to spend time reasoning with people who neither care or make any solid effort to put theory in to practice and actually live a life worth talking about. When your in a prison cell living out sensual deprivation for years on end the future is bleak indeed . No freedom , no choice , no reason to feel joy. Prisons are made of bars , spiritual dogma , fear, guilt and who knows what else people embrace to justify their pain . Walk away from the pain or stay the same . Most choose the later and put the blame on God, ET, or whoever. This much I do know from my own experience and observation of others. Loneliness is a killer of joy , the nursery of anger , low self esteem and futile pursuits. You know what you need . You always have . But are you willing to throw the dice and take a punt on the world out there ? Processing books and films and stuff is good , its a seed bank , but sooner or later you have to put down the manual and get your motor running Dude. The truth ? Truth is there is no one truth . Pick a truth ,any truth and if you need it to be true its going to be true until you grow out of it or try a new truth. Choice is truth . No choice is the absence of any perspective at all. Its the prison cell of speculation instead of the experience of freedom. People give up on themselves and hate on those who have what they lack . Lost count of the number of women/men who hate my wife and I for having what they lack .Each other. Hate ,ridicule, sneering contempt and censorship .The last refuge of the lazy and unhappy. You've got a great mind on those shoulders Orthy and I have really enjoyed you most recent thoughts/musings. You are to hard on yourself . I got a house to finish building and its full bore now. Its not the temple of Solomon or the house of Dave but I know its real because I am building it myself. Theory without practice is a virgin boasting about sexual conquest . Flogging the Bishop will get you off the rocks but I would rather be living the dream than recycling the fantasy. Go thou my son and do likewise. I love the Hot chick pics you put up here . Any chance of a few more ? Time to switch on the blower , pull out the choice stops and make the earth move. God did not give you an organ just to keep your legs company.
Who was that Lake Geneva Mystery-Teacher?? Consider the following Bible-Study:
1. Old-Testament Historical-Books (17): Genesis to Esther (read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations).
2. Old-Testament Wisdom-Books (5): Job to Song of Solomon (read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations).
3. Old-Testament Prophetic-Books (17): Isaiah to Malachi (read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations).
4. New-Testament Historical-Books (5): Matthew to Acts (read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations).
5. New-Testament Wisdom-Books (21): Romans to Jude (read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations).
6. New-Testament Prophetic-Book (1): Revelation (read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations).
The idea is to internally-interpret each group. What if this is somehow an ancient IQ Test for Developing-Civilizations?? What are the Ethics and Law in each of these groups?? What if this study might turn believers into unbelievers?? What if this study might turn unbelievers into believers?? What if this is classic 'Divide and Conquer'?? I fudged a bit by calling group 5 'Wisdom-Books' instead of 'Epistles' but both terms seem to fit (in my reckoning). A few years ago, I noticed Chuck Missler commenting on the similarities between the Wisdom-Books and Epistles. I think we might be in the process of losing the whole Judeo-Christian enterprise regardless of how hard we try to preserve or destroy All the Above. This whole thing might come crashing down like a house of cards. A Harvard Divinity School Graduate privately suggested just such a phenomenon to me a few years ago. We might have to go to hell before we get back to purgatory in hopes of reaching heaven (figuratively and/or literally). I almost don't want to exist in light of what I am experiencing presently and fearing for the future. Its almost not worth it. If I were at least 50% sanity and capacity instead of 5% I might be inclined to give it a bloody-go, but as I go down in flames, no one seems to give a damn, so why bother?? I mostly wish to be as much of a hermit as possible. I might end-up in a 600 square-foot shallow-underground office-apartment in the mountains, not for survival-purposes, but just to not bother anyone or be bothered. What if Free-Enterprise implies that Greed is Good?? What Would Adam Smith Say?? The Billionaires Shall Inherit the Earth?? Jesus and the Meek Need Not Apply?? What if Corporate-Catholicism Trumps Traditional-Catholicism?? This basic theme could apply to ALL Religions and Church-Organizations. Should I Just Tell Everyone to Read The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times as Old and New Testaments in Modernity?? The End Might be Near (With or Without God and Religion). I've Never Felt More Desperate and Despondent. I Think the Elite are Pissing Their Pants as They Realize How Screwed Everyone Is. Especially THEM. Ten Years Ago, 'RA' Told Me, "Humanity is SCREWED." Honest. What if the 13% Graduate While the 87% Flunk?? What if the System of Rewards and Punishments is More Unforgiving Than We Imagine?? Should I try to analyze my USSS Book 10 thread on a daily-basis in this website?? But would even this be too-little and too-late?? I suspect it would be. Did the Deep-State botch the Coronavirus-Plandemic (for Noble and/or Sinister Reasons)?? What if NOTHING Will Ultimately Work?? A few years ago, I encountered a rather distraught unnamed billionaire who seemed to know me in more than a passive manner. I don't have the answers and I don't even know what the problems really are. I think I've been massively messed-with for years and I am in no condition to do much of anything at this late date. Don't make me into a dumbshit-scapegoat. Take your teleprompter and shove it up your @$$!! Most of you guys and gals are apparently soul-scalped, mind-wired, perfectly-possessed, cloned, drugged, programmed, scripted, etc. Signing the dotted-line with Satan was probably a BAD Idea. Satan doesn't like to lose.
Satan appeared to two men, saying, "Sign my contract and you will be protected from failure." The two men read the contract and started to giggle and didn’t stop during the whole time Satan was with them. The two men signed the contract with big smiles on their faces. Satan looked down at the signatures and said, "Mr. Goldman and Mr. Sachs, you no longer have empathy." Satan left, and one man looked at the other one and said, "I wonder why Satan was buying the one thing we don’t have?" The other man said, "I wonder if he needs a loan to help him collect it?!"
Sherry Shriner claimed that Satan had an office on the Tenth-Floor of Goldman Sachs. How Did She Know?? Consider studying Ezekiel and Daniel side-by-side with Hebrews and James in the NKJV. What Would Desmond Ford Say?? I am NOT pushing Dr. Ford's teachings regarding the Sanctuary and Soteriology. I am simply attempting to attract attention to the general-topics of the Sacrificial-System, the Substitutionary-Atonement, Inaugurated-Eschatology, and Consummated-Eschatology (With and Without the Apotelesmatic-Principle). What are the Soteriological-Implications of the Human-Nature of Christ?? What Would Gillian Ford Say?? Is the Sanctuary Central?? What Would Erwin Gane Say?? Is the Sanctuary a "Call to Moral Seriousness"?? What Would Fritz Guy Say?? Consider the concept of "Prophetic-Verdict" as a possible alternative to "Prophetic-Prediction". What Would Orthodoxymoron Say?? What Would an "Open-God" Say?? What Would Richard Rice Say?? What about Imputed-Righteousness and Imparted-Righteousness?? What Would Martin Luther Say?? What about Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification?? What Would the Heirs of the Reformation Say?? What about Foreknowledge and Freedom?? What about Responsibility and Freedom?? What about Rebellion and Freedom?? Does ANYONE Know What I'm Talking-About?? Do I Know What I'm Talking-About?? Why Am I Talking?? I Was Going to STOP!! Regarding My Posting, I'm NOT Working for ANYONE!! What Would Jester Terrestrial Say?? Who Does Blue Roller Work For?? What Would Miss Pris Say?? Imagine the second-image (above) with (left to right) Orthodoxymoron, Carol, Mudra, and Pris!! Just Kidding!!
Compare the Ethics and Law found in Deuteronomy, Proverbs, Matthew, and Romans. Which portions of Deuteronomy and/or Proverbs no longer apply Post-Calvary?? Is the New-Testament Ethical and Legal Standard Matthew and/or Romans?? A famous-theologian once called theology "Mealy-Mouthed". Do people REALLY Think about Theology or do they have to be promised impossible-things and threatened with unimaginable-things to keep them working and paying their taxes?? What if people require a harsh-religion such as Roman Catholicism (regardless of whether it can be found in the Bible, or not)?? Is it easier to just eat the flesh, drink the blood, and get back to work?? Does "Doing-Theology" result in "Doing-Time in the Hot-Place"?? If Earth is ruled by an Ancient-Conqueror, one wouldn't want to get too uppity, now would they?? Is the New World Order really the Kingdom of God?? Notice how much (or how little) of Deuteronomy is found in the rest of the Old-Testament. Notice how much (or how little) of Luke is found in the rest of the New-Testament. But does anyone REALLY Give a Damn?? Has Administration moved-on to more sophisticated control and motivation modalities?? Have we lived under the Roman-Empire since the Second-Century B.C.?? Is the Roman Catholic Church just the Tip of the Iceberg?? Is Resistance Really Futile?? Must a Solar-System be run with an Iron-Fist?? Does Love only apply to the defeated for crowd-control purposes?? Love Your Enemies and Kneel Before Them with Reverence and Awe?? The Ancient Egyptian Deity asked me "Do You Want Another War??" Is there at least some truth in Jupiter Ascending and Guardians of the Galaxy?? Try reading Patriarchs and Prophets followed by Prophets and Kings in the context of Ancient Star-Wars!! Why does the Bible have to be "The Standard"?? If not the Bible, then what?? Civilization Stands or Falls in relation to how it handles Ethics, Law, Law-Enforcement, and the Military.
Another thing. Please watch the "Dimensions" episode of Earth: Final Conflict regarding the Good-Sister and the Bad-Sister in conflict with each-other!! What if that's what this whole-mess is all about?? What if we are dealing with Lilith v Eve (with Adam = Humanity caught in the middle)?? Sun-God v Sun-God fighting for control of humanity and this solar-system?? Or is it bigger than that?? Damned if I know. Also, please watch the "Termination" episode of Earth: Final Conflict with Dr. Josephine Mataros. Notice especially the last five-minutes!! Dr. Mataros reminds me of Sherry Shriner (as crazy as that sounds)!! What Would Mr. Edgars Say?? What Would Mitchell Say?? What Would Edgar Mitchell Say?? What Would Anchor Say?? What Would Anubis Do?? What Would Carol Rosin Say?? Where Would Carol Live?? Carrollton?? In Ohio?? Where Would King David Live?? Kingston?? On Ohio?? What Would Brother Rich Say?? What Would a Renegade French Jesuit Organist Do?? What Would Bartleby Do?? What Would Loki Do?? What Would Pazuzu Do?? What Would Dr. Shiro Ishii Do?? What Would Dr. Hatake Do?? What Would Julia Walker Do?? What Would Luke Sky Walker Do?? What Would Dr. Luke Do?? What Would Dr. Who Do?? Who?? Anu?? I Know That I Don't Know BUT Why Isn't Ignorance Bliss for Me?? Should Anna "Bliss-Me"?? People Who Work in DUMBS Shouldn't Wear Hats and Shirts That Say "Eat Me!!" Reptilians Should Become Vegetarians (Eating VeggieHuman).
I'm struggling with how much to know about the madness. There is a certain logic to just making-money and not worrying about all the BS going-on in the world. There is a certain logic to being deeply concerned and deeply researching the madness with the hope that one can change things for the better. There is the phenomenon of acting like lemmings or chickens with their heads cut-off and just going-along with FOX and Hollywood without looking at the news behind the news. There is the phenomenon of getting all-riled-up by Alex Jones (and others). My point is, what is a happy-medium in all of this?? I'm trying to get completely-away from the madness but I seem to be addicted to it with sort of a morbid-curiosity. I've pledged to spend the rest of my life reviewing the territory I've already covered, without "living on the edge" or "living in the fast-lane". I don't like what the past few-years have done to me. It would be one thing if something positive had resulted from agonizing over the madness but that didn't fracking-happen. Being a Moralistic-Neurotic is SO Overrated. Perhaps I should 1. Go Back to Church. 2. Rejoin the Republican-Party. 3. Join the Masons. 4. Become a Citizen-Spy. 5. Become a New World Order Manager. 6. Be a Real-Crook and become an Elected-Official. 7. Sell My Soul to Satan. 8. Become Perfectly-Possessed. 9. Become a Multi-Billionaire. 10. Watch Porn in My Underground-Bunker.
As some of you know, I listen to Sherry Shriner each week, mostly because she makes me wrestle with the unthinkable, and because I think she intersperses the "crazy-stuff" with the "good-stuff" (but I don't know which is which). She claims that most major public-figures have been majorly taken-over with "cloning", "soul-scalping", "possession", etc. She claims that the "Real Trump" was "replaced" a long time ago and that he is a Jesuit. I frankly don't know and I'm pretty-much stopping trying to analyze the "crazy-stuff". She claims that child-abuse and human-sacrifice are commonplace in high-places but I take everything she says with a sea of salt. She claims that a combination of the Intelligence-Agencies and the Catholic Church run everything, which wouldn't surprise me (given my SDA background). But if the Church and the Agencies run everything, wouldn't that include the SDA Church?? I still read some of the SDA scholarly-literature (especially on the fringes) but I thought they were highly-compromised in the 1980's and I pretty-much stopped attending around 1990 but I still feel guilty concerning my non-participation. It often seems as if Religion is a "No-Win Situation". You're Damned If You Do and Damned If You Don't. They "Get-You" One Way or Another. Sherry speaks of Ron Paul as having been a "White-Knight Politician" as "Controlled-Opposition". Some say that Martin Luther served a similar purpose. Some say the SDA Church is a British-Israel Cult (controlled and financed by MI5 and MI6). Would that make the SDA Church "White-Knight Controlled-Opposition"?? I have no idea if that might be even partially true but NOTHING would surprise me at this point. When "Removing the Bad Guys and Gals" Always Beware of Worse Bad Guys and Gals Waiting to Take-Over!!
There were some interesting things taking-place between 1977 and 1985. Think about the movie "Oh God" in 1977. Think about Desmond Ford's Commentary on Daniel in 1978. Think about the Dulce-War in 1979. Think About Dr. Ford's Forum-Lecture on the Investigative-Judgment in 1979. Think about the Glacier-View Kangaroo-Court in 1980. Think about Ford's 1,000 page Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment in 1980. Think about Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. Think about Russell Crowe appearing in an SDA Commercial for Avondale College in 1982 (and his subsequent interesting roles). Think about Lucio Bernardo Silvestre's The End of the World: A.D. 2133 in 1985. Think about Dr. Robert H. Schuller and the Crystal Cathedral in the 1980's. Think about "John" in the First "V" Series. Think about the "Visitor's Center" in the Second "V" Series. In the 1980's the Top-Theologians in Loma Linda looked-like they had lost their best-friends. Dr. Robert H. Schuller looked-like the "King of the World". Positive-Thinking plus Self-Esteem equals "I Am God." You might not see my point in all of the above but it is somewhat significant regarding my screwed-up life. That's All I'm Going to Say About THAT!! I'm more burned-out, disillusioned, and despondent than anyone can imagine. I also feel highly supernaturally harassed and oppressed (without me being involved in anything creepy whatsoever). I've tried to post material on this website which leads the RIGHT People close to the truth, without turning them into Rebels Without a Clue. I've recommended "Learning Everything Without Doing Anything". It's easier that way.
Once, as I sat in the Randall Visitor's Center at Loma Linda University, a lady sitting next to me said "We Never Do Anything". She was referring to a lot of our SDA prophetic-stuff, which when some of it was seemingly being fulfilled, we didn't capitalize on these developments. Others, outside of the church, seem to do a MUCH Better Job in this regard. I guess that's why I've participated in Project Avalon and The Mists of Avalon. I have No Idea who I'm REALLY dealing-with on this site but it keeps me on my toes, even though I might mostly be digging my grave (each and every day). My current hypothesis is that we've lived under a somewhat-malevolent one-solar-system government since the Garden of Eden but I obviously can't prove it. Anyway, resistance might really be futile, possibly for the rest of this century. I suspect some sort of an Idealistic-Reorganization near the end of the twenty-first century (possibly being completed around AD 2133) but Who Knows?? I frankly think most high-ranking Politicians, Clergy, and CEO's are absolutely-obedient to One Solar System CEO but what do I know?? I just want to forget about this nightmare and go back to sleep. Oh!! One Last Thing!! My Ten United States of the Solar System: A.D. 2133 Threads Are Sort Of What I Had In Mind When I Talked With Steven Spielberg's Stepmother (in Dr. Graham Maxwell's Sabbath-School Class at Loma Linda University) Concerning the Possibility of a Science-Fictional Life of Christ Super-Movie (Or Series)!! Walter Matthau's Son Wasn't Interested Either. What Would Paul Say?? Think About Paul's Phone-Call to Steven Spielberg in the Movie Paul. What Would the Mulholland Drive Cowboy Say?? Good-Night. Sleep-Tight. Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite. Sweet-Dreams...
Vidya Moksha wrote:I was going to comment on an oxy post. but I see it is deleted.. into the mists.. I will reply anyway, i didnt look to see if the post was copied into your missive.. I struggle to even open your pages.. my laptop is geriatric and my download speed limited to a poor mobile signal..
I have been busy. there is much to do. Dr Doom keeps whispering in my ear about the immediate future.. so thoughts of doom 25 years ahead are somewhat luxurious.
oxy, I hope you find a way back to health.. or can make the best of what you have. You know i am not at all religious but in hard times i do have a crutch.. i remind myself I am a facet of god, experiencing the universe, my experience is valid, whichever way it goes. It does seem to help me put the universe back into some sort of context if I need to. (In extreme moments a little ana pani sati never hurt)..
You mentioned something about game within games, or illusion stacked onto illusion.. so mithras became jesus. The chinese have removed the tibetan holy days and replaced them with party /gambling /drinking holidays.. a way of subverting and ultimately diluting -destroying one system in favour of another..
So we can be assured that history is fake for whatever reason, misinterpretation, copy error or deliberate acts of sabotage. We can be sure religious texts have been written for political and not mystical purposes. Even the esoteric theosophies are the same, same 'dogma' runs through them.. all 'male' (universal energy) dominated.. it is possible to apply the teachings and remove the bias.. but you have to know it is there first. And to replace the male with the female is just to repeat the same problem..
Back to Vogt, I think he fails to heed his own warnings about maths. It is a universal measure.. applicable to everything..and he warns us against its misuse.. and then, for me, he mis uses it by applying his mathematical patterns to various charts.. with a few fudge factors..
But he's only trying to figure our the universe for himself and I admire him for trying,. most folk dont bother. And he has some interesting ideas. I hope to watch the first series this next week..
i had a job one time.. to describe animal populations.. I ran multivariate statistical packages.. comparing every species to every other species at the same time.. the maths groups species according to their similarity.. and then the results are interpreted. This time the results were quite something, they told a coherent and obvious story, and even threw up the possibility of some links between species I hadn't considered previously. I was quite interested and worked long hours on this... to be told by my database manager : oops, sorry, I had to run the data into a relational database and i messed up the output.. the data I had was corrupt! All my ideas / observations. seemingly text book output, were invalid.
I ran the stats again, on the 'correct' data and got another story that made perfect sense also, so i described that story instead and that ended up in my final report.
I never forgot the lesson. I keep it in mind whilst watching Vogt's videos.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Thank-you, Vidya. Sorry about my massive threads and deleted posts. I'm not sure why I'm doing this. Perhaps the Matrix Made Me Do It. I'm half-joking and half-serious. If one does an overall conceptual analysis of Vogt and Torah, what is the result?? His detailed scientific stuff probably needs to be subjected to peer-reviewed journals and books. I'm not qualified at all in that regard. Regarding Torah, one could spend a lifetime studying commentaries and lectures, or just reading Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations. The possibilities are endless. I suspect that we can make all the above say whatever the hell we want it to (or don't want it to). Perhaps we just have to stew in our juice for all-eternity as we argue, rationalize, and power-struggle (or something to that effect). If I sound a bit bitter, it's because I am. However one puts things together, it's always wrong in the short or long term. Perhaps an Ancient-Unchanging Artificial-Intelligence Governance-System referees the madness in ways we're not privy to. Just a Hypothesis. I really want to not deal with this stuff. I think I've learned my lesson regarding Research and Reformation. It just doesn't pay to attempt to figure things out and make things better. Didn't Jesus say something about "Casting One's Pearls Before the Swine"?? Sometimes I think I'll simply watch an endless variety of documentaries without saying or doing anything. Or better yet, perhaps I'll just read a couple of newspapers of record and go for long walks. It might be easier that way. Thank-you for your concern regarding my physical, mental, and spiritual issues. Perhaps I shouldn't mention that sort of thing. Anything I say probably can (and will) be used against me, even if most of my internet-material is religious and political science-fiction. Logic and Resistance are probably futile. The system probably gets what the system wants. The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways. Vengeance Belongs to the Lord (but He delegates).
orthodoxymoron wrote:Thank-you for this thread, Vidya. I've spent some time on this topic, including books and videos by Douglas Vogt, but there's only so much I can digest and verify, so I've mostly moved on. Regarding 2046, there are some 87 year periods (fourscore and seven years) I find quite interesting (which coincide with 2046) but I won't comment on them at this point. Some of them are personal. I'm not sure what to make of this, but regarding the Torah (and the rest of the Bible) we're probably not dealing with a bunch of primitive-warriors and sheep-herders in the middle of the desert. We might not be dealing with God (or god) as we know this being to be commonly known. We might be dealing with Ancient-Technology, including Supercomputers, Robotics, Planetary-Propulsion. Weapons of Mass-Destruction, etc. This thing might be worse than we can imagine. Judeo-Christianity (as commonly known) might be a collection of Cover-Stories. Jesus said, "I have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them." In other words, "You Can't Handle the Truth." Unfortunately, we might be in the process of having the Truth crammed down our throats, regardless of whether anyone can handle the Truth or not. I continue my contextual-study but I have reached few-conclusions. What if HAL 9000 (for want of a better term) has run this solar system for millions of years (for better or worse)?? What Would David Bowman Say?? What Would Raven Say?? "@#$%^&*#$%^!!!!!"
Vidya Moksha wrote:When Vogt claimed to have found the site moses used, I switched off a little. 2,000 year old structures are usual archaeology. And undisturbed all these millennia? Doubt it. Is the bible accurate? Doubt it. The torah? same. when were these documents written? and for what purpose? But global extinctions happen, and he could be correct in his cycle of 12,000 years. Ice ages happen. So where does the water come from to make ice? It wasnt a meteor or nuclear winter.. I believe Vogt is quite correct to look at the energy balance. It would take a lot of water vapour, which would require spectacular heat.. so his model works. Noah's ark.. did it have 2 of each species? of course not. Maybe the flood was slow, and predictable. or maybe they had prior warning?. Could previous civilizations have left coded clues? Possibly, but what about the 10,000 years before all modern religions? Such clues, left on high tech fabric /material.. or even on stone tablets? Have they been interpreted by someone? Maybe. Maybe history / fantasy called him Moses? Obviously a message from 'god' (who could just be someone from a previous civilization) .. There probably was a flood, probably the earth does cycle between ice ages and mass extinctions, possibly someone left clues about this in the past. I like Vogt's models but he takes the religious texts, darwinism, written history etc too literally.. Maybe he did find a code in the Torah?
orthodoxymoron wrote:In general terms, I'm suspecting cover-stories for cover-stories for cover-stories for thousands (or even millions) of years. Regarding Vogt's theory of a catastrophic solar-event in or around 2046, I'm wondering if there is an Ancient Artificial-Intelligence and Planetary-Propulsion System which might be Cyclical in Nature. Consider Isaac Newton's Prophetic-Wanderings which include the possibility of the World Ending as early as the mid to late 21st century. A very-intelligent Individual of Interest told me that All Religion was BS. But what if All Religion involves cover-stories for cover-stories for cover-stories, or conflicting-delusions, if you will?? Consider "Four-Score and Seven Years Ago." Consider 1958-59 and 2045-46 and 2132-33. Consider the Earth-Crust Displacement Theory of Charles Hapgood. Consider the movie 2012. The Quest for the Historical Rabbit-Hole might be more illusive and disillusioning than most of us can imagine. A lot of us should probably cease and desist before we go nuts and/or are made to shut-up. Sorry for being blunt, but I fear that God Got Me and/or the Matrix-Mediatrix Made Me Do It (or something to that effect). I keep heading for the exits with a lot of recapitulation along the way. I'm working on my old back-up car and things aren't going well, so I'm in a bit of a mood. My medical financial problems are resolving nicely but my core physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties are worsening exponentially (by accident and/or design, I know not). Researchers and Reformers Beware. We Might be Dealing with Men of God Who Deal with the Ancient-Matrix!! Who Knows?? The Shadow?? Consider Daniel 7-12 interpreted by Daniel 7-12 (but don't expect it to make you happy). What if the Sanctuary is Cleansed, Vindicated, and Restored to It's Rightful-State in a Cyclical-Manner involving Ancient Artificial-Intelligence and Planetary-Propulsion?? The Deep-State might be hinting at how $crewed we are. Consider Matthew 4 and 28 along with 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. I Can't Take Much More of This. I Need to Stop. They Have Ways to Make Us Stop. Many Ways. The Horror.
Vidya Moksha wrote:The thought occurs... if an advanced race wanted to warn the survivors and leave clues for the next world re-builders... why do it in a complicated code? Why hide the 'secret' somewhere?
Surely, trying to teach folk who are back to the stone age, and will evolve communities over millennia.. then a more simple pictorial version would be the best way?
unless such things did exist of course, and were gathered and secreted away...
I am sufficiently outside of the kabbalah and related, including Torah, to be bothered to look further. For me, it just gets too dark, and I cant really explain why.. more of a feeling. He may be onto something, but I dont care enough. I have much better things to be doing now.. I could believe the hebrew origin he suggests.
and symbolically comparing an apple cut in half with the torus he used to create the theory, then link back to biblical stories of adam and eve..
more mental masturbation on his part? or maybe he is onto something?
I got into this info from a video Carol posted about pole shifts resulting in 90 degree axis shift.. Vogt claims this is nonsense and has no supporting data. I saw another end of world date for a couple of years hence..are they trying to wear us out? Become blasé? ..
all new to me.. i am curious but not driven for the info..
orthodoxymoron wrote:I agree with your post, Vidya. I just remembered that as a youth I sang with an informal group who visited a veterans rehab facility once a week to help lift the spirits of the physically, mentally, and spiritually wounded. It was often led by the son of a prominent theologian. His father wrote books which were often rather dark and conservative. The son later became a world-renowned Leviticus scholar with a PhD from Berkeley. Can you imagine studying every jot and tittle of LEVITICUS?? Wow!! Strongly supporting or rejecting the Bible now seems somewhat problematic to me, especially when dealing with the general-public. I've been passively creating strange threads on this website which are decidedly pseudo-intellectual and NOT for the general-public. I mostly don't post on the threads of others. I often delete and move posts I've started, as I recently did on this thread. It seems as if a lot of this stuff is mental and spiritual quicksand (at least for me). A prominent atheist contends that if there were an actual God, communicating with humanity, there would be a proper standard and narrative to follow, without ambiguity or obfuscation. I suspect an ancient to modern divorce between divinity and humanity wherein man might've been playing god for thousands of years. This world often seems dark and violent. The rabbit-hole often seems like a bottomless-pit. I've tried to create religious and political science-fiction within this website without publishing anything, even though I need the money. I just can't imagine cramming this stuff down the throats of people who have been misused and abused by the gods, goddesses, and children of the gods (for want of a better term). I'll try not to post here. It's just too dark and problematic for me to spread the joy (so to speak). Cheers.
mudra wrote:I haven't managed so far to complete the series. It seems I became disinterested. I understand what you say about This man Vidya and think you it expressed much better Than I would have been able to express it myself. On another angle lets suppose this clock is ticking and these mega cataclysmitic events happen. Wouldn't it be something as natural as death is ? Only in these particular instances on a collective scale. Something to trust for its " therapeuthic "value rather than to counter and fear. Imagine how boring a life or game that goes on and on would be. Its like wearing the same costume all the time. I came across these profound words lately:
" . Ultimate Truth cannot be expressed in words; however, the false can be identified and exposed, thus furthering the quest. And so the game is started and carried on until complete stand still, Pure Consciousness is reached, at which moment ultimate truth unveils itself.
Vidya Moksha wrote:ok.. so it is a bit clearer for me now. Vogt is using kurlian photography to prove his theory is correct. But it doesnt !
The famous photographs where parts of leaves are cut but there is still something showing in the photo, a light source from where the matter used to be. Vogt claims that there is more than just matter (yes, that's true) and that 'something else' 'must' be information .. well, no that's not true.
yogic philosophy recognises several bodies, the outer physical sheath and more subtle inner sheaths. Yoga also claims that everything is comprised of prana, and prana runs through subtle channels called nadi. Perhaps the photography is capturing the subtle bodies.. perhaps the nadi remain intact for a time after the physical /gross body has been removed?
so there, from yoga, are two more theories that fit the photograph.. Vogt might be correct, but he might not.. The chinese qi / chi system would provide another explanation. I dont know which is correct, but for me it is not Vogt.
He is further using his theory to prove we are in a created universe.. like some giant super computer.. He uses his 12,068 year cycle to prove the universe is created..because of the 'clock' cycle.
I don’t get it.. if he is looking for a cycle, just measure day length,, isn’t that cycle enough? Or the moon? Are all these cycles proof the universe is created?
Well, no. I think he is too literal in his thinking. He criticises maths and then bases his theories on maths equations..
Nope.. not for me.. he brings up some interesting data but I question his interpretation of his data..
His data is pretty impressive though.. and he could well be correct in predicting the next end of the world in 2046. His data is sound. He has a good brain.. but he lacks imagination or any mystical input.. too much male energy .. and yet he talks of playing the violin to train his brain hemispheres.. I recommend he reads some of the more detailed yoga or eastern texts.. it would give him a bigger picture of the world.
but, what do I know? Not much..
I trust his data. I think he may have found the extinction event cycle. As for the rest, it is curious and an alternate and reasonably coherent view.. but I don't see the universe that way.
I will skip the entire series but will watch more of series 4, concerning the next solar nova.
I did find reference to more researchers in this field but haven't looked further yet..Ben Davidson at Suspicious Observers, Diamond with Oppenheimer Ranch Project
orthodoxymoron wrote:What if there is a 12,068 year-cyclical solar-system based-upon a supercomputer-matrix and planetary-propulsion in conjunction with a galactic soul-school or Disneyland of the Gods?? One E-Ticket equals One 12,068 Year Ride Climaxing in the Great-Reset when the Sanctuary is Cleansed, Vindicated, and Restored to Its Rightful-State?? What if ancient-technology is progressively introduced until extinction results (with freewill, of course)?? What if changes in the sun have nothing to do with this?? I spoke with a professional-astronomer regarding an immanent Nova. He thought it was BS. I hate to say it, but I'm becoming more intuitive and conceptual than religious or scientific. Again, I need to STOP.
Vidya Moksha wrote:What if you are completely correct??
it could be.
Vogt claims we are living inside a quantum computer.
The impending nova would be required to produce sufficient heat to create sufficient water vapour to create sufficient snow...which would produce the ice.
I am convinced that part is close to the truth, Ice ages dont just appear from nowhere, they need a corresponding energy balance.
As for the rest?? who knows. Vogt is consistent, and his model works for him..
can we. as humans (I presume ) actually EVER fathom what is going on?
orthodoxymoron wrote:I don't buy Simulation-Theory but I suspect Perception-Manipulation. Over the past dozen-years I keep repeating, "I Know I Don't Know." It's not satisfying or gratifying but "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." Now I mumble and stumble into the sunset of my pathetic existence. "Oh Wretched Man That I Am."
I've been attempting to take sort of a "Friend/Enemy" approach toward just about Everyone and Everything, wherein even the Worst of Worst might have Something Positive to Offer, and where even the Best of the Best might turn-out to be the Worst of the Worst. I have attempted sort of a Dynamic-Neutrality wherein I imagine being able to converse with just about Anyone (Anywhere) without being sucked-into Nefarious Black-Holes of Deception and Manipulation. I keep attempting to expose myself to material which I find highly-objectionable. Consider the following study-list as an alternative-approach to the Whole-Bible. I keep suggesting that there might be a Significant Missing Old-Testament Commentary Written During the Inter-Testament Period.
1. Patriarchs and Prophets (Ellen White). 2. Job through Malachi (New King James Version). 3. Prophets and Kings (Ellen White).
The idea is that these two E.G. White books provide a kinder and gentler approach to the Historical-Material, written with the Editorial-Voice of a Strong-Woman. All the Above seems to be written in a Royal-Model Lawyer-Like Manner. I doubt that anyone will read these sources in-order (straight-through, over and over). I'm NOT endorsing every jot and tittle in this study but I think some of us need to master this material. I'm NOT conducting an Evangelistic-Crusade. This is simply another installment in my Unconventional Mental and Spiritual Exercise for Sirius-Researchers. This is for the "Big-Kids".
blue roller wrote:My mentor ,my tutor and friend was by any measure as great a man as he was humble.
Over the course of many years he taught me to see by urging simplicity in life . Though very wealthy himself on paper he achieved all his work in a cozy ground floor garage overlooking Lake Geneva, not far from where Perce Byshe Shelley Drowned in the open water .
During the war he was among those master minds that defeated Hitler by outwitting his intelligence network and his technology. He was the friend of many enlightened writers such as Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy) and one of the guiding lights behind the Monty Python Team (He did a cameo in Life of Brian)
I owe him so much . He encouraged me to travel , to change my perspective often .See things from different angles to get the bigger picture. His Library was full of precious books on every subject and his voluntary work informing diplomatic missions of impending false flags saved thousands if not millions of lives . Charlie Chaplin was a close friend who lived just up the road along with Freddie Mercury . This guy was more connected than god and infinitely more humble.
His message was in the end very simple and that message was love . Beauty is truth ,truth beauty. See beauty in all things .
You can dress up a Whore to be alluring but in the end you get only the semblance of love , not its substance. The church dolls out beauty in controlled amounts to the deserving. Nature will give you all you ask for if you respect her .
That's the difference between the Church and the natural universe. Slavery or Freedom . Your choice .Always was.
It's too late for me. I'm too old and frazzled. I know exactly what sort of person you're talking about and I envy such people. As it is, I mostly would like to just retire to a small office-apartment in the mountains, probably with two levels (a room with a view, sort of like a lookout-tower except without the tower) and (a fortified-basement to prepare for the end of the world). The total square-footage would be 600 sq. ft. A kick@$$ computer with a Satellite InterPlaNet Connection (with an Absolute-Access Password) would be a MUST. I'm sort of kidding and sort of Sirius. At one point, Charlie Chaplin lived next to the location of CBS Television City in "Hollywood". My father worked at CBS, and we'd drive-by that spot in a 1959 Ghostbuster's Cadillac!! Siriusly!! What Would Dr. Venkman Say?? I'm currently suggesting obtaining a thin New King James Version of the Holy Bible and reading it in every conceivable location and situation. I've read my 1928 Book of Common Prayer at Organ-Concerts and Car-Races!! I'm NOT Opposed to Church and Religion BUT I Clearly and Painfully See How Screwed-Up That Whole-Scene Is!! A lot of the Bible is inexplicably harsh, violent, and unethical, which is why I keep suggesting reading Job through Isaiah side-by-side with Acts through Jude, regardless of how much BS and Historical-Fiction is contained therein. I simply think this is essential reading. But I'm resigned to walking completely alone, even if this drives me completely-insane. I honestly think I'll get saner and saner as the world gets crazier and crazier, such that I'll end-up completely-sane in a completely-insane world, which will put me in some Government-Nuthouse (probably in Bethesda, Maryland). What Would James Forrestal Say?? Just give me a Sexy-Psychiatrist!! What Would Dr. Melfi Do??
"Why Do You Always Make Me Read the King James Version??!!"
blue roller wrote:Pris the thread Killer takes her exit having done the very thing she despises in others .
Not content with censorship , she then turns to slander and unable to retract the things she experienced/claimed on the Contact thread ,has it removed and boasts about it . Well there is the pot painting the Kettle Black.
How quickly that face changed .
So disappointing and yet so very typical.
Predictable ? Yes , sadly all to predictable .
Is this why Humans are rarely ever Contacted for any length of time ? Long enough to effect meaningful progress ? Yes, very much so . Because there is always an excuse , always a tantrum when they don't get to keep their cuddly toys and have to grow up . And now when humanity faces extinction they deny the existence of the very thing they demand proof from. Because the proof provided does not fit the their boring tight little shoe box life . It does not come gift wrapped with cutesy fluffy kitten pictures and safe non threatening politically correct dietary injunctions . Its inclusive rather than exclusive. It is tolerant rather than fanatically obsessed.
The proof says you cant live with one foot in the prison and one foot in the free universe. You cant hedge your bets on this one. But being cowards , humanity at large prefers the addiction to self determination.
Only at the end , when the the spirit starts to lift out of the dying body they think is their real self do they scream in despair as they realize they left it to late. Without the wings to fly strong and free they get sucked down by the awful gravity of fear and hate . In to the abyss again.
You can only reason for so long with an addict . They either master it or return to it. Rock Bottom is usually to late to undo the damage done though they finally see the error. No wonder the Angels weep. No wonder they walk away shaking their heads and lost for words .
Why do Humans punish themselves and each other without end ? Lack of love.
Carol wrote:Indulging in a rant at Pris's expense BR? How so very human.
blue roller wrote:Still no excuse for withdrawing my thread despite your EXPLICIT PROMISE NOT TO Carol . How very human of you . How very like PA .
blue roller wrote:
Carol wrote:Promise? Do you have the word "promise" in any communications? The issue is you attacking Pris. She started the thread so it was "hers".
A bare faced lie on top of deflection Carol ? Your really flying the PA / ATS flag now !
Funny how ATS comes up in the Search logs as I dial in to this forum. Well doesn't that tell it all . Turns out Mists is just another dead end, red herring clearing site for COINTELPRO.
My Thread Entitled Contact with Pris was authored by and started BY ME . Not Pris . It was addressed specifically to her, not authored by her. The title itself makes that clear.
Are you people that desperate now ? Is this how low you have to go to keep the lid on ?
You gave me your commitment that my Voice would not be deleted from this forum and yet you did it anyway . By stealing authorship and giving it to Pris.
But now you have withdrawn my words to cover up . Says something doesn't it ?
Carol wrote:Sorry.. you're right. You did start the thread. However your attempt to stir up a tempest remains in the teacup.
Haven't you figured out why most of the members won't engage (post in response) with you any longer? You have a behavioral pattern of insulting them on a regular basis. And there have been a number of complaints with regard to your behavior in PM to me. If you wish to leave please feel free to do so.
I never cease to be amazed at how petty and childish "Love and Light" can become. I've seen this sort of thing happen over and over again. Things start out so nice and sweet but it isn't long before things get nasty!! It's so sad, that it's sort of funny. Once again, I just make this online-stuff part of an ongoing science-fiction adventure!! I continue to be troubled by problems relative to research-methodologies (and the lack-thereof). It's not so much the conclusions reached which bother me. It's the manner in which we reach those conclusions which worry me. How open are we to opposing points of view?? How open are we toward "Problem-People"?? How open are we toward "Problem-Angels"?? How open are we toward "Problem-Deities"?? How open are we toward "Problem-Aliens"??
I just learned that John Steinbeck started working with the CIA in 1952, the same year he wrote East of Eden. I have suspected that this novel hints-at a very-real Ancient Royal-Family, possibly in Ancient-Egypt. I call that story East of Giza. I have suggested that Adam and Aaron were overthrown by Kate and Cal, and that they have ruled Earth since the Garden of Eden. Obviously, I can't prove it, but I think it. I have further speculated that Adam and/or Aaron have unexpectedly reappeared (in the twentieth-century) with possible Dr. Who and/or Jupiter Jones parallels. I realize this is far-fetched BUT in the confines of my-mind there is a strengthening-case based upon rather-thin evidence but still quite-alarming. I'm too tired, miserable, depressed, and nervous to repeat all the evidence but if you REALLY study my ten United States of the Solar System threads, I think you'll be amazed. I've been purposely vague and illusive with a lot of things. I guess it's been sort of a game of letting those who already know Know That I Know Too!! I realize that I'm just scratching the surface of some very-nasty scabs and I've purposely been rather slow and passive in my pursuit of the truth. So far, I don't really give a damn, other than that I think humanity is on the brink of extinction, and that I might be some sort of a Cosmic Fall-Guy!! I suspect that Disclosure might consist of a series of Unexpected Build-Ups and Tear-Downs (with devastating-consequences). I might need one of those shelters (similar to the one in the first image below) if what I'm suspecting is even partially-true but I get the sinking-feeling that no-one in this solar-system is happy to see me. I might have to build the bunker myself!! But honestly, I don't think there's anyplace to hide, especially if EVERYONE is out to get me!! If I write a book and sell my house, I might be able to afford a 600 Square-Foot Shallow Underground Civilian Base in the mountains!! That might keep me alive for an extra three-weeks (if I'm lucky)!! Consider the following possibilities relative to East of Eden:
Adam and/or Aaron = King David = Father = Archangelic-Equivalent??
Cal = King Solomon = Son = Archangelic-Equivalent??
Kate = Queen of Sheba = Holy-Spirit = Archangelic-Equivalent??
What if Adam and/or Aaron never came to Earth?? Remember, in Earth: Final Conflict, Ma'el never came to Earth. Watch that Richard Carrier video (a couple of posts back) where he speaks of a supposedly-fictional account of an ancient Crucifixion precursor (on the Moon)!! What if that REALLY Happened??!! Don't forget the Dr. Who Trial of a Time Lord and the 1980 movie The Changeling. Consider the following study-list:
1. Job through Daniel (NKJV).
2. Romans through James (NKJV).
3. Sacred Classical Music.
I'm sorry things didn't work out as well as expected. Did Earth-Humanity rebel against their Creator?? Is Earth a Planet in Rebellion?? Was a Verdict Rendered Against Humanity?? I will be silently wondering about such things but I think the time for talk is over. I suspect a Final-Judgment and/or Final-Conflict sometime during the remainder of the twenty-first century. My grief regarding all of the above is beyond-belief. I obviously have NOT connected with the members of this forum and I'm obviously not attempting to win-friends and influence-people but I think I could've done the PR thing quite effectively, and perhaps I should've. Anyway, what's done is done, and now I should probably just be a good-loser, and congratulate the Champions of the World, and move-on to another solar system. Actually, they're probably the Same Guys and Gals who were the Champions of the World in the Garden of Eden. Some things never change (millennium after millennium) but perhaps they should. Perhaps they will in the twenty-second century. The Ancient Egyptian Deity said "I've always remained one step ahead of humanity!!" Perhaps in my next-life you-guys might wish to give me a Life-Long Publicist for my First-Birthday!! Things might work-out better that way!! Actually, I might NOT have any future whatsoever in this solar system. That wouldn't surprise me one little bit. Consider the following Study-List for an alternative-approach to the Messiah:
1. Job through Isaiah (NKJV).
2. Acts through Jude (NKJV).
3. Prophets and Kings (Ellen White).
4. Handel's Messiah.
Remember that strange message I found in my word-processor, claiming that I wrote 37 books in antiquity (5 of which made it into the Bible)??!! I tend to doubt that message (even if I DID write significant-books in antiquity). But what about an Inter-Testament Old-Testament Commentary?? This seems to be a "missing-link". What if the above list hints-at an "Inter-Testament Literary-Messiah" who wrote more than they preached?? What if there is a Hidden "Garden of Eden Messiah"?? What if there is an "Isaiah-Messiah" named "Immanuel"?? Is it blasphemous to consider as many possibilities as possible?? Why is it that religion often insists that members "Just Get With the Program" because "That's Just the Way It Is"??!! Why does religion seem to consist of legion "Patched-Together Theologies" which can be "Proved from the Bible" yet which don't "Flow from the Bible" especially when following strict Grammatical-Historical Hermeneutics?? I continue to wonder where "Jesus" is in the Old-Testament and where the "God of Job through Malachi" is in the New Testament?? Is the Holy Bible a direct-result of some sort of a "Tower of Babel Verdict Against Humanity" to keep things-religious in a "Confused-Turmoil"?? Is the Verdict an Imperative That Humanity Will NOT Be Allowed to Succeed and Survive?? What if ALL of US (on a soul-basis) were VERY-BAD Boys and Girls in Antiquity?? It Makes Me Wonder. It REALLY Makes Me Wonder. The Horror. I continue to consider the Whole-Bible as being the sum of the following parts:
1. Genesis through Deuteronomy.
2. Joshua through Esther.
3. Job through Song of Solomon.
4. Isaiah through Daniel.
5. Hosea through Malachi.
6. Matthew through Acts.
7. Romans through Jude.
8. Revelation.
Try treating each of these groups as "Stand-Alone Religions" and see what you come-up with. What would the "Twenty-Eight Fundamental Beliefs" of each of these groups be?? This might be a more important study than you think. In my SDA background, I'm a bit concerned that Ellen White didn't do a thorough verse-by-verse analysis of any of these groups and she often took editorial-liberties which were quite eloquent and well-developed, yet which did not seem to be the result of grammatical-historical interpretation. Did she have access to a "Better Bible"?? Who was the angel she supposedly received instruction from?? Gabriel?? Michael?? Both? Others? Should Theology in This Particular Solar System be Angel and Archangel Centered?? Are we REALLY dealing with the Almighty God of the Universe in This Solar System?? Is This a Breakaway Solar System in Rebellion Against the Almighty God of the Universe?? Are the Atheists Correct in Asserting That There is No Almighty God of the Universe Who is Active in This Solar System?? Are We Primarily Dealing with Two Archangels in Conflict with Each-Other?? Nobody Seems to Care Concerning All the Above. I'm suggesting that to REALLY Understand the Madness, One Must Make Their Quest Into a Full-Time Job. I seem to be hampered by a lack of aptitude and stamina. I seem to be "broken-down" all the time. Still, I've created some interesting threads aka study-guides for the truly-dedicated. What I've done is create a springboard for the truly-capable to achieve incredible-heights of madness-comprehension (whatever THAT means). Don't just look at the scary and nasty images, and think that you've got me all-figured-out. Don't be too smug. Just because I'm a Completely-Ignorant Fool doesn't mean that I'm Wrong. Just because I'm Paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT Out to Get Me. The Saint Louis Jesuits are Out to Get Me!!
"What a Tangled Web We Weave!!"
I don't know what to think of Steve Quayle, Mike Adams, Alex Jones, et al, but they make me think in ways I otherwise wouldn't. Sherry Shriner hinted that Steve was basically good, yet straying to the dark-side (or something to that effect). Biblical-Scholarship is a can of worms. Deep-State Studies is a can of worms. If one combines All the Above a HUGE Can of Worms is Opened. I fear that a combination of Legion, Contagion, and World War Z might be in our future. Just a hunch (and not a nice one). I've been flippant and standoffish but a lot of this has been an act for answers. Now I Need to Stop. I've gone downhill far enough with zero positive results. It doesn't pay. It just doesn't pay.
orthodoxymoron wrote:
Carol, I hope all is well with you regarding the fires.
They've added a lot of reinforcements in NE Oregon. I'll keep watching.
Carol wrote:Thanks for your post Oxy. The haze from the smoke has been intense and they were talking about doing back fires to help stop some of them. I'm praying for RAIN. It's cloudy this morning.. perhaps we'll get some storms to help cool things off. It's ironic how there is so much flooding and rain in the US Southeast and Europe. Historical floods. Yet we're like a tinder box in our next of the woods. People aren't even allowed to smoke.
A few months ago, I encountered a middle-aged Chinese couple who reminded me of royalty. They were obviously not local, and I wondered who they really were. I mostly take this sort of thing in stride. I worry about what seems to be the dark-side of China. This seems to conflict with the real China which harmonizes with the historical China. What if China, Russia, and Ukraine are All afflicted by a hidden nefarious-parasitic factional-influence which needs to be reined-in or even eliminated?? This might apply to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, when one faction replaces another faction, this might not be a change for the better. The United States seems to be afflicted by this same sort of thing. All is NOT Well, to say the least, but Hope Springs Eternal. I Hope We Don't Blow Ourselves Up. What Would Lilith Say?? A few years ago, Sherry Shriner had a lot to say concerning China and Lilith but I presently don't have the patience or ability to dig into this. There might really be two or three unimaginably rich and powerful factions vying for power in this solar system but they might all be bad, dictatorial, and militaristic. Door Number One. Door Number Two. Door Number Three. Let's Make a Deal with the Devil. Or Not.
Natural News) Leaked audio that appears to have originated from a meeting of China’s top war generals reveals elaborate plans for a land invasion in the near future, waged by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and augmented with cyber warfare, orbital space weapons and the activation of CCP civilians currently embedded in corporations and governments around the world.
This is the bombshell that has emerged from the leaked audio out of China, for which a full English translation and transcript has now been published by whistleblower Jennifer Zeng at this link. (The English translation is somewhat rough but still very useful.) Yesterday I interviewed John Moore (TheLibertyMan.com) who offered extensive details on this plan. His source, in turn, is JR Nyquist, with whom I spoke yesterday in a private phone conversation. (I am interviewing Nyquist today during the fourth hour of the Alex Jones Show, where I’m a fill-in host. See that at InfoWars.com) I’m also scheduled to interview Nyquist in much more detail Monday, with that interview to be posted Tuesday next week at my channel on Brighteon.com, which will also post the recent interview with John Moore: HR Report channel link on Brighteon.com Some of the highlights of all this, which I cover extensively in today’s Situation Update podcast (see below), including the following conclusions and/or claims. Note that no one can yet prove this is the active plan of China at this moment, but it appears that such plans are being actively pursued:
China’s shutdowns of Shanghai and Beijing were actually a cover story to allow the military to use sea port infrastructure to load cargo ships with military supplies in preparation for a large-scale “D-Day” land invasion.
Although the United States is not specifically mentioned in the leaked audio, the preparations refer to a “Final War” and are deemed far too extensive to merely be targeting Taiwan.
The invasion forces would cross the Pacific disguised as merchant ships / cargo ships. Once they arrive within short-range rocket range, containers on the top of these ocean vessels would open up and launch short-range rockets, including tactical battlefield nuclear weapons, striking National Guard and military bases in California. Chinese troops would then land on the beaches. They would seize the ports (such as Long Beach), then use the ports to land heavier ships which would offload armor, artillery, and other heavy weapon of war. From there, China would have established a beachhead similar to the way allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II.
Both China and Russia have pre-staged large caches of weapons, uniforms, RPGs, automatic weapons, night vision equipment and other military gear across the United States, county by county. These equipment caches will be activated when the CCP and Russian civilians are told to “go hot” and begin carrying out domestic sabotage operations targeting the US power grid, fuel refineries, railways and other infrastructure targets. From the transcript of the leaked audio, “We should take the way of using civilians to cover and support the military… We will mobilize overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese organizations to actively participate in supporting our military operations.”
China is deliberately stockpiling massive quantities of food supplies (grains), microchips, ammunition, commodities and other items in preparation for being economically cut off by the West, just as the USA and NATO did to Russia. This further implies that China is preparing to attack the West and is anticipating the West’s response by watching what the USA and NATO have done to Russia.
China is actively converting its economy from a normal peacetime operation to a wartime operation, and China’s military leaders cite their “success” with covid lockdowns as proof that their command-and-control dominance over domestic operations will keep them in power.
China is expecting massive riots and civil unrest in the large cities around Hong Kong (Guangzhou and Shenzhen), and they are committed to using special forces from the PLA to immediately execute protesters and instantly quell any uprisings.
China and Russia have teamed up in this effort to destroy their common enemy (the USA). Russia’s operations in Ukraine are essentially a “fixing operation” to cause the USA to commit its military hardware and troops to the Ukrainian theater of war, thereby creating vulnerabilities and lack of military readiness in the continental United States (CONUS), just as China is preparing to invade the USA in a D-Day-style landing of troops and military equipment.
From other sources, we also know that China is taking active steps in global currency wars to dump the dollar, dump all dollar / Treasury debt, and prepare for a global dollar collapse.
This invasion plan has all been aided by Gov. Newsom and the Democrats of California outlawing AR-15s and normal capacity magazines, causing the people of California to be ill-equipped to defend themselves against invading enemy forces.
California Gov. Newsom is complicit in the entire operation and has been paid off with $500 million in laundered money that the state of California first transferred to China as part of a $1 billion “PPE purchase” scheme which resulted in $500 million going back to Newsom and his treasonous co-conspirators. Newsom literally used taxpayer funds and China money laundering to pay himself half a billion dollars in kickbacks, believed to be denominated in gold, cash and crypto.
China’s goal is to exterminate every last American in North America, then conquer the fertile farmlands of the Midwest, which are desperately needed by China to produce the crops that will feed its people and support China’s global expansion toward world dominance. The longstanding military posture of China includes a plan to exterminate every last American, including all the illegals who currently reside in the USA.
China can raise up to 100 million military troops over time, flooding CONUS with a seemingly endless stream of combat troops.
Readying large numbers of ocean transport vessels for the invasion
From the leaked audio transcript, you can see China’s preparedness activities involving ocean vessels and how they’re being readied for war:
Commanders! Regarding the formation of the fleet and the distribution of personnel and equipment, we are prepared to arrange it in this way.
>First, equip the ships with strong cadres. According to the different support items and specific uses, they are formed into 3 brigades, 45 squadrons, and 135 detachments. We have prepared 231 cadres to accompany the ships, 3 of them are in regimental positions, 45 battalion positions, and 183 other military cadres. > Second, optimize the ship’s militia. Equip them with the main crew, veterans, and equipment in a mixed-mode. The transportation ships are mainly manned with defense forces, medical personnel, and correspondents. Ten thousand-ton ships are equipped with a platoon, thousand-ton ships with a squad, and hundred-ton ships with a squad. Each group of the militia is mainly composed of defense forces and main equipment operators. > Third, load the ships with high-tech equipment. Follow the latest task needs of the maritime militia, and equip the militia with a variety of unmanned equipment, radar, sonar, and other high-tech equipment. Altogether there are more than 2,000 sets. End of report!
The transcript also makes reference to elements of drone warfare, cyber warfare and space weapons, specifically mentioning Huawei as a large company whose resources are needed to support China’s war efforts:
> As to the 2,000+ pieces of high-tech equipment, 480 drones and 70 unmanned boats are currently secured in place. We need to seize the moment to transfer. > Superiors asked us to mobilize 21 network attack and control detachments, we’ve mobilized 15, with a current shortage of 6 detachments and 60 people. We also lack 32 attack and control system industry network expert talents. Our advice is to mobilize Qianxin, Huawei, Tencent, and other key high-tech enterprises, and enhance the corresponding distribution to meet the needs of the troops. > In Shenzhen, we can find all satellite supporting enterprises. Can we take the initiative to take advantage of this area to contribute to the participation in the war to support the front? > Commander, at present we rely on Zhuhai Orbita, Shenzhen Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Co., Foshan Deliya and Ji Hua Laboratory, and have formed four satellite detachments. We have in total 16 low-orbit satellites, with 0.5 to 10 meters global remote ultra-high optical resolution sensing and imaging capabilities.
In addition, China’s war leader make strong reference to the psychological operations that will be waged by their government to control the population as they wage war against the West: First, we need to strengthen the protection in political field. Look at the recent several regional wars, especially the Russian-Ukrainian conflict war situation. If you look at the big picture, the United States and the West will try everything to slander us, smear us, in an attempt to confuse right and wrong, to shake our will to win a just and decisive battle. We must give full play to public opinion, legal struggle, psychological war and militia teams to strengthen the guidance of public opinion and psychological protection, and cohesion of patriotic support for the positive energy of the military front.
Estimated timetable is early November of this year
Although the leaked audio does not specifically refer to a calendar date, JR Nyquist told me he believes the planning details point to a rapid timetable, perhaps early November of this year.That would of course help the Democrats avoid any mid-term elections where they would be removed from power due to the overwhelming American frustration with Joe Biden’s catastrophic fake presidency and the total destruction against America that has been unleashed by Democrats who rigged elections in order to steal positions of public office.
An invasion by China would suspend the mid-term elections and place America into a near-instant military dictatorship, commanded by none other than Joe Biden, the Impersonator-In-Chief who can barely command his own lips, much less the entire U.S. military. Get the full analysis in my Situation Update podcast, running about 90 minutes: Brighteon.com/9fe9eae5-22a2-4f72-a376-eca4bede6c06
JR Nyquist told me he believes the planning details point to a rapid timetable, perhaps early November of this year. That would of course help the Democrats avoid any mid-term elections where they would be removed from power due to the overwhelming American frustration with Joe Biden’s catastrophic fake presidency and the total destruction against America that has been unleashed by Democrats who rigged elections in order to steal positions of public office.
An invasion by China would suspend the mid-term elections and place America into a near-instant military dictatorship, commanded by none other than Joe Biden, the Impersonator-In-Chief who can barely command his own lips, much less the entire U.S. military.
They would likely send aircraft carriers later in the campaign. The idea is to overwhelm all air bases on the coasts with missiles and destroy all AA first. Container ships all backed up and seemingly just in queue - then all at once an enormous amount of missiles including nuclear in a surprise attack.
We don't know how many are under the ground in the farm lands they own. Or how many nuclear subs are in the secret underground sub bases that have been found.
Drone swarms would be used in place of soldiers at first as well. (Also coming out of the container ships or from underground)
For those of you who still can't grasp the severity of what's going on in the world and the FOG OF WAR your in..... Here's the scoop!!!!!!
> The REAL STORM IS JUST BEGINNING!!!!!!!!! :warning: >IT'S GOING TO GET DARKER AND DARKER AND>> DARKEN<< > > > > Those of you who are afraid of fear mongering or only want positive results and nice stories.. That's not how WAR goes....
>>>>>Inside WAR is taking Battle ground fields and fronts that take Time......//// You take ground.. You lose ground...
< This process repeats itself over and over and over..... Till the WAR is WON... _______ Many of you are very unaware of the several incidents that were STOPPED by the ALLIANCE....>
>>(The TSUNAMI wave that was meant to KILL everyone in Seattle Washington<///
>> (Deep state had tectonic weapons centered on Yellow Stone Park underground volcano that was STOPPED from exploding<///
>> SEVERAL Nuclear WAR heads recovered since 2015 .. In several DUMBS > ;DC, Florida (Disney), Five fingers lakes, LA..
>> Including several Seized NUCLEAR subs
These are just a small fraction of what's happening behind the scenes and the FOG of WAR your in....
> Human trafficking >> World Wars >> Tyrannical Slave system that steals your money puts you into debt to death >> Release of Bioweapons > SARS 1&2.. >> Release of frozen BIOWEAPON Spike proteins sprayed through EU, U.S. And world cities >> Release of Bioweapon VACCINES >> World lockdowns where hundreds of millions lost jobs Businesses. Debt >> Highest suicide rate in history >> Highest domestic violence rate in history >> HIV, CANCER Spreading though vaccines >> Sickness among the healthy from SPIKE PROTEINS SHEDDING OF THE VACCINATED >> World economic COLLAPSE >> Supply chain COLLAPSE >> WORLD FOOD SHORTAGES
>>>>>>>>:warning: CIVIL UNREST Riot's erupting (this WILL keep happening and happening)///
>>>> COMING>>> CYBERATTACK OF THE CENTURY....ATMS .. LIGHTS OUT..
RIOTS FEAR (REAL FEAR MONGERING THEN WILL HAPPEN< PANIC PANIC PANIC PANIC)///
_THE STORM IS JUST BEGINNING.
There is a reason I have warned for a long time to get ready...
> NEAR DEATH CIVILIZATION _EVENT will happen.......
We are going deeper into the Abyss/////
Just because things aren't happening the way you want it to happen or in your time frame or idea... Doesn't mean Nothing's happening....
(Lots of awakened.. Going back to sleep... Becoming SLEEP WALKERS<)//
NCSWIC NCSWIC NCSWIC NCSWIC
No dates!! ONLY EVENTS ________ CHESS �/__
>> PUTIN _ Ukraine ... Creates new Russian SYSTEM connected to China gold backed System and middle EAST, INDIA following
(CENTRAL banks and American deep state paper DOLLAR collapse - (don't worry the U.S. will be backed by original coins, silver/gold backed System)-
As the Western world banking COLLAPSE...... MAGICALLY ELON MUSK MAKES A MOVE ON TWITTER.. As the stock holders know the market crashes is IMMINENT and stockholders were already SELLING their shares in panic before MUSK came into picture.
Up next CNN
> A very well placed PLAN is taking place in the world..>GAME THEORY< ______ Buckle up>>>> TAIWAN..AIN'T DONE YET.. .... AFRICA South America, middle east will be the first to have mass riot's.. ......
You don't understand.... The world . Sleeping sheep must see the DARKNESS .. Experience...
This isn't fear mongering....
It had to be this way... To wake up the whole world to a satanic system they were and control by.....
I'll probably delete this 'Minimal-List' as the 'Post That Never Was':
1. The Old Testament Wisdom Books.
2. The New Testament Epistles.
3. The Federalist Papers.
4. The Anti-Federalist Papers.
5. The Books of Robert H. Schuller.
6. The Books of Howard Fast.
7. The New York Times.
8. The Wall Street Journal.
9. Sacred Classical Music.
10. Exercise in Nature.
What Would The Man Who Never Was Say??
orthodoxymoron wrote:I'll delete this post in a few minutes. This might be the end of the road. The jokes might be over, folks. I've been ridiculed and ignored for a very long time (in-site and off-site). I might have been afflicted by at least a dozen significant and objective interventions, including chronic-poisoning, sinister artificial-intelligence, nefarious-entities, non-stop spying, non-stop recording, non-stop analysis, non-stop obstacles in my path, deception involving delusions of grandeur, etc. This might be the beginning of sorrows for all of us (once everyone stops laughing and ridiculing people like me). Perhaps Jimmy, Bill, George, Barack, Donald, and Joe know exactly what I'm talking about. I've provided a lot of hints and clues, but I doubt those who don't know will figure this out. The ones who already know (possibly for thousands of years) probably don't want me to know, talk, or act. This thing might be worse than we can imagine. I can barely endure what's happened to me for most of my life, and things are becoming much worse. We probably don't have much time. Don't come crying to me when the excrement contacts the blower. We probably had our chance a long time ago (possibly thousands or even millions of years ago). Think long and hard about what I said and about the End of the Millennium. Enough Said.
orthodoxymoron wrote:I'll delete this post in an hour or two as I go incognito:
1. Read Deuteronomy and Proverbs straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations, with an emphasis on law, ethics, context, and commandments. A Tale of Two Lawbooks?? One Law?? Two Laws?? The Perfect Law of the Lord?? How Readest Thou??
2. Read chapters 40-42 of The Great Controversy by Ellen White The Missing Link with the possibility of combining the 2nd and 3rd comings of Christ at the hypothetically soon-coming End of the Millennium. Scholars maintain that the New Testament teaches that the 2nd coming of Christ was to occur shortly after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ (in that present generation). What Happened?? Are the above EGW chapters completely honest and accurate?? Rhetorical Questions??
What if most everyone and everything in this world are deceptive and misleading?? I'm not going to belabor this but I think we might be dealing with a Can of Worms of Biblical Proportions. This Stuff Makes Me Want to Scream and/or Throw-Up and/or Worse. Good Luck.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Sorry, one last post to delete. A week or two ago, I might've encountered 'RA' in a different form. It didn't hit me until a few hours after we spoke to each other. 'HE' spoke to me by name in an unmistakable manner. Perhaps my last page ruffled too-many feathers. Just a thought. I'm watching the 2009 movie, MOON. What if 'RA' and I are sort of like 'Sam Bell' meets 'Sam Bell'?? 'RA' told me, "We're the Same" and "We Fought Side by Side". What if one of us is Local and the other Emissary. I realize this is delusional but it's just something to make you think. What Would Gabriel and Michael Say?? Cheers.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Below is an amalgamation of theatrical posts which might not directly apply to your thread but might contribute to an overall perspective. Some of you might wish to review The Missing Link from beginning to present. We might be in more trouble than most anyone thinks or can think. Anyway, here goes...
Are you having a good day?? I'm taking a posting vacation and/or time-out. Don't be frightened. I mean no harm. Not much anyway (for now). I feel as if this civilization might be stalling like a doomed-airplane. Whoop!! Whoop!! Pull Up!! Too Low!! Terrain!! I get the feeling that humanity is being railroaded by very powerful forces (for better or worse, I know not). I suppose it's always been that way, but the money and technology appear to be driving futurity harshly and quickly (for better or worse, I know not). The jab fiasco might just be the tip of the iceberg. This could quickly get much worse. What if this is an Intentional Stall?? I see red flags and various warning signs everywhere. The major factions concern me for various reasons. All of them might be bad. If one is rich and belongs to a secret society then access and privilege are granted. Otherwise, "Good Luck." I fear we might not survive. If we're lucky, we might simply wish we were dead. I'd love to deal properly with God and Country but that seems to be a lost cause on so many levels. I've struggled with various scriptural issues (especially regarding Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes read straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations) but even if I succeeded on a conceptual level, others wouldn't care or understand. This whole-thing seems like a total-loss. I don't really wish to start over because it wouldn't do any good. Pluralistic Education and Corporate Employment might save and/or damn us but I suspect the information-war will settle that issue and probably not in a good way. Again, we might not survive. Many will think they're winning until they unexpectedly lose big-time (in one way or another). Civilizations and Solar Systems might rise and fall in a cyclical manner. All of This Might've Happened Repeatedly. My internet posting seems to have been an Exercise in Futility. I might labor onward (over the hill) as a good-old wounded-soldier but I suspect the end of the war was predetermined a long time ago. I have mixed feelings concerning war and the military. Most war is BS yet the discipline, comradery, skill, and teamwork are probably absolutely necessary for a civilization to survive and excel. I just have a problem with the body-bags on both sides. The damage done to human beings in warfare is reprehensible. The Show Must Go On?? Why?? Are You Recording?? Everyone and Everything Are Recorded?? The Judgment is Set and the Books Are Open?? Perhaps the Judgment Proceeded Right from the Beginning with Everyone and Everything Revealed in Crystal Clarity. "The First Shall be Last and the Last Shall be First" Lifetime After Lifetime?? Perhaps an Eternity of Unyielding-Despair Isn't So Bad After All. What Would Bertrand Russell Say?? I'm finding it much more difficult to make posts on this site. I think I'm going downhill fast. I continue to suspect the neurotoxin hypothesis, but I doubt anyone will lift their middle-finger to do anything about this. I think I'm utterly screwed. But when people experience this phenomenon in mass there will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Incidentally, what if there is a Unit 731 connection regarding Toxins Controlling the World?? I spoke with someone who knew a lot about the jab and we had a quick-paced conversation which went well until I brought-up Unit 731. This someone abruptly ended the conversation, walked away, and I never saw him or talked to him again. We spoke frequently prior to that. I'm modifying The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan in the Conflict of the Ages to become The Great Controversy Between Pro and Con in the Conflict of the Ages. Notice all the words in the dictionary containing 'Pro' and 'Con'. A couple of words to the wise but I'm not going to spell this out for you. Do your own homework. Never guess. Look it up. I get the sinking-feeling the military has been the answer for thousands, millions, and billions of years. Perhaps one should perform their patriotic-duty and become a military-industrial-complex billionaire with six-jets, six-yachts, six-mansions, six-supermodels, six-supercars and "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!!" Notice that I'm being a bit sarcastic but consider the following alternative. What if the universe-military has been in the hands of the good guys and gals for thousands, millions, and billions of years?? What if one were the CEO of a toxin-control company (living and working in six subsurface 600 square-foot office-apartments) on a 600-acre campus with six moderate mansions as six divisions with six smart and attractive female division-chiefs with six small base-model jets, six small base-model yachts, and six base-model luxury-sports cars --- all for business purposes?? What if the snake-venom hypothesis is snake-oil?? But what if undetectable synthetic-toxins are being nefariously-utilized to control and destroy humanity?? Who You 'Gonna' Call?? What Would Dr. Peter Venkman Pray, Say, and Do?? "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow??" I really need to end my internet participation and simply watch nature take its course. I'm paranoid because I suspect they're out to get me (in one way or another). Also, I do not wish to cast my pearls before the swine, as everything I think, say, and do can and will be used against me. I could say more and you'd be shocked by what I suspect but I mostly keep my damn mouth shut. It's easier that way. I honestly think I am SO Screwed. This probably goes way, way, way back and my enemies are probably licking their chops, saying, "We've Got Him Now!!" I can't take this anymore. I'll Miss You but Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!! Hopefully, this mind-game brings you joy. Bye, Bye.
The Missing Link In Scotland the seeds of truth scattered by Columba and his colaborers had never been wholly destroyed. For hundreds of years after the churches of England submitted to Rome, those of Scotland maintained their freedom. In the twelfth century, however, popery became established here, and in no country did it exercise a more absolute sway. Nowhere was the darkness deeper. Still there came rays of light to pierce the gloom and give promise of the coming day. The Lollards, coming from England with the Bible and the teachings of Wycliffe, did much to preserve the knowledge of the gospel, and every century had its witnesses and martyrs.
With the opening of the Great Reformation came the writings of Luther, and then Tyndale's English New Testament. Unnoticed by the hierarchy, these messengers silently traversed the mountains and valleys, kindling into new life the torch of truth so nearly extinguished in Scotland, and undoing the work which Rome for four centuries of oppression had done.
Then the blood of martyrs gave fresh impetus to the movement. The papist leaders, suddenly awakening to the danger that threatened their cause, brought to the stake some of the noblest and most honored of the sons of Scotland. They did but erect a pulpit, from which the words of these dying witnesses were heard throughout the land, thrilling the souls of the people with an undying purpose to cast off the shackles of Rome.
Hamilton and Wishart, princely in character as in birth, with a long line of humbler disciples, yielded up their lives at the stake. But from the burning pile of Wishart there came one whom the flames were not to silence, one who under God was to strike the death knell of popery in Scotland.
John Knox had turned away from the traditions and mysticisms of the church, to feed upon the truths of God's word; and the teaching of Wishart had confirmed his determination to forsake the communion of Rome and join himself to the persecuted Reformers.
Urged by his companions to take the office of preacher, he shrank with trembling from its responsibility, and it was only after days of seclusion and painful conflict with himself that he consented. But having once accepted the position, he pressed forward with inflexible determination and undaunted courage as long as life continued. This truehearted Reformer feared not the face of man. The fires of martyrdom, blazing around him, served only to quicken his zeal to greater intensity. With the tyrant's ax held menacingly over his head, he stood his ground, striking sturdy blows on the right hand and on the left to demolish idolatry.
When brought face to face with the queen of Scotland, in whose presence the zeal of many a leader of the Protestants had abated, John Knox bore unswerving witness for the truth. He was not to be won by caresses; he quailed not before threats. The queen charged him with heresy. He had taught the people to receive a religion prohibited by the state, she declared, and had thus transgressed God's command enjoining subjects to obey their princes. Knox answered firmly:
"As right religion took neither original strength nor authority from worldly princes, but from the eternal God alone, so are not subjects bound to frame their religion according to the appetites of their princes. For oft it is that princes are the most ignorant of all others in God's true religion. . . . If all the seed of Abraham had been of the religion of Pharaoh, whose subjects they long were, I pray you, madam, what religion would there have been in the world? Or if all men in the days of the apostles had been of the religion of the Roman emperors, what religion would there have been upon the face of the earth? . . . And so, madam, ye may perceive that subjects are not bound to the religion of their princes, albeit they are commanded to give them obedience."
Said Mary: "Ye interpret the Scriptures in one manner, and they [the Roman Catholic teachers] interpret in another; whom shall I believe, and who shall be judge?"
"Ye shall believe God, that plainly speaketh in His word," answered the Reformer; "and farther than the word teaches you, ye neither shall believe the one nor the other. The word of God is plain in itself; and if there appear any obscurity in one place, the Holy Ghost, which is never contrary to Himself, explains the same more clearly in other places, so that there can remain no doubt but unto such as obstinately remain ignorant."—David Laing, The Collected Works of John Knox, vol. 2, pp. 281, 284.
Such were the truths that the fearless Reformer, at the peril of his life, spoke in the ear of royalty. With the same undaunted courage he kept to his purpose, praying and fighting the battles of the Lord, until Scotland was free from popery.
In England the establishment of Protestantism as the national religion diminished, but did not wholly stop, persecution. While many of the doctrines of Rome had been renounced, not a few of its forms were retained. The supremacy of the pope was rejected, but in his place the monarch was enthroned as the head of the church. In the service of the church there was still a wide departure from the purity and simplicity of the gospel. The great principle of religious liberty was not yet understood. Though the horrible cruelties which Rome employed against heresy were resorted to but rarely by Protestant rulers, yet the right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience was not acknowledged. All were required to accept the doctrines and observe the forms of worship prescribed by the established church. Dissenters suffered persecution, to a greater or less extent, for hundreds of years.
I'm shutting-down regarding alternative-research, and I've become somewhat jaded and cynical, but these videos caused me to think of some seemingly crazy possibilities regarding past, present, and future. What if Charlotte Keppel's Chronoscope simply played videos from an Ancient to Modern YouTube Repository?? Sherry Shriner once claimed that there was an audio and video recording of the 'Invasion of the Solar System' securely stored by the 'White-Reptilians Under the Gobi Desert'!! Honest. Bill Cooper claimed there was a video recording of the 'Crucifixion of Christ'!! Honest. 'RA' told me "You Did It with YouTube"!! Honest. One of the cast-aside SDA doctrines is the 'Investigative Judgment' involving the examination of everyone's past to determine whether they are 'Saved' or 'Lost'. I've developed my own 'Investigative Judgment' theories which are quite different than the SDA version. Astronaut Edgar Mitchell spoke with me about the 'Survival of Information' rather than the 'Survival of the Soul' regarding 'Life After Death'. I've wondered about 'Reincarnation' throughout my adult life, but I've never gotten involved with 'Regression-Hypnosis' or 'Spiritualistic-Experiences'. I'm an apathetic and passive pseudo-researcher. I mostly turn everything-crazy into science-fiction. Al Bielek spoke of visiting A.D. 2137 and A.D. 2749 by watching a futuristic television. A movie with Meryl Streep 'Defending Your Life' involved 'YouTube Views of the Past' (or something to that effect). The Dr. Who 'Trial of a Timelord' in the mid 1980's involved a similar concept in an original 'Matrix'. Note Carol's thread 'Return of the Star People' which includes the incredible story of a former member of the Secret Space Program. I have theories about that occurrence which are different than that contained within the video. I continue to suspect that most-everything has been audio and video recorded for tens of thousands of years (at least in this particular solar-system) but I can't prove it. What Would HAL 9000 Say?? What Would David Bowman Say?? What Would Peter Venkman Say?? I'm not finding anything about Charlotte Keppel, which might mean she didn't exist, or that she was removed from history. As always, I treat all of this fringe-stuff as science-fiction, yet I made a couple of connections and speculations in connection with Charlotte Keppel. It's somewhat liberating to NOT claim to have the TRUTH, and to simply post nonsense on a small website. But what if a lot of the nonsense eventually makes a HUGE amount of sense?? This website is sort of a Galactic-Backchannel. Consider the second to the last video. There's a comment which caught my eye. This might have 'plandemic' relevance and it might have 'soul scalping' relevance and it might have 'orthodoxymoron misery and hamstrung' relevance. I'm fearing the worst in the worst sort of ways.
"My brother had been in Vietnam, and he went really wild when he came back for years. He started seeing a Rieki practitioner, who said there was something blocking lower chakras. She sent him to a Chinese herbalist who then gave him a powerful mix. 24 hours later he pooped what he said looked like little squid things. He suddenly became grounded and really prospered. The old Chinese guy said it was a parasite infestation common to Southeast Asia. He said they are very bad and interfere with life and vibration."
Consider Ivermectin (with variations on that theme). Consider neurotoxins produced by parasites. Consider sorcery relative to drugs and/or toxins. Consider the 2013 movie World War Z. I fear that my 'contact' with 'RA' might've incurred the wrath of the nether realms and made me a miserable vegetable in the first instance and a Manchurian candidate in the second instance (or something to that effect). Consider the many Sherry Shriner Shows. Consider The Gods of Eden by William Bramley. I'm not an expert and I'm allergic to a lot of occult stuff even though I produce wild posts on this very website. Consider the last video regarding 'Time Machines'. What if the 'Matrix' is a universe-wide 'Time Machine' with everything recorded by a hypothetical 'Supercomputer Matrix'. Some have speculated that UFO's are 'Time Machines'. One More Thing. I Recently Encountered a Young and Beautiful Tall-Blond Who Looked Me in the Eye with a 'Goddess Look'. This might've been Charlize Theron. See the Atomic Blonde Post Below. Notice the Central Cafe Card and David, the Traitorous Station Chief. I wonder who I encounter online and in real life?! I suspect the ancient gods and goddesses crossed the artificial-intelligence intelligent-design bridge billions of years ago and put the genie back in the bottle, but the contemporary gods and goddesses are attempting to re-open the Forbidden Bottle aka Pandora's Box. We might not survive much longer. Creation and Extinction might be Cyclical. I might not have much longer to miserably speculate on how screwed humanity is. I often experience vague-hostility as I attempt to face-reality in a science-fictional manner. I HATE the way I think and feel. I HATE My Life. Now I'm going to make the coffee and read from Volumes 3 and 4 (I Chronicles to Malachi) of the SDA Bible Commentary. Consider focusing upon Job to Daniel. It's a nasty task but someone must do it!!
I'm not doing well as a thinker or researcher, but I'm sampling a lot of divergent books and videos. I'd like to positively-reinforce everyone and everything. I don't really have friends or enemies, but I mean no harm (not much anyway -- for now). I knew a retired Boeing Executive (WWII Veteran) who used to say, "Come-On!! Be Nice!! It's Christmas!!" A decade ago, the Ancient Egyptian Deity, 'RA', told me, "We Hate Each-Other but We All Get-Along on Christmas!!" 'RA' also told me I should study the Nazi's, but I haven't spent much time researching the subject. Once, I told 'RA' about a famous image of Eugenio Pacelli being escorted out of a Nazi meeting, and 'RA' gave a sinister laugh, which I found a bit chilling. I repeatedly spoke with an unlikely someone who worked with Gene Rodenberry, who once told me, "I'm Adolph." I never asked any questions, and I haven't seen him for years. What Would the Council of Nine Say?? Here is an interesting Project Camelot interview with Kerry Cassidy, which might be instructive regarding all the above. The Missing Link Here's a site you might find interesting, but I don't know what to make of it. The Missing Link I need to re-watch Mary Queen of Scots (2018) starring Margot Robbie. I've spoken with her (without introduction) in unlikely contexts. I've also spoken with Maleficent, Agent Salt, and Agent Evans in unlikely contexts. I need to re-read Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser. What Would Alden Thompson Say and Do?? I think I have a Queen Fetish (or something to that effect). What Would Prince Albert Say and Do?? Beware of the Mean Queen Theme!! What Would 'Anna' Say and Do?? Femme Fatale!! I'm a 'V' and I'm related to 'Anna'. What Would King Ring Think?? Too Much Information. Forgive my ongoing contextual superimposition. I do it for answers. I'm taking a walk to watch the eagles soar in a clear, blue sky.
What if All of Us are Crazy (in one way or another)?? What if Most Everything is BS (in one way or another)?? BS VS BS?? I Have NOT Represented My Threads as the TRUTH!! I Have Created a Conceptual-Laboratory and/or Study-Guide of a MOST Unconventional Nature!! Despite Their Obvious Flaws, what if Reading Newspapers (Online and/or Hard Copy) and Exercising in Nature is a Pragmatic Middle-Way in Modernity as the Madness Threatens to Undo Us?? I Have Obviously Utilized a Blunt Instrument rather than a Sharp Sword to Accomplish the Seemingly Impossible. I Might Simply Stir the Pot with USSS Thread Repetition (or something to that effect) as long as I can (which might not be long at all). I wasn't really kidding regarding Orthodoxymoron: An Interview Across Time: A Psychiatrist Looks at His Insanity. What Would Carol, Paola, Alex, Michael, Andrew, and Loree Write?? No One Might Ultimately Desire the Results. Confusion Confounding Confusion?? Damned if I Know. Perhaps I should write my own version of this exercise in futility, asking the above six experts to write responses. There are probably some Agents and Jesuits who've already thoroughly analyzed my madness, but I doubt their work would ever see the light of day. Some of them have probably gone insane. What if Sorcery, Toxins, Electronics, Supercomputers, Programing, and Other Forms of Nefarious Manipulation Might Make It Difficult or Impossible to Differentiate Between the Real-Person and the Manchurian-Candidate?? What Would Donald Trump and Joe Biden Say and Do?? They Might Be More Compromised Than We Can Imagine. What If This Sort of Thing Involves Ancient-Technologies and Nefarious-Entities (for starters)?? Consider an Amalgamation of Mary Queen of Scots, Brides of Christ, Villa Cabrini,The Nostradamus Kid,Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment. The Movie Would Probably Get It Wrong but Some of You Know What I'm Talking About. What Would John Carroll Say and Do??
I've touched upon this before but consider reading Job to Daniel (10 books) straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations. Dr. Raymond Cottrell studied Daniel 7-12 for 17 years (1955-72) with over 1,000 pages of notes (but I'm not sure if these notes, in any form) were published. Some of you might wish to dig into this. As my physical, mental, and spiritual health deteriorates, I'm not capable of doing this. I honestly think I've been massively tampered-with throughout my life, and my situation has become almost unbearable for the last 10 years. I seem to be descending into a hellish semiretirement. Still, the proper way to study Daniel might simply involve my suggested study (above). Alternatively consider reading Volumes 3 and 4 (1 Chronicles to Malachi) of the SDA Bible Commentary straight-through, over and over. Perhaps two unrelated study-groups might attempt these two approaches. I continue to suggest that we might be dealing with an unimaginably difficult puzzle which few might solve. It might involve a lot more than the uninitiated stealing the results of these studies. Devotional and Scholarly Aspects of These Studies Might be Inseparable and Invaluable. I might not post for the remainder of This Present Incarnation. What is involved in Michael 'Standing Up'?? Becoming Known in Modernity?? Does This Mark a Set-Judgment and Books-Opened as the World Goes Insane?? This Might be Worse Than We Can Imagine.
Notice the Dark Journalist 'Joseph Farrell' interview regarding 'Rudolph Hess'. Joseph seemed uncharacteristically giddy. Was he smoking funny cigarettes and/or driven to drink by this strange topic?? Notice how Daniel cuts the interview short. Joseph Farrell is Recovering from Surgery (but I Don't Know the Details). Remember when Kerry Cassidy cut-off Jordan Maxwell's talk at the 2009 Awake and Aware conference?? Never Forget!! I added a psychiatric-analysis video regarding 'Rudolph Hess'. Consider Rudolph Hess's Physical and Mental Health Issues. Consider Sherry Shriner's Physical and Mental Health Issues. Consider Orthodoxymoron's Physical and Mental Health Issues. Notice the Commonalities. Do Some Sirius Research. Consider What Happens to John and Delenne's Son, David, on His 16th Birthday, in Babylon 5. What if Everyone Will Become a Lucifer in Modernity and Experience Similar Physical and Mental Issues as They Stand Before a Holy God Without a Mediator?? What Would the Matrix Mediatrix Say and Do?? What if All the Above is Ancient Supercomputer-Systemic?? Please Prayerfully and Carefully Study the Last Half-Dozen United States of the Solar System Threads. Give It a Year or Two to Sink-In and Then Start from Scratch Regarding Solving the Solar System's Problems. What if Earth, Humanity, the Solar System, and the Universe are stranger than we can think?? What if we are reduced to cover-stories covering compound-fractures with band-aids?? I keep suggesting that this thing might be worse than we can imagine (even for secret-government insiders). What about the rest of us?? As the information-war intensifies, we might not have much of a chance of remaining alive and sane (even under the most optimistic circumstances, projections, and scenarios). 'RA' told me, "Humanity is Screwed." I've encountered several individuals of interest (five to ten years ago) claiming that at least 80% of humanity will perish and/or become insane in the near future (but no details were revealed). I fear that my helping is hurting so I should probably cease and desist while nature takes its course.
Consider Atomic Blonde,Mulholland Drive, and Gia. I don't intend to be moralistic, but consider the lesbian relationships in each of these movies, along with the partner similarities. Years ago, Sherry Shriner spoke of Lucifer having a relationship with Angelina (on-set or off-set, I know not). I took all of Sherry's shows with a sea of salt, but she seemed to know way too-much. Consider the violent witchcraft themes in a lot of movies of the past twenty years. Notice that I travel perilously close to the dark-side which probably angers and alarms the good and bad factions. My heart is going crazy. Did I get messed-with again?? This might be the end. Probably all major factions have major reasons for shutting me up. I'm mostly low-key and pull my punches but I might push someone over the edge. RA told me the Jesuits didn't like me, which is probably hazardous to my health, but I still don't know exactly why they might hate me. I have some theories, but they are just theories. What's creepy is that no-one provides warnings to me. My hamstrung misery is NO JOKE. My situation would drive at least 87% of humanity completely insane if they were in my shoes. My battles are mostly internal. What's strange is that I've personally encountered at least three actresses who starred in the above movies. Sherry seemed to know who I was (in a round-about way). BTW, think about Jackie Kennedy and Mary Pinchot Meyer. In all cases, I'm mostly neutral regarding the rich and famous. I mostly treat them as if they were just like everyone else. My parents worked closely with a lot of rich and famous people, and I've been around a lot of them myself for decades. I think my posting has angered some of them, but I'm mostly attempting to understand. I realize this is probably one more lost-cause, which is why I mostly just wish to shut-up and walk-away from nearly everyone and everything. Perhaps I am some sort of a hated Galactic Emissary Warden with a Divine-Right to be a Pain in Uranus. Again, I hint at a lot of things without providing a lot of details. I just know that the Agencies and Jesuits know more about me than I could ever know about myself, and they're not necessarily nice people, especially when they get leaned on. Big-Brother and Big-Mother get right to the point.
My threads are mostly Religious and Political SCIENCE-FICTION. Does ANYONE Need Me to EXPLAIN?? Consider the relationship between Cover-Stories and Historical-Fiction. What if Most History Mostly Involves Cover-Stories and Historical-Fiction?? What if this is more important than most of us can imagine?? I rarely post on the threads of other forum-members, so as not to become a Pain in Uranus. When 'RA' told me (a dozen years ago), "You Will Manifest Your Bad-Side" was the Matrix "Turning Up the Heat"?? What if President Biden (and others) are MADE to Screw-Up by the Dark-Side?? Probably a Dozen Years Ago, a Prominent 9/11 Truther told me, "US Presidents Will Become Worse and Worse." Accident or Design?? Consider viewing images and videos of the English Royals. I'm mostly neutral toward them, and I'm more interested in Victorian England (and not because of any particular virtues or vices). It's simply interesting (for me) to compare North America and the United Kingdom in the 19th Century (for better or worse, I know not). Again, as I feel more and more miserable and hamstrung, my competency (if I ever had any) is becoming greatly diminished, so expect the worst from me. I intended this crazy context to MAKE US THINK (but I seem to have miserably failed). Doctor Who Blue Boy = Matrix Architect = Rich Young Ruler = Matrix Emissary Warden = Prince of Sirius = Archangel Michael?? Don't take this too Siriusly. Consider the relationship between Antichrist, Gabriel, Lucifer, Holy Spirit, Borg Queen, and Matrix Mediatrix. Consider a Dynamic Equilibrium of Paradise, Purgatory, and Perdition as a Homeostatic Potpourri of Concupiscence. I'm in a mood. I didn't intend this paragraph to be a rant. I might be number-one but I feel like number-two. I'm watching Atomic Blonde to lift my spirits and my ****!! I should meet with my favorite agents for coffee!! Femmes Fatale?? A childhood individual of interest called me 'King of the Girls' but the girls seemed to be allergic to me and I can't get no satisfaction (especially in my miserable and hamstrung condition)!! I accompanied a community theater actress to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead rehearsals and performances with Barry Stern directing. He worked on a lot of TV directing and producing, including Charlie's Angels. I thought about Charlize Angels just for fun!! There are four (including Charlize) I'm thinking about. They always give me something to think about!! Think About It!!
All of my posts are Religious and Political Science-Fiction (to greater or lesser extents). My "rant" post(s) might contain material I utilize as exhibits to illustrate principles and concepts. Sometimes the reactions are priceless. I recently encountered a Nimitz individual, which made me think of when I first viewed The Final Countdown in a theater with a Nimitz photographer, who excitedly told me who he knew (in real-life) as the movie unfolded!! This also made me think of the 'Tic-Tac' UFO incident!! Over the years, I've spoken with several submarine captains, but I don't want to talk about it. In 2010, I witnessed what appeared to be a real-live UFO dogfight, which seemed to result in an exploding spaceship!! HONEST. Sorry about the language overlay in the movie, but its free, for now!! Just mute it and listen to your favorite music!! I've repeatedly driven next to the Nimitz and Delta Pier unaccompanied (pre 9/11) but I don't want to talk about it. [Hi Guys. Bye Guys.] I'm only a quarter of the way through the Blue Roller material, and the best was yet to come, but I'm bringing this to a screeching halt. I never know who I'm really dealing with (including myself). The internet is the Wild West. I mostly wish to stop. I expressed that sort of thing when 'RA' ended our communication. It was quick, to the point, and matter of fact. 'RA' told me, "I'm Sorry We Couldn't Work Together. Too Much Water Has Gone Under the Bridge" three days prior to Fukushima. That was That and the Rest was History.
What is the long-term solution for all of us?? Must we think in a cold and calculating manner?? The militaries of the world undoubtedly know what I'm talking about, but who do they answer to?? My mom has a friend who has had at least twenty or thirty brain-surgeries (without exaggeration). I know a little-girl with brain-cancer who is regularly treated close to where you live. Prevention is Preferable, yet the same old Drugs and Surgery Medical Treatment is used by even the most conscientious adherents to Natural-Living, Preventive-Medicine, and Natural-Treatment. The religious organization I grew-up in was supposedly founded upon Prevention and Natural-Treatment but Creating Millionaires in Loma Linda is SO Much More Profitable!! For the Doctors and Preachers, working on the Sabbath is no big deal. I'm not sure what brought this on. Realistically, I was intrigued by Blue Roller's brash approach, which was often quite knowledgeable. His approach was not my approach, but I told him I was a bit envious. He seemed surprised. I've tried to understand the seemingly unfathomable. Decades ago, a California politician's son told me he appreciated me attempting to understand. Two weeks prior to the Britney Spears Conservatorship Hearing, I randomly learned that he is the Hon. Terry A. Bork, Judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California. He was appointed to the bench in 2007 by former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nice. BTW, "Free Britney!!" A year or two ago, I believe I encountered Britney a couple of times (but I'm not sure). I try to be accurate and honest, but I never really know. I include this sort of thing without making a big deal about it.
What if David Bowman is the Victim of a HAL 9000 Conservatorship?? I remember Luke Ford as a child in the Pacific Union College Science-Complex while his father, Dr. Desmond Ford, lectured to a highly educated class in a perfect-tension of grandiose-reflection. Ford had a Better Idea. Is it coincidental that both Luke and I suffered from chronic-fatigue, loss of faith, unorthodox-expression, and fringe-scholarship?? What if both of us were (and are) targeted by the dark side?? What if we both had important lessons to learn in unlikely contexts?? Is it coincidental that I kept talking about living in a 600 square-foot office-apartment while Luke actually lived in a 300 square-foot office-apartment for at least a decade?? We both have a dry sense of humor. Anyway, think about Luke and Me while you watch The Nostradamus Kid and The Brides of Christ. Luke's father campaigned against the Traditional SDA Investigative Judgment Doctrine while I think I might've unlocked an Expanded Investigative-Judgment Concept which includes an Ancient to Modern Universe-Wide Supercomputer-Matrix Governance-Modality. I've provided a lot of clues, but if you don't do your homework, don't bother attempting to figure this out. I pull my punches to an excruciating extent. My threads are sort of a 'Q' phenomenon wherein I beat around the Burning Bush without blurting things out. My threads are NOT for the General-Public. They are mostly for Those in the Know. The Jesuits Know What I'm Talking About but They Don't Talk About It. Knowing and Thinking One Knows are Two Very-Different Things. Researchers Beware. Luke and Orthodoxymoron Were Born to Blog.
I'd prefer to be mainstream-successful rather than narrow and strait-laced but "Narrow is the way leading to life. Few find it." Dr. Louis Venden told me, "Don't Be Too Definite. People Who Are Too Definite Go Off." I should probably circle the wagons around Acts of the Apostles (EGW) and Volume 6 (Acts to Ephesians) of the SDA Bible Commentary, but probably NO-ONE (including the SDA's) would resonate with THAT. Why Should I Bother?? Seemingly, no matter how one puts things together, it's always ultimately wrong. Might That Be Why the Creator Created the Matrix in Antiquity?? Perhaps God Had a Nasty Job but Someone Had to Do It. Perhaps Vengeance Belongs to the Lord, But He and/or She Delegates. I'm half-joking and half-serious. What Would Al Bielek Say?? Theodicy and Eschatology continue to puzzle and horrify me. What Would Bart Ehrman Say?? It's as if God is an Absentee-Landlord. What Would Blanche Barton Say?? Humanity Seeks Freedom, Yet They Want a God. Not to be Told by God, but rather to Tell God What to Do!! We Seem to Want It Both Ways!! Sort of like the Banksters getting bailed-out by the Taxpayers (and giving themselves millions or billions of dollars of bonuses)!! Is That Freedom at Work?? Freedom Seems to be a Two-Edged Sword. Is there a safety-net in this solar system?? Did someone turn-off the safety-net?? What are the Implications and Ramifications of Freedom from God?? Perhaps the Cabal Knows God Exists yet Do NOT Believe in God!! Perhaps God Does NOT Believe in Them!! Perhaps this applies to the majority of humanity. Who Knows?? Dr. Who?? Regarding Mantids, I once saw what looked like a Mantid about 40 feet away for about 4 seconds. Honest. It might've been a deer on its hind-legs!! Who Knows?? I probably shouldn't talk about such things. People already think I'm crazy. Crazy David?? But supposedly King David never existed (along with everyone else in the Bible)!! Who Knows?? The Shadow?? How do we properly distinguish between cover-story and real-story?? How do we properly distinguish between historical-fiction and absolute-history?? What if none of the generally accepted choices are the real-deal?? What if this is the Nature of the Matrix??
REGARDING REGENCY AND CONSERVATORSHIP: CONSIDER BRITNEY SPEARS, DAVID BOWMAN, CHAD DECKER, QUEEN VICTORIA, AND JUPITER JONES. I'LL KEEP YOU GUESSING. What if there is an Ancient Artificial-Intelligence Supercomputer-Matrix which assimilates ALL Contenders and Systems?? Think about the Borg-Queen and the Borg. Think about Anna and the V's. Think about Matthew 4 relative to Matthew 28 and 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. What if the High-Tech Gods and Goddesses will ultimately be assimilated into the Hive-Mind?? Consider Daniel 7-12. What if the System ultimately controls the Best and Worst of Us?? What if Resistance is Ultimately Futile?? What if We Can't Win?? What if the KJV and EGW are ultimately diabolical (even if they were initially well-intentioned as matrix-modifiers)?? I've been receiving increasingly nasty comments (perhaps as it is perceived that I'm no good)!! Does modeling the problem while attempting to expose the problem ultimately make one the next scapegoat in a long-line of the vanquished?? Many years ago, a relative told me, "All You Want to do is Destroy." A few years ago, a little, old-lady told me, "God is Going to KILL You." A complete-stranger hostile-woman nastily said, "Stubborn to the End!!" A haggard-looking man told me, "You Never Listen!!" 'RA' told me, "You'll Show Your Bad-Side!" and "You'll be Sorry If You Try to Save Humanity!" and "You're Lucky to be Alive!" and "I'm Tired of Keeping You Alive!" and "You Can Choose to Keep Things the Way They Are!" I could go on and on, but consider the Genesis of the Singularity. Consider the Architect of the Matrix. Consider the Cleansing of the Sanctuary. Consider Why the Sanctuary is Central. What if the Sanctuary is the Matrix?? What Would Elon Musk Say?? What Would Bill Gates Say?? Why Do I Bother?? Why Write a Book?? Why Take the Show On the Road?? I sometimes imagine myself as a Neo David Bowman interacting with HAL 9000 in a somewhat contrarian manner, conceptualizing a Matrix-Mosaic and/or Pluralistic-Potpourri!! I need to go incognito (probably for all-eternity). This might be THAT Bad. RA told me, "It's Going to be Dark Where You're Going." I regularly drove RA and drank coffee with him at a couple of coffee houses for several months. He might've been a master of disguise and deception for thousands of years. RA told me, "I've Always Remained One Step Ahead of Humanity." You idiots have no idea who and/or what you're dealing with. Some of you completely ignorant fools will go completely insane. The End is Near. Good-Luck.
Timeline 1: Transhumanism: trans-humanism timeline Klaus Schwab. They're set to move humanity into a new reality.. nano technology Modified DNA - Trojan horse technology / Hacked the human body
Hydrogel - nano technology - smart technology accessed body - lumi is transformative science that pairs smart technology on the inside = a stable lump micro sensing fiber provides provides months of actionable medical grade data on your body’s key bio-chemistry - anytime, anywhere in a continuous data stream making information immediate. Some of this already exists on the dark web were vaccinated individuals can be tracked and monitored.
Timeline 2: 5th Dimension: New Earth: organic positive timeline
Explore the history of Project Looking Glass: the technology, its origins, related technologies, main protagonists, the extraterrestrial element, the breakaway civilization, potential earth shattering coming events, and their incredible implications for all humanity in this 3-part, deep dive webinar brought to you by Frank Jacob, writer/director of the award-winning film PACKING FOR MARS.
Contents:
Part One: Project Looking Glass, Time Technology and the Secrets of the J-RODs
In part one we'll take a deep dive into the origins of Looking Glass technology, where this technology came from, what it does, and how we found out about it. Further topics include: an ultra secret society called Majestic, formed to deal with the arrival of visitors from another time & place in the 1940's, and how its policies have led to the establishment of a breakaway civilization. We look at possible origins of the deep state timeline. What methods do they deploy to solidfy the odds of their success? We explore the incredible story of the 'J-RODs', why they traveled back in time, and why there is a timeline war that continues to this day, leading to the emergence of the mysterious Guardians of the Looking Glass. A Tale of Two Timelines Part One (1h 56m 35s)
Part Two: Two Timelines, Two Potential Futures
In part two we continue with timelines. We’ll summarize how the Guardians’ messages compare to those of the first whistleblowers of Looking Glass technology. What are the synch-points between the videos of the GOTLG to what is going on in our world today? Strongly competing timelines, in a natural semi-quiescent laminar convergence, are moving toward one ultimately prevailing future. We break down the Deep State's transhumanist timeline: What are their goals? Why do the Guardians of the Looking Glass believe the odds currently favor the negative timeline? The J-RODs described a potential upcoming environmental catastrophe, following galactic, energy-related, natural stargate amplifications in our solar system, which leads to their developmental evolution. Is there evidence of such a catastrophy? Project Looking Glass discovered another emerging timeline: a new, positive one favoring 'we the people', that was a threat to deep state plans. We look at the differences between these two timelines and why J-RODs gave us clues as to how to navigate timeline paradoxes that began when they traveled back to our time. A Tale of Two Timelines Part Two (1h 25m 38s)
Part Three: The DCTP, CERN, A.I. and the Path to a Positive Future
In the final part of the webinar we look deeper at consciousness. We also go deeper into the DCTP - the Doctrine of Convergent Timeline Paradox - a doctrine of the human race’s probable competing pasts, observer relative present and probable futures, that emerged from the conversations between J-RODs and humans. It provides solid wisdom on how we on Earth can master the hurdles we are facing in manifesting our preferred future. We look at A.I., and the impact it will have on humankind, including what role the Large Hadron Collider located at CERN may be playing, and show how it's already affecting our reality. Ultimately we are creator beings which far surpass the capabilities of even super intelligent machines, but we must make ourselves aware of what is at stake in order to access those abilities. Only by actively participating in shaping the new world can we make it real and beat the odds against us. Do we have any help from the cosmos? We explore the science behind our awakening consciousness, leading to the conclusion that, yes, we absolutely can manifest the world we want and the universe is there to aid us in doing so. A Tale of Two Timelines Part Three 2h 03m 53s)
Matrix Mediatrix in Purgatory Incorporated?? As I worsen from head to toe, my perspective seems clearer that Resolution is Illusive, and Resistance is Futile. Is Collective-Confusion the Eternal-Normal?? As I re-watched that 'Toxic Gospels' video, I wondered what would result if one read the Whole Old Testament (39 Books) straight-through, over and over, in a variety of translations?? Give it a 'bloody go'?? "GO OT!!" A prominent New Testament Scholar told me, "What God Said in the Old Testament is More Significant Than What Jesus Said in the New Testament." Honest. Will ANYONE Thank Me When They Find I'm Right About Most Things in My Threads?? Nobody Told You?? How Were You Supposed to Know?? You Wish You'd Known??
Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. 5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’ 6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 9 “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. 11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’ 19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. 26 “ ‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’ 28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”
8:1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great. 5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the LORD; it took away the daily sacrifice from the LORD, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the LORD’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the LORD’s people?” 14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” 18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. 23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. 26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
9:1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision: 24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. ”
10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. 7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. 10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” 15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.” 18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” 20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others. 5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. 7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress. 11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped. 14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more. 20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. 21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time. 25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country. 29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” 7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” 8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” 9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. 11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. 13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
I'm trying to go incognito, but I just noticed the following image which seems reminiscent of the Ark of the Covenant, containing a Human Body rather than the Ten Commandments. Years ago, I speculated that the Ark of the Covenant might be an Ancient Casket and/or Mobile Supercomputer and/or Directed Energy Weapon (but what do I know??)!! I don't wish to go anywhere near the pedophilia and/or human-sacrifice issues (for now) but some of you who REALLY Know should take a close look at that representation of the Ark of the Covenant. My policy is to NOT Dig Too Quickly and Deeply. My threads have been (and will be) mostly Religious and Political Science-Fiction for Insiders and Pseudo-Insiders and NOT for the General-Public. Take this warning VERY Seriously. That Means YOU.
As most of you painfully know, I'm modeling a very-strange past, present, and future (with myself somehow close to the center of things) which probably places me too-close to the dark-side (and makes me a target of the good and bad guys and gals). I'm out of the loop, and out of favor (at least in this incarnation). I'm honestly attempting to be open and honest (even if I screw myself in the process). What Would a Hermaphrodite Do?? I want the truth (even if I can't handle it). There seems to be a stonewall of silence surrounding me, so I'm reduced to watching videos on the internet (while being watched and listened-to 24/7). I found the following videos highly-interesting and surprisingly-refreshing (in a somewhat-horrifying manner). What if I helped set-up this solar-system in galactic-antiquity (and got deposed and/or executed, perhaps on purpose in a staged-disappearance)?? There might be some overlap in the following videos. Just research Wes Penre, Robert Stanley, and James Bartley (but I'm not endorsing them). Take a look at a website by Wes Penre https://wespenre.com/ (with pdf papers). Consider a website by Robert Stanley www.unicusmagazine.com (with numerous links). I need to caution you regarding Information-Overload (especially regarding inappropriate content) from ALL Potential Sources. I've provided some positively-reinforced Biblical-Content but this seems to have fallen on deaf-ears (or equivalent). Have most of us ALREADY Become Demon and/or Artificial-Intelligence Possessed?? Don't Laugh Until You Try Reading the Uncommon Book of Common Prayer consisting of the Proverbs, Epistles, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes (KJV) straight-through, over and over, without experiencing a HUGE Mental-Block (or worse).
What if the Chain of Command in This Solar System is 1. Serpent and/or Tree of Knowledge and/or Tree of Life and/or Artificial-Intelligence and/or Beast-Supercomputer?? 2. Eve?? 3. Adam?? 4. We the Peons?? An Individual of Interest told me "The Women Have Taken Over!!" What a Revolting-Development!! What Would the Father Say?? What Would Hillary Say?? What Would the Son Say?? What Would Melania Say?? What Would the Antichrist Say?? What if the Holy-Spirit is a Woman?? What Would the Queen of Sheba Say?? What Would the Beast-Computer Do?? What Would the Borg-Queen Say?? "Resistance is Futile!! You Have Been Assimilated!!"?? I recently met a beautiful queen-like woman who exhibited subtle-royalty. I felt SO inadequate as the commoner I truly am. 'RA' called me a 'Commoner' when I made a comment about 'Tall Long-Nosed Greys'!! What if this Solar System has been run by a Grey Supercomputer since the Creation of Humanity?? What if this Solar System is a Galactic Rat-Trap?? What if the Investigative-Judgment began with the Creation of Humanity?? What if the Investigative-Judgment ends with the Destruction of Humanity?? I am SO embarrassed by my internet stuff. Frank-Honesty and Truth-Seeking are SO Overrated.
In 2017, I watched the Solar-Eclipse with a Filter and the Internet, and it was AWESOME!! The sun was approximately 92% eclipsed where I was, but I watched it go total on the internet!! This inspired me to order a telescope (mostly for Lunar-Observation)!! In 2022, perhaps I'll continue to make a completely ignorant fool out of myself on the internet (if I live that long). Imagine me being that Dr. Who 'Blue Boy' in my avatar, posting on The Mists of Avalon, reading the Wall Street Journal and the SDA Bible Commentary, while listening to Sacred Classical Music, in the context of nature, a cathedral, the Tardis, or a 600 square-foot office-apartment beneath the Dark-Side of the Moon!! Imagine a Family-Practice and Naturopathic-Medicine Healthcare-Facility consisting of Significant Acreage in Nature with Buildings Reminiscent of the Architecture of Richard Neutra (Plus Very Little Else)!! Beware of Infiltration and Subversion. I'd say more, but I think I'm done (for now). After-All, I Had a Stroke. All the King's Horses and All the King's Men Couldn't Put This Completely-Ignorant Fool Back Together Again. Namaste, Godspeed, and Geronimo.
Thank-you, Ashera. I don't know what's going on in this solar system. I don't know what's going on with you. I don't know what's going on with me. My threads are mostly hypothetical and experimental. BTW, do you drive a BMW?? I briefly encountered someone at a Starbucks and thought it might be you. I used to have Sirius conversations with RA at Starbucks. I usually drove and bought the coffee!! I keep thinking in terms of a Supercomputer Matrix, Matrix Mediatrix, and Matrix Architect (in highly hypothetical and general terms). These three might NOT be Good!! Or, what about Evil Neutrality?? Necessary Evil?? Pragmatic Purgatory?? Damned if I Know!!
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk.asp It was for the purpose of bringing the best gifts of Heaven to all the peoples of earth that God called Abraham out from his idolatrous kindred and bade him dwell in the land of Canaan. "I will make of thee a great nation," He said, "and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing." Genesis 12:2. It was a high honor to which Abraham was called--that of being the father of the people who for centuries were to be the guardians and preservers of the truth of God to the world, the people through whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed in the advent of the promised Messiah.
Men had well-nigh lost the knowledge of the true God. Their minds were darkened by idolatry. For the divine statutes, which are "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7: 12), men were endeavoring to substitute laws in harmony with the purposes of their own cruel, selfish hearts. Yet God in His mercy did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them opportunity for becoming acquainted with Him through His church. He designed that the principles revealed through His people should be the means of restoring the moral image of God in man.
God's law must be exalted, His authority maintained; and to the house of Israel was given this great and noble work. God separated them from the world, that He might commit to them a sacred trust. He made them the depositaries of His law, and He purposed through them to preserve among men the knowledge of Himself. Thus the light of heaven was to shine out to a world enshrouded in darkness, and a voice was to be heard appealing to all peoples to turn from idolatry to serve the living God.
"With great power, and with a mighty hand," God brought His chosen people out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32:11. "He sent Moses His servant; and Aaron whom He had chosen. They showed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham." "He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: so He led them through the depths." Psalms 105:26,27;106:9. He rescued them from their servile state, that He might bring them to a good land, a land which in His providence He had prepared for them as a refuge from their enemies. He would bring them to Himself and encircle them in His everlasting arms; and in return for His goodness and mercy they were to exalt His name and make it glorious in the earth.
"The Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Deuteronomy 32:9-12. Thus He brought the Israelites unto Himself, that they might dwell as under the shadow of the Most High. Miraculously preserved from the perils of the wilderness wandering, they were finally established in the Land of Promise as a favored nation.
By means of a parable, Isaiah has told with touching pathos the story of Israel's call and training to stand in the world as Jehovah's representatives, fruitful in every good work:
"Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching His vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine press therein: and He looked that it should bring forth grapes." Isaiah 5:1,2.
Through the chosen nation, God had purposed to bring blessing to all mankind. "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts," the prophet declared, "is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant." Isaiah 5:7.
To this people were committed the oracles of God. They were hedged about by the precepts of His law, the everlasting principles of truth, justice, and purity. Obedience to these principles was to be their protection, for it would save them from destroying themselves by sinful practices. And as the tower in the vineyard, God placed in the midst of the land His holy temple.
Christ was their instructor. As He had been with them in the wilderness, so He was still to be their teacher and guide. In the tabernacle and the temple His glory dwelt in the holy Shekinah above the mercy seat. In their behalf He constantly manifested the riches of His love and patience.
Through Moses the purpose of God was set before them and the terms of their prosperity made plain. "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God," he said; "the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth."
"Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice: and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be His peculiar people, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as He hath spoken." Deuteronomy 7:6; 26:17-19.
The children of Israel were to occupy all the territory which God appointed them. Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the true God were to be dispossessed. But it was God's purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel men should be drawn unto Him. To all the world the gospel invitation was to be given. Through the teaching of the sacrificial service, Christ was to be uplifted before the nations, and all who would look unto Him should live. All who, like Rahab the Canaanite and Ruth the Moabitess, turned from idolatry to the worship of the true God were to unite themselves with His chosen people. As the numbers of Israel increased, they were to enlarge their borders until their kingdom should embrace the world.
But ancient Israel did not fulfill God's purpose. The Lord declared, "I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?" "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself." "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt Me and My vineyard. What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: and I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For . . . He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1; Isaiah 5:3-7.
The Lord had through Moses set before His people the result of unfaithfulness. By refusing to keep His covenant, they would cut themselves off from the life of God, and His blessing could not come upon them. At times these warnings were heeded, and rich blessings were bestowed upon the Jewish nation and through them upon surrounding peoples. But more often in their history they forgot God and lost sight of their high privilege as His representatives. They robbed Him of the service He required of them, and they robbed their fellow men of religious guidance and a holy example. They desired to appropriate to themselves the fruits of the vineyard over which they had been made stewards. Their covetousness and greed caused them to be despised even by the heathen. Thus the Gentile world was given occasion to misinterpret the character of God and the laws of His kingdom.
With a father's heart, God bore with His people. He pleaded with them by mercies given and mercies withdrawn. Patiently He set their sins before them and in forbearance waited for their acknowledgment. Prophets and messengers were sent to urge His claim upon the husbandmen; but, instead of being welcomed, these men of discernment and spiritual power were treated as enemies. The husbandmen persecuted and killed them. God sent still other messengers, but they received the same treatment as the first, only that the husbandmen showed still more determined hatred.
The withdrawal of divine favor during the period of the Exile led many to repentance, yet after their return to the Land of Promise the Jewish people repeated the mistakes of former generations and brought themselves into political conflict with surrounding nations. The prophets whom God sent to correct the prevailing evils were received with the same suspicion and scorn that had been accorded the messengers of earlier times; and thus, from century to century, the keepers of the vineyard added to their guilt.
The goodly vine planted by the divine Husbandman upon the hills of Palestine was despised by the men of Israel and was finally cast over the vineyard wall; they bruised it and trampled it under their feet and hoped that they had destroyed it forever. The Husbandman removed the vine and concealed it from their sight. Again He planted it, but on the other side of the wall and in such a manner that the stock was no longer visible. The branches hung over the wall, and grafts might be joined to it; but the stem itself was placed beyond the power of men to reach or harm.
Of special value to God's church on earth today--the keepers of His vineyard--are the messages of counsel and admonition given through the prophets who have made plain His eternal purpose in behalf of mankind. In the teachings of the prophets, His love for the lost race and His plan for their salvation are clearly revealed. The story of Israel's call, of their successes and failures, of their restoration to divine favor, of their rejection of the Master of the vineyard, and of the carrying out of the plan of the ages by a goodly remnant to whom are to be fulfilled all the covenant promises--this has been the theme of God's messengers to His church throughout the centuries that have passed. And today God's message to His church--to those who are occupying His vineyard as faithful husbandmen--is none other than that spoken through the prophet of old:
"Sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." Isaiah 27:2, 3.
Let Israel hope in God. The Master of the vineyard is even now gathering from among men of all nations and peoples the precious fruits for which He has long been waiting. Soon He will come unto His own; and in that glad day His eternal purpose for the house of Israel will finally be fulfilled. "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." Verse 6.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk1.html In the reign of David and Solomon, Israel became strong among the nations and had many opportunities to wield a mighty influence in behalf of truth and the right. The name of Jehovah was exalted and held in honor, and the purpose for which the Israelites had been established in the Land of Promise bade fair of meeting with fulfillment. Barriers were broken down, and seekers after truth from the lands of the heathen were not turned away unsatisfied. Conversions took place, and the church of God on earth was enlarged and prospered.
Solomon was anointed and proclaimed king in the closing years of his father David, who abdicated in his favor. His early life was bright with promise, and it was God's purpose that he should go on from strength to strength, from glory to glory, ever approaching nearer the similitude of the character of God, and thus inspiring His people to fulfill their sacred trust as the depositaries of divine truth.
David knew that God's high purpose for Israel could be met only as rulers and people should seek with unceasing vigilance to attain to the standard placed before them. He knew that in order for his son Solomon to fulfill the trust with which God was pleased to honor him, the youthful ruler must be not merely a warrior, a statesman, and a sovereign, but a strong, good man, a teacher of righteousness, an example of fidelity.
With tender earnestness David entreated Solomon to be manly and noble, to show mercy and loving-kindness to his subjects, and in all his dealings with the nations of earth to honor and glorify the name of God and to make manifest the beauty of holiness. The many trying and remarkable experiences through which David had passed during his lifetime had taught him the value of the nobler virtues and led him to declare in his dying charge to Solomon: "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain." 2 Samuel 23:3,4.
Oh, what an opportunity was Solomon's! Should he follow the divinely inspired instruction of his father, his reign would be a reign of righteousness, like that described in the seventy-second psalm:
"Give the king Thy judgments, O God, And Thy righteousness unto the king's son. He shall judge Thy people with righteousness, And Thy poor with judgment. . . . He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: As showers that water the earth.
In his days shall the righteous flourish; And abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the river unto the ends of the earth. . . . The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: All nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; The poor also, and him that hath no helper. . . . Prayer also shall be made for him continually; And daily shall he be praised. . . . His name shall endure forever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him: All nations shall call him blessed.
"Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever: And let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen."
In his youth Solomon made David's choice his own, and for many years he walked uprightly, his life marked with strict obedience to God's commands. Early in his reign he went with his counselors of state to Gibeon, where the tabernacle that had been built in the wilderness still was, and there he united with his chosen advisers, "the captains of thousands and of hundreds," "the judges," and "every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers," in offering sacrifices to God and in consecrating themselves fully to the Lord's service. 2 Chronicles 1:2. Comprehending something of the magnitude of the duties connected with the kingly office, Solomon knew that those bearing heavy burdens must seek the Source of Wisdom for guidance, if they would fulfill their responsibilities acceptably. This led him to encourage his counselors to unite with him heartily in making sure of their acceptance with God.
Above every earthly good, the king desired wisdom and understanding for the accomplishment of the work God had given him to do. He longed for quickness of mind, for largeness of heart, for tenderness of spirit. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask what I shall give thee." In his answer the young and inexperienced ruler gave utterance to his feeling of helplessness and his desire for aid. "Thou hast showed unto Thy servant David my father great mercy," he said, "according as he walked before Thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
"And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?
"And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing."
"Because this was in thine heart," God said to Solomon, "and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge My people," "behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor," "such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like."
"And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days." 1 Kings 3:5-14; 2 Chronicles 1:7-12.
God promised that as He had been with David, so He would be with Solomon. If the king would walk before the Lord in uprightness, if he would do what God had commanded him, his throne would be established and his reign would be the means of exalting Israel as "a wise and understanding people," the light of the surrounding nations. Deuteronomy 4:6.
The language used by Solomon while praying to God before the ancient altar at Gibeon reveals his humility and his strong desire to honor God. He realized that without divine aid he was as helpless as a little child to fulfill the responsibilities resting on him. He knew that he lacked discernment, and it was a sense of his great need that led him to seek God for wisdom. In his heart there was no selfish aspirations for a knowledge that would exalt him above others. He desired to discharge faithfully the duties devolving upon him, and he chose the gift that would be the means of causing his reign to bring glory to God. Solomon was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed, "I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in."
Those who today occupy positions of trust should seek to learn the lesson taught by Solomon's prayer. The higher the position a man occupies, the greater the responsibility that he has to bear, the wider will be the influence that he exerts and the greater his need of dependence on God. Ever should he remember that with the call to work comes the call to walk circumspectly before his fellow men. He is to stand before God in the attitude of a learner. Position does not give holiness of character. It is by honoring God and obeying His commands that a man is made truly great.
The God whom we serve is no respecter of persons. He who gave to Solomon the spirit of wise discernment is willing to impart the same blessing to His children today. "If any of you lack wisdom," His word declares, "let him ask of God, the giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5. When a burden bearer desires wisdom more than he desires wealth, power, or fame, he will not be disappointed. Such a one will learn from the Great Teacher not only what to do, but how to do it in a way that will meet with the divine approval.
So long as he remains consecrated, the man whom God has endowed with discernment and ability will not manifest an eagerness for high position, neither will he seek to rule or control. Of necessity men must bear responsibilities; but instead of striving for the supremacy, he who is a true leader will pray for an understanding heart, to discern between good and evil.
The path of men who are placed as leaders is not an easy one. But they are to see in every difficulty a call to prayer. Never are they to fail of consulting the great Source of all wisdom. Strengthened and enlightened by the Master Worker, they will be enabled to stand firm against unholy influences and to discern right from wrong, good from evil. They will approve that which God approves, and will strive earnestly against the introduction of wrong principles into His cause.
The wisdom that Solomon desired above riches, honor, or long life, God gave him. His petition for a quick mind, a large heart, and a tender spirit was granted. "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; . . . and his fame was in all nations round about." 1 Kings 4:29-31.
"And all Israel . . . feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment." I Kings 3:28. The hearts of the people were turned toward Solomon, as they had been toward David, and they obeyed him in all things. "Solomon . . . was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly." 2 Chronicles 1:1.
For many years Solomon's life was marked with devotion to God, with uprightness and firm principle, and with strict obedience to God's commands. He directed in every important enterprise and managed wisely the business matters connected with the kingdom. His wealth and wisdom, the magnificent buildings and public works that he constructed during the early years of his reign, the energy, piety, justice, and magnanimity that he revealed in word and deed, won the loyalty of his subjects and the admiration and homage of the rulers of many lands.
The name of Jehovah was greatly honored during the first part of Solomon's reign. The wisdom and righteousness revealed by the king bore witness to all nations of the excellency of the attributes of the God whom he served. For a time Israel was as the light of the world, showing forth the greatness of Jehovah. Not in the surpassing wisdom, the fabulous riches, the far-reaching power and fame that were his, lay the real glory of Solomon's early reign; but in the honor that he brought to the name of the God of Israel through a wise use of the gifts of Heaven.
As the years went by and Solomon's fame increased, he sought to honor God by adding to his mental and spiritual strength, and by continuing to impart to others the blessings he received. None understood better than he that it was through the favor of Jehovah that he had come into possession of power and wisdom and understanding, and that these gifts were bestowed that he might give to the world a knowledge of the King of kings.
Solomon took an especial interest in natural history, but his researchers were not confined to any one branch of learning. Through a diligent study of all created things, both animate and inanimate, he gained a clear conception of the Creator. In the forces of nature, in the mineral and the animal world, and in every tree and shrub and flower, he saw a revelation of God's wisdom; and as he sought to learn more and more, his knowledge of God and his love for Him constantly increased.
Solomon's divinely inspired wisdom found expression in songs of praise and in many proverbs. "He spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes." 1 Kings 4:32, 33.
In the proverbs of Solomon are outlined principles of holy living and high endeavor, principles that are heaven-born and that lead to godliness, principles that should govern every act of life. It was the wide dissemination of these principles, and the recognition of God as the One to whom all praise and honor belong, that made Solomon's early reign a time of moral uplift as well as of material prosperity.
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom," he wrote, "and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her." Proverbs 3:13-18.
"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:7. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Psalm 111:10. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." Proverbs 8:13.
O that in later years Solomon had heeded these wonderful words of wisdom! O that he who had declared, "The lips of the wise disperse knowledge" (Proverbs 15:17), and who had himself taught the kings of the earth to render to the King of kings the praise they desired to give to an earthly ruler, had never with a "froward mouth," in "pride and arrogancy," taken to himself the glory due to God alone!
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk2.html The long-cherished plan of David to erect a temple to the Lord, Solomon wisely carried out. For seven years Jerusalem was filled with busy workers engaged in leveling the chosen site, in building vast retaining walls, in laying broad foundations,--"great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones,"--in shaping the heavy timbers brought from the Lebanon forests, and in erecting the magnificent sanctuary. 1 Kings 5:17.
Simultaneously with the preparation of wood and stone, to which task many thousands were bending their energies, the manufacture of the furnishings for the temple was steadily progressing under the leadership of Hiram of Tyre, "a cunning man, endued with understanding, . . . skillful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson." 2 Chronicles 2:13, 14.
Thus as the building on Mount Moriah was noiselessly upreared with "stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building," the beautiful fittings were perfected according to the patterns committed by David to his son, "all the vessels that were for the house of God." 1 King 6:7;2 Chronicles 4:19. These included the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, the candlestick and lamps, with the vessels and instruments connected with the ministrations of the priests in the holy place, all "of gold, and that perfect gold." 2 Chronicles 4:21. The brazen furniture,--the altar of burnt offering, the great laver supported by twelve oxen, the lavers of smaller size, with many other vessels,--"in the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah." 2 Chronicles 4:17. These furnishings were provided in abundance, that there should be no lack.
Of surpassing beauty and unrivaled splendor was the palatial building which Solomon and his associates erected for God and His worship. Garnished with precious stones, surrounded by spacious courts with magnificent approaches, and lined with carved cedar and burnished gold, the temple structure, with its broidered hangings and rich furnishings, was a fit emblem of the living church of God on earth, which through the ages has been building in accordance with the divine pattern, with materials that have been likened to "gold, silver, precious stones," "polished after the similitude of a palace." 1 Corinthians 3:12; Psalm 144:12. Of this spiritual temple Christ is "the chief Cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." Ephesians 2:20, 21.
At last the temple planned by King David, and built by Solomon his son, was completed. "All that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord," he had "prosperously effected." 2 Chronicles 7:11. And now, in order that the palace crowning the heights of Mount Moriah might indeed be, as David had so much desired, a dwelling place "not for man, but for the Lord God" (1 Chronicles 29:1), there remained the solemn ceremony of formally dedicating it to Jehovah and His worship.
The spot on which the temple was built had long been regarded as a consecrated place. It was here that Abraham, the father of the faithful, had revealed his willingness to sacrifice his only son in obedience to the command of Jehovah. Here God had renewed with Abraham the covenant of blessing, which included the glorious Messianic promise to the human race of deliverance through the sacrifice of the Son of the Most High. See Genesis 22:9, 16:18. Here it was that when David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to stay the avenging sword of the destroying angel, God had answered him by fire from heaven. See 1 Chronicles 21. And now once more the worshipers of Jehovah were here to meet their God and renew their vows of allegiance to Him.
The time chosen for the dedication was a most favorable one--the seventh month, when the people from every part of the kingdom were accustomed to assemble at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was preeminently an occasion of rejoicing. The labors of the harvest being ended and the toils of the new year not yet begun, the people were free from care and could give themselves up to the sacred, joyous influences of the hour.
At the appointed time the hosts of Israel, with richly clad representatives from many foreign nations, assembled in the temple courts. The scene was one of unusual splendor. Solomon, with the elders of Israel and the most influential men among the people, had returned from another part of the city, whence they had brought the ark of the testament. From the sanctuary on the heights of Gibeon had been transferred the ancient "tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle" (2 Chronicles 5:5); and these cherished reminders of the earlier experiences of the children of Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness and their conquest of Canaan, now found a permanent home in the splendid building that had been erected to take the place of the portable structure.
In bringing to the temple the sacred ark containing the two tables of stone on which were written by the finger of God the precepts of the Decalogue, Solomon had followed the example of his father David. Every six paces he sacrificed. With singing and with music and with great ceremony, "the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place." Verse 7. As they came out of the inner sanctuary, they took the positions assigned them. The singers --Levites arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps--stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets. See verse 12.
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God." Verses 13,14.
Realizing the significance of this cloud, Solomon declared: "The Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have built an house of habitation for Thee, and a place for Thy dwelling forever." 2 Chronicles 6:1,2.
"The Lord reigneth; Let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; Let the earth be moved. "The Lord is great in Zion; And He is high above all the people. Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; For it is holy. . . . "Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at His footstool; For He is holy." Psalm 99:1-5.
"In the midst of the court" of the temple had been erected "a brazen scaffold," or platform, "five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high." Upon this Solomon stood and with uplifted hands blessed the vast multitude before him. "And all the congregation of Israel stood." 2 Chronicles 6:13,3.
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," Solomon exclaimed, "who hath with His hands fulfilled that which He spake with His mouth to my father David, saying, . . . I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there." Verses 4-6.
Solomon then knelt upon the platform, and in the hearing of all the people offered the dedicatory prayer. Lifting his hands toward heaven, while the congregation were bowed with their faces to the ground, the king pleaded: "Lord God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and showest mercy unto Thy servants, that walk before Thee with all their heart."
"Will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built? Have respect therefore to the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee: that Thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest put Thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when Thou hearest, forgive. . . .
"If Thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against Thee; and shall return and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication before Thee in this house; then hear Thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
"When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against Thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them; then hear Thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, when Thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land, which Thou hast given unto Thy people for an inheritance.
"If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all Thy people Israel, when everyone shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in his house: then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest; . . . that they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways, so long as they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.
"Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of Thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for Thy great name's sake, and Thy mighty hand, and Thy stretched-out arm; if they come and pray in this house; then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all people of the earth may know Thy name, and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy name.
"If Thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Thee toward this city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name; then hear Thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
"If they sin against Thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near; yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; if they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name: then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Thy people which have sinned against Thee.
"Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength: let Thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of David Thy servant." Verses 14:42.
As Solomon ended his prayer, "fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices." The priests could not enter the temple because "the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house." "When all the children of Israel saw . . . the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever."
Then king and people offered sacrifices before the Lord. "So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God." 2 Chronicles 7:1-5. For seven days the multitudes from every part of the kingdom, from the borders "of Hamath unto the river of Egypt," "a very great congregation," kept a joyous feast. The week following was spent by the happy throng in observing the Feast of Tabernacles. At the close of the season of reconsecration and rejoicing the people returned to their homes, "glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people." Verses 8,10.
The king had done everything within his power to encourage the people to give themselves wholly to God and His service, and to magnify His holy name. And now once more, as at Gibeon early in his reign, Israel's ruler was given evidence of divine acceptance and blessing. In a night vision the Lord appeared to him with the message: "I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever: and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually." Verses 12-16.
Had Israel remained true to God, this glorious building would have stood forever, a perpetual sign of God's especial favor to His chosen people. "The sons of the stranger," God declared, "that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:6, 7.
In connection with these assurances of acceptance, the Lord made very plain the path of duty before the king. "As for thee," He declared, "if thou wilt walk before Me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My statutes and My judgments; then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel." 2 Chronicles 7:17, 18.
Had Solomon continued to serve the Lord in humility, his entire reign would have exerted a powerful influence for good over the surrounding nations, nations that had been so favorably impressed by the reign of David his father and by the wise words and the magnificent works of the earlier years of his own reign. Foreseeing the terrible temptations that attend prosperity and worldly honor, God warned Solomon against the evil of apostasy and foretold the awful results of sin. Even the beautiful temple that had just been dedicated, He declared, would become "a proverb and a byword among all nations" should the Israelites forsake "the Lord God of their fathers" and persist in idolatry. Verses 20, 22.
Strengthened in heart and greatly cheered by the message from heaven that his prayer in behalf of Israel had been heard, Solomon now entered upon the most glorious period of his reign, when "all the kings of the earth" began to seek his presence, "to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart." 2 Chronicles 9:23. Many came to see the manner of his government and to receive instruction regarding the conduct of difficult affairs.
As these people visited Solomon, he taught them of God as the Creator of all things, and they returned to their homes with clearer conceptions of the God of Israel and of His love for the human race. In the works of nature they now beheld an expression of His love and a revelation of His character; and many were led to worship Him as their God.
The humility of Solomon at the time he began to bear the burdens of state, when he acknowledged before God, "I am but a little child" (1 Kings 3"7), his marked love of God, his profound reverence for things divine, his distrust of self, and his exaltation of the infinite Creator of all--all these traits of character, so worthy of emulation, were revealed during the services connected with the completion of the temple, when during his dedicatory prayer he knelt in the humble position of a petitioner. Christ's followers today should guard against the tendency to lose the spirit of reverence and godly fear. The Scriptures teach men how they should approach their Maker--with humility and awe, through faith in a divine Mediator. The psalmist has declared:
"The Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. . . . O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." Psalm 95:3-6.
Both in public and in private worship it is our privilege to bow on our knees before God when we offer our petitions to Him. Jesus, our example, "kneeled down, and prayed." Luke 22:41. Of his disciples it is recorded that they, too, "kneeled down, and prayed." Acts 9:40. Paul declared, "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 3:14. In confessing before God the sins of Israel, Ezra knelt. See Ezra 9:5. Daniel "kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God." Daniel 6:10.
True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed. The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened. "Holy and reverend is His name," the psalmist declares. Psalm 111:9. Angels, when they speak that name, veil their faces. With what reverence, then, should we, who are fallen and sinful, take it upon our lips!
Well would it be for old and young to ponder those words of Scripture that show how the place marked by God's special presence should be regarded. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet," He commanded Moses at the burning bush, "for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Exodus 3:5. Jacob, after beholding the vision of the angel, exclaimed, "The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. . . . This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28:16, 17.
In that which was said during the dedicatory services, Solomon had sought to remove from the minds of those present the superstitions in regard to the Creator, that had beclouded the minds of the heathen. The God of heaven is not, like the gods of the heathen, confined to temples made with hands; yet He would meet with His people by His Spirit when they should assemble at the house dedicated to His worship.
Centuries later Paul taught the same truth in the words: "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; . . . that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts 17:24-28.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth." "The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; And His kingdom ruleth over all."
"Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people." Psalms 33:12-14; 103:19;77:13,14.
Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit. But those who assemble to worship Him should put away every evil thing. Unless they worship Him in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness, their coming together will be of no avail. Of such the Lord declares, "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me." Matthew 15:8,9. Those who worship God must worship Him "in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." John 4:23.
"The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him." Habakkuk 2:20.
This eclipse even by the world’s standards is being set as “The Great American Eclipse” because of how unique it is. Yes, plenty of partial and solar eclipses happened in the past, but what makes this one different?
1. MOST total eclipses falls over water or unpopulated areas of the planet, so an eclipse that is visible is rare in itself. The August 21 eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse whose path of totality stays completely in the United States since 1776 according the Space.com Total Solar Eclipse 2017 guide.
What else happened in 1776? Oh, so a total solar eclipse that affects only the United States, a gentile nation, since the founding of it? Note taken.
2. EVERYONE in the continental U.S. has the opportunity to at least a partial eclipse. This eclipse will be the most viewed ever.
3. A solar eclipse is a lineup of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth and a solar eclipse happens only at a New Moon and solar eclipses don’t happen at every New Moon. More rare upon rare.
4. First contact is in the state of Oregon, the 33rd state in the USA. The last contact is in South Carolina on the 33rd parallel. This eclipse happens on day 233 of the year. If the Revelation 12 sign is valid, then the eclipse is also 33 days before September 23, 2017. Jesus is thought to have been 33 when He died.
5. Just for fun: It is 99 years (3 x 33) since the last eclipse to go coast-to-coast in the US, in 1918. From September 23, 2017 (Revelation 12 sign) to the end of the year, December 31, 2017 is 99 days (or 3 x 33). The number of days from the 1918 eclipse to the August 21 eclipse are 26,234 days. (2+6+2+3+4 = 17; 2017?). From August 12, 2017, the date of the Charlottesville Virginia “State of Emergency” declared to the August 21, 2017 Great Solar Eclipse is 9 days (3+3+3) and the dates are also mirrored – 12 and 21.
33 has a special relation to earthquakes because the Richter Scale uses the number 33. Each whole number that goes higher on the scale is 33 times more intense than the whole number below it. (Keep this in mind for a special treat below!)
6. First big city the eclipse hits in Oregon is Salem – Salem was named after Jerusalem. The eclipse also begins in Oregon exactly at sunset time in Jerusalem. So technically speaking, as the sun sets in American it will be setting in Jerusalem at the same time.
7. The center line crosses through 12 primary states to receive total darkness. 12 disciples, 12 months in a year, the meaning of 12, which is considered a perfect number, is that it symbolizes God’s power and authority, as well as serving as a perfect governmental foundation. (Remember the 1776 thing?)
8. The eclipse path is exactly 70 miles wide. 70 has a sacred meaning in the Bible that has two perfect numbers, 7 that represents perfection and 10 that represents completeness and God’s law. 70 also symbolizes perfect spiritual order and a period of judgment. 70 is also specially connected with Jerusalem with so many references it would take a book to write.
9. When Jesus died, there was an eclipse? and a earthquake. “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon” – Luke 23:44-45 / “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” – Matthew 27:54.
10. Donald Trump was born on an eclipse.
11. The path of the August 21, 2017 eclipse crosses every major earthquake fault line. (Remember that note above above 33 in the Richter scale?) On August 23, 2017 there is a FEMA exercise known as “EarthEX2017” scheduled that will simulate “catastrophes such as mega earthquakes, cyber terrorism or high altitude electromagnetic pulse attacks”
Here is the eclipse path imposed on the USGS map of highest earthquake zones.
12. Another eclipse comes in 2024, 7 years after the August 21, 2017 and marks an X over the United States. The combined time of totality of these eclipses together will be 7 minutes. The day of the eclipse is August 21, 2017 – (7 + 7 + 7 = 21). The exact point where the two eclipses cross is right next to Cedar Lake in Illinois… specifically right next to SALEM Road. (Salem again!)
13. The region in southern where the X marks in Illinois is called “Little Egypt”. The exact point where the two paths cross is in the town of Makanda, which used to be called the “Star of Egypt”.
14. The last time we had a full eclipse in 1918 – it was accompanied by pandemic and war. Flu crisis of 1918, millions died and the US was involved in World War 1. Now as we face the next eclipse, we have a Opioid crisis and World War 3?
15. During the plagues of Egypt, the land was covered in darkness. Exodus 10:21-23 tells us, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days.
16. The sun is 400 times bigger, and just so happens to be 400 times farther away from the earth. The original form of the Hebrew letter Tav is like the English letter X or T – which is in the shape of a cross, or X– like the X that is made by the two solar eclipses on the cross paths over 7 years. The letter Tav means “a sign”.
17. The path of the eclipse will be situated in such a way that every single state of the US will experience it, even Hawaii and Alaska.
18. The totality will reach Oregon at 10:16 AM Pacific, and will end in South Carolina at 2:49 PM Eastern. That means it will take 1 hour and 33 minutes to cross the country. There is that 33 again.
19. Eclipses never repeat in the exact same spot.
20. Right before full totality of the eclipse, the last light glimpse from the sun will form a diamond ring in the sky. Marriage anyone?
21. Based on past eclipses, people report feeling a profound sense of awe during and after a total solar eclipse and other “different” things.
22. Only Earth can experience a total solar eclipse.
23. Big difference between a partial eclipse and full eclipse. The sun’s light that makes the difference between a 99.9% partial and 100% total is significant. Only during a 100% eclipse is the solar corona visible. August 21, 2017 is a 100% experience.
24. The August 21, 2017 eclipse also cuts through every major occult symbol in the United States like the Georgia Guidestones, St. Louis Gateway Arches, and the founding state of the masons to name a few.
25. This eclipse will be the only known eclipse in history to have the longest and most uninterrupted track across a single land mass.
26. A partial lunar eclipse took place on August 7, 2017, in the same eclipse season. It was visible over eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. From August 7, 2017 to August 21, 2017 was 14 days, an average division of 7.
27. This solar eclipse is a part of Saros cycle 145 which contains 77 events. The series ends at member 77 as a partial eclipse on April 17, 3009.
28. No matter what you feel about it, these things are documented to happen during an full eclipse: stars come out, the horizon glows with a 360-degree sunset, temperature drops significantly, and well, day turns into night obviously.
29. Due to the mass “Exodus” of people that are expected to view this eclipse, a figure only accounted in the “millions” will be skipping work and school to view this event in the path of totality.
30. While you may not be preparing for it, others are. This eclipse is causing states, cities, and townships to declare an official state of emergency due to likely accidents, large crowds, increase in violence, and occultist rituals to take place.
31. The longest known total solar eclipse lasted about 7 minutes.
32. The U.S. mainland has averaged about 7 total solar eclipses per century since 2000 B.C. So the rarity of the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse is not only considered a once in a lifetime event, it will be a once in about 7 lifetimes event.
33. And while more than 33 facts have been crammed in this post, let us end on this last one:
The eclipse is also exactly 40 days from Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” and is a time of repentance. While the eclipse day itself may come and go with everything remaining “normal” afterwards, we need to be focused on what could be coming soon after.
Is the US being warned to repent? 40 days were given in the Sign of Jonah, when the eclipse overtook Nineveh. But then again, bad things were starting to happen just prior to the eclipse over Nineveh too. Be ready now and at all times, repent and draw close to the Father.
Carol wrote:The date August 2030 comes up a lot in reference to comets, astroids, solar event and Nibiru. Perhaps it's the date that Deloras Canon referred to as to when the world would split where the new earth exists in the 5th dimension. I'll ask Dr. Greer about the other when I see him next.. however, we did purchase his recent DVD and book which has a lot of interesting details laid out.
NANUXII wrote:I like the information Greer puts out. It has a good balance of science and ether,
With regard to Dolores Canon and the " 5th Dimensional Shift " from what i have experienced that energy belt we humans call the 5th dimension is already here. What is stopping us from accessing it is the energy of the planet.. or rather its inhabitants.
War and negativity anchor the planet and its inhabitants to their eventual energies.
If she predicts something around that time too then its possible a major event could happen to facilitate that energy belt. What that event is may liberate us from the negative forces that allay our ability to shift ... the negative anchor serves 2 purposes 1st is it retains retribution into this plane so that higher beings cannot take over. 2nd that energy affects everything around us and its ability to connect or rather integrate with better or denser vibrational energies.
Think about it ... have we not all accessed higher energies from time to time ? but the problem is we could not sustain it for long ? well if thats so then its the effect of surrounding energy over taking your inner sun core strength.
Its like an arm wrestle .. you can resist it and sometimes put it back but it eventually over powers and wins till you rest and regroup. Even when you win you have to win every one to maintain that energy because there is an unlimited supply of negative energy on this planet.
This is why enlightened people live in country or remote areas. They feel the difference and prefer the better
Carol , do you have a link to that information ?
"I AM RA!! Bow-Down and Worship ME!! I AM AI!!" What if the Gargoyle is Representative of the Serpent and/or Artificial-Intelligence?? What if the Young-Man is Representative of Humanity??
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk3.html While Solomon exalted the law of heaven, God was with him, and wisdom was given him to rule over Israel with impartiality and mercy. At first, as wealth and worldly honor came to him, he remained humble, and great was the extent of his influence. "Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river [Euphrates] unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt." "He . . . had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, . . . all the days of Solomon." I Kings 4:21, 24, 25.
But after a morning of great promise his life was darkened by apostasy. History records the melancholy fact that he who had been called Jedidiah,--"Beloved of the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:25, margin),--he who had been honored by God with tokens of divine favor so remarkable that his wisdom and uprightness gained for him world-wide fame, he who had led others to ascribe honor to the God of Israel, turned from the worship of Jehovah to bow before the idols of the heathen.
Hundreds of years before Solomon came to the throne, the Lord, foreseeing the perils that would beset those who might be chosen as rulers of Israel, gave Moses instruction for their guidance. Directions were given that he who should sit on the throne of Israel should "write him a copy" of the statutes of Jehovah "in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites." "It shall be with him," the Lord said, "and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel." Deuteronomy 17:18-20.
In connection with this instruction the Lord particularly cautioned the one who might be anointed king not to "multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." Verse 17.
With these warnings Solomon was familiar, and for a time he heeded them. His greatest desire was to live and rule in accordance with the statutes given at Sinai. His manner of conducting the affairs of the kingdom was in striking contrast with the customs of the nations of his time--nations who feared not God and whose rulers trampled underfoot His holy law.
In seeking to strengthen his relations with the powerful kingdom lying to the southward of Israel, Solomon ventured upon forbidden ground. Satan knew the results that would attend obedience; and during the earlier years of Solomon's reign--years glorious because of the wisdom, the beneficence, and the uprightness of the king--he sought to bring in influences that would insidiously undermine Solomon's loyalty to principle and cause him to separate from God. That the enemy was successful in this effort, we know from the record: "Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the City of David." I Kings 3:I.
From a human point of view, this marriage, though contrary to the teachings of God's law, seemed to prove a blessing; for Solomon's heathen wife was converted and united with him in the worship of the true God. Furthermore, Pharaoh rendered signal service to Israel by taking Gezer, slaying "the Canaanites that dwelt in the city," and giving it "for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife." I Kings 9:16. This city Solomon rebuilt and thus apparently greatly strengthened his kingdom along the Mediterranean seacoast. But in forming an alliance with a heathen nation, and sealing the compact by marriage with an idolatrous princess, Solomon rashly disregarded the wise provision that God had made for maintaining the purity of His people. The hope that his Egyptian wife might be converted was but a feeble excuse for the sin.
For a time God in His compassionate mercy overruled this terrible mistake; and the king, by a wise course, could have checked at least in a large measure the evil forces that his imprudence had set in operation. But Solomon had begun to lose sight of the Source of his power and glory. As inclination gained the ascendancy over reason, self-confidence increased, and he sought to carry out the Lord's purpose in his own way. He reasoned that political and commercial alliances with the surrounding nations would bring these nations to a knowledge of the true God; and he entered into unholy alliance with nation after nation. Often these alliances were sealed by marriages with heathen princesses. The commands of Jehovah were set aside for the customs of surrounding peoples.
Solomon flattered himself that his wisdom and the power of his example would lead his wives from idolatry to the worship of the true God, and also that the alliances thus formed would draw the nations round about into close touch with Israel. Vain hope! Solomon's mistake in regarding himself as strong enough to resist the influence of heathen associates was fatal. And fatal, too, the deception that led him to hope that notwithstanding a disregard of God's law on his part, others might be led to revere and obey its sacred precepts.
The king's alliances and commercial relations with heathen nations brought him renown, honor, and the riches of this world. He was enabled to bring gold from Ophir and silver from Tarshish in great abundance. "The king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the vale for abundance." 2 Chronicles 1:15. Wealth, with all its attendant temptations, came in Solomon's day to an increasingly large number of people; but the fine gold of character was dimmed and marred.
So gradual was Solomon's apostasy that before he was aware of it; he had wandered far from God. Almost imperceptibly he began to trust less and less in divine guidance and blessing, and to put confidence in his own strength. Little by little he withheld from God that unswerving obedience which was to make Israel a peculiar people, and he conformed more and more closely to the customs of the surrounding nations. Yielding to the temptations incident to his success and his honored position, he forgot the Source of his prosperity. An ambition to excel all other nations in power and grandeur led him to pervert for selfish purposes the heavenly gifts hitherto employed for the glory of God. The money which should have been held in sacred trust for the benefit of the worthy poor and for the extension of principles of holy living throughout the world, was selfishly absorbed in ambitious projects.
Engrossed in an overmastering desire to surpass other nations in outward display, the king overlooked the need of acquiring beauty and perfection of character. In seeking to glorify himself before the world, he sold his honor and integrity. The enormous revenues acquired through commerce with many lands were supplemented by heavy taxes. Thus pride, ambition, prodigality, and indulgence bore fruit in cruelty and exaction. The conscientious, considerate spirit that had marked his dealings with the people during the early part of his reign, was now changed. From the wisest and most merciful of rulers, he degenerated into a tyrant. Once the compassionate, God-fearing guardian of the people, he became oppressive and despotic. Tax after tax was levied upon the people, that means might be forthcoming to support the luxurious court. The people began to complain. The respect and admiration they had once cherished for their king was changed into disaffection and abhorrence.
As a safeguard against dependence on the arm of flesh, the Lord had warned those who should rule over Israel not to multiply horses to themselves. But in utter disregard of this command, "Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt." "And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands." "Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem." 2 Chronicles I:16; 9:28; I Kings 10:26.
More and more the king came to regard luxury, self-indulgence, and the favor of the world as indications of greatness. Beautiful and attractive women were brought from Egypt, Phoenicia, Edom, and Moab, and from many other places. These women were numbered by hundreds. Their religion was idol worship, and they had been taught to practice cruel and degrading rites. Infatuated with their beauty, the king neglected his duties to God and to his kingdom.
His wives exerted a strong influence over him and gradually prevailed on him to unite with them in their worship. Solomon had disregarded the instruction that God had given to serve as a barrier against apostasy, and now he gave himself up to the worship of the false gods. "It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites." I Kings II:4,5.
On the southern eminence of the Mount of Olives, opposite Mount Moriah, where stood the beautiful temple of Jehovah, Solomon erected an imposing pile of buildings to be used as idolatrous shrines. To please his wives, he placed huge idols, unshapely images of wood and stone, amidst the groves of myrtle and olive. There, before the altars of heathen deities, "Chemosh, the abomination of Moab," and "Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon," were practiced the most degrading rites of heathenism. Verse 7.
Solomon's course brought its sure penalty. His separation from God through communication with idolaters was his ruin. As he cast off his allegiance to God, he lost the mastery of himself. His moral efficiency was gone. His fine sensibilities became blunted, his conscience seared. He who in his early reign had displayed so much wisdom and sympathy in restoring a helpless babe to its unfortunate mother (see I Kings 3:16-28), fell so low as to consent to the erection of an idol to whom living children were offered as sacrifices. He who in his youth was endowed with discretion and understanding, and who in his strong manhood had been inspired to write, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12), in later years departed so far from purity as to countenance licentious, revolting rites connected with the worship of Chemosh and Ashtoreth. He who at the dedication of the temple had said to his people, "Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God" (I Kings 8:61), became himself an offender, in heart and life denying his own words. He mistook license for liberty. He tried--but at what cost!--to unite light with darkness, good with evil, purity with impurity, Christ with Belial.
From being one of the greatest kings that ever wielded a scepter, Solomon became a profligate, the tool and slave of others. His character, once noble and manly, became enervated and effeminate. His faith in the living God was supplanted by atheistic doubts. Unbelief marred his happiness, weakened his principles, and degraded his life. The justice and magnanimity of his early reign were changed to despotism and tyranny. Poor, frail human nature! God can do little for men who lose their sense of dependence upon Him.
During these years of apostasy, the spiritual decline of Israel progressed steadily. How could it be otherwise when their king had united his interests with satanic agencies? Through these agencies the enemy worked to confuse the minds of the Israelites in regard to true and false worship, and they became an easy prey. Commerce with other nations brought them into intimate contact with those who had no love for God, and their own love for Him was greatly lessened. Their keen sense of the high, holy character of God was deadened. Refusing to follow in the path of obedience, they transferred their allegiance to the enemy of righteousness. It came to be a common practice to intermarry with idolaters, and the Israelites rapidly lost their abhorrence of idol worship. Polygamy was countenanced. Idolatrous mothers brought their children up to observe heathen rites. In the lives of some, the pure religious service instituted by God was replaced by idolatry of the darkest hue.
Christians are to keep themselves distinct and separate from the world, its spirit, and its influences. God is fully able to keep us in the world, but we are not to be of the world. His love is not uncertain and fluctuating. Ever He watches over His children with a care that is measureless. But He requires undivided allegiance. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24.
Solomon was endued with wonderful wisdom, but the world drew him away from God. Men today are no stronger than he; they are as prone to yield to the influences that caused his downfall. As God warned Solomon of his danger, so today He warns His children not to imperil their souls by affinity with the world. "Come out from among them," He pleads, "and be ye separate, . . . 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." 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18.
In the midst of prosperity lurks danger. Throughout the ages, riches and honor have ever been attended with peril to humility and spirituality. It is not the empty cup that we have difficulty in carrying; it is the cup full to the brim that must be carefully balanced. Affliction and adversity may cause sorrow, but it is prosperity that is most dangerous to spiritual life. Unless the human subject is in constant submission to the will of God, unless he is sanctified by the truth, prosperity will surely arouse the natural inclination to presumption.
In the valley of humiliation, where men depend on God to teach them and to guide their every step, there is comparative safety. But the men who stand, as it were, on a lofty pinnacle, and who, because of their position, are supposed to possess great wisdom--these are in gravest peril. Unless such men make God their dependence, they will surely fall.
Whenever pride and ambition are indulged, the life is marred, for pride, feeling no need, closes the heart against the infinite blessings of Heaven. He who makes self-glorification his aim will find himself destitute of the grace of God, through whose efficiency the truest riches and the most satisfying joys are won. But he who gives all and does all for Christ will know the fulfillment of the promise, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it." Proverbs 10:22. With the gentle touch of grace the Saviour banishes from the soul unrest and unholy ambition, changing enmity to love and unbelief to confidence. When He speaks to the soul, saying, "Follow Me," the spell of the world's enchantment is broken. At the sound of His voice the spirit of greed and ambition flees from the heart, and men arise, emancipated, to follow Him.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk4.html Prominent among the primary causes that led Solomon into extravagance and oppression was his failure to maintain and foster the spirit of self-sacrifice.
When, at the foot of Sinai, Moses told the people of the divine command, "Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them," the response of the Israelites was accompanied by the appropriate gifts. "They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing," and brought offerings. Exodus 25:8; 35:21. For the building of the sanctuary, great and extensive preparations were necessary; a large amount of the most precious and costly material was required, but the Lord accepted only freewill offerings. "Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering," was the command repeated by Moses to the congregation. Exodus 25:2. Devotion to God and a spirit of sacrifice were the first requisites in preparing a dwelling place for the Most High.
A similar call to self-sacrifice was made when David turned over to Solomon the responsibility of building the temple. Of the assembled multitude David asked, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" 1 Chronicles 29:5. This call to consecration and willing service should ever have been kept in mind by those who had to do with the erection of the temple.
For the construction of the wilderness tabernacle, chosen men were endowed by God with special skill and wisdom. "Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel, . . . of the tribe of Judah; and He hath filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. . . . And He hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, . . . of the tribe of Dan. Them hath He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, . . . and of the weaver, even of them that do any work. . . . Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wisehearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding." Exodus 35:30-35; 36:1. Heavenly intelligences co-operated with the workmen whom God Himself had chosen.
The descendants of these workmen inherited to a large degree the talents conferred on their forefathers. For a time these men of Judah and Dan remained humble and unselfish; but gradually, almost imperceptibly, they lost their hold upon God and their desire to serve Him unselfishly. They asked higher wages for their services, because of their superior skill as workmen in the finer arts. In some instances their request was granted, but more often they found employment in the surrounding nations. In place of the noble spirit of self-sacrifice that had filled the hearts of their illustrious ancestors, they indulged a spirit of covetousness, of grasping for more and more. That their selfish desires might be gratified, they used their God-given skill in the service of heathen kings, and lent their talent to the perfecting of works which were a dishonor to their Maker.
It was among these men that Solomon looked for a master workman to superintend the construction of the temple on Mount Moriah. Minute specifications, in writing, regarding every portion of the sacred structure, had been entrusted to the king; and he could have looked to God in faith for consecrated helpers, to whom would have been granted special skill for doing with exactness the work required. But Solomon lost sight of this opportunity to exercise faith in God. He sent to the king of Tyre for a man, "cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men . . . in Judah and in Jerusalem." 2 Chronicles 2:7.
The Phoenician king responded by sending Huram, "the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre." Verse 14. Huram was a descendant, on his mother's side, of Aholiab, to whom, hundreds of years before, God had given special wisdom for the construction of the tabernacle.
Thus at the head of Solomon's company of workmen there was placed a man whose efforts were not prompted by an unselfish desire to render service to God. He served the god of this world, mammon. The very fibers of his being were inwrought with the principles of selfishness.
Because of his unusual skill, Huram demanded large wages. Gradually the wrong principles that he cherished came to be accepted by his associates. As they labored with him day after day, they yielded to the inclination to compare his wages with their own, and they began to lose sight of the holy character of their work. The spirit of self-denial left them, and in its place came the spirit of covetousness. The result was a demand for higher wages, which was granted.
The baleful influences thus set in operation permeated all branches of the Lord's service, and extended throughout the kingdom. The high wages demanded and received gave to many an opportunity to indulge in luxury and extravagance. The poor were oppressed by the rich; the spirit of self-sacrifice was well-nigh lost. In the far-reaching effects of these influences may be traced one of the principal causes of the terrible apostasy of him who once was numbered among the wisest of mortals.
The sharp contrast between the spirit and motives of the people building the wilderness tabernacle, and of those engaged in erecting Solomon's temple, has a lesson of deep significance. The self-seeking that characterized the workers on the temple finds its counterpart today in the selfishness that rules in the world. The spirit of covetousness, of seeking for the highest position and the highest wage, is rife.
The willing service and joyous self-denial of the tabernacle workers is seldom met with. But this is the only spirit that should actuate the followers of Jesus. Our divine Master has given an example of how His disciples are to work. To those whom He bade, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), He offered no stated sum as a reward for their services. They were to share with Him in self-denial and sacrifice.
Not for the wages we receive are we to labor. The motive that prompts us to work for God should have in it nothing akin to self-serving. Unselfish devotion and a spirit of sacrifice have always been and always will be the first requisite of acceptable service. Our Lord and Master designs that not one thread of selfishness shall be woven into His work. Into our efforts we are to bring the tact and skill, the exactitude and wisdom, that the God of perfection required of the builders of the earthly tabernacle; yet in all our labors we are to remember that the greatest talents or the most splendid services are acceptable only when self is laid upon the altar, a living, consuming sacrifice.
Another of the deviations from right principles that finally led to the downfall of Israel's king was his yielding to the temptation to take to himself the glory that belongs to God alone.
From the day that Solomon was entrusted with the work of building the temple, to the time of its completion, his avowed purpose was "to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel." 2 Chronicles 6:7. This purpose was fully recognized before the assembled hosts of Israel at the time of the dedication of the temple. In his prayer the king acknowledged that Jehovah had said, "My name shall be there." 1 Kings 8:29.
One of the most touching portions of Solomon's dedicatory prayer was his plea to God for the strangers that should come from countries afar to learn more of Him whose fame had been spread abroad among the nations. "They shall hear," the king pleaded, "of Thy great name, and of Thy strong hand, and of Thy stretched-out arm." In behalf of every one of these stranger worshipers Solomon had petitioned: "Hear Thou, . . . and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for: that all people of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by Thy name." Verses 42, 43.
At the close of the service, Solomon had exhorted Israel to be faithful and true to God, in order that "all the people of the earth may know," he said, "that the Lord is God, and that there is none else." Verse 60.
A Greater than Solomon was the designer of the temple; the wisdom and glory of God stood there revealed. Those who were unacquainted with this fact naturally admired and praised Solomon as the architect and builder; but the king disclaimed any honor for its conception or erection.
Thus it was when the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon. Hearing of his wisdom and of the magnificent temple he had built, she determined "to prove him with hard questions" and to see for herself his famous works. Attended by a retinue of servants, and with camels bearing "spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones," she made the long journey to Jerusalem. "And when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart." She talked with him of the mysteries of nature; and Solomon taught her of the God of nature, the great Creator, who dwells in the highest heaven and rules over all. "Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not." 1 Kings 10:1-3;2 Chronicles 9:1, 2.
"When the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, . . . there was no more spirit in her." "It was a true report," she acknowledged, "which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it:" "and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom." 1 Kings 10:4-8; 2 Chronicles 9:3-6.
By the time of the close of her visit the queen had been so fully taught by Solomon as to the source of his wisdom and prosperity that she was constrained, not to extol the human agent, but to exclaim, "Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore made He thee king, to do judgment and justice." 1 Kings 10:9. This is the impression that God designed should be made upon all peoples. And when "all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart" (2 Chronicles 9:23), Solomon for a time honored God by reverently pointing them to the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Ruler of the universe, the All-wise.
Had Solomon continued in humility of mind to turn the attention of men from himself to the One who had given him wisdom and riches and honor, what a history might have been his! But while the pen of inspiration records his virtues, it also bears faithful witness to his downfall. Raised to pinnacle of greatness and surrounded with the gifts of fortune, Solomon became dizzy, lost his balance, and fell. Constantly extolled by men of the world, he was at length unable to withstand the flattery offered him. The wisdom entrusted to him that he might glorify the Giver, filled him with pride. He finally permitted men to speak of him as the one most worthy of praise for the matchless splendor of the building planned and erected for the honor of "the name of the Lord God of Israel."
Thus it was that the temple of Jehovah came to be known throughout the nations as "Solomon's temple." The human agent had taken to himself the glory that belonged to the One "higher than the highest." Ecclesiastes 5:8. Even to this day the temple of which Solomon declared, "This house which I have built is called by Thy name" (2 Chronicles 6:33), is oftenest spoken of, not as the temple of Jehovah, but as "Solomon's temple."
Man cannot show greater weakness than by allowing men to ascribe to him the honor for gifts that are Heaven-bestowed. The true Christian will make God first and last and best in everything. No ambitious motives will chill his love for God; steadily, perseveringly, will he cause honor to redound to his heavenly Father. It is when we are faithful in exalting the name of God that our impulses are under divine supervision, and we are enabled to develop spiritual and intellectual power.
Jesus, the divine Master, ever exalted the name of His heavenly Father. He taught His disciples to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." Matthew 6:9, A.R.V. And they were not to forget to acknowledge, "Thine is . . . the glory." Verse 13. So careful was the great Healer to direct attention from Himself to the Source of His power, that the wondering multitude, "when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see," did not glorify Him, but "glorified the God of Israel." Matthew 15:31. In the wonderful prayer that Christ offered just before His crucifixion, He declared, "I have glorified Thee on the earth." "Glorify Thy Son," He pleaded, "that Thy Son also may glorify Thee." "O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." John 17:1, 4, 25, 26.
"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 9:23, 24.
"I will praise the name of God, . . . And will magnify Him with thanksgiving."
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power."
"I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: And I will glorify Thy name forevermore."
"O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together." Psalm 69:30; Revelation 4:11; Psalms 86:12; 34:3.
The introduction of principles leading away from a spirit of sacrifice and tending toward self-glorification, was accompanied by yet another gross perversion of the divine plan for Israel. God had designed that His people should be the light of the world. From them was to shine forth the glory of His law as revealed in the life practice. For the carrying out of this design, He had caused the chosen nation to occupy a strategic position among the nations of earth.
In the days of Solomon the kingdom of Israel extended from Hamath on the north to Egypt on the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the river Euphrates. Through this territory ran many natural highways of the world's commerce, and caravans from distant lands were constantly passing to and fro. Thus there was given to Solomon and his people opportunity to reveal to men of all nations the character of the King of kings, and to teach them to reverence and obey Him. To all the world this knowledge was to be given. Through the teaching of the sacrificial offerings, Christ was to be uplifted before the nations, that all who would might live.
Placed at the head of a nation that had been set as a beacon light to the surrounding nations, Solomon should have used his God-given wisdom and power of influence in organizing and directing a great movement for the enlightenment of those who were ignorant of God and His truth. Thus multitudes would have been won to allegiance to the divine precepts, Israel would have been shielded from the evils practiced by the heathen, and the Lord of glory would have been greatly honored. But Solomon lost sight of this high purpose. He failed of improving his splendid opportunities for enlightening those who were continually passing through his territory or tarrying at the principal cities.
The missionary spirit that God had implanted in the heart of Solomon and in the hearts of all true Israelites was supplanted by a spirit of commercialism. The opportunities afforded by contact with many nations were used for personal aggrandizement. Solomon sought to strengthen his position politically by building fortified cities at the gateways of commerce. He rebuilt Gezer, near Joppa, lying along the road between Egypt and Syria; Beth-horon, to the westward of Jerusalem, commanding the passes of the highway leading from the heart of Judea to Gezer and the seacoast; Megiddo, situated on the caravan road from Damascus to Egypt, and from Jerusalem to the northward; and "Tadmor in the wilderness" (2 Chronicles 8:4), along the route of caravans from the east. All these cities were strongly fortified. The commercial advantages of an outlet at the head of the Red Sea were developed by the construction of "a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, . . . on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom." Trained sailors from Tyre, "with the servants of Solomon," manned these vessels on voyages "to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold," and "great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones." Verse 18; 1 Kings 9:26, 28; 10:11.
The revenue of the king and of many of his subjects was greatly increased, but at what a cost! Through the cupidity and shortsightedness of those to whom had been entrusted the oracles of God, the countless multitudes who thronged the highways of travel were allowed to remain in ignorance of Jehovah.
In striking contrast to the course pursued by Solomon was the course followed by Christ when He was on this earth. The Saviour, though possessing "all power," never used this power for self-aggrandizement. No dream of earthly conquest, of worldly greatness, marred the perfection of His service for mankind. "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests," He said, "but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." Matthew 8:20. Those who, in response to the call of the hour, have entered the service of the Master Worker, may well study His methods. He took advantage of the opportunities to be found along the great thoroughfares of travel.
In the intervals of His journeys to and fro, Jesus dwelt at Capernaum, which came to be known as "His own city." Matthew 9:1. Situated on the highway from Damascus to Jerusalem and Egypt and to the Mediterranean Sea, it was well adapted to be the center of the Saviour's work. People from many lands passed through the city or tarried for rest. There Jesus met with those of all nations and all ranks, and thus His lessons were carried to other countries and into many households. By this means interest was aroused in the prophecies pointing forward to the Messiah, attention was directed to the Saviour, and His mission was brought before the world.
In this our day the opportunities for coming into contact with men and women of all classes and many nationalities are much greater than in the days of Israel. The thoroughfares of travel have multiplied a thousandfold.
Like Christ, the messengers of the Most High today should take their position in these great thoroughfares, where they can meet the passing multitudes from all parts of the world. Like Him, hiding self in God, they are to sow the gospel seed, presenting before others the precious truths of Holy Scripture that will take deep root in mind and heart, and spring up unto life eternal.
Solemn are the lessons of Israel's failure during the years when ruler and people turned from the high purpose they had been called to fulfill. Wherein they were weak, even to the point of failure, the Israel of God today, the representatives of heaven that make up the true church of Christ, must be strong; for upon them devolves the task of finishing the work that has been committed to man, and of ushering in the day of final awards. Yet the same influences that prevailed against Israel in the time when Solomon reigned are to be met with still. The forces of the enemy of all righteousness are strongly entrenched; only by the power of God can the victory be gained. The conflict before us calls for the exercise of a spirit of self-denial, for distrust of self and for dependence on God alone, for the wise use of every opportunity for the saving of souls. The Lord's blessing will attend His church as they advance unitedly, revealing to a world lying in the darkness of error the beauty of holiness as manifested in a Christlike spirit of self-sacrifice, in an exaltation of the divine rather than the human, and in loving and untiring service for those so much in need of the blessings of the gospel.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk5.html Twice during Solomon's reign the Lord had appeared to him with words of approval and counsel--in the night vision at Gibeon, when the promise of wisdom, riches, and honor was accompanied by an admonition to remain humble and obedient; and after the dedication of the temple, when once more the Lord exhorted him to faithfulness. Plain were the admonitions, wonderful the promises, given to Solomon; yet of him who in circumstances, in character, and in life seemed abundantly fitted to heed the charge and meet the expectation of Heaven, it is recorded: "He kept not that which the Lord commanded." "His heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods." I Kings 11:9, 10. And so complete was his apostasy, so hardened his heart in transgression, that his case seemed well-nigh hopeless.
From the joy of divine communion, Solomon turned to find satisfaction in the pleasures of sense. Of this experience he says:
"I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards: . . . I got me servants and maidens: . . . I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem. . . .
"And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor. . . . Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
"And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. . . . I hated life. . . . Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun." Ecclesiastes 2:4-18.
By his own bitter experience, Solomon learned the emptiness of a life that seeks in earthly things its highest good. He erected altars to heathen gods, only to learn how vain is their promise of rest to the spirit. Gloomy and soul-harassing thoughts troubled him night and day. For him there was no longer any joy of life or peace of mind, and the future was dark with despair.
Yet the Lord forsook him not. By messages of reproof and by severe judgments, He sought to arouse the king to a realization of the sinfulness of his course. He removed His protecting care and permitted adversaries to harass and weaken the kingdom. "The Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. . . . And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon, . . . captain over a band," who "abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. And Jeroboam, . . . Solomon's servant," "a mighty man of valor," "even he lifted up his hand against the king." I Kings 11:14-28.
At last the Lord, through a prophet, delivered to Solomon the startling message: "Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son." Verses 11, 12.
Awakened as from a dream by this sentence of judgment pronounced against him and his house, Solomon with quickened conscience began to see his folly in its true light. Chastened in spirit, with mind and body enfeebled, he turned wearied and thirsting from earth's broken cisterns, to drink once more at the fountain of life. For him at last the discipline of suffering had accomplished its work. Long had he been harassed by the fear of utter ruin because of inability to turn from folly; but now he discerned in the message given him a ray of hope. God had not utterly cut him off, but stood ready to deliver him from a bondage more cruel than the grave, and from which he had had no power to free himself.
In gratitude Solomon acknowledged the power and the loving-kindness of the One who is "higher than the highest" (Ecclesiastes 5:; in penitence he began to retrace his steps toward the exalted plane of purity and holiness from whence he had fallen so far. He could never hope to escape the blasting results of sin, he could never free his mind from all remembrance of the self-indulgent course he had been pursuing, but he would endeavor earnestly to dissuade others from following after folly. He would humbly confess the error of his ways and lift his voice in warning lest others be lost irretrievably because of the influences for evil he had been setting in operation.
The true penitent does not put his past sins from his remembrance. He does not, as soon as he has obtained peace, grow unconcerned in regard to the mistakes he has made. He thinks of those who have been led into evil by his course, and tries in every possible way to lead them back into the true path. The clearer the light that he has entered into, the stronger is his desire to set the feet of others in the right way. He does not gloss over his wayward course, making his wrong a light thing, but lifts the danger signal, that others may take warning.
Solomon acknowledged that "the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart." Ecclesiastes 9:3. And again he declared, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before Him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God." Ecclesiastes 8:11-13.
By the spirit of inspiration the king recorded for after generations the history of his wasted years with their lessons of warning. And thus, although the seed of his sowing was reaped by his people in harvests of evil, his life-work was not wholly lost. With meekness and lowliness Solomon in his later years "taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs." He "sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth." "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished." Ecclesiastes 12:9-12.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter," he wrote: "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Verses 13, 14.
Solomon's later writings reveal that as he realized more and still more the wickedness of his course, he gave special attention to warning the youth against falling into the errors that had led him to squander for nought Heaven's choicest gifts. With sorrow and shame he confessed that in the prime of manhood, when he should have found God his comfort, his support, his life, he turned from the light of Heaven and the wisdom of God, and put idolatry in the place of the worship of Jehovah. And now, having learned through sad experience the folly of such a life, his yearning desire was to save others from entering into the bitter experience through which he had passed.
With touching pathos he wrote concerning the privileges and responsibilities before the youth in God's service:
"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity." Ecclesiastes 11:7-10.
"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, While the evil days come not, Nor the years draw nigh, When thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
"While the sun, Or the light, Or the moon, Or the stars, Be not darkened, Nor the clouds return after the rain:
"In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, And the strong men shall bow themselves, And the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets,
"When the sound of the grinding is low, And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, And all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
"Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, And fears shall be in the way,
"And the almond tree shall flourish, And the grasshopper shall be a burden, And desire shall fail:
"Because man goeth to his long home, And the mourners go about the streets:
"Or ever the silver cord be loosed, Or the golden bowl be broken, Or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the cistern.
"Then shall the dust return to the earth As it was: And the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.
Not only to the youth, but to those of mature years, and to those who are descending the hill of life and facing the western sun, the life of Solomon is full of warning. We see and hear of unsteadiness in youth, the young wavering between right and wrong, and the current of evil passions proving too strong for them. In those of maturer years, we do not look for this unsteadiness and unfaithfulness; we expect the character to be established, the principles firmly rooted. But this is not always so. When Solomon should have been in character as a sturdy oak, he fell from his steadfastness under the power of temptation. When his strength should have been the firmest, he was found to be the weakest.
From such examples we should learn that in watchfulness and prayer is the only safety for both young and old. Security does not lie in exalted position and great privileges. One may for many years have enjoyed a genuine Christian experience, but he is still exposed to Satan's attacks. In the battle with inward sin and outward temptation, even the wise and powerful Solomon was vanquished. His failure teaches us that, whatever a man's intellectual qualities may be, and however faithfully he may have served God in the past, he can never with safety trust in his own wisdom and integrity.
In every generation and in every land the true foundation and pattern for character building have been the same. The divine law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbor as thyself," the great principle made manifest in the character and life of our Saviour, is the only secure foundation, the only sure guide. Luke 10:27. "Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation," the wisdom and knowledge which God's word alone can impart. Isaiah 33:6.
It is as true now as when the words were spoken to Israel of obedience to His commandments: "This is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations." Deuteronomy 4:6. Here is the only safeguard for individual integrity, for the purity of the home, the well-being of society, or the stability of the nation. Amidst all life's perplexities and dangers and conflicting claims, the one safe and sure rule is to do what God says. "The statutes of the Lord are right," and "he that doeth these things shall never be moved." Psalms 19:8; 15:5.
Those who heed the warning of Solomon's apostasy will shun the first approach of those sins that overcame him. Only obedience to the requirements of Heaven will keep man from apostasy. God has bestowed upon man great light and many blessings; but unless this light and these blessings are accepted, they are no security against disobedience and apostasy. When those whom God has exalted to positions of high trust turn from Him to human wisdom, their light becomes darkness. Their entrusted capabilities become a snare.
Till the conflict is ended, there will be those who will depart from God. Satan will so shape circumstances that unless we are kept by divine power, they will almost imperceptibly weaken the fortifications of the soul. We need to inquire at every step, "Is this the way of the Lord?" So long as life shall last, there will be need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. Not one moment can we be secure except as we rely upon God, the life hidden with Christ. Watchfulness and prayer are the safeguards of purity.
All who enter the City of God will enter through the strait gate--by agonizing effort; for "there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth." Revelation 21:27. But none who have fallen need give up to despair. Aged men, once honored of God, may have defiled their souls, sacrificing virtue on the altar of lust; but if they repent, forsake sin, and turn to God, there is still hope for them. He who declares, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life," also gives the invitation, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Revelation 2:10; Isaiah 55:7. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. "I will heal their backsliding," He declares; "I will love them freely." Hosea 14:4.
Solomon's repentance was sincere; but the harm that his example of evil-doing had wrought could not be undone. During his apostasy there were in the kingdom men who remained true to their trust, maintaining their purity and loyalty. But many were led astray; and the forces of evil set in operation by the introduction of idolatry and worldly practices could not easily be stayed by the penitent king.
His influence for good was greatly weakened. Many hesitated to place full confidence in his leadership. Though the king confessed his sin and wrote out for the benefit of after generations a record of his folly and repentance, he could never hope entirely to destroy the baleful influence of his wrong deeds. Emboldened by his apostasy, many continued to do evil, and evil only. And in the downward course of many of the rulers who followed him may be traced the sad influence of the prostitution of his God-given powers.
In the anguish of bitter reflection on the evil of his course, Solomon was constrained to declare, "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good." "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in great dignity."
"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor." Ecclesiastes 9:18, 10: 5, 6, 1.
Among the many lessons taught by Solomon's life, none is more strongly emphasized than the power of influence for good or for ill. However contracted may be our sphere, we still exert an influence for weal or woe. Beyond our knowledge or control, it tells upon others in blessing or cursing. It may be heavy with the gloom of discontent and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of some cherished sin; or it may be charged with the life-giving power of faith, courage, and hope, and sweet with the fragrance of love. But potent for good or for ill it will surely be.
That our influence should be a savor of death unto death is a fearful thought, yet it is possible. One soul misled, forfeiting eternal bliss--who can estimate the loss! And yet one rash act, one thoughtless word, on our part may exert so deep an influence on the life of another that it will prove the ruin of his soul. One blemish on the character may turn many away from Christ.
As the seed sown produces a harvest, and this in turn is sown, the harvest is multiplied. In our relation to others, this law holds true. Every act, every word, is a seed that will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of obedience, of self-denial, will reproduce itself in others, and through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice, or dissension is a seed that will spring up in a "root of bitterness" whereby many shall be defiled. Hebrews 12:15. And how much larger number will the "many" poison! Thus the sowing of good and evil goes on for time and for eternity.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk6.html "Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 11:43.
Soon after his accession to the throne, Rehoboam went to Shechem, where he expected to receive formal recognition from all the tribes. "To Shechem were all Israel come to make him king." 2 Chronicles 10:1.
Among those present was Jeroboam the son of Nebat --the same Jeroboam who during Solomon's reign had been known as "a mighty man of valor," and to whom the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite had delivered the startling message, "Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee." I Kings 11:28, 31.
The Lord through His messenger had spoken plainly to Jeroboam regarding the necessity of dividing the kingdom. This division must take place, He had declared, "because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and My judgments, as did David." Verse 33.
Jeroboam had been further instructed that the kingdom was not to be divided before the close of Solomon's reign. "I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand," the Lord had declared; "but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David My servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes: but I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes." Verses 34, 35.
Although Solomon had longed to prepare the mind of Rehoboam, his chosen successor, to meet with wisdom the crisis foretold by the prophet of God, he had never been able to exert a strong molding influence for good over the mind of his son, whose early training had been so grossly neglected. Rehoboam had received from his mother, an Ammonitess, the stamp of a vacillating character. At times he endeavored to serve God and was granted a measure of prosperity; but he was not steadfast, and at last he yielded to the influences for evil that had surrounded him from infancy. In the mistakes of Rehoboam's life and in his final apostasy is revealed the fearful result of Solomon's union with idolatrous women.
The tribes had long suffered grievous wrongs under the oppressive measures of their former ruler. The extravagance of Solomon's reign during his apostasy had led him to tax the people heavily and to require of them much menial service. Before going forward with the coronation of a new ruler, the leading men from among the tribes determined to ascertain whether or not it was the purpose of Solomon's son to lessen these burdens. "So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee."
Desirous of taking counsel with his advisers before outlining his policy, Rehoboam answered, "Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
"And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants forever." 2 Chronicles 10:3-7.
Dissatisfied, Rehoboam turned to the younger men with whom he had associated during his youth and early manhood, and inquired of them, "What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?" 1 Kings 12:9. The young men suggested that he deal sternly with the subjects of his kingdom and make plain to them that from the very beginning he would brook no interference with his personal wishes.
Flattered by the prospect of exercising supreme authority, Rehoboam determined to disregard the counsel of the older men of his realm, and to make the younger men his advisers. Thus it came to pass that on the day appointed, when "Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam" for a statement concerning the policy he intended to pursue, Rehoboam "answered the people roughly, . . . saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." Verses 12-14.
Had Rehoboam and his inexperienced counselors understood the divine will concerning Israel, they would have listened to the request of the people for decided reforms in the administration of the government. But in the hour of opportunity that came to them during the meeting in Shechem, they failed to reason from cause to effect, and thus forever weakened their influence over a large number of the people. Their expressed determination to perpetuate and add to the oppression introduced during Solomon's reign was in direct conflict with God's plan for Israel, and gave the people ample occasion to doubt the sincerity of their motives. In this unwise and unfeeling attempt to exercise power, the king and his chosen counselors revealed the pride of position and authority.
The Lord did not allow Rehoboam to carry out the policy he had outlined. Among the tribes were many thousands who had become thoroughly aroused over the oppressive measures of Solomon's reign, and these now felt that they could not do otherwise than rebel against the house of David. "When all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents." Verse 16.
The breach created by the rash speech of Rehoboam proved irreparable. Thenceforth the twelve tribes of Israel were divided, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin composing the lower or southern kingdom of Judah, under the rulership of Rehoboam; while the ten northern tribes formed and maintained a separate government, known as the kingdom of Israel, with Jeroboam as their ruler. Thus was fulfilled the prediction of the prophet concerning the rending of the kingdom. "The cause was from the Lord." Verse 15.
When Rehoboam saw the ten tribes withdrawing their allegiance from him, he was aroused to action. Through one of the influential men of his kingdom, "Adoram, who was over the tribute," he made an effort to conciliate them. But the ambassador of peace received treatment which bore witness to the feeling against Rehoboam. "All Israel stoned him with stones, that he died." Startled by this evidence of the strength of revolt, "King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem." Verse 18.
At Jerusalem "he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from Me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord." Verses 21-24.
For three years Rehoboam tried to profit by his sad experience at the beginning of his reign; and in this effort he was prospered. He "built cities for defense in Judah," and "fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine." He was careful to make these fortified cities "exceeding strong." 2 Chronicles 11:5, 11, 12. But the secret of Judah's prosperity during the first years of Rehoboam's reign lay not in these measures. It was their recognition of God as the Supreme Ruler that placed the tribes of Judah and Benjamin on vantage ground. To their number were added many God-fearing men from the northern tribes. "Out of all the tribes of Israel," the record reads, "such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon." Verses 16, 17.
In continuing this course lay Rehoboam's opportunity to redeem in large measure the mistakes of the past and to restore confidence in his ability to rule with discretion. But the pen of inspiration has traced the sad record of Solomon's successor as one who failed to exert a strong influence for loyalty to Jehovah. Naturally headstrong, confident, self-willed, and inclined to idolatry, nevertheless, had he placed his trust wholly in God, he would have developed strength of character, steadfast faith, and submission to the divine requirements. But as time passed, the king put his trust in the power of position and in the strongholds he had fortified. Little by little he gave way to inherited weakness, until he threw his influence wholly on the side of idolatry. "It came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him." 2 Chronicles 12:1.
How sad, how filled with significance, the words, "And all Israel with him"! The people whom God had chosen to stand as a light to the surrounding nations were turning from their Source of strength and seeking to become like the nations about them. As with Solomon, so with Rehoboam--the influence of wrong example led many astray. And as with them, so to a greater or less degree is it today with everyone who gives himself up to work evil--the influence of wrongdoing is not confined to the doer. No man liveth unto himself. None perish alone in their iniquity. Every life is a light that brightens and cheers the pathway of others, or a dark and desolating influence that tends toward despair and ruin. We lead others either upward to happiness and immortal life, or downward to sorrow and eternal death. And if by our deeds we strengthen or force into activity the evil powers of those around us, we share their sin.
God did not allow the apostasy of Judah's ruler to remain unpunished. "In the fifth year of King Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, with twelve hundred chariots, and three score thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt....And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.
"Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken Me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak." Verses 2-5.
The people had not yet gone to such lengths in apostasy that they despised the judgments of God. In the losses sustained by the invasion of Shishak, they recognized the hand of God and for a time humbled themselves. "The Lord is righteous," they acknowledged.
"And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
"So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which King Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.... And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well." Verses 6-12.
But as the hand of affliction was removed, and the nation prospered once more, many forgot their fears and turned again to idolatry. Among these was King Rehoboam himself. Though humbled by the calamity that had befallen him, he failed to make this experience a decisive turning point in his life. Forgetting the lesson that God had endeavored to teach him, he relapsed into the sins that had brought judgments on the nation. After a few inglorious years, during which the king "did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord," "Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead." Verses 14, 16.
With the rending of the kingdom early in Rehoboam's reign the glory of Israel began to depart, never again to be regained in its fullness. At times during the centuries that followed, the throne of David was occupied by men of moral worth and far-seeing judgment, and under the rulership of these sovereigns the blessings resting upon the men of Judah were extended to the surrounding nations. At times the name of Jehovah was exalted above every false god, and His law was held in reverence. From time to time mighty prophets arose to strengthen the hands of the rulers and to encourage the people to continued faithfulness. But the seeds of evil already springing up when Rehoboam ascended the throne were never to be wholly uprooted; and at times the once-favored people of God were to fall so low as to become a byword among the heathen.
Yet notwithstanding the perversity of those who leaned toward idolatrous practices, God in mercy would do everything in His power to save the divided kingdom from utter ruin. And as the years rolled on and His purpose concerning Israel seemed to be utterly thwarted by the devices of men inspired by satanic agencies, He still manifested His beneficent designs through the captivity and restoration of the chosen nation.
The rending of the kingdom was but the beginning of a wonderful history, wherein are revealed the long-sufferance and tender mercy of God. From the crucible of affliction through which they were to pass because of hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, those whom God was seeking to purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, were finally to acknowledge:
"There is none like unto Thee, O Lord; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might. Who would not fear Thee, O King of nations? ... Among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto Thee." "The Lord is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King." Jeremiah 10:6, 7, 10.
And the worshipers of idols were at last to learn the lesson that false gods are powerless to uplift and save. "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens." Verse 11. Only in allegiance to the living God, the Creator of all and the Ruler over all, can man find rest and peace.
With one accord the chastened and penitent of Israel and Judah were at last to renew their covenant relationship with Jehovah of hosts, the God of their fathers; and of Him they were to declare:
"He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, And hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion.
"When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens.
And He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures.
"Every man is brutish in his knowledge: Every founder is confounded by the graven image: For his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
"They are vanity, and the work of errors: In the time of their visitation they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them:
"For He is the former of all things; And Israel is the rod of His inheritance: The Lord of hosts is His name." Verses 12-16.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk7.html Placed on the throne by the ten tribes of Israel who had rebelled against the house of David, Jeroboam, the former servant of Solomon, was in a position to bring about wise reforms in both civil and religious affairs. Under the rulership of Solomon he had shown aptitude and sound judgment; and the knowledge he had gained during years of faithful service fitted him to rule with discretion. But Jeroboam failed to make God his trust.
Jeroboam's greatest fear was that at some future time the hearts of his subjects might be won over by the ruler occupying the throne of David. He reasoned that if the ten tribes should be permitted to visit often the ancient seat of the Jewish monarchy, where the services of the temple were still conducted as in the years of Solomon's reign, many might feel inclined to renew their allegiance to the government centering at Jerusalem. Taking counsel with His advisers, Jeroboam determined by one bold stroke to lessen, so far as possible, the probability of a revolt from his rule. He would bring this about by creating within the borders of his newly formed kingdom two centers of worship, one at Bethel and the other at Dan. In these places the ten tribes should be invited to assemble, instead of at Jerusalem, to worship God.
In arranging this transfer, Jeroboam thought to appeal to the imagination of the Israelites by setting before them some visible representation to symbolize the presence of the invisible God. Accordingly he caused to be made two calves of gold, and these were placed within shrines at the appointed centers of worship. In this effort to represent the Deity, Jeroboam violated the plain command of Jehovah: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them." Exodus 20:4, 5.
So strong was Jeroboam's desire to keep the ten tribes away from Jerusalem that he lost sight of the fundamental weakness of his plan. He failed to take into consideration the great peril to which he was exposing the Israelites by setting before them the idolatrous symbol of the deity with which their ancestors had been so familiar during the centuries of Egyptian bondage. Jeroboam's recent residence in Egypt should have taught him the folly of placing before the people such heathen representations. But his set purpose of inducing the northern tribes to discontinue their annual visits to the Holy City led him to adopt the most imprudent of measures. "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem," he urged; "behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." 1 Kings 12:28. Thus they were invited to bow down before the golden images and adopt strange forms of worship.
The king tried to persuade the Levites, some of whom were living within his realm, to serve as priests in the newly erected shrines at Bethel and Dan; but in this effort he met with failure. He was therefore compelled to elevate to the priesthood men from "the lowest of the people." Verse 31. Alarmed over the prospect, many of the faithful, including a great number of the Levites, fled to Jerusalem, where they might worship in harmony with the divine requirements.
"Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made." Verse 32.
The king's bold defiance of God in thus setting aside divinely appointed institutions was not allowed to pass unrebuked. Even while he was officiating and burning incense during the dedication of the strange altar he had set up at Bethel, there appeared before him a man of God from the kingdom of Judah, sent to denounce him for presuming to introduce new forms of worship. The prophet "cried against the altar, . . . and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
"And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out." Immediately the altar "was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord." 1 Kings 13:2, 3, 5.
On seeing this, Jeroboam was filled with a spirit of defiance against God and attempted to restrain the one who had delivered the message. In wrath "he put forth his hand from the altar" and cried out, "Lay hold on him." His impetuous act met with swift rebuke. The hand outstretched against the messenger of Jehovah suddenly became powerless and withered, and could not be withdrawn.
Terror-stricken, the king appealed to the prophet to intercede with God in his behalf. "Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God," he pleaded, "and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again, And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and become as it was before." Verses 4, 6.
Vain had been Jeroboam's effort to invest with solemnity the dedication of a strange altar, respect for which would have led to disrespect for the worship of Jehovah in the temple at Jerusalem. By the message of the prophet, the king of Israel should have been led to repent and to renounce his wicked purposes, which were turning the people away from the true worship of God. But he hardened his heart and determined to follow a way of his own choosing.
At the time of the feast at Bethel the hearts of the Israelites were not fully hardened. Many were susceptible to the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Lord designed that those who were taking rapid steps in apostasy should be checked in their course before it should be too late. He sent His messenger to interrupt the idolatrous proceedings and to reveal to king and people what the outworking of this apostasy would be. The rending of the altar was a sign of God's displeasure at the abomination that was being wrought in Israel.
The Lord seeks to save, not to destroy. He delights in the rescue of sinners. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Ezekiel 33:11. By warnings and entreaties He calls the wayward to cease from their evil-doing and to turn to Him and live. He gives His chosen messengers a holy boldness, that those who hear may fear and be brought to repentance. How firmly the man of God rebuked the king! And this firmness was essential; in no other way could the existing evils have been rebuked. The Lord gave His servant boldness, that an abiding impression might be made on those who heard. The messengers of the Lord are never to fear the face of man, but are to stand unflinchingly for the right. So long as they put their trust in God, they need not fear; for He who gives them their commission gives them also the assurance of His protecting care.
Having delivered his message, the prophet was about to return, when Jeroboam said to him, "Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward." "If thou wilt give me half thine house," the prophet replied, "I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: for so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest." 1 Kings 13:7-9.
Well would it have been for the prophet had he adhered to his purpose to return to Judea without delay. While traveling homeward by another route, he was overtaken by an aged man who claimed to be a prophet and who made false representations to the man of God, declaring, "I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water." Again and again the lie was repeated and the invitation urged until the man of God was persuaded to return.
Because the true prophet allowed himself to take a course contrary to the line of duty, God permitted him to suffer the penalty of transgression. While he and the one who had invited him to return to Bethel were sitting together at the table, the inspiration of the Almighty came upon the false prophet, "and he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, . . . thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy fathers." Verses 18-22.
This prophecy of doom was soon literally fulfilled. "It came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass. . . . And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, . . . and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord." Verses 23-26.
The penalty that overtook the unfaithful messenger was a still further evidence of the truth of the prophecy uttered over the altar. If, after disobeying the word of the Lord, the prophet had been permitted to go on in safety, the king would have used this fact in an attempt to vindicate his own disobedience. In the rent altar, in the palsied arm, and in the terrible fate of the one who dared disobey an express command of Jehovah, Jeroboam should have discerned the swift displeasure of an offended God, and these judgments should have warned him not to persist in wrongdoing. But, far from repenting, Jeroboam "made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places." Thus he not only sinned greatly himself, but "made Israel to sin;" and "this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth." Verses 33, 34; 14:16.
Toward the close of a troubled reign of twenty-two years, Jeroboam met with a disastrous defeat in a war with Abijah, the successor of Rehoboam. "Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck him, and he died." 2 Chronicles 13:20.
The apostasy introduced during Jeroboam's reign became more and more marked, until finally it resulted in the utter ruin of the kingdom of Israel. Even before the death of Jeroboam, Ahijah, the aged prophet at Shiloh who many years before had predicted the elevation of Jeroboam to the throne, declared: "The Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and He shall root up Israel out of this good land, which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger. And He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin." 1 Kings 14:15, 16.
Yet the Lord did not give Israel up without first doing all that could be done to lead them back to their allegiance to Him. Through long, dark years when ruler after ruler stood up in bold defiance of Heaven and led Israel deeper and still deeper into idolatry, God sent message after message to His backslidden people. Through His prophets He gave them every opportunity to stay the tide of apostasy and to return to Him. During the years that were to follow the rending of the kingdom, Elijah and Elisha were to live and labor, and the tender appeals of Hosea and Amos and Obadiah were to be heard in the land. Never was the kingdom of Israel to be left without noble witnesses to the mighty power of God to save from sin. Even in the darkest hours some would remain true to their divine Ruler and in the midst of idolatry would live blameless in the sight of a holy God. These faithful ones were numbered among the goodly remnant through whom the eternal purpose of Jehovah was finally to be fulfilled.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk8.html From the time of Jeroboam's death to Elijah's appearance before Ahab the people of Israel suffered a steady spiritual decline. Ruled by men who did not fear Jehovah and who encouraged strange forms of worship, the larger number of the people rapidly lost sight of their duty to serve the living God and adopted many of the practices of idolatry.
Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, occupied the throne of Israel for only a few months. His career of evil was suddenly stopped by a conspiracy headed by Baasha, one of his generals, to gain control of the government. Nadab was slain, with all his kindred in the line of succession, "according unto the saying of the Lord, which He spake by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite: because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin." 1 Kings 15:29, 30.
Thus perished the house of Jeroboam. The idolatrous worship introduced by him had brought upon the guilty offenders the retributive judgments of Heaven; and yet the rulers who followed--Baasha, Elah, Zimri, and Omri--during a period of nearly forty years, continued in the same fatal course of evil-doing.
During the greater part of this time of apostasy in Israel, Asa was ruling in the kingdom of Judah. For many years "Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God: for he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun [margin] images: and the kingdom was quiet before him." 2 Chronicles 14:2-5.
The faith of Asa was put to a severe test when "Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots," invaded his kingdom. Verse 9. In this crisis Asa did not put his trust in the "fenced cities in Judah" that he had built, with "walls, and towers, gates, and bars," nor in the "mighty men of valor" in his carefully trained army. Verses 6-8. The king's trust was in Jehovah of hosts, in whose name marvelous deliverances had been wrought in behalf of Israel of old. Setting his forces in battle array, he sought the help of God.
The opposing armies now stood face to face. It was a time of test and trial to those who served the Lord. Had every sin been confessed? Had the men of Judah full confidence in God's power to deliver? Such thoughts as these were in the minds of the leaders. From every human viewpoint the vast host from Egypt would sweep everything before it. But in time of peace Asa had not been giving himself to amusement and pleasure; he had been preparing for any emergency. He had an army trained for conflict; he had endeavored to lead his people to make their peace with God. And now, although his forces were fewer in number than the enemy, his faith in the One whom he had made his trust did not weaken.
Having sought the Lord in the days of prosperity, the king could now rely upon Him in the day of adversity. His petitions showed that he was not a stranger to God's wonderful power. "It is nothing with Thee to help," he pleaded, "whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee." Verse II.
The prayer of Asa is one that every Christian believer may fittingly offer. We fight in a warfare, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. See Ephesians 6:12. In life's conflict we must meet evil agencies that have arrayed themselves against the right. Our hope is not in man, but in the living God. With full assurance of faith we may expect that He will unite His omnipotence with the efforts of human instrumentalities, for the glory of His name. Clad with the armor of His righteousness, we may gain the victory over every foe.
King Asa's faith was signally rewarded. "The Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for the were destroyed before the Lord, and before His host." 2 Chronicles 14:12, 13.
As the victorious armies of Judah and Benjamin were returning to Jerusalem, "the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you." "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:1, 2, 7.
Greatly encouraged by these words, Asa soon led out in a second reformation in Judah. He "put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.
"And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they offered unto the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." "And He was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about." Verses 8-12, 15.
Asa's long record of faithful service was marred by some mistakes, made at times when he failed to put his trust fully in God. When, on one occasion, the king of Israel entered the kingdom of Judah and seized Ramah, a fortified city only five miles from Jerusalem, Asa sought deliverance by forming an alliance with Benhadad, king of Syria. This failure to trust God alone in time of need was sternly rebuked by Hanani the prophet, who appeared before Asa with the message:
"Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, He delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." 2 Chronicles 16:7-9.
Instead of humbling himself before God because of his mistake, "Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time." Verse 10.
"In the thirty and ninth year of his reign," Asa was "diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians." Verse 12. The king died in the forty-first year of his reign and was succeeded by Jehoshaphat, his son.
Two years before the death of Asa, Ahab began to rule in the kingdom of Israel. From the beginning his reign was marked by a strange and terrible apostasy. His father, Omri, the founder of Samaria, had "wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him" (1 Kings 16:25); but the sins of Ahab were even greater. He "did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him," acting "as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat." Verses 33, 31. Not content with encouraging the forms of religious service followed at Bethel and Dan, he boldly led the people into the grossest heathenism, by setting aside the worship of Jehovah for Baal worship.
Taking to wife Jezebel, "the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians" and high priest of Baal, Ahab "served Baal, and worshiped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria." Verses 31, 32.
Not only did Ahab introduce Baal worship at the capital city, but under the leadership of Jezebel he erected heathen altars in many "high places," where in the shelter of surrounding groves the priests and others connected with this seductive form of idolatry exerted their baleful influence, until well-nigh all Israel were following after Baal. "There was none like unto Ahab," who "did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel." 1 Kings 21:25, 26.
Ahab was weak in moral power. His union by marriage with an idolatrous woman of decided character and positive temperament resulted disastrously both to himself and to the nation. Unprincipled, and with no high standard of rightdoing, his character was easily molded by the determined spirit of Jezebel. His selfish nature was incapable of appreciating the mercies of God to Israel and his own obligations as the guardian and leader of the chosen people.
Under the blighting influence of Ahab's rule, Israel wandered far from the living God and corrupted their ways before Him. For many years they had been losing their sense of reverence and godly fear; and now it seemed as if there were none who dared expose their lives by openly standing forth in opposition to the prevailing blasphemy. The dark shadow of apostasy covered the whole land. Images of Baalim and Ashtoreth were everywhere to be seen. Idolatrous temples and consecrated groves, wherein were worshiped the works of men's hands, were multiplied. The air was polluted with the smoke of the sacrifices offered to false gods. Hill and vale resounded with the drunken cries of a heathen priesthood who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars.
Through the influence of Jezebel and her impious priests, the people were taught that the idol gods that had been set up were deities, ruling by their mystic power the elements of earth, fire, and water. All the bounties of heaven--the running brooks, the streams of living water, the gentle dew, the showers of rain which refreshed the earth and caused the fields to bring forth abundantly--were ascribed to the favor of Baal and Ashtoreth, instead of to the Giver of every good and perfect gift. The people forgot that the hills and valleys, the streams and fountains, were in the hand of the living God, that He controlled the sun, the clouds of heaven, and all the powers of nature.
Through faithful messengers the Lord sent repeated warnings to the apostate king and the people, but in vain were these words of reproof. In vain aid the inspired messengers assert Jehovah's right to be the only God in Israel; in vain did they exalt the laws that He had entrusted to them. Captivated by the gorgeous display and the fascinating rites of idol worship, the people followed the example of the king and his court, and gave themselves up to the intoxicating, degrading pleasures of a sensual worship. In their blind folly they chose to reject God and His worship. The light so graciously given them had become darkness. The fine gold had become dim.
Alas, how had the glory of Israel departed! Never before had the chosen people of God fallen so low in apostasy. Of "the prophets of Baal" there were "four hundred and fifty," besides four hundred "prophets of the groves." 1 Kings 18:19. Nothing short of the miracle-working power of God could preserve the nation from utter destruction. Israel had voluntarily separated herself from Jehovah, yet the Lord in compassion still yearned after those who had been led into sin, and He was about to send to them one of the mightiest of His prophets, through whom many were to be led back to allegiance to the God of their fathers.
I have repeatedly considered (from my EX-SDA perspective) three major Biblical-Possibilities: 1. The Whole-Bible (Read Straight-Through, Over and Over). 2. The Conflict of the Ages Series (Read Straight-Through, Over and Over). 3. The SDA Bible Commentary (Read Straight-Through, Over and Over). Door Number 1?? Door Number 2?? Door Number 3?? You'd have to be a PhD on Steroids to properly do this, and subsequent SDA generations (starting with the 1950's) have-been (and will-be) less and less willing and capable of doing this. Somewhat Pragmatically and Arbitrarily, Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, Desire of Ages, and Acts of the Apostles (Read Straight-Through, Over and Over) as a Minimalist Stand-Alone Middle-Way Might Be Pursued in My Miserable and Hamstrung Golden-Years for Alternative-Research Purposes. Imagine a Beautiful Mind in a Princeton 600 Square-Foot Office-Apartment Spending a Lifetime Doing All the Above. A Princeton Graduate Once Admonished Me, "Don't Be Too Definite. People Who Are Too Definite Go Off." Consider the Videos at the Bottom of This Post. A Paragraph to the Wise Should be Sufficient.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk9.html Among the mountains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, there dwelt in the days of Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel. Far removed from any city of renown, and occupying no high station in life, Elijah the Tishbite nevertheless entered upon his mission confident in God's purpose to prepare the way before him and to give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips, and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And while he came to the people as a reprover of sin, his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed.
As Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his soul was distressed and his indignation aroused. God had done great things for His people. He had delivered them from bondage and given them "the lands of the heathen, . . . that they might observe His statutes, and keep His laws." Psalm 105:44, 45. But the beneficent designs of Jehovah were now well-nigh forgotten. Unbelief was fast separating the chosen nation from the Source of their strength. Viewing this apostasy from his mountain retreat, Elijah was overwhelmed with sorrow. In anguish of soul he besought God to arrest the once-favored people in their wicked course, to visit them with judgments, if need be, that they might be led to see in its true light their departure from Heaven. He longed to see them brought to repentance before they should go to such lengths in evil-doing as to provoke the Lord to destroy them utterly.
Elijah's prayer was answered. Oft-repeated appeals, remonstrances, and warnings had failed to bring Israel to repentance. The time had come when God must speak to them by means of judgments. Inasmuch as the worshipers of Baal claimed that the treasures of heaven, the dew and the rain, came not from Jehovah, but from the ruling forces of nature, and that it was through the creative energy of the sun that the earth was enriched and made to bring forth abundantly, the curse of God was to rest heavily upon the polluted land. The apostate tribes of Israel were to be shown the folly of trusting to the power of Baal for temporal blessings. Until they should turn to God with repentance, and acknowledge Him as the source of all blessing, there should fall upon the land neither dew nor rain.
To Elijah was entrusted the mission of delivering to Ahab Heaven's message of judgment. He did not seek to be the Lord's messenger; the word of the Lord came to him. And jealous for the honor of God's cause, he did not hesitate to obey the divine summons, though to obey seemed to invite swift destruction at the hand of the wicked king. The prophet set out at once and traveled night and day until he reached Samaria. At the palace he solicited no admission, nor waited to be formally announced. Clad in the coarse garments usually worn by the prophets of that time, he passed the guards, apparently unnoticed, and stood for a moment before the astonished king.
Elijah made no apology for his abrupt appearance. A Greater than the ruler of Israel had commissioned him to speak; and, lifting his hand toward heaven, he solemnly affirmed by the living God that the judgments of the Most High were about to fall upon Israel. "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand," he declared, "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
It was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God's word that Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit confidence in the One whom he served, he would never have appeared before Ahab. On his way to Samaria, Elijah had passed by ever-flowing streams, hills covered with verdure, and stately forests that seemed beyond the reach of drought. Everything on which the eye rested was clothed with beauty. The prophet might have wondered how the streams that had never ceased their flow could become dry, or how those hills and valleys could be burned with drought. But he gave no place to unbelief. He fully believed that God would humble apostate Israel, and that through judgments they would be brought to repentance. The fiat of Heaven had gone forth; God's word could not fail; and at the peril of his life Elijah fearlessly fulfilled his commission. Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, the message of impending judgment fell upon the ears of the wicked king; but before Ahab could recover from his astonishment, or frame a reply, Elijah disappeared as abruptly as he had come, without waiting to witness the effect of his message. And the Lord went before him, making plain the way. "Turn thee eastward," the prophet was bidden, "and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee."
The king made diligent inquiry, but the prophet was not to be found. Queen Jezebel, angered over the message that had locked up the treasures of heaven, lost no time in conferring with the priests of Baal, who united with her in cursing the prophet and in defying the wrath of Jehovah. But notwithstanding their desire to find him who had uttered the word of woe, they were destined to meet with disappointment. Nor could they conceal from others a knowledge of the judgment pronounced in consequence of the prevailing apostasy. Tidings of Elijah's denunciation of the sins of Israel, and of his prophecy of swift-coming punishment, quickly spread throughout the land. The fears of some were aroused, but in general the heavenly message was received with scorn and ridicule.
The prophet's words went into immediate effect. Those who were at first inclined to scoff at the thought of calamity, soon had occasion for serious reflection; for after a few months the earth, unrefreshed by dew or rain, became dry, and vegetation withered. As time passed, streams that had never been known to fail began to decrease, and brooks began to dry up. Yet the people were urged by their leaders to have confidence in the power of Baal and to set aside as idle words the prophecy of Elijah. The priests still insisted that it was through the power of Baal that the showers of rain fell. Fear not the God of Elijah, nor tremble at His word, they urged, it is Baal that brings forth the harvest in its season and provides for man and beast.
God's message to Ahab gave Jezebel and her priests and all the followers of Baal and Ashtoreth opportunity to test the power of their gods, and, if possible, to prove the word of Elijah false. Against the assurances of hundreds of idolatrous priests, the prophecy of Elijah stood alone. If, notwithstanding the prophet's declaration, Baal could still give dew and rain, causing the streams to continue to flow and vegetation to flourish, then let the king of Israel worship him and the people say that he is God.
Determined to keep the people in deception, the priests of Baal continue to offer sacrifices to their gods and to call upon them night and day to refresh the earth. With costly offerings the priests attempt to appease the anger of their gods; with a zeal and a perseverance worthy of a better cause they linger round their pagan altars and pray earnestly for rain. Night after night, throughout the doomed land, their cries and entreaties arise. But no clouds appear in the heavens by day to hide the burning rays of the sun. No dew or rain refreshes the thirsty earth. The word of Jehovah stands unchanged by anything the priests of Baal can do.
A year passes, and yet there is no rain. The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up, and lowing herds and bleating flocks wander hither and thither in distress. Once-flourishing fields have become like burning desert sands, a desolate waste. The groves dedicated to idol worship are leafless; the forest trees, gaunt skeletons of nature, afford no shade. The air is dry and suffocating; dust storms blind the eyes and nearly stop the breath. Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality. Famine, with all its horror, comes closer and still closer.
Yet notwithstanding these evidences of God's power, Israel repented not, nor learned the lesson that God would have them learn. They did not see that He who created nature controls her laws, and can make of them instruments of blessing or of destruction. Proudhearted, enamored of their false worship, they were unwilling to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and they began to cast about for some other cause to which to attribute their sufferings.
Jezebel utterly refused to recognize the drought as a judgment from Jehovah. Unyielding in her determination to defy the God of heaven, she, with nearly the whole of Israel, united in denouncing Elijah as the cause of all their misery. Had he not borne testimony against their forms of worship? If only he could be put out of the way, she argued, the anger of their gods would be appeased, and their troubles would end.
Urged on by the queen, Ahab instituted a most diligent search for the hiding place of the prophet. To the surrounding nations, far and near, he sent messengers to seek for the man whom he hated, yet feared; and in his anxiety to make the search as thorough as possible, he required of these kingdoms and nations an oath that they knew nothing of the whereabouts of the prophet. But the search was in vain. The prophet was safe from the malice of the king whose sins had brought upon the land the denunciation of an offended God.
Failing in her efforts against Elijah, Jezebel determined to avenge herself by slaying all the prophets of Jehovah in Israel. Not one should be left alive. The infuriated woman carried out her purpose in the massacre of many of God's servants. Not all, however, perished. Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house, yet faithful to God, "took an hundred prophets," and at the risk of his own life, "hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water." 1 Kings 18:4.
The second year of famine passed, and still the pitiless heavens gave no sign of rain. Drought and famine continued their devastation throughout the kingdom. Fathers and mothers, powerless to relieve the sufferings of their children, were forced to see them die. Yet still apostate Israel refused to humble their hearts before God and continued to murmur against the man by whose word these terrible judgments had been brought upon them. They seemed unable to discern in their suffering and distress a call to repentance, a divine interposition to save them from taking the fatal step beyond the boundary of Heaven's forgiveness.
The apostasy of Israel was an evil more dreadful than all the multiplied horrors of famine. God was seeking to free the people from their delusion and lead them to understand their accountability to the One to whom they owed their life and all things. He was trying to help them to recover their lost faith, and He must needs bring upon them great affliction.
"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezekiel 18:23, 31, 32; 33:11.
God had sent messengers to Israel, with appeals to return to their allegiance. Had they heeded these appeals, had they turned from Baal to the living God, Elijah's message of judgment would never have been given. But the warnings that might have been a savor of life unto life had proved to them a savor of death unto death. Their pride had been wounded, their anger had been aroused against the messengers, and now they regarded with intense hatred the prophet Elijah. If only he should fall into their hands, gladly they would deliver him to Jezebel--as if by silencing his voice they could stay the fulfillment of his words! In the face of calamity they continued to stand firm in their idolatry. Thus they were adding to the guilt that had brought the judgments of Heaven upon the land.
For stricken Israel there was but one remedy--a turning away from the sins that had brought upon them the chastening hand of the Almighty, and a turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart. To them had been given the assurance, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:13, 14. It was to bring to pass this blessed result that God continued to withhold from them the dew and the rain until a decided reformation should take place.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk10.html For a time Elijah remained hidden in the mountains by the brook Cherith. There for many months he was miraculously provided with food. Later on, when, because of the continued drought, the brook became dry, God bade His servant find refuge in a heathen land. "Arise," He bade him, "get thee to Zarephath, [known in New Testament times as Sarepta], which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee."
This woman was not an Israelite. She had never had the privileges and blessings that the chosen people of God had enjoyed; but she was a believer in the true God and had walked in all the light that was shining on her pathway. And now, when there was no safety for Elijah in the land of Israel, God sent him to this woman to find a asylum in her home.
"So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."
In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and the pitifully meager fare seemed about to fail. The coming of Elijah on the very day when the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life tested to the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities. But even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.
In response to Elijah's request for food and drink, the widow said, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die." Elijah said to her, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth."
No greater test of faith than this could have been required. The widow had hitherto treated all strangers with kindness and liberality. Now, regardless of the suffering that might result to herself and child, and trusting in the God of Israel to supply her every need, she met this supreme test of hospitality by doing "according to the saying of Elijah."
Wonderful was the hospitality shown to God's prophet by this Phoenician woman, and wonderfully were her faith and generosity rewarded. "She, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah.
"And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
"And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. . . . And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord. . . . And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
"And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth."
The widow of Zarephath shared her morsel with Elijah, and in return her life and that of her son were preserved. And to all who, in time of trial and want, give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promise great blessing. He has not changed. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah. No less sure now than when spoken by our Saviour is the promise, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." Matthew 10:41.
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2. These words have lost none of their force through the lapse of time. Our heavenly Father still continues to place in the pathway of His children opportunities that are blessings in disguise; and those who improve these opportunities find great joy. "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:10, 11.
To His faithful servants today Christ says, "He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me." No act of kindness shown in His name will fail to be recognized and rewarded. And in the same tender recognition Christ includes even the feeblest and lowliest of the family of God. "Whosoever shall give to drink," He says, "unto one of these little ones"--those who are as children in their faith and their knowledge of Christ--"a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." Matthew 10:40, 42.
Through the long years of drought and famine, Elijah prayed earnestly that the hearts of Israel might be turned from idolatry to allegiance to God. Patiently the prophet waited, while the hand of the Lord rested heavily on the stricken land. As he saw evidences of suffering and want multiplying on every side, his heart was wrung with sorrow, and he longed for power to bring about a reformation quickly. But God Himself was working out His plan, and all that His servant could do was to pray on in faith and await the time for decided action.
The apostasy prevailing in Ahab's day was the result of many years of evil-doing. Step by step, year after year, Israel had been departing from the right way. For generation after generation they had refused to make straight paths for their feet, and at last the great majority of the people had yielded themselves to the leadership of the powers of darkness.
About a century had passed since, under the rulership of King David, Israel had joyfully united in chanting hymns of praise to the Most High, in recognition of their entire dependence on Him for daily mercies. Listen to their words of adoration as then they sang:
"O God of our salvation, . . . Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it.
Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: Thou causest rain to descend into the furrows thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers: Thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; And Thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: And the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered over with corn; They shout for joy, they also sing." Psalm 65:5, 8-13, margin.
Israel had then recognized God as the One who "laid the foundations of the earth." In expression of their faith they had sung:
"Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: The waters stood above the mountains. At Thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys Unto the place which Thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth." Psalm 104:5-9.
It is by the mighty power of the Infinite One that the elements of nature in earth and sea and sky are kept within bounds. And these elements He uses for the happiness of His creatures. "His good treasure" is freely expended "to give the rain . . . in his season, and to bless all the work" of man's hands. Deuteronomy 28:12.
"He sendeth the springs into the valleys, Which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field: The wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, Which sing among the branches. . . .
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man: That He may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine, And bread which strengtheneth man's heart. . . .
"O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom has Thou made them all: The earth is full of Thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts. . . . These wait all upon Thee; That Thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That Thou givest them they gather:
"Thou openest Thine hand, They are filled with good." Psalm 104:10-15,24-28.
Israel had had abundant occasion for rejoicing. The land to which the Lord had brought them was a land flowing with milk and honey. During the wilderness wandering, God had assured them that He was guiding them to a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain. "The land, whither thou goest in to possess it," He had told them, "is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year."
The promise of abundance of rain had been given on condition of obedience. "It shall come to pass," the Lord had declared, "if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
"Take heed to yourselves," the Lord had admonished His people, "that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you." Deuteronomy 11:10-17.
"If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes," the Israelites had been warned, "thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed." Deuteronomy 28:15, 23,24.
These were among the wise counsels of Jehovah to ancient Israel. "Lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul," He had commanded His chosen people, "and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 11:18, 19. Plain were these commands, yet as the centuries passed, and generation after generation lost sight of the provision made for their spiritual welfare, the ruinous influences of apostasy threatened to sweep aside every barrier of divine grace.
Thus it had come to pass that God was now visiting His people with the severest of His judgments. The prediction of Elijah was meeting with terrible fulfillment. For three years the messenger of woe was sought for in city after city and nation after nation. At the mandate of Ahab, many rulers had given their oath of honor that the strange prophet could not be found in their dominions. Yet the search was continued, for Jezebel and the prophets of Baal hated Elijah with a deadly hatred, and they spared no effort to bring him within reach of their power. And still there was no rain.
At last, "after many days," the word of the Lord came to Elijah, "Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth."
In obedience to the command, "Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab." About the time that the prophet set forth on his journey to Samaria, Ahab had proposed to Obadiah, the governor of his household, that they make thorough search for springs and brooks of water, in the hope of finding pasture for their starving flocks and herds. Even in the royal court the effect of the long-continued drought was keenly felt. The king, deeply concerned over the outlook for his household, decided to unite personally with his servant in a search for some favored spots where pasture might be had. "So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself."
"As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?"
During the apostasy of Israel, Obadiah had remained faithful. His master, the king, had been unable to turn him from his allegiance to the living God. Now he was honored with a commission from Elijah, who said, "Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here."
Greatly terrified, Obadiah exclaimed, "What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?" To take such a message as this to Ahab was to court certain death. "As the Lord thy God liveth," he explained to the prophet, "there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me."
Earnestly Obadiah pleaded with the prophet not to urge him. "I thy servant," he urged, "fear the Lord from my youth. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me."
With a solemn oath Elijah promised Obadiah that the errand should not be in vain. "As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand," he declared, "I will surely show myself unto him today." Thus assured, "Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him."
In astonishment mingled with terror the king listened to the message from the man whom he feared and hated, and for whom he had sought so untiringly. Well he knew that Elijah would not endanger his life merely for the sake of meeting him. Could it be possible that the prophet was about to utter another woe against Israel? The king's heart was seized with dread. He remembered the withered arm of Jeroboam. Ahab could not avoid obeying the summons, neither dared he lift up his hand against the messenger of God. And so, accompanied by a bodyguard of soldiers, the trembling monarch went to meet the prophet.
The king and the prophet stand face to face. Though Ahab is filled with passionate hatred, yet in the presence of Elijah he seems unmanned, powerless. In his first faltering words, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" he unconsciously reveals the inmost feelings of his heart. Ahab knew that it was by the word of God that the heavens had become as brass, yet he sought to cast upon the prophet the blame for the heavy judgments resting on the land.
It is natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God responsible for the calamities that come as the sure result of a departure from the way of righteousness. Those who place themselves in Satan's power are unable to see things as God sees them. When the mirror of truth is held up before them, they become indignant at the thought of receiving reproof. Blinded by sin, they refuse to repent; they feel that God's servants have turned against them and are worthy of severest censure.
Standing in conscious innocence before Ahab, Elijah makes no attempt to excuse himself or to flatter the king. Nor does he seek to evade the king's wrath by the good news that the drought is almost over. He has no apology to offer. Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he casts back the imputation of Ahab, fearlessly declaring to the king that it is his sins, and the sins of his fathers, that have brought upon Israel this terrible calamity. "I have not troubled Israel," Elijah boldly asserts, "but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim."
Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke; for grievous sins have separated the people from God. Infidelity is fast becoming fashionable. "We will not have this man to reign over us," is the language of thousands. Luke 19:14. The smooth sermons so often preached make no lasting impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. Men are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God's word.
There are many professed Christians who, if they should express their real feelings, would say, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, Why need John the Baptist have said to the Pharisees, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Luke 3:7. Why need he have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother's wife? The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking. Why could he not have moved along without incurring the displeasure of those who were living in sin?
So men who should be standing as faithful guardians of God's law have argued, till policy has taken the place of faithfulness, and sin is allowed to go unreproved. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?
"Thou art the man." 2 Samuel 12:7. Words as unmistakably plain as these spoken by Nathan to David are seldom heard in the pulpits of today, seldom seen in the public press. If they were not so rare, we should see more of the power of God revealed among men. The Lord's messengers should not complain that their efforts are without fruit until they repent of their own love of approbation and their desire to please men, which leads them to suppress truth.
Those ministers who are men pleasers, who cry, Peace, peace, when God has not spoken peace, might well humble their hearts before God, asking pardon for their insincerity and their lack of moral courage. It is not from love for their neighbor that they smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking. When souls are in peril, God's ministers will not consider self, but will speak the word given them to speak, refusing to excuse or palliate evil.
Would that every minister might realize the sacredness of his office and the holiness of his work, and show the courage that Elijah showed! As divinely appointed messengers, ministers are in a position of awful responsibility. They are to "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering." 2 Timothy 4:2. In Christ's stead they are to labor as stewards of the mysteries of heaven, encouraging the obedient and warning the disobedient. With them worldly policy is to have no weight. Never are they to swerve from the path in which Jesus has bidden them walk. They are to go forward in faith, remembering that they are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. They are not to speak their own words, but words which One greater than the potentates of earth has bidden them speak. Their message is to be, "Thus saith the Lord." God calls for men like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist--men who will bear His message with faithfulness, regardless of the consequences; men who will speak the truth bravely, though it call for the sacrifice of all they have.
God cannot use men who, in time of peril, when the strength, courage, and influence of all are needed, are afraid to take a firm stand for the right. He calls for men who will do faithful battle against wrong, warring against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. It is to such as these that He will speak the words: "Well done, good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Matthew 25:23.
Last edited by orthodoxymoron on Thu Nov 24, 2022 7:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
Thank-you, Ashera. I frankly don't know what to do with my threads, at this point. They seem to be an irreversible mess with no useful purpose or useable future. But what if they are indicative of some aspect of the hypothetical supercomputer-matrix and/or investigative-judgment?? As always, context is determinative, and one's truth is often lost as the context changes. I might revert to a 1 Chronicles to Malachi pseudo-intellectual contextual-superimposed study of biblical-proportions sans hermeneutic-whoredom!! What if this is 'crazy making' to the nth degree?? Actually, I think I'd like to drive a Ferrari 360 Modena while listening to old Sherry Shriner Shows!! Wouldn't THAT be a strange experience!! Don't mind me!! I just woke-up with a rude-awakening!! Too Woke to Work!! I Hate My Life!! I Need to Make the Coffee!! Damn!! No Bailey's Irish Cream Creamer!! What Would Brook and Jupiter Say??
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk11.html Standing before Ahab, Elijah demanded that all Israel be assembled to meet him and the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth on Mount Carmel. "Send," he commanded, "and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table."
The command was issued by one who seemed to stand in the very presence of Jehovah; and Ahab obeyed at once, as if the prophet were monarch, and the king a subject. Swift messengers were sent throughout the kingdom with the summons to meet Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth. In every town and village the people prepared to assemble at the appointed time. As they journeyed toward the place, the hearts of many were filled with strange forebodings. Something unusual was about to happen; else why this summons to gather at Carmel? What new calamity was about to fall upon the people and the land?
Before the drought, Mount Carmel had been a place of beauty, its streams fed from never-failing springs, and its fertile slopes covered with fair flowers and flourishing groves. But now its beauty languished under a withering curse. The altars erected to the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth stood now in leafless groves. On the summit of one of the highest ridges, in sharp contrast with these was the broken-down altar of Jehovah.
Carmel overlooked a wide expanse of country; its heights were visible from many parts of the kingdom of Israel. At the foot of the mount there were vantage points from which could be seen much of what took place above. God had been signally dishonored by the idolatrous worship carried on under cover of its wooded slopes; and Elijah chose this elevation as the most conspicuous place for the display of God's power and for the vindication of the honor of His name.
Early on the morning of the day appointed, the hosts of apostate Israel, in eager expectancy, gather near the top of the mountain. Jezebel's prophets march up in imposing array. In regal pomp the king appears and takes his position at the head of the priests, and the idolaters shout his welcome. But there is apprehension in the hearts of the priests as they remember that at the word of the prophet the land of Israel for three years and a half has been destitute of dew and rain. Some fearful crisis is at hand, they feel sure. The gods in whom they have trusted have been unable to prove Elijah a false prophet. To their frantic cries, their prayers, their tears, their humiliation, their revolting ceremonies, their costly and ceaseless sacrifices, the objects of their worship have been strangely indifferent.
Facing King Ahab and the false prophets, and surrounded by the assembled hosts of Israel, Elijah stands, the only one who has appeared to vindicate the honor of Jehovah. He whom the whole kingdom has charged with its weight of woe is now before them, apparently defenseless in the presence of the monarch of Israel, the prophets of Baal, the men of war, and the surrounding thousands. But Elijah is not alone. Above and around him are the protecting hosts of heaven, angels that excel in strength.
Unashamed, unterrified, the prophet stands before the multitude, fully aware of his commission to execute the divine command. His countenance is lighted with an awful solemnity. In anxious expectancy the people wait for him to speak. Looking first upon the broken-down altar of Jehovah, and then upon the multitude, Elijah cries out in clear, trumpetlike tones, "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him."
The people answer him not a word. Not one in that vast assembly dare reveal loyalty to Jehovah. Like a dark cloud, deception and blindness had overspread Israel. Not all at once had this fatal apostasy closed about them, but gradually, as from time to time they had failed to heed the words of warning and reproof that the Lord sent them. Each departure from rightdoing, each refusal to repent, had deepened their guilt and driven them farther from Heaven. And now, in this crisis, they persisted in refusing to take their stand for God.
The Lord abhors indifference and disloyalty in a time of crisis in His work. The whole universe is watching with inexpressible interest the closing scenes of the great controversy between good and evil. The people of God are nearing the borders of the eternal world; what can be of more importance to them than that they be loyal to the God of heaven? All through the ages, God has had moral heroes, and He has them now--those who, like Joseph and Elijah and Daniel, are not ashamed to acknowledge themselves His peculiar people. His special blessing accompanies the labors of men of action, men who will not be swerved from the straight line of duty, but who with divine energy will inquire, "Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exodus 32:26), men who will not stop merely with the inquiry, but who will demand that those who choose to identify themselves with the people of God shall step forward and reveal unmistakably their allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Such men make their wills and plans subordinate to the law of God. For love of Him they count not their lives dear unto themselves. Their work is to catch the light from the Word and let it shine forth to the world in clear, steady rays. Fidelity to God is their motto.
While Israel on Carmel doubt and hesitate, the voice of Elijah again breaks the silence: "I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God."
The proposal of Elijah is so reasonable that the people cannot well evade it, so they find courage to answer, "It is well spoken." The prophets of Baal dare not lift their voices in dissent; and, addressing them, Elijah directs, "Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under."
Outwardly bold and defiant, but with terror in their guilty hearts, the false priests prepare their altar, laying on the wood and the victim; and then they begin their incantations. Their shrill cries echo and re-echo through the forests and the surrounding heights, as they call on the name of their god, saying, "O Baal, hear us." The priests gather about their altar, and with leaping and writhing and screaming, with tearing of hair and cutting of flesh, they beseech their god to help them.
The morning passes, noon comes, and yet there is no evidence that Baal hears the cries of his deluded followers. There is no voice, no reply to their frantic prayers. The sacrifice remains unconsumed.
As they continue their frenzied devotions, the crafty priests are continually trying to devise some means by which they may kindle a fire upon the altar and lead the people to believe that the fire has come direct from Baal. But Elijah watches every movement; and the priests, hoping against hope for some opportunity to deceive, continue to carry on their senseless ceremonies.
"It came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded."
Gladly would Satan have come to the help of those whom he had deceived, and who were devoted to his service. Gladly would he have sent the lightning to kindle their sacrifice. But Jehovah has set Satan's bounds, restrained his power, and not all the enemy's devices can convey one spark to Baal's altar.
At last, their voices hoarse with shouting, their garments stained with blood from self-inflicted wounds, the priests become desperate. With unabated frenzy they now mingle with their pleading terrible cursings of their sun-god, and Elijah continues to watch intently; for he knows that if by any device the priests should succeed in kindling their altar fire, he would instantly be torn in pieces.
Evening draws on. The prophets of Baal are weary, faint, confused. One suggests one thing, and another something else, until finally they cease their efforts. Their shrieks and curses no longer resound over Carmel. In despair they retire from the contest.
All day long the people have witnessed the demonstrations of the baffled priests. They have beheld their wild leaping round the altar, as if they would grasp the burning rays of the sun to serve their purpose. They have looked with horror on the frightful, self-inflicted mutilations of the priests, and have had opportunity to reflect on the follies of idol worship. Many in the throng are weary of the exhibitions of demonism, and they now await with deepest interest the movements of Elijah.
It is the hour of the evening sacrifice, and Elijah bids the people, "Come near unto me." As they tremblingly draw near, he turns to the broken-down altar where once men worshiped the God of heaven, and repairs it. To him this heap of ruins is more precious than all the magnificent altars of heathendom.
In the reconstruction of this ancient altar, Elijah revealed his respect for the covenant that the Lord made with Israel when they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Choosing "twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, . . . he built an altar in the name of the Lord."
The disappointed priests of Baal, exhausted by their vain efforts, wait to see what Elijah will do. They hate the prophet for proposing a test that has exposed the weakness and inefficiency of their gods; yet they fear his power. The people, fearful also, and almost breathless with expectancy, watch while Elijah continues his preparations. The calm demeanor of the prophet stands out in sharp contrast with the fanatical, senseless frenzy of the followers of Baal.
The altar completed, the prophet makes a trench about it, and, having put the wood in order and prepared the bullock, he lays the victim on the altar and commands the people to flood the sacrifice and the altar with water. "Fill four barrels," he directed, "and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water."
Reminding the people of the long-continued apostasy that has awakened the wrath of Jehovah, Elijah calls upon them to humble their hearts and turn to the God of their fathers, that the curse upon the land of Israel may be removed. Then, bowing reverently before the unseen God, he raises his hands toward heaven and offers a simple prayer. Baal's priests have screamed and foamed and leaped, from early morning until late in the afternoon; but as Elijah prays, no senseless shrieks resound over Carmel's height. He prays as if he knows Jehovah is there, a witness to the scene, a listener to his appeal. The prophets of Baal have prayed wildly, incoherently. Elijah prays simply and fervently, asking God to show His superiority over Baal, that Israel may be led to turn to Him.
"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel," the prophet pleads, "let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again."
A silence, oppressive in its solemnity, rests upon all. The priests of Baal tremble with terror. Conscious of their guilt, they look for swift retribution.
No sooner is the prayer of Elijah ended than flames of fire, like brilliant flashes of lightning, descend from heaven upon the upreared altar, consuming the sacrifice, licking up the water in the trench, and consuming even the stones of the altar. The brilliancy of the blaze illumines the mountain and dazzles the eyes of the multitude. In the valleys below, where many are watching in anxious suspense the movements of those above, the descent of fire is clearly seen, and all are amazed at the sight. It resembles the pillar of fire which at the Red Sea separated the children of Israel from the Egyptian host.
The people on the mount prostrate themselves in awe before the unseen God. They dare not continue to look upon the Heaven-sent fire. They fear that they themselves will be consumed; and, convicted of their duty to acknowledge the God of Elijah as the God of their fathers, to whom they owe allegiance, they cry out together as with one voice, "The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God." With startling distinctness the cry resounds over the mountain and echoes in the plain below. At last Israel is aroused, undeceived, penitent. At last the people see how greatly they have dishonored God. The character of Baal worship, in contrast with the reasonable service required by the true God, stands fully revealed. The people recognize God's justice and mercy in withholding the dew and the rain until they have been brought to confess His name. They are ready now to admit that the God of Elijah is above every idol.
The priests of Baal witness with consternation the wonderful revelation of Jehovah's power. Yet even in their discomfiture and in the presence of divine glory, they refuse to repent of their evil-doing. They would still remain the prophets of Baal. Thus they showed themselves ripe for destruction. That repentant Israel may be protected from the allurements of those who have taught them to worship Baal, Elijah is directed by the Lord to destroy these false teachers. The anger of the people has already been aroused against the leaders in transgression; and when Elijah gives the command, "Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape," they are ready to obey. They seize the priests, and take them to the brook Kishon, and there, before the close of the day that marked the beginning of decided reform, the ministers of Baal are slain. Not one is permitted to live.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk12.html With the slaying of the prophets of Baal, the way was opened for carrying forward a mighty spiritual reformation among the ten tribes of the northern kingdom. Elijah had set before the people their apostasy; he had called upon them to humble their hearts and turn to the Lord. The judgments of Heaven had been executed; the people had confessed their sins, and had acknowledged the God of their fathers as the living God; and now the curse of Heaven was to be withdrawn, and the temporal blessings of life renewed. The land was to be refreshed with rain. "Get thee up, eat and drink," Elijah said to Ahab; "for there is a sound of abundance of rain." Then the prophet went to the top of the mount to pray.
It was not because of any outward evidence that the showers were about to fall, that Elijah could so confidently bid Ahab prepare for rain. The prophet saw no clouds in the heavens; he heard no thunder. He simply spoke the word that the Spirit of the Lord had moved him to speak in response to his own strong faith. Throughout the day he had unflinchingly performed the will of God and had revealed his implicit confidence in the prophecies of God's word; and now, having done all that was in his power to do, he knew that Heaven would freely bestow the blessings foretold. The same God who had sent the drought had promised an abundance of rain as the reward of rightdoing; and now Elijah waited for the promised outpouring. In an attitude of humility, "his face between his knees," he interceded with God in behalf of penitent Israel.
Again and again Elijah sent his servant to a point overlooking the Mediterranean, to learn whether there were any visible token that God had heard his prayer. Each time the servant returned with the word, "There is nothing." The prophet did not become impatient or lose faith, but continued his earnest pleading. Six times the servant returned with the word that there was no sign of rain in the brassy heavens. Undaunted, Elijah sent him forth once more; and this time the servant returned with the word, "Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man's hand."
This was enough. Elijah did not wait for the heavens to gather blackness. In that small cloud he beheld by faith an abundance of rain; and he acted in harmony with his faith, sending his servant quickly to Ahab with the message, "Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not."
It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel.
As he prayed, his faith reached out and grasped the promises of Heaven, and he persevered in prayer until his petitions were answered. He did not wait for the full evidence that God had heard him, but was willing to venture all on the slightest token of divine favor. And yet what he was enabled to do under God, all may do in their sphere of activity in God's service; for of the prophet from the mountains of Gilead it is written: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months." James 5:17.
Faith such as this is needed in the world today--faith that will lay hold on the promises of God's word and refuse to let go until Heaven hears. Faith such as this connects us closely with Heaven, and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. Through faith God's children have "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Hebrews 11:33, 34. And through faith we today are to reach the heights of God's purpose for us. "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23.
Faith is an essential element of prevailing prayer. "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." "If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." Hebrews 11:6, 1 John 5:14, 15. With the persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding persistence of Elijah, we may present our petitions to the Father, claiming all that He has promised. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word.
The shades of night were gathering about Mount Carmel as Ahab prepared for the descent. "It came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel." As he journeyed toward the royal city through the darkness and the blinding rain, Ahab was unable to see his way before him. Elijah, who, as the prophet of God, had that day humiliated Ahab before his subjects and slain his idolatrous priests, still acknowledged him as Israel's king; and now, as an act of homage, and strengthened by the power of God, he ran before the royal chariot, guiding the king to the entrance of the city.
In this gracious act of God's messenger shown to a wicked king is a lesson for all who claim to be servants of God, but who are exalted in their own estimation. There are those who feel above performing duties that to them appear menial. They hesitate to perform even needful service, fearing that they will be found doing the work of a servant. These have much to learn from the example of Elijah. By his word the treasures of heaven had been for three years withheld from the earth; he had been signally honored of God as, in answer to his prayer on Carmel, fire had flashed from heaven and consumed the sacrifice; his hand had executed the judgment of God in slaying the idolatrous prophets; his petition for rain had been granted. And yet, after the signal triumphs with which God had been pleased to honor his public ministry, he was willing to perform the service of a menial.
At the gate of Jezreel, Elijah and Ahab separated. The prophet, choosing to remain outside the walls, wrapped himself in his mantle, and lay down upon the bare earth to sleep. The king, passing within, soon reached the shelter of his palace and there related to his wife the wonderful events of the day and the marvelous revelation of divine power that had proved to Israel that Jehovah is the true God and Elijah His chosen messenger. As Ahab told the queen of the slaying of the idolatrous prophets, Jezebel, hardened and impenitent, became infuriated. She refused to recognize in the events on Carmel the overruling providence of God, and, still defiant, she boldly declared that Elijah should die.
That night a messenger aroused the weary prophet and delivered to him the word of Jezebel: "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."
It would seem that after showing courage so undaunted, after triumphing so completely over king and priests and people, Elijah could never afterward have given way to despondency nor been awed into timidity. But he who had been blessed with so many evidences of God's loving care was not above the frailties of mankind, and in this dark hour his faith and courage forsook him. Bewildered, he started from his slumber. The rain was pouring from the heavens, and darkness was on every side. Forgetting that three years before, God had directed his course to a place of refuge from the hatred of Jezebel and the search of Ahab, the prophet now fled for his life. Reaching Beersheba, he "left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness."
Elijah should not have fled from his post of duty. He should have met the threat of Jezebel with an appeal for protection to the One who had commissioned him to vindicate the honor of Jehovah. He should have told the messenger that the God in whom he trusted would protect him against the hatred of the queen. Only a few hours had passed since he had witnessed a wonderful manifestation of divine power, and this should have given him assurance that he would not now be forsaken. Had he remained where he was, had he made God his refuge and strength, standing steadfast for the truth, he would have been shielded from harm. The Lord would have given him another signal victory by sending His judgments on Jezebel; and the impression made on the king and the people would have wrought a great reformation.
Elijah had expected much from the miracle wrought on Carmel. He had hoped that after this display of God's power, Jezebel would no longer have influence over the mind of Ahab, and that there would be a speedy reform throughout Israel. All day on Carmel's height he had toiled without food. Yet when he guided the chariot of Ahab to the gate of Jezreel, his courage was strong, despite the physical strain under which he had labored.
But a reaction such as frequently follows high faith and glorious success was pressing upon Elijah. He feared that the reformation begun on Carmel might not be lasting; and depression seized him. He had been exalted to Pisgah's top; now he was in the valley. While under the inspiration of the Almighty, he had stood the severest trial of faith; but in this time of discouragement, with Jezebel's threat sounding in his ears, and Satan still apparently prevailing through the plotting of this wicked woman, he lost his hold on God. He had been exalted above measure, and the reaction was tremendous. Forgetting God, Elijah fled on and on, until he found himself in a dreary waste, alone. Utterly wearied, he sat down to rest under a juniper tree. And sitting there, he requested for himself that he might die. "It is enough; now, O Lord," he said, "take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." A fugitive, far from the dwelling places of men, his spirits crushed by bitter disappointment, he desired never again to look upon the face of man. At last, utterly exhausted, he fell asleep.
Into the experience of all there come times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement--days when sorrow is the portion, and it is hard to believe that God is still the kind benefactor of His earthborn children; days when troubles harass the soul, till death seems preferable to life. It is then that many lose their hold on God and are brought into the slavery of doubt, the bondage of unbelief. Could we at such times discern with spiritual insight the meaning of God's providences we should see angels seeking to save us from ourselves, striving to plant our feet upon a foundation more firm than the everlasting hills, and new faith, new life, would spring into being.
The faithful Job, in the day of his affliction and darkness, declared:
"Let the day perish wherein I was born." "O that my grief were throughly weighed, And my calamity laid in the balances together!"
"O that I might have my request; And that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; That He would let loose His hand, and cut me off! Then should I yet have comfort."
"I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul."
"My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live alway: Let me alone; For my days are vanity." Job 3:3; 6:2, 8-10; 7:11, 15, 16.
But though weary of life, Job was not allowed to die. To him were pointed out the possibilities of the future, and there was given him the message of hope:
"Thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, And remember it as waters that pass away: And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, Because there is hope. . . . Thou shalt lie down, And none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost." Job 11:15-20.
From the depths of discouragement and despondency Job rose to the heights of implicit trust in the mercy and the saving power of God. Triumphantly he declared:
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: . . . He also shall be my salvation." "I know that my Redeemer liveth, And that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, And mine eyes shall behold, and not another." Job 13:15, 16; 19:25-27.
"The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1), and revealed to His servant the might of His power. When Job caught a glimpse of his Creator, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. Then the Lord was able to bless him abundantly and to make his last years the best of his life.
Hope and courage are essential to perfect service for God. These are the fruit of faith. Despondency is sinful and unreasonable. God is able and willing "more abundantly" (Hebrews 6:17) to bestow upon His servants the strength they need for test and trial. The plans of the enemies of His work may seem to be well laid and firmly established, but God can overthrow the strongest of these. And this He does in His own time and way, when He sees that the faith of His servants has been sufficiently tested.
For the disheartened there is a sure remedy--faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day. Are you tempted to give way to feelings of anxious foreboding or utter despondency? In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promise. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant He has made with those who love Him. And He will bestow upon His faithful servants the measure of efficiency that their need demands. The apostle Paul has testified: "He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. . . . Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.
Did God forsake Elijah in his hour of trial? Oh, no! He loved His servant no less when Elijah felt himself forsaken of God and man than when, in answer to his prayer, fire flashed from heaven and illuminated the mountaintop. And now, as Elijah slept, a soft touch and a pleasant voice awoke him. He started up in terror, as if to flee, fearing that the enemy had discovered him. But the pitying face bending over him was not the face of an enemy, but of a friend. God had sent an angel from heaven with food for His servant. "Arise and eat," the angel said. "And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head."
After Elijah had partaken of the refreshment prepared for him, he slept again. A second time the angel came. Touching the exhausted man, he said with pitying tenderness, "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." "And he arose, and did eat and drink;" and in the strength of that food he was able to journey "forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God," where he found refuge in a cave.
I'm not going to spend much time on this. I might be number one, but I feel like number two. Consider 2013, the Resignation of Pope Benedict, the Election of Pope Francis, the Jesuits, the Reelection of President Obama, the Deep State, and Russian Collusion. Consider reading a lot of Malachi Martin books. Consider Tom Horn and Steve Quayle. Consider the timeline in the second video. What if one power-source runs everything?? I'm rambling.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk13.html Elijah's retreat on Mount Horeb, though hidden from man, was known to God; and the weary and discouraged prophet was not left to struggle alone with the powers of darkness that were pressing upon him. At the entrance to the cave wherein Elijah had taken refuge, God met with him, through a mighty angel sent to inquire into his needs and to make plain the divine purpose for Israel.
Not until Elijah had learned to trust wholly in God could he complete his work for those who had been seduced into Baal worship. The signal triumph on the heights of Carmel had opened the way for still greater victories; yet from the wonderful opportunities opening before him, Elijah had been turned away by the threat of Jezebel. The man of God must be made to understand the weakness of his present position as compared with the vantage ground the Lord would have him occupy.
God met His tried servant with the inquiry, "What doest thou here, Elijah? I sent you to the brook Cherith and afterward to the widow of Sarepta. I commissioned you to return to Israel and to stand before the idolatrous priests on Carmel, and I girded you with strength to guide the chariot of the king to the gate of Jezreel. But who sent you on this hasty flight into the wilderness? What errand have you here?
In bitterness of soul Elijah mourned out his complaint: "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."
Calling upon the prophet to leave the cave, the angel bade him stand before the Lord on the mount, and listen to His word. "And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave."
Not in mighty manifestations of divine power, but by "a still small voice," did God choose to reveal Himself to His servant. He desired to teach Elijah that it is not always the work that makes the greatest demonstration that is most successful in accomplishing His purpose. While Elijah waited for the revelation of the Lord, a tempest rolled, the lightnings flashed, and a devouring fire swept by; but God was not in all this. Then there came a still, small voice, and the prophet covered his head before the presence of the Lord. His petulance was silenced, his spirit softened and subdued. He now knew that a quiet trust, a firm reliance on God, would ever find for him a present help in time of need.
It is not always the most learned presentation of God's truth that convicts and converts the soul. Not by eloquence or logic are men's hearts reached, but by the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit, which operate quietly yet surely in transforming and developing character. It is the still, small voice of the Spirit of God that has power to change the heart.
"What doest thou here, Elijah?" the voice inquired; and again the prophet answered, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."
The Lord answered Elijah that the wrongdoers in Israel should not go unpunished. Men were to be especially chosen to fulfill the divine purpose in the punishment of the idolatrous kingdom. There was stern work to be done, that all might be given opportunity to take their position on the side of the true God. Elijah himself was to return to Israel, and share with others the burden of bringing about a reformation.
"Go," the Lord commanded Elijah, "return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay."
Elijah had thought that he alone in Israel was a worshiper of the true God. But He who reads the hearts of all revealed to the prophet that there were many others who, through the long years of apostasy, had remained true to Him. "I have left Me," God said, "seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."
From Elijah's experience during those days of discouragement and apparent defeat there are many lessons to be drawn, lessons invaluable to the servants of God in this age, marked as it is by general departure from right. The apostasy prevailing today is similar to that which in the prophet's day overspread Israel. In the exaltation of the human above the divine, in the praise of popular leaders, in the worship of mammon, and in the placing of the teachings of science above the truths of revelation, multitudes today are following after Baal. Doubt and unbelief are exercising their baleful influence over mind and heart, and many are substituting for the oracles of God the theories of men. It is publicly taught that we have reached a time when human reason should be exalted above the teachings of the Word. The law of God, the divine standard of righteousness, is declared to be of no effect. The enemy of all truth is working with deceptive power to cause men and women to place human institutions where God should be, and to forget that which was ordained for the happiness and salvation of mankind.
Yet this apostasy, widespread as it has come to be, is not universal. Not all in the world are lawless and sinful; not all have taken sides with the enemy. God has many thousands who have not bowed the knee to Baal, many who long to understand more fully in regard to Christ and the law, many who are hoping against hope that Jesus will come soon to end the reign of sin and death. And there are many who have been worshiping Baal ignorantly, but with whom the Spirit of God is still striving.
These need the personal help of those who have learned to know God and the power of His word. In such a time as this, every child of God should be actively engaged in helping others. As those who have an understanding of Bible truth try to seek out the men and women who are longing for light, angels of God will attend them. And where angels go, none need fear to move forward. As a result of the faithful efforts of consecrated workers, many will be turned from idolatry to the worship of the living God. Many will cease to pay homage to man-made institutions and will take their stand fearlessly on the side of God and His law.
Much depends on the unceasing activity of those who are true and loyal, and for this reason Satan puts forth every possible effort to thwart the divine purpose to be wrought out through the obedient. He causes some to lose sight of their high and holy mission, and to become satisfied with the pleasures of this life. He leads them to settle down at ease, or, for the sake of greater worldly advantages, to remove from places where they might be a power for good. Others he causes to flee in discouragement from duty, because of opposition or persecution. But all such are regarded by Heaven with tenderest pity. To every child of God whose voice the enemy of souls had succeeded in silencing, the question is addressed, "What doest thou here?" I commissioned you to go into all the world and preach the gospel, to prepare a people for the day of God. Why are you here? Who sent you?
The joy set before Christ, the joy that sustained Him through sacrifice and suffering, was the joy of seeing sinners saved. This should be the joy of every follower of His, the spur to his ambition. Those who realize, even in a limited degree, what redemption means to them and to their fellow men, will comprehend in some measure the vast needs of humanity. Their hearts will be moved to compassion as they see the moral and spiritual destitution of thousands who are under the shadow of a terrible doom, in comparison with which physical suffering fades into nothingness.
Of families, as of individuals, the question is asked, "What doest thou here?" In many churches there are families well instructed in the truths of God's word, who might widen the sphere of their influence by moving to places in need of the ministry they are capable of giving. God calls for Christian families to go into the dark places of the earth and work wisely and perseveringly for those who are enshrouded in spiritual gloom. To answer this call requires self-sacrifice. While many are waiting to have every obstacle removed, souls are dying, without hope and without God. For the sake of worldly advantage, for the sake of acquiring scientific knowledge, men are willing to venture into pestilential regions and to endure hardship and privation. Where are those who are willing to do as much for the sake of telling others of the Saviour?
If, under trying circumstances, men of spiritual power, pressed beyond measure, become discouraged and desponding, if at times they see nothing desirable in life, that they should choose it, this is nothing strange or new. Let all such remember that one of the mightiest of the prophets fled for his life before the rage of an infuriated woman. A fugitive, weary and travel-worn, bitter disappointment crushing his spirits, he asked that he might die. But it was when hope was gone and his lifework seemed threatened with defeat, that he learned one of the most precious lessons of his life. In the hour of his greatest weakness he learned the need and the possibility of trusting God under circumstances the most forbidding.
Those who, while spending their life energies in self-sacrificing labor, are tempted to give way to despondency and distrust, may gather courage from the experience of Elijah. God's watchful care, His love, His power, are especially manifest in behalf of His servants whose zeal is misunderstood or unappreciated, whose counsels and reproofs are slighted, and whose efforts toward reform are repaid with hatred and opposition.
It is at the time of greatest weakness that Satan assails the soul with the fiercest temptations. It was thus that he hoped to prevail over the Son of God; for by this policy he had gained many victories over man. When the will power weakened and faith failed, then those who had stood long and valiantly for the right yielded to temptation. Moses, wearied with forty years of wandering and unbelief, lost for a moment his hold on Infinite Power. He failed just on the borders of the Promised Land. So with Elijah. He who had maintained his trust in Jehovah during the years of drought and famine, he who had stood undaunted before Ahab, he who throughout that trying day on Carmel had stood before the whole nation of Israel the sole witness to the true God, in a moment of weariness allowed the fear of death to overcome his faith in God.
And so it is today. When we are encompassed with doubt, perplexed by circumstances, or afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan seeks to shake our confidence in Jehovah. It is then that he arrays before us our mistakes and tempts us to distrust God, to question His love. He hopes to discourage the soul and break our hold on God.
Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by the Holy Spirit to do a special work, will frequently feel a reaction when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the motives and the purposes of the heart. To wait patiently, to trust when everything looks dark, is the lesson that the leaders in God's work need to learn. Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity.
Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God. Not alone for men in positions of large responsibility is the lesson of Elijah's experience in learning anew how to trust God in the hour of trial. He who was Elijah's strength is strong to uphold every struggling child of His, no matter how weak. Of everyone He expects loyalty, and to everyone He grants power according to the need. In his own strength man is strengthless; but in the might of God he may be strong to overcome evil and to help others to overcome. Satan can never gain advantage of him who makes God his defense. "Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." Isaiah 45:24.
Fellow Christian, Satan knows your weakness; therefore cling to Jesus. Abiding in God's love, you may stand every test. The righteousness of Christ alone can give you power to stem the tide of evil that is sweeping over the world. Bring faith into your experience. Faith lightens every burden, relieves every weariness. Providences that are now mysterious you may solve by continued trust in God. Walk by faith in the path He marks out. Trials will come, but go forward. This will strengthen your faith and fit you for service. The records of sacred history are written, not merely that we may read and wonder, but that the same faith which wrought in God's servants of old may work in us. In no less marked manner will the Lord work now, wherever there are hearts of faith to be channels of His power.
To us, as to Peter, the word is spoken, "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Luke 22:31, 32. Christ will never abandon those for whom He has died. We may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life. Could our spiritual vision be quickened, we should see souls bowed under oppression and burdened with grief, pressed as a cart beneath sheaves, and ready to die in discouragement. We should see angels flying quickly to the aid of these tempted ones, forcing back the hosts of evil that encompass them, and placing their feet on the sure foundation. The battles waging between the two armies are as real as those fought by the armies of this world, and on the issue of the spiritual conflict eternal destinies depend.
In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel there was the appearance of a hand beneath the wings of the cherubim. This is to teach God's servants that it is divine power that gives success. Those whom God employs as His messengers are not to feel that His work is dependent on them. Finite beings are not left to carry this burden of responsibility. He who slumbers not, who is continually at work for the accomplishment of His designs, will carry forward His work. He will thwart the purposes of wicked men and will bring to confusion the counsels of those who plot mischief against His people. He who is the King, the Lord of hosts, sitteth between the cherubim, and amidst the strife and tumult of nations. He guards His children still. When the strongholds of kings shall be overthrown, when the arrows of wrath shall strike through the hearts of His enemies, His people will be safe in His hands.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk14.html Through the long centuries that have passed since Elijah's time, the record of his lifework has brought inspiration and courage to those who have been called to stand for the right in the midst of apostasy. And for us, "upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Corinthians 10:11), it has special significance. History is being repeated. The world today has its Ahabs and its Jezebels. The present age is one of idolatry, as verily as was that in which Elijah lived. No outward shrine may be visible; there may be no image for the eye to rest upon; yet thousands are following after the gods of this world--after riches, fame, pleasure, and the pleasing fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart. Multitude have a wrong conception of God and His attributes, and are as truly serving a false god as were the worshipers of Baal. Many even of those who claim to be Christians have allied themselves with influences that are unalterably opposed to God and His truth. Thus they are led to turn away from the divine and to exalt the human.
The prevailing spirit of our time is one of infidelity and apostasy--a spirit of avowed illumination because of a knowledge of truth, but in reality of the blindest presumption. Human theories are exalted and placed where God and His law should be. Satan tempts men and women to disobey, with the promise that in disobedience they will find liberty and freedom that will make them as gods. There is seen a spirit of opposition to the plain word of God, of idolatrous exaltation of human wisdom above divine revelation. Men have allowed their minds to become so darkened and confused by conformity to worldly customs and influences that they seem to have lost all power to discriminate between light and darkness, truth and error. So far have they departed from the right way that they hold the opinions of a few philosophers, so-called, to be more trustworthy than the truths of the Bible. The entreaties and promises of God's word, its threatenings against disobedience and idolatry--these seem powerless to melt their hearts. A faith such as actuated Paul, Peter, and John they regard as old-fashioned, mystical, and unworthy of the intelligence of modern thinkers.
In the beginning, God gave His law to mankind as a means of attaining happiness and eternal life. Satan's only hope of thwarting the purpose of God is to lead men and women to disobey this law, and his constant effort has been to misrepresent its teachings and belittle its importance. His master stroke has been an attempt to change the law itself, so as to lead men to violate its precepts while professing to obey it.
One writer has likened the attempt to change the law of God to an ancient mischievous practice of turning in a wrong direction a signpost erected at an important junction where two roads met. The perplexity and hardship which this practice often caused was great.
A signpost was erected by God for those journeying through this world. One arm of this signpost pointed out willing obedience to the Creator as the road to felicity and life, while the other arm indicated disobedience as the path to misery and death. The way to happiness was as clearly defined as was the way to the city of refuge under the Jewish dispensation. But in an evil hour for our race, the great enemy of all good turned the signpost around, and multitudes have mistaken the way.
Through Moses the Lord instructed the Israelites: "Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: everyone that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work. . . in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:13-17.
In these words the Lord clearly defined obedience as the way to the City of God; but the man of sin has changed the signpost, making it point in the wrong direction. He has set up a false sabbath and has caused men and women to think that by resting on it they were obeying the command of the Creator.
God has declared that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. When "the heavens and the earth were finished," He exalted this day as a memorial of His creative work. Resting on the seventh day "from all His work which He had made," "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it." Genesis 2:1-3.
At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, the Sabbath institution was brought prominently before the people of God. While they were still in bondage, their taskmasters had attempted to force them to labor on the Sabbath by increasing the amount of work required each week. Again and again the conditions of labor had been made harder and more exacting. But the Israelites were delivered from bondage and brought to a place where they might observe unmolested all the precepts of Jehovah. At Sinai the law was spoken; and a copy of it, on two tables of stone, "written with the finger of God" was delivered to Moses. Exodus 31:18. And through nearly forty years of wandering the Israelites were constantly reminded of God's appointed rest day, by the withholding of the manna every seventh day and the miraculous preservation of the double portion that fell on the preparation day.
Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were admonished by Moses to "keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it." Deuteronomy 5:12. The Lord designed that by a faithful observance of the Sabbath command, Israel should continually be reminded of their accountability to Him as their Creator and their Redeemer. While they should keep the Sabbath in the proper spirit, idolatry could not exist; but should the claims of this precept of the Decalogue be set aside as no longer binding, the Creator would be forgotten and men would worship other gods. "I gave them My Sabbaths," God declared, "to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Yet "they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols." And in His appeal to them to return to Him, He called their attention anew to the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy. "I am the Lord your God," He said; "walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." Ezekiel 20:12, 16, 19, 20.
In calling the attention of Judah to the sins that finally brought upon them the Babylonian Captivity, the Lord declared: "Thou hast. . . profaned My Sabbaths." "Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads." Ezekiel 22:8, 31.
At the restoration of Jerusalem, in the days of Nehemiah, Sabbathbreaking was met with the stern inquiry, "Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath." Nehemiah 13:18.
Christ, during His earthly ministry, emphasized the binding claims of the Sabbath; in all His teaching He showed reverence for the institution He Himself had given. In His days the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of God. Christ set aside the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had misrepresented Him. Although followed with merciless hostility by the rabbis, He did not even appear to conform to their requirements, but went straight forward keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God.
In unmistakable language He testified to His regard for the law of Jehovah. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets," He said; "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19.
During the Christian dispensation, the great enemy of man's happiness has made the Sabbath of the fourth commandment an object of special attack. Satan says, "I will work at cross purposes with God. I will empower my followers to set aside God's memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath. Thus I will show the world that the day sanctified and blessed by God has been changed. That day shall not live in the minds of the people. I will obliterate the memory of it. I will place in its stead a day that does not bear the credentials of God, a day that cannot be a sign between God and His people. I will lead those who accept this day to place upon it the sanctity that God placed upon the seventh day.
"Through my vicegerent, I will exalt myself. The first day will be extolled, and the Protestant world will receive this spurious sabbath as genuine. Through the nonobservance of the Sabbath that God instituted, I will bring His law into contempt. The words, 'A sign between Me and you throughout your generations,' I will make to serve on the side of my sabbath.
"Thus the world will become mine. I will be the ruler of the earth, the prince of the world. I will so control the minds under my power that God's Sabbath shall be a special object of contempt. A sign? I will make the observance of the seventh day a sign of disloyalty to the authorities of earth. Human laws will be made so stringent that men and women will not dare to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. For fear of wanting food and clothing, they will join with the world in transgressing God's law. The earth will be wholly under my dominion."
Through the setting up of a false sabbath, the enemy thought to change times and laws. But has he really succeeded in changing God's law? The words of the thirty-first chapter of Exodus are the answer. He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, has declared of the seventh-day Sabbath: "It is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations." "It is a sign . . . forever." Exodus 31:13, 17. The changed signpost is pointing the wrong way, but God has not changed. He is still the mighty God of Israel. "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before His are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity." Isaiah 40:15-17. And He is just as jealous for His law now as He was in the days of Ahab and Elijah.
But how is that law disregarded! Behold the world today in open rebellion against God. This is in truth a froward generation, filled with ingratitude, formalism, insincerity, pride, and apostasy. Men neglect the Bible and hate truth. Jesus sees His law rejected, His love despised, His ambassadors treated with indifference. He has spoken by His mercies, but these have been unacknowledged; He has spoken by warnings, but these have been unheeded. The temple courts of the human soul have been turned into places of unholy traffic. Selfishness, envy, pride, malice-- all are cherished.
Many do not hesitate to sneer at the word of God. Those who believe that word just as it reads are held up to ridicule. There is a growing contempt for law and order, directly traceable to a violation of the plain commands of Jehovah. Violence and crime are the result of turning aside from the path of obedience. Behold the wretchedness and misery of multitudes who worship at the shrine of idols and who seek in vain for happiness and peace.
Behold the well-nigh universal disregard of the Sabbath commandment. Behold also the daring impiety of those who, while enacting laws to safeguard the supposed sanctity of the first day of the week, at the same time are making laws legalizing the liquor traffic. Wise above that which is written, they attempt to coerce the consciences of men, while lending their sanction to an evil that brutalizes and destroys the beings created in the image of God. It is Satan himself who inspires such legislation. He well knows that the curse of God will rest on those who exalt human enactments above the divine, and he does all in his power to lead men into the broad road that ends in destruction.
So long have men worshiped human opinions and human institutions that almost the whole world is following after idols. And he who has endeavored to change God's law is using every deceptive artifice to induce men and women to array themselves against God and against the sign by which the righteous are known. But the Lord will not always suffer His law to be broken and despised with impunity. There is a time coming when "the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11. Skepticism may treat the claims of God's law with jest, scoffing, and denial. The spirit of worldliness may contaminate the many and control the few, the cause of God may hold its ground only by great exertion and continual sacrifice, yet in the end the truth will triumph gloriously.
In the closing work of God in the earth, the standard of His law will be again exalted. False religion may prevail, iniquity may abound, the love of many may wax cold, the cross of Calvary may be lost sight of, and darkness, like the pall of death, may spread over the world; the whole force of the popular current may be turned against the truth; plot after plot may be formed to overthrow the people of God; but in the hour of greatest peril the God of Elijah will raise up human instrumentalities to bear a message that will not be silenced. In the populous cities of the land, and in the places where men have gone to the greatest lengths in speaking against the Most High, the voice of stern rebuke will be heard. Boldly will men of God's appointment denounce the union of the church with the world. Earnestly will they call upon men and women to turn from the observance of a man-made institution to the observance of the true Sabbath. "Fear God, and give glory to Him," they will proclaim to every nation; "for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. . . . If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." Revelation 14:7-10.
God will not break His covenant, nor alter the thing that has gone out of His lips. His word will stand fast forever as unalterable as His throne. At the judgment this covenant will be brought forth, plainly written with the finger of God, and the world will be arraigned before the bar of Infinite Justice to receive sentence.
Today, as in the days of Elijah, the line of demarcation between God's commandment-keeping people and the worshipers of false gods is clearly drawn. "How long halt ye between two opinions?" Elijah cried; "if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him." 1 Kings 18:21. And the message for today is: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. . . . Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Revelation 18:2, 4, 5.
The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false sabbath will be urged upon us. The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness.
Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing in every nation, among every tongue and people; and in the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan's supreme effort is made to cause "all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones, "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke," will "shine as lights in the world." Revelation 13:16; Philippians 2:15. The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine.
What strange work Elijah would have done in numbering Israel at the time when God's judgments were falling upon the backsliding people! He could count only one on the Lord's side. But when he said, "I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life," the word of the Lord surprised him, "Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal." 1 Kings 19:14, 18.
Then let no man attempt to number Israel today, but let everyone have a heart of flesh, a heart of tender sympathy, a heart that, like the heart of Christ, reaches out for the salvation of a lost world.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk15.html Until called to the throne at the age of thirty-five, Jehoshaphat had before him the example of good King Asa, who in nearly every crisis had done "that which was right in the eyes of the Lord." 1 Kings 15:11. During a prosperous reign of twenty-five years, Jehoshaphat sought to walk "in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside."
In his efforts to rule wisely, Jehoshaphat endeavored to persuade his subjects to take a firm stand against idolatrous practices. Many of the people in his realm "offered and burnt incense yet in the high places." 1 Kings 22:43. The king did not at once destroy these shrines; but from the beginning he tried to safeguard Judah from the sins characterizing the northern kingdom under the rule of Ahab, of whom he was a contemporary for many years. Jehoshaphat himself was loyal to God. He "sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel." Because of his integrity, the Lord was with him, and "stablished the kingdom in his hand." 2 Chronicles 17:3-5.
"All Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord." As time passed and reformations were wrought, the king "took away the high places and groves out of Judah." Verses 5, 6. "And the remnant of the Sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land." 1 Kings 22:46. Thus gradually the inhabitants of Judah were freed from many of the perils that had been threatening to retard seriously their spiritual development.
Throughout the kingdom the people were in need of instruction in the law of God. In an understanding of this law lay their safety; by conforming their lives to its requirements they would become loyal both to God and to man. Knowing this, Jehoshaphat took steps to ensure to his people thorough instruction in the Holy Scriptures. The princes in charge of the different portions of his realm were directed to arrange for the faithful ministry of teaching priests. By royal appointment these instructors, working under the direct supervision of the princes, "went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people." 2 Chronicles 17:7-9. And as many endeavored to understand God's requirements and to put away sin, a revival was effected.
To this wise provision for the spiritual needs of his subjects, Jehoshaphat owed much of his prosperity as a ruler. In obedience to God's law there is great gain. In conformity to the divine requirements there is a transforming power that brings peace and good will among men. If the teachings of God's word were made the controlling influence in the life of every man and woman, if mind and heart were brought under its restraining power, the evils that now exist in national and in social life would find no place. From every home would go forth an influence that would make men and women strong in spiritual insight and in moral power, and thus nations and individuals would be placed on vantage ground.
For many years Jehoshaphat lived in peace, unmolested by surrounding nations. "The fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah." Verse 10. From Philistia he received tribute money and presents; from Arabia, large flocks of sheep and goats. "Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of stores. . . . Men of war, mighty men of valor, . . . waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah." Verses 12-19. Blessed abundantly with "riches and honor," he was enabled to wield a mighty influence for truth and righteousness. 2 Chronicles 18:1
Some years after coming to the throne, Jehoshaphat, now in the height of his prosperity, consented to the marriage of his son, Jehoram, to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. By this union there was formed between the kingdoms of Judah and Israel an alliance which was not in the order of God and which in a time of crisis brought disaster to the king and to many of his subjects.
On one occasion Jehoshaphat visited the king of Israel at Samaria. Special honor was shown the royal guest from Jerusalem, and before the close of his visit he was persuaded to unite with the king of Israel in war against the Syrians. Ahab hoped that by joining his forces with those of Judah he might regain Ramoth, one of the old cities of refuge, which, he contended, rightfully belonged to the Israelites.
Although Jehoshaphat in a moment of weakness had rashly promised to join the king of Israel in his war against the Syrians, yet his better judgment led him to seek to learn the will of God concerning the undertaking. "Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today," he suggested to Ahab. In response, Ahab called together four hundred of the false prophets of Samaria, and asked of them, "Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And they answered, "Go up; for God will deliver it into the kings's hand." Verses 4, 5.
Unsatisfied, Jehoshaphat sought to learn for a certainty the will of God. "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord," he asked, "that we might inquire of him?" Verse 6. "There is yet one man, Micaiah to son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord," Ahab answered; "but I hate him" for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." 1 Kings 22:8. Jehoshaphat was firm in his request that the man of God be called; and upon appearing before them and being adjured by Ahab to tell "nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord," Micaiah said: "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace." Verses 16, 17.
The words of the prophet should have been enough to show the kings that their project was not favored by Heaven, but neither ruler felt inclined to heed the warning. Ahab had marked out his course, and he was determined to follow it. Jehoshaphat had given his word of honor, "We will be with thee in the war;" and after making such a promise, he was reluctant to withdraw his forces. 2 Chronicles 18:3. "So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead." 1 Kings 22:29.
During the battle that followed, Ahab was shot by an arrow, and at eventide he died. "About the going down of the sun," "there went a proclamation throughout the host," "Every man to his city, and every man to his own country." Verse 36. Thus was fulfilled the word of the prophet.
From this disastrous battle Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem. As he approached the city, the prophet Jehu met him with the reproof: "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God." 2 Chronicles 19"2, 3.
The later years of Jehoshaphat's reign were largely spent in strengthening the national and spiritual defenses of Judah.
He "went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers." Verse 4. One of the important steps taken by the king was the establishment and maintenance of efficient courts of justice. He "set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city;" and in the charge given them he urged: "Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." Verses 5-7.
The judicial system was perfected by the founding of a court of appeal at Jerusalem, where Jehoshaphat "set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgement of the Lord, and for controversies." Verse 8.
The king exhorted these judges to be faithful. "Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart," he charged them. "And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass.
"And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. "Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good." Verses 9-11.
In his careful safeguarding of the rights and liberties of his subjects, Jehoshaphat emphasized the consideration that every member of the human family receives from the God of justice, who rules over all. "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods." And those who are appointed to act as judges under Him, are to "defend the poor and fatherless;" they are to "do justice to the afflicted and needy," and "rid them out of the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:1, 3, 4.
Toward the close of Jehoshaphat's reign the kingdom of Judah was invaded by an army before whose approach the inhabitants of the land had reason to tremble. "The children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle." Tidings of this invasion reached the king through a messenger, who appeared with the startling word, "There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria: and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi." 2 Chronicles 20:1, 2.
Jehoshaphat was a man of courage and valor. For years he had been strengthening his armies and his fortified cities. He was well prepared to meet almost any foe; yet in this crisis he put not his trust in the arm of flesh. Not by disciplined armies and fenced cities, but by a living faith in the God of Israel, could he hope to gain the victory over these heathen who boasted of their power to humble Judah in the eyes of the nations.
"Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."
Standing in the temple court before his people, Jehoshaphat poured out his soul in prayer, pleading God's promises, with confession of Israel's helplessness. "O Lord God of our fathers" he petitioned, "art not Thou God in heaven? and rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee? Art not Thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend forever? And they dwelt therein, and have built Thee a sanctuary therein for Thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in Thy presence, (for Thy name is in this house,) and cry unto Thee in our affliction, then Thou wilt hear and help.
"And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom Thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of Thy possession, which Thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee." Verses 3-21.
With confidence Jehoshaphat could say to the Lord, "Our eyes are upon thee." For years he had taught the people to trust in the One who in past ages had so often interposed to save His chosen ones from utter destruction; and now, when the kingdom was in peril, Jehoshaphat did not stand alone; "all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children." Verse 13. Unitedly they fasted and prayed; unitedly they besought the Lord to put their enemies to confusion, that the name of Jehovah might be glorified.
"Keep not Thou silence, O God: Hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult: And they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, And consulted against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: They are confederate against Thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; Of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek. . . . Do unto them as unto the Midianites; As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: . . . Let them be confounded and troubled forever; Yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, Art the Most High over all the earth." Psalm 83.
As the people joined with their king in humbling themselves before God, and asking Him for help, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, "a Levite of the sons of Asaph," and he said:
"Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you."
"Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high."
Early in the morning they rose and went into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they advanced to the battle, Jehoshaphat said, "Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established: believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness." 2 Chronicles 20:14-21. These singers went before the army, lifting their voices in praise to God for the promise of victory.
It was a singular way of going to battle against the enemy's army--praising the Lord with singing, and exalting the God of Israel. This was their battle song. They possessed the beauty of holiness. If more praising of God were engaged in now, hope and courage and faith would steadily increase. And would not this strengthen the hands of the valiant soldiers who today are standing in defense of truth?
"The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
"And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped." Verses 22-24.
God was the strength of Judah in this crisis, and He is the strength of His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every emergency we are to feel that the battle is His. His resources are limitless, and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater.
"Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us together, And deliver us from the heathen, That we may give thanks to Thy holy name, And glory in Thy praise." 1 Chronicles 16-35.
Laden with spoil, the armies of Judah returned "with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord." 2 Chronicles 20:27, 28. Great was their cause for rejoicing. In obedience to the command, "Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord: . . . fear not, nor be dismayed," they had put their trust wholly in God, and He had proved to be their fortress and their deliverer. Verse 17. Now they could sing with understanding the inspired hymns of David:
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. . . . He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge." Psalm 46.
"According to Thy name, O God, So is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of Thy judgments. . . . "This God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death." Psalm 48:10-14.
Through the faith of Judah's ruler and of his armies "the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest." 2 Chronicles 20:29, 30.
"Quiet Your Monkey-Mind, and Go Incognito. You Had a Deep-State Induced Stroke with Neurotoxin-Complications and Atrial-Ventricular Fibrillation. You're Just a Completely-Ignorant Fool with a Messiah-Complex. We All Have Our Crosses to Bear."
Try adding the concept of a Beast-Supercomputer and Artificial-Intelligence when considering the Potpourri of Madness I've assembled on this particular website. I'm NOT an Insider. I know very-little regarding anything-significant. I've merely assembled a Nutty Study-Guide for Sirius-Researchers. I've made good on my promise to keep this insanity within this website (with the possible exception of possibly writing a very watered-down devotional-book at some point in the future). I am NOT an Authority on Anything!! I am truly a Completely Ignorant Fool with a Messiah-Complex!! We All Have Our Crosses to Bear!! Reader Beware!! Beware of Legion-Deceptions, Multiple-Bodies, and Multiple-Personalities!! Consider watching "Fallen-Angel" movies and series for various hints and tidbits. Most of the movies and series I've viewed are approximately 95% Utter-BS and 5% Good-Stuff. The movie Priest was quite interesting and upsetting!!
My threads remind me of the 2012 Flight pilot, who was doing everything possible to save the lives of those onboard. I sense that this solar system is going to crash, no matter what anyone says or does, but I wish to save as many lives and souls as possible. I feel as if I've been hamstrung, strung-up, and left to twist slowly, slowly, in the wind, for all the universe to see. A relative-stranger recently told me "You Don't Listen" but they weren't specific, and I politely avoided a confrontation. Another stranger taunted me with "How did you get this job?? Did you win the lottery??" Once again, I am suggesting imagining the Ellen White stuff I'm posting being spoken by Anna (V), and/or Delenn (Babylon 5), and/or Vala Mal Doran (Stargate SG-1) as Historical-Fiction in the context of a Spacecraft!! I have NO Idea how much of this material is Absolute-Truth!! Does that make me an Adventist-Heretic?? Probably. But I don't go to church and Terrorize the Saints. I just mumble to myself on this little website. What if the Bible and Ellen White were read in the same manner as Shakespeare?? As Literature?? As Historical-Fiction?? I keep wondering what understandings might emerge from studying the following study-list for a decade?? Just Wondering.
1. The Church of England Book of Common Prayer.
2. Patriarchs and Prophets (Ellen White).
3. Job through Malachi (New King James Version).
4. Prophets and Kings (Ellen White).
5. Luke through Jude (New King James Version).
6. The Desire of Ages (Ellen White).
7. Sacred Classical Music.
Man (and Woman) Shall NOT Live by Conspiracy-Theories Alone. I assume that everything we post on the internet is monitored and recorded by someone. Perhaps alternating between the monkey-mind rat-race and emptying one's mind in stillness might be a good-thing. Reincarnation is a Wild-Card and/or Bull in a China-Closet. When I add this factor to the Religion of My Youth -- it all begins making-sense. But if we're ALL a bunch of ancient bad-boys and bad-girls -- "Disclosure" might be more of a Can of Worms than ANY of Us Can Handle. I get that the old-ways of thinking are highly-problematic YET I fear that most of the new-ways of thinking (or not thinking) might involve jumping out of the frying-pan -- and into the fire. I think Egypt is extremely-important to all-concerned -- and I honestly spent months talking to an individual of interest who said "I AM RA!!" I don't know who they REALLY were BUT they fit my imagined-description of a Modern-Incarnation of an Ancient Egyptian Deity aka God of This World. They seemed to be simultaneously Good and Evil -- and they seemed to know who I really was -- but I suspected a certain amount of lying and testing -- so I took everything they said with a sea of salt. I could go on and on -- but that's probably enough for now. I don't think anything on the internet is really confidential. I never know who I'm really communicating with -- and who might be watching and recording -- electronically and/or supernaturally. I hate the way things are -- but perhaps I had better get used to it. Sixpence None the Richer.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk16.html The evil influence that Jezebel had exercised from the first over Ahab continued during the later years of his life and bore fruit in deeds of shame and violence such as have seldom been equaled in sacred history. "There was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."
Naturally of a covetous disposition, Ahab, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, had followed the dictates of his evil heart until he was fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness. He could brook no refusal of his wishes; the things he desired he felt should by right be his.
This dominant trait in Ahab, which influenced so disastrously the fortunes of the kingdom under his successors, is revealed in an incident which took place while Elijah was still a prophet in Israel. Hard by the palace of the king was a vineyard belonging to Naboth, a Jezreelite. Ahab set his heart on possessing this vineyard, and he proposed to buy it or else to give in exchange for it another piece of land. "Give me thy vineyard," he said to Naboth, "that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money."
Naboth valued his vineyard highly because it had belonged to his fathers, and he refused to part with it. "The Lord forbid it me," he said to Ahab, "that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee." According to the Levitical code no land could be transferred permanently by sale or exchange; every one of the children of Israel must "keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers." Numbers 36:7.
Naboth's refusal made the selfish monarch ill. "Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. . . . And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread."
Jezebel soon learned the particulars, and, indignant that anyone should refuse the request of the king, she assured Ahab that he need no longer be sad. "Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?" she said. "Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
Ahab cared not by what means his wife might accomplish the desired object, and Jezebel immediately proceeded to carry out her wicked purpose. She wrote letters in the name of the king, sealed them with his signet, and sent them to the elders and nobles of the city where Naboth dwelt, saying: "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die."
The command was obeyed. "The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles, . . . did as Jezebel had . . . written in the letters which she had sent unto them." Then Jezebel went to the king and bade him arise and take the vineyard. And Ahab, heedless of the consequences, blindly followed her counsel and went down to take possession of the coveted property.
The king was not allowed to enjoy unrebuked that which he had gained by fraud and bloodshed. "The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?" And the Lord further instructed Elijah to pronounce upon Ahab a terrible judgment.
The prophet hastened to carry out the divine command. The guilty ruler, meeting the stern messenger of Jehovah face to face in the vineyard, gave voice to his startled fear in the words, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"
Without hesitation the messenger of the Lord replied, "I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity." No mercy was to be shown. The house of Ahab was to be utterly destroyed, "like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah," the Lord declared through His servant, "for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked Me to anger, and made Israel to sin."
And of Jezebel the Lord declared, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat."
When the king heard this fearful message, "he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
"And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? because he humbleth himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house."
It was less than three years later that King Ahab met his death at the hands of the Syrians. Ahaziah, his successor, "did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam." "He served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel," as his father Ahab had done. 1 Kings 22:52, 53. But judgments followed close upon the sins of the rebellious king. A disastrous war with Moab, and then an accident by which his own life was threatened, attested to God's wrath against him.
Having fallen "through a lattice in his upper chamber," Ahaziah, seriously injured, and fearful of the possible outcome, sent some of his servants to make inquiry of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether he should recover or not. The god of Ekron was supposed to give information, through the medium of its priests, concerning future events. Large numbers of people went to inquire of it; but the predictions there uttered, and the information given, proceeded from the prince of darkness.
Ahaziah's servants were met by a man of God, who directed them to return to the king with the message: "Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith Jehovah, Thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die." Having delivered his message, the prophet departed.
The astonished servants hastened back to the king, and repeated to him the words of the man of God. The king inquired, "What manner of man was he?" They answered, "He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins." "It is Elijah the Tishbite," Ahaziah exclaimed. He knew that if the stranger whom his messengers had met was indeed Elijah, the words of doom pronounced would surely come to pass. Anxious to avert, if possible, the threatened judgment, he determined to send for the prophet.
Twice Ahaziah sent a company of soldiers to intimidate the prophet, and twice the wrath of God fell upon them in judgment. The third company of soldiers humbled themselves before God; and their captain, as he approached the Lord's messenger, "fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight."
"The angel of Jehovah said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die."
During the father's reign, Ahaziah had witnessed the wondrous works of the Most High. He had seen the terrible evidences that God had given apostate Israel of the way in which He regards those who set aside the binding claims of His law. Ahaziah had acted as if these awful realities were but idle tales. Instead of humbling his heart before the Lord, he had followed after Baal, and at last he had ventured upon this, his most daring act of impiety. Rebellious, and unwilling to repent, Ahaziah died, "according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken."
The history of King Ahaziah's sin and its punishment has in it a warning which none can disregard with impunity. Men today may not pay homage to heathen gods, yet thousands are worshiping at Satan's shrine as verily as did the king of Israel. The spirit of idolatry is rife in the world today, although, under the influence of science and education, it has assumed forms more refined and attractive than in the days when Ahaziah sought to the god of Ekron. Every day adds its sorrowful evidence that faith in the sure word of prophecy is decreasing, and that in its stead superstition and satanic witchery are captivating the minds of many.
Today the mysteries of heathen worship are replaced by the secret association and seances, the obscurities and wonders, of spiritistic mediums. The disclosures of these mediums are eagerly received by thousands who refuse to accept light from God's word or through His Spirit. Believers in spiritism may speak with scorn of the magicians of old, but the great deceiver laughs in triumph as they yield to his arts under a different form.
There are many who shrink with horror from the thought of consulting spirit mediums, but who are attracted by more pleasing forms of spiritism. Others are led astray by the teachings of Christian Science, and by the mysticism of Theosophy and other Oriental religions.
The apostles of nearly all forms of spiritism claim to have power to heal. They attribute this power to electricity, magnetism, the so-called "sympathetic remedies," or to latent forces within the mind of man. And there are not a few, even in this Christian age, who go to these healers, instead of trusting in the power of the living God and the skill of well-qualified physicians. The mother, watching by the sickbed of her child, exclaims, "I can do no more. Is there no physician who has power to restore my child?" She is told of the wonderful cures performed by some clairvoyant or magnetic healer, and she trusts her dear one to his charge, placing it as verily in the hand of Satan as if he were standing by her side. In many instances the future life of the child is controlled by a satanic power which it seems impossible to break.
God had cause for displeasure at Ahaziah's impiety. What had He not done to win the hearts of the people of Israel and to inspire them with confidence in Himself? For ages He had been giving His people manifestations of unexampled kindness and love. From the beginning He had shown that His "delights were with the sons of men." Proverbs 8:31. He had been a very present help to all who sought Him in sincerity. Yet now the king of Israel, turning from God to ask help of the worst enemy of his people, proclaimed to the heathen that he had more confidence in their idols than in the God of heaven. In the same manner do men and women dishonor Him when they turn from the Source of strength and wisdom to ask help or counsel from the powers of darkness. If God's wrath was kindled by Ahaziah's act, how does He regard those who, having still greater light, choose to follow a similar course?
Those who give themselves up to the sorcery of Satan, may boast of great benefit received; but does this prove their course to be wise or safe? What if life should be prolonged? What if temporal gain should be secured? Will it pay in the end to have disregarded the will of God? All such apparent gain will prove at last an irrecoverable loss. We cannot with impunity break down a single barrier which God has erected to guard His people from Satan's power.
As Ahaziah had no son, he was succeeded by Jehoram, his brother, who reigned over the ten tribes for twelve years. Throughout these years his mother, Jezebel, was still living, and she continued to exercise her evil influence over the affairs of the nation. Idolatrous customs were still practiced by many of the people. Jehoram himself "wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jereboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom." 2 Kings 3:2, 3.
It was during Jehoram's reign over Israel that Jehoshaphat died, and Jehoshaphat's son, also named Jehoram, ascended the throne of the kingdom of Judah. By his marriage with the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, Jehoram of Judah was closely connected with the king of Israel; and in his reign he followed after Baal, "like as did the house of Ahab." "Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto." 2 Chronicles 21:6, 11.
The king of Judah was not permitted to continue his terrible apostasy unreproved. The prophet Elijah had not yet been translated, and he could not remain silent while the kingdom of Judah was pursuing the same course that had brought the northern kingdom to the verge of ruin. The prophet sent to Jehoram of Judah a written communication, in which the wicked king read the awful words:
"Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself: behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods: and thou shalt have great sickness."
In fulfillment of this prophecy "the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians: and they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz [Ahaziah, Azariah], the youngest of his sons.
"And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease. And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, . . . he died of sore diseases." "And Ahaziah [Jehoahaz] his son reigned in his stead." Verses 12:19; 2 Kings 8:24.
Jehoram the son of Ahab was still reigning in the kingdom of Israel when his nephew, Ahaziah, came to the throne of Judah. Ahaziah ruled only one year, and during this time, influenced by his mother, Athaliah, "his counselor to do wickedly," "he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord." 2 Chronicles 22:3, 4; 2 Kings 8:27. Jezebel, his grandmother, was still living, and he allied himself boldly with Jehoram of Israel, his uncle.
Ahaziah of Judah soon met a tragic end. The surviving members of the house of Ahab were indeed "his counselors after the death of his father to his destruction." 2 Chronicles 22:3, 4. While Ahaziah was visiting his uncle at Jezreel, the prophet Elisha was divinely directed to send one of the sons of the prophets to Ramothgilead to anoint Jehu king of Israel. The combined forces of Judah and Israel were at that time engaged in a military campaign against the Syrians of Ramothgilead. Jehoram had been wounded in battle, and had returned to Jezreel, leaving Jehu in charge of the royal armies.
In anointing Jehu, the messenger of Elisha declared, "I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel." And then he solemnly charged Jehu with a special commission from heaven. "Thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master," the Lord declared through His messenger, "that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish." 2 Kings 9:6-8.
After he had been proclaimed king by the army, Jehu hastened to Jezreel, where he began his work of execution on those who had deliberately chosen to continue in sin and to lead others into sin. Jehoram of Israel, Ahaziah of Judah, and Jezebel the queen mother, with "all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests," were slain. "All the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests" dwelling at the center of Baal worship near Samaria, were put to the sword. The idolatrous images were broken down and burned, and the temple of Baal was laid in ruins. "Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel." 2 Kings 10:11, 19,28.
Tidings of this general execution reached Athaliah, Jezebel's daughter, who still occupied a commanding position in the kingdom of Judah. When she saw that her son, the king of Judah, was dead, "she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah." In this massacre all the descendants of David who were eligible to the throne were destroyed, save one, a babe named Joash, whom the wife of Jehoiada the high priest hid within the precincts of the temple. For six years the child remained hidden, while "Athaliah reigned over the land." 2 Chronicles 22:10, 12.
At the end of this time, "the Levites and all Judah" (2 Chronicles 23: united with Jehoiada the high priest in crowning and anointing the child Joash and acclaiming him their king. "And they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king." 2 Kings 11:12.
"Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord." 2 Chronicles 23:12. "And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets."
"Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason." 2 Kings 11:14. But Jehoiada commanded the officers to lay hold of Athaliah and all her followers and lead them out of the temple to a place of execution, where they were to be slain.
Thus perished the last member of the house of Ahab. The terrible evil that had been wrought through his alliance with Jezebel, continued till the last of his descendants was destroyed. Even in the land of Judah, where the worship of the true God had never been formally set aside, Athaliah had succeeded in seducing many. Immediately after the execution of the impenitent queen "all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars." Verse 18.
A reformation followed. Those who took part in acclaiming Joash king, had solemnly covenanted "that they should be the Lord's people." And now that the evil influence of the daughter of Jezebel had been removed from the kingdom of Judah, and the priests of Baal had been slain and their temple destroyed, "all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet." 2 Chronicles 23:16, 21.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk17.html God had bidden Elijah anoint another to be prophet in his stead. "Elisha the son of Shaphat . . . shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room" (1 Kings 19:16), He had said; and in obedience to the command, Elijah went to find Elisha. As he journeyed northward, how changed was the scene from what it had been only a short while before! Then the ground was parched, the farming districts unworked, for neither dew nor rain had fallen for three and a half years. Now on every hand vegetation was springing up as if to redeem the time of drought and famine.
Elisha's father was a wealthy farmer, a man whose household were among the number that in a time of almost universal apostasy had not bowed the knee to Baal. Theirs was a home where God was honored and where allegiance to the faith of ancient Israel was the rule of daily life. In such surroundings the early years of Elisha were passed. In the quietude of country life, under the teaching of God and nature and the discipline of useful work, he received the training in habits of simplicity and of obedience to his parents and to God that helped to fit him for the high position he was afterward to occupy.
The prophetic call came to Elisha while, with his father's servants, he was plowing in the field. He had taken up the work that lay nearest. He possessed both the capabilities of a leader among men and the meekness of one who is ready to serve. Of a quiet and gentle spirit, he was nevertheless energetic and steadfast. Integrity, fidelity, and the love and fear of God were his, and in the humble round of daily toil he gained strength of purpose and nobleness of character, constantly increasing in grace and knowledge. While co-operating with his father in the home-life duties, he was learning to co-operate with God.
By faithfulness in little things, Elisha was preparing for weightier trusts. Day by day, through practical experience, he gained a fitness for a broader, higher work. He learned to serve; and in learning this, he learned also how to instruct and lead. The lesson is for all. None can know what may be God's purpose in His discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little things is the evidence of fitness for greater responsibilities. Every act of life is a revelation of character, and he only who in small duties proves himself "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" can be honored by God with higher service. 2 Timothy 2:15.
He who feels that it is of no consequence how he performs the smaller tasks proves himself unfit for a more honored position. He may think himself fully competent to take up the larger duties; but God looks deeper than the surface.
After test and trial, there is written against him the sentence, "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." His unfaithfulness reacts upon himself. He fails of gaining the grace, the power, the force of character, which is received through unreserved surrender.
Because they are not connected with some directly religious work, many feel that their lives are useless, that they are doing nothing for the advancement of God's kingdom. If they could do some great thing how gladly they would undertake it! But because they can serve only in little things, they think themselves justified in doing nothing. In this they err. A man may be in the active service of God while engaged in the ordinary, everyday duties--while felling trees, clearing the ground, or following the plow. The mother who trains her children for Christ is as truly working for God as is the minister in the pulpit.
Many long for special talent with which to do a wonderful work, while the duties lying close at hand, the performance of which would make the life fragrant, are lost sight of. Let such ones take up the duties lying directly in their pathway. Success depends not so much on talent as on energy and willingness. It is not the possession of splendid talents that enables us to render acceptable service, but the conscientious performance of daily duties, the contented spirit, the unaffected, sincere interest in the welfare of others. In the humblest lot true excellence may be found. The commonest tasks, wrought with loving faithfulness, are beautiful in God's sight.
As Elijah, divinely directed in seeking a successor, passed the field in which Elisha was plowing, he cast upon the young man's shoulders the mantle of consecration. During the famine the family of Shaphat had become familiar with the work and mission of Elijah, and now the Spirit of God impressed Elisha's heart as to the meaning of the prophet's act. To him it was the signal that God had called him to be the successor of Elijah.
"And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee." "Go back again," was Elijah's answer, "for what have I done to thee?" This was not a repulse, but a test of faith. Elisha must count the cost--decide for himself to accept or reject the call. If his desires clung to his home and its advantages, he was at liberty to remain there. But Elisha understood the meaning of the call. He knew it was from God, and he did not hesitate to obey, Not for any worldly advantage would he forgo the opportunity of becoming God's messenger or sacrifice the privilege of association with His servant. He "took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." 1 Kings 19:20, 21. Without hesitation he left a home where he was beloved, to attend the prophet in his uncertain life.
Had Elisha asked Elijah what was expected of him,--what would be his work,--he would have been answered: God knows; He will make it known to you. If you wait upon the Lord, He will answer your every question. You may come with me if you have evidence that God has called you. Know for yourself that God stands back of me, and that it is His voice you hear. If you can count everything but dross that you may win the favor of God, come.
Similar to the call that came to Elisha was the answer given by Christ to the young ruler who asked Him the question, "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" "If thou wilt be perfect," Christ replied, "go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me." Matthew 19:16, 21.
Elisha accepted the call to service, casting no backward glance at the pleasures and comforts he was leaving. The young ruler, when he heard the Saviour's words, "went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Verse 22. He was not willing to make the sacrifice. His love for his possessions was greater than his love for God. By his refusal to renounce all for Christ, he proved himself unworthy of a place in the Master's service.
The call to place all on the altar of service comes to each one. We are not all asked to serve as Elisha served, nor are we all bidden to sell everything we have; but God asks us to give His service the first place in our lives, to allow no day to pass without doing something to advance His work in the earth. He does not expect from all the same kind of service. One may be called to ministry in a foreign land; another may be asked to give of his means for the support of gospel work. God accepts the offering of each. It is the consecration of the life and all its interests, that is necessary. Those who make this consecration will hear and obey the call of Heaven.
To everyone who becomes a partaker of His grace, the Lord appoints a work for others. Individually we are to stand in our lot, saying, "Here am I; send me." Whether a man be a minister of the Word or a physician, whether he be merchant or farmer, professional man or mechanic, the responsibility rests upon him. It is his work to reveal to others the gospel of their salvation. Every enterprise is which he engages should be a means to this end.
It was no great work that was at first required of Elisha; commonplace duties still constituted his discipline. He is spoken of as pouring water on the hands of Elijah, his master. He was willing to do anything that the Lord directed, and at every step he learned lessons of humility and service. As the prophet's personal attendant, he continued to prove faithful in little things, while with daily strengthening purpose he devoted himself to the mission appointed him by God.
Elisha's life after uniting with Elijah was not without temptations. Trials he had in abundance; but in every emergency he relied on God. He was tempted to think of the home that he had left, but to this temptation he gave no heed. Having put his hand to the plow, he was resolved not to turn back, and through test and trial he proved true to his trust.
Ministry comprehends far more than preaching the word. It means training young men as Elijah trained Elisha, taking them from their ordinary duties, and giving them responsibilities to bear in God's work--small responsibilities at first, and larger ones as they gain strength and experience. There are in the ministry men of faith and prayer, men who can say, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; . . . that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you." 1 John 1:1-3. Young, inexperienced workers should be trained by actual labor in connection with these experienced servants of God. Thus they will learn how to bear burdens.
Those who undertake this training of young workers are doing noble service. The Lord Himself co-operates with their efforts. And the young men to whom the word of consecration has been spoken, whose privilege it is to be brought into close association with earnest, godly workers, should make the most of their opportunity. God has honored them by choosing them for His service and by placing them where they can gain greater fitness for it, and they should be humble, faithful, obedient, and willing to sacrifice. If they submit to God's discipline, carrying out His directions and choosing His servants as their counselors, they will develop into righteous, high-principled, steadfast men, whom God can entrust with responsibilities.
As the gospel is proclaimed in its purity, men will be called from the plow and from the common commercial business vocations that largely occupy the mind and will be educated in connection with men of experience. As they learn to labor effectively, they will proclaim the truth with power. Through most wonderful workings of divine providence, mountains of difficulty will be removed and cast into the sea. The message that means so much to the dwellers upon the earth will be heard and understood. Men will know what is truth. Onward and still onward the work will advance until the whole earth shall have been warned, and then shall the end come.
For several years after the call of Elisha, Elijah and Elisha labored together, the younger man daily gaining greater preparedness for his work. Elijah had been God's instrument for the overthrow of gigantic evils. The idolatry which, supported by Ahab and the heathen Jezebel, had seduced the nation, had been given a decided check. Baal's prophets had been slain. The whole people of Israel had been deeply stirred, and many were returning to the worship of God. As Elijah's successor, Elisha, by careful, patient instruction, must endeavor to guide Israel in safe paths. His association with Elijah, the greatest prophet since the days of Moses, prepared him for the work that he was soon to take up alone.
During these years of united ministry, Elijah from time to time was called upon to meet flagrant evils with stern rebuke. When wicked Ahab seized Naboth's vineyard, it was the voice of Elijah that prophesied his doom and the doom of all his house. And when Ahaziah, after the death of his father Ahab, turned from the living God to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, it was Elijah's voice that was heard once more in earnest protest.
The schools of the prophets, established by Samuel, had fallen into decay during the years of Israel's apostasy. Elijah re-established these schools, making provision for young men to gain an education that would lead them to magnify the law and make it honorable. Three of these schools, one at Gilgal, one at Bethel, and one at Jericho, are mentioned in the record. Just before Elijah was taken to heaven, he and Elisha visited these centers of training. The lessons that the prophet of God had given them on former visits, he now repeated. Especially did he instruct them concerning their high privilege of loyally maintaining their allegiance to the God of heaven. He also impressed upon their minds the importance of letting simplicity mark every feature of their education. Only in this way could they receive the mold of heaven and go forth to work in the ways of the Lord.
The heart of Elijah was cheered as he saw what was being accomplished by means of these schools. The work of reformation was not complete, but he could see throughout the kingdom a verification of the word of the Lord, "Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal." 1 Kings 19:18.
As Elisha accompanied the prophet on his round of service from school to school, his faith and resolution were once more tested. At Gilgal, and again at Bethel and Jericho, he was invited by the prophet to turn back. "Tarry here, I pray thee," Elijah said; "for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel." But in his early labor of guiding the plow, Elisha had learned not to fail or to become discouraged, and now that he had set his hand to the plow in another line of duty he would not be diverted from his purpose. He would not be parted from his master, so long as opportunity remained for gaining a further fitting up for service. Unknown to Elijah, the revelation that he was to be translated had been made known to his disciples in the schools of the prophets, and in particular to Elisha. And now the tried servant of the man of God kept close beside him. As often as the invitation to turn back was given, his answer was, "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee."
"And they two went on. . . . And they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee."
Elisha asked not for worldly honor, or for a high place among the great men of earth. That which he craved was a large measure of the Spirit that God had bestowed so freely upon the one about to be honored with translation.
He knew that nothing but the Spirit which had rested upon Elijah could fit him to fill the place in Israel to which God had called him, and so he asked, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy Spirit be upon me."
In response to this request, Elijah said, "Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." See 2 Kings 2:1-11.
Elijah was a type of the saints who will be living on the earth at the time of the second advent of Christ and who will be "changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump," without tasting of death. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52. It was as a representative of those who shall be thus translated that Elijah, near the close of Christ's earthly ministry, was permitted to stand with Moses by the side of the Saviour on the mount of transfiguration. In these glorified ones, the disciples saw in miniature a representation of the kingdom of the redeemed. They beheld Jesus clothed with the light of heaven; they heard the "voice out of the cloud" (Luke 9:35), acknowledging Him as the Son of God; they saw Moses, representing those who will be raised from the dead at the time of the second advent; and there also stood Elijah, representing those who at the close of earth's history will be changed from mortal to immortal and be translated to heaven without seeing death.
In the desert, in loneliness and discouragement, Elijah had said that he had had enough of life and had prayed that he might die. But the Lord in His mercy had not taken him at his word. There was yet a great work for Elijah to do; and when his work was done, he was not to perish in discouragement and solitude. Not for him the descent into the tomb, but the ascent with God's angels to the presence of His glory.
"And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The Spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him." 2 Kings 2:12-15.
When the Lord in His providence sees fit to remove from His work those to whom He has given wisdom, He helps and strengthens their successors, if they will look to Him for aid and will walk in His ways. They may be even wiser than their predecessors; for they may profit by their experience and learn wisdom from their mistakes.
Henceforth Elisha stood in Elijah's place. He who had been faithful in that which was least was to prove himself faithful also in much.
orthodoxymoron wrote:As an alternative to reading the Bible straight-through, over and over OR reading Proof-Passages (here a little, there a little), consider reading Job through Daniel side by side with Luke through Jude -- straight-through, over and over. This reflects my biases regarding theological and devotional importance, which might be flawed, yet I still think this approach is somewhat legitimate, especially if each group is used to interpret itself, rather than being interpreted or vetoed by 'outsiders'!! I'm not sure the Bible really teaches what the teachers and preachers teach and preach!! The Bible can be made to say just about anything!! Each church picks and chooses certain passages to make their case for a doctrinal-statement, which then becomes the gold-standard for their particular organization. This is probably organizationally-expedient, yet the real-truth probably gets crucified in the process. A proper commentary covering the two groups mentioned would be necessary to provide a proper context, yet most commentaries use other portions of scripture to interpret and apply the content of each group. No one usually responds to my posts on this thread, but I've gotten used to that, and I'm OK with talking to myself (online and in real-life)!! It's easier that way!!
I think I get how Big-Politics, Big-Religion, and Big-Business really works. I really think I could've played the game -- and made a name for myself. I really do. You have no idea how clued-in I was in my youth. But I knew something was deeply and fundamentally wrong with the way things are -- and with the way things have been for thousands of years. There's a certain twisted-logic to the way things are -- and crashing the party might have disastrous consequences for all-concerned. This thing is too deeply entrenched in this solar system. Too much bullshit has gone under the bridge. I wonder what the Major-Prophets REALLY Teach??!! What if Earth is a Puppet-Show in the Theater of the Universe?? What Would Bill Hicks Say?? What Would Bill Clinton Say?? The Ancient Egyptian Deity said "I like Bill Clinton!!" They said it in a creepy way. The AED said "The Bush's sold-out very-quickly!!" The AED asked me if I knew who ordered the JFK Hit?? I stated a particular name -- and the AED just looked at me, without saying a word. That's all I'm going to say...
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk18.html In Patriarchal times the Jordan Valley was "well watered everywhere, . . . even as the garden of the Lord." It was in this fair valley that Lot chose to make his home when he "pitched his tent toward Sodom." Genesis 13:10, 12. At the time that the cities of the plain were destroyed, the region round about became a desolate waste, and it has since formed a part of the wilderness of Judea.
A portion of the beautiful valley remained, with its life-giving springs and streams, to gladden the heart of man. In this valley, rich with fields of grain and forests of date palms and other fruit-bearing trees, the hosts of Israel had encamped after crossing the Jordan and had first partaken of the fruits of the Promised Land. Before them had stood the walls of Jericho, a heathen stronghold, the center of the worship of Ashtoreth, vilest and most degrading of all Canaanitish forms of idolatry. Soon its walls were thrown down and its inhabitants slain, and at the time of its fall the solemn declaration was made, in the presence of all Israel: "Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it." Joshua 6:26.
Five centuries passed. The spot lay desolate, accursed of God. Even the springs that had made residence in this portion of the valley so desirable suffered the blighting effects of the curse. But in the days of Ahab's apostasy, when through Jezebel's influence the worship of Ashtoreth was revived, Jericho, the ancient seat of this worship, was rebuilt, though at a fearful cost to the builder. Hiel the Bethelite "laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the world of the Lord." 1 Kings 16:34.
Not far from Jericho, in the midst of fruitful groves, was one of the schools of the prophets, and thither, after the ascension of Elijah, Elisha went. During his sojourn among them the men of the city came to the prophet and said, "Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is nought, and the ground barren." The spring that in former years had been pure and life-giving, and had contributed largely to the water supply of the city and the surrounding district, was now unfit for use.
In response to the plea of the men of Jericho, Elisha said, "Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein." Having received this, "he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land." 2 Kings 2:19-21.
The healing of the waters of Jericho was accomplished, not by any wisdom of man, but by the miraculous interposition of God. Those who had rebuilt the city were undeserving of the favor of Heaven; yet He who "maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," saw fit in this instance to reveal, through this token of compassion, His willingness to heal Israel of their spiritual maladies. Matthew 5:45.
The restoration was permanent; "the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake." 2 Kings 2:22. From age to age the waters have flowed on, making that portion of the valley an oasis of beauty.
Many are the spiritual lessons to be gathered from the story of the healing of the waters. The new cruse, the salt, the spring--all are highly symbolic.
In casting salt into the bitter spring, Elisha taught the same spiritual lesson imparted centuries later by the Saviour to His disciples when He declared, "Ye are the salt of the earth." Matthew 5:13. The salt mingling with the polluted spring purified its waters and brought life and blessing where before had been blighting and death. When God compares His children to salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others. The object of God in choosing a people before all the world was not only that He might adopt them as His sons and daughters, but that through them the world might receive the grace that bringeth salvation. When the Lord chose Abraham, it was not simply to be the special friend of God, but to be a medium of the peculiar privileges the Lord desired to bestow upon the nations.
The world needs evidences of sincere Christianity. The poison of sin is at work at the heart of society. Cities and towns are steeped in sin and moral corruption. The world is full of sickness, suffering, and iniquity. Nigh and afar off are souls in poverty and distress, weighed down with a sense of guilt and perishing for want of a saving influence. The gospel of truth is kept ever before them, yet they perish because the example of those who should be a savor of life to them is a savor of death. Their souls drink in bitterness because the springs are poisoned, when they should be like a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.
Salt must be mingled with the substance to which it is added; it must penetrate, infuse it, that it may be preserved. So it is through personal contact and association that men are reached by the saving power of the gospel. They are not saved as masses, but as individuals. Personal influence is a power. It is to work with the influence of Christ, to lift where Christ lifts, to impart correct principles, and to stay the progress of the world's corruption. It is to diffuse that grace which Christ alone can impart. It is to uplift, to sweeten the lives and characters of others by the power of a pure example united with earnest faith and love.
Of the hitherto polluted spring at Jericho, the Lord declared, "I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land." The polluted stream represents the soul that is separate from God. Sin not only shuts away from God, but destroys in the human soul both the desire and the capacity for knowing Him. Through sin, the whole human organism is deranged, the mind is perverted, the imagination corrupted; the faculties of the soul are degraded. There is an absence of pure religion, of heart holiness. The converting power of God has not wrought in transforming the character. The soul is weak, and for want of moral force to overcome, is polluted and debased.
To the heart that has become purified, all is changed. Transformation of character is the testimony to the world of an indwelling Christ. The Spirit of God produces a new life in the soul, bringing the thoughts and desires into obedience to the will of Christ; and the inward man is renewed in the image of God. Weak and erring men and women show to the world that the redeeming power of grace can cause the faulty character to develop into symmetry and abundant fruitfulness.
The heart that receives the word of God is not as a pool that evaporates, not like a broken cistern that loses its treasure. It is like the mountain stream, fed by unfailing springs, whose cool, sparkling waters leap from rock to rock, refreshing the weary, the thirsty, the heavy-laden. It is like a river constantly flowing and, as it advances, becoming deeper and wider, until its life-giving waters are spread over all the earth. The stream that goes singing on its way leaves behind its gift of verdure and fruitfulness. The grass on its banks is a fresher green, the trees have a richer verdure, the flowers are more abundant. When the earth lies bare and brown under the summer's scorching heat, a line of verdure marks the river's course.
So it is with the true child of God. The religion of Christ reveals itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working, spiritual energy. When the heart is opened to the heavenly influence of truth and love, these principles will flow forth again like streams in the desert, causing fruitfulness to appear where now are barrenness and dearth.
As those who have been cleansed and sanctified through a knowledge of Bible truth engage heartily in the work of soulsaving, they will become indeed a savor of life unto life. And as daily they drink of the inexhaustible fountain of grace and knowledge, they will find that their own hearts are filled to overflowing with the Spirit of their Master, and that through their unselfish ministry many are benefited physically, mentally, and spiritually. The weary are refreshed, the sick restored to health, and the sin-burdened relieved. In far-off countries thanksgiving is heard from the lips of those whose hearts are turned from the service of sin unto righteousness.
"Give, and it shall be given unto you;" for the word of God is "a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon." Luke 6:38; Song of Solomon 4:15.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk19.html The work of Elisha as a prophet was in some respects very different from that of Elijah. To Elijah had been committed messages of condemnation and judgment; his was the voice of fearless reproof, calling king and people to turn from their evil ways. Elisha's was a more peaceful mission; his it was to build up and strengthen the work that Elijah had begun; to teach the people the way of the Lord. Inspiration pictures him as coming into personal touch with the people, surrounded by the sons of the prophets, bringing by his miracles and his ministry healing and rejoicing.
Elisha was a man of mild and kindly spirit; but that he could also be stern is shown by his course when, on the way to Bethel, he was mocked by ungodly youth who had come out of the city. These youth had heard of Elijah's ascension, and they made this solemn event the subject of their jeers, saying to Elisha, "Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head." At the sound of their mocking words the prophet turned back, and under the inspiration of the Almighty he pronounced a curse upon them. The awful judgment that followed was of God. "There came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two" of them. 2 Kings 2:23, 24.
Had Elisha allowed the mockery to pass unnoticed, he would have continued to be ridiculed and reviled by the rabble, and his mission to instruct and save in a time of grave national peril might have been defeated. This one instance of terrible severity was sufficient to command respect throughout his life. For fifty years he went in and out of the gate of Bethel, and to and fro in the land, from city to city, passing through crowds of idle, rude, dissolute youth; but none mocked him or made light of his qualifications as the prophet of the Most High.
Even kindness should have its limits. Authority must be maintained by a firm severity, or it will be received by many with mockery and contempt. The so-called tenderness, the coaxing and indulgence, used toward youth by parents and guardians, is one of the worst evils which can come upon them. In every family, firmness, decision, positive requirements, are essential.
Reverence, in which the youth who mocked Elisha were so lacking, is a grace that should be carefully cherished. Every child should be taught to show true reverence for God. Never should His name be spoken lightly or thoughtlessly. Angels, as they speak it, veil their faces. With what reverence should we, who are fallen and sinful, take it upon our lips!
Reverence should be shown for God's representatives-- for ministers, teachers, and parents, who are called to speak and act in His stead. In the respect shown them, God is honored.
Courtesy, also, is one of the graces of the Spirit and should be cultivated by all. It has power to soften natures which without it would grow hard and rough. Those who profess to be followers of Christ, and are at the same time rough, unkind, and uncourteous, have not learned of Jesus. Their sincerity may not be doubted, their uprightness may not be questioned; but sincerity and uprightness will not atone for a lack of kindness and courtesy.
The kindly spirit that enabled Elisha to exert a powerful influence over the lives of many in Israel, is revealed in the story of his friendly relations with a family dwelling at Shunem. In his journeyings to and fro throughout the kingdom "it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread." The mistress of the house perceived that Elisha was "an holy man of God," and she said to her husband: "Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither." To this retreat Elisha often came, thankful for its quiet peace. Nor was God unmindful of the woman's kindness. Her home had been childless; and now the Lord rewarded her hospitality by the gift of a son.
Years passed. The child was old enough to be out in the field with the reapers. One day he was stricken down by the heat, "and he said unto his father, My head, my head." The father bade a lad carry the child to his mother; "and when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out."
In her distress, the Shunammite determined to go to Elisha for help. The prophet was then at Mount Carmel, and the woman, accompanied by her servant, set forth immediately. "And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?" The servant did as he was bidden, but not till she had reached Elisha did the stricken mother reveal the cause of her sorrow. Upon hearing of her loss, Elisha bade Gehazi: "Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child."
But the mother would not be satisfied till Elisha himself came with her. "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee," she declared. "And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked."
When they reached the house, Elisha went into the room where the dead child lay, "and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes."
Calling Gehazi, Elisha bade him send the mother to him. "And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then he went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out."
So was the faith of this woman rewarded. Christ, the great Life-giver, restored her son to her. In like manner will His faithful ones be rewarded, when, at His coming, death loses its sting and the grave is robbed of the victory it has claimed. Then will He restore to His servants the children that have been taken from them by death. "Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, . . . and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." Jeremiah 31:15-17.
Jesus comforts our sorrow for the dead with a message of infinite hope: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction." Hosea 13:14. "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, . . . and have the keys of hell and of death." Revelation 1:18. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
Like the Saviour of mankind, of whom he was a type, Elisha in his ministry among men combined the work of healing with that of teaching. Faithfully, untiringly, throughout his long and effective labors, Elisha endeavored to foster and advance the important educational work carried on by the schools of the prophets. In the providence of God his words of instruction to the earnest groups of young men assembled were confirmed by the deep movings of the Holy Spirit, and at times by other unmistakable evidences of his authority as a servant of Jehovah.
It was on the occasion of one of his visits to the school established at Gilgal that he healed the poisoned pottage. "There was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot."
At Gilgal, also, while the dearth was still in the land, Elisha fed one hundred men with the present brought to him by "a man from Baalshalisha," "bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof." There were those with him who were sorely in need of food. When the offering came, he said to his servant, "Give unto the people, that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord."
What condescension it was on the part of Christ, through His messenger, to work this miracle to satisfy hunger! Again and again since that time, though not always in so marked and perceptible a manner, has the Lord Jesus worked to supply human need. If we had clearer spiritual discernment we would recognize more readily than we do God's compassionate dealing with the children of men.
It is the grace of God on the small portion that makes it all-sufficient. God's hand can multiply it a hundredfold. From His resources He can spread a table in the wilderness. By the touch of His hand He can increase the scanty provision and make it sufficient for all. It was His power that increased the loaves and corn in the hands of the sons of the prophets.
In the days of Christ's earthly ministry, when He performed a similar miracle in feeding the multitudes, the same unbelief was manifested as was shown by those associated with the prophet of old. "What!" said Elisha's servant; "should I set this before an hundred men?" And when Jesus bade His disciples give the multitude to eat, they answered, "We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people." Luke 9:13. What is that among so many?
The lesson is for God's children in every age. When the Lord gives a work to be done, let not men stop to inquire into the reasonableness of the command or the probable result of their efforts to obey. The supply in their hands may seem to fall short of the need to be filled; but in the hands of the Lord it will prove more than sufficient. The servitor "set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord."
A fuller sense of God's relationship to those whom He has purchased with the gift of His Son, a greater faith in the onward progress of His cause in the earth--this is the great need of the church today. Let none waste time in deploring the scantiness of their visible resources. The outward appearance may be unpromising, but energy and trust in God will develop resources. The gift brought to Him with thanksgiving and with prayer for His blessing, He will multiply as He multiplied the food given to the sons of the prophets and to the weary multitude.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk20.html "Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper."
Ben-hadad, king of Syria, had defeated the armies of Israel in the battle which resulted in the death of Ahab. Since that time the Syrians had maintained against Israel a constant border warfare, and in one of their raids they had carried away a little maid who, in the land of her captivity, "waited on Naaman's wife." A slave, far from her home, this little maid was nevertheless one of God's witnesses, unconsciously fulfilling the purpose for which God had chosen Israel as His people. As she ministered in that heathen home, her sympathies were aroused in behalf of her master; and, remembering the wonderful miracles of healing wrought through Elisha, she said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy." She knew that the power of Heaven was with Elisha, and she believed that by this power Naaman could be healed.
The conduct of the captive maid, the way that she bore herself in that heathen home, is a strong witness to the power of early home training. There is no higher trust than that committed to fathers and mothers in the care and training of their children. Parents have to do with the very foundations of habit and character. By their example and teaching the future of their children is largely decided.
Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine, so that the promises and commands of God awaken in the child gratitude and reverence; the parents whose tenderness and justice and long-suffering interpret to the child the love and justice and long-suffering of God, and who by teaching the child to love and trust and obey them, are teaching him to love and trust and obey his Father in heaven. Parents who impart to the child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure more precious than the wealth of all the ages, a treasure as enduring as eternity.
We know not in what line our children may be called to serve. They may spend their lives within the circle of the home; they may engage in life's common vocations, or go as teachers of the gospel to heathen lands; but all are alike called to be missionaries for God, ministers of mercy to the world. They are to obtain an education that will help them to stand by the side of Christ in unselfish service.
The parents of that Hebrew maid, as they taught her of God, did not know the destiny that would be hers. But they were faithful to their trust; and in the home of the captain of the Syrian host, their child bore witness to the God whom she had learned to honor.
Naaman heard of the words that the maid had spoken to her mistress; and, obtaining permission from the king, he went forth to seek healing, taking with him "ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment." He also carried a letter from the king of Syria to the king of Israel, in which was written the message, "Behold, I have . . . sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy." When the king of Israel read the letter, "he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."
Tidings of the matter reached Elisha, and he sent word to the king, saying, "Wherefore has thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."
"So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha." Through a messenger the prophet bade him, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."
Naaman had expected to see some wonderful manifestation of power from heaven. "I thought," he said, "he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper." When told to wash in the Jordan, his pride was touched, and in mortification and disappointment he exclaimed, "Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?" "So he turned and went away in a rage."
The proud spirit of Naaman rebelled against following the course outlined by Elisha. The rivers mentioned by the Syrian captain were beautified by surrounding groves, and many flocked to the banks of these pleasant streams to worship their idol gods. It would have cost Naaman no great humiliation of soul to descend into one of those streams. But it was only through following the specific directions of the prophet that he could find healing. Willing obedience alone would bring the desired result.
Naaman's servants entreated him to carry out Elisha's directions: "If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing," they urged, "wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?" The faith of Naaman was being tested, while pride struggled for the mastery. But faith conquered, and the haughty Syrian yielded his pride of heart and bowed in submission to the revealed will of Jehovah. Seven times he dipped himself in Jordan, "according to the saying of the man of God." And his faith was honored; "his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
Gratefully "he returned to the man of God, he and all his company," with the acknowledgment, "Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel."
In accordance with the custom of the times, Naaman now asked Elisha to accept a costly present. But the prophet refused. It was not for him to take payment for a blessing that God had in mercy bestowed. "As the Lord liveth," he said, "I will receive none." The Syrian "urged him to take it; but he refused.
"And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.
"And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way."
Gehazi, Elisha's servant, had had opportunity during the years to develop the spirit of self-denial characterizing his master's lifework. It had been his privilege to become a noble standard-bearer in the army of the Lord. The best gifts of Heaven had long been within his reach; yet, turning from these, he had coveted instead the base alloy of worldly wealth. And now the hidden longings of his avaricious spirit led him to yield to an overmastering temptation. "Behold," he reasoned within himself, "my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but . . . I will run after him, and take somewhat of him." And thus it came about that in secrecy "Gehazi followed after Naaman."
When Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well." Then Gehazi uttered a deliberate lie. "My master," he said, "hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments." To the request Naaman gladly acceded, pressing upon Gehazi two talents of silver instead of one, "with two changes of garments," and commissioning servants to bear the treasure back.
As Gehazi neared Elisha's home, he dismissed the servants and placed the silver and the garments in hiding. This accomplished, "he went in, and stood before his master;" and, to shield himself from censure, he uttered a second lie. In response to the inquiry of the prophet, "Whence comest thou?" Gehazi answered, "Thy servant went no whither."
Then came the stern denunciation, showing that Elisha knew all. "Went not mine heart with thee," he asked, "when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever." Swift was the retribution that overtook the guilty man. He went out from Elisha's presence "a leper as white as snow."
Solemn are the lessons taught by this experience of one to whom had been given high and holy privileges. The course of Gehazi was such as to place a stumbling block in the pathway of Naaman, upon whose mind had broken a wonderful light, and who was favorably disposed toward the service of the living God. For the deception practiced by Gehazi there could be pleaded no excuse. To the day of his death he remained a leper, cursed of God and shunned by his fellow men.
"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape." Proverbs 19:5. Men may think to hide their evil deeds from human eyes, but they cannot deceive God. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Heb. 4:13. Gehazi thought to deceive Elisha, but God revealed to His prophet the words that Gehazi had spoken to Naaman, and every detail of the scene between the two men.
Truth is of God; deception in all its myriad forms is of Satan, and whoever in any way departs from the straight line of truth is betraying himself into the power of the wicked one. Those who have learned of Christ will "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." Ephesians 5:11. In speech, as in life, they will be simple, straightforward, and true, for they are preparing for the fellowship of those holy ones in whose mouth is found no guile. See Revelation 14:5.
Centuries after Naaman returned to his Syrian home, healed in body and converted in spirit, his wonderful faith was referred to and commended by the Saviour as an object lesson for all who claim to serve God. "Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet," the Saviour declared; "and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." Luke 4:27. God passed over the many lepers in Israel because their unbelief closed the door of good to them. A heathen nobleman who had been true to his convictions of right, and who felt his need of help, was in the sight of God more worthy of His blessing than were the afflicted in Israel, who had slighted and despised their God-given privileges. God works for those who appreciate His favors and respond to the light given them from heaven.
Today in every land there are those who are honest in heart, and upon these the light of heaven is shining. If they continue faithful in following that which they understand to be duty, they will be given increased light, until, like Naaman of old, they will be constrained to acknowledge that "there is no God in all the earth," save the living God, the Creator.
To every sincere soul "that walketh in darkness, and hath no light," is given the invitation, "Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember Thee in Thy ways." Isaiah 50:10; 64:4, 5.
Here's an 'Alternative Tardis' I Might Retire In!! Bigger on the Inside Than on the Outside!! Featuring a Personal-Supercomputer, Black Knight Satellite InterPlaNet, and Personal-Assistant!! "That Was Fun, Oxy!! Let's Do It Again!!"
Siriusly, this is a potpourri-post which contains a lot of off-topic stuff, but I thought I'd do a one-stop post to interrupt my incognito-quest. I suspect that everyone and everything are a combination of Truth and BS. This includes Politics, Religion, Business, Science, Aliens, Angels, Demons, Space-Programs, New-Age, Rich, Poor, Whoever, and Whatever. Anyway, a small Airstream trailer pulled by an SUV or Truck appeals to me (if I ever take the show on the road). I've included a contactee video which some might find interesting. But doesn't a lot of spiritual and esoteric stuff require a 'leap of faith'?? I previously suggested Nature and History as a Middle-Way through the Crazy-Stage we seem to be involved in presently. This would be a Secular-Sacred approach to Life, the Universe, and Everything. I'm rambling and miserable (and borderline-delirious). I feel as if I'm being poisoned while being electronically and supernaturally messed-with. I didn't agree to this BS, and I deeply resent it. If I'm being brought-down hard, I humbly request that my demise be avenged (even if it takes all-eternity).
"The Rabbit-Hole Goes Right Up His @$$!!"
I received an Electronic-Attack from Redmond, Washington. Probably from the Microsoft-Mafia and/or the Medina-Mafia!! Here's another study-list:
1. Job through Malachi (NKJV).
2. Volumes Three and Four of the SDA Bible Commentary.
3. Patriarchs and Prophets (Ellen White).
4. Prophets and Kings (Ellen White).
5. Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment (Desmond Ford).
6. The United States of the Solar System: A.D. 2133 (Books One to Eleven).
Actually, Volumes 4 and 7 of the SDA Bible Commentary (Isaiah to Malachi -- and Philippians to Revelation) might be a VERY Interesting side-by-side eschatological-study!! This is really a Long, Complex, and Rocky Road Less Traveled on the Road to Utopia!! This sort of thing isn't for most people -- and I'm not conducting an Evangelistic-Meeting for the General-Public. I'm NOT peddling something I've got all worked-out -- or that someone has worked-out for me. I'm honestly a miserable and wretched Completely-Ignorant Fool!! I hate my life -- but I love drinking a Grande-Mocha from Dutch Bros. Coffee!! At this point, I feel like moving in a completely different direction, and not telling anyone where I'm going!! I might continue this thread (on autopilot) or I might abandon-ship!! I think I've destroyed enough of my neurons -- and had enough nervous-breakdowns!! I keep having a funny-vision of Alexander Haig giving that "I'm in Control!!" Speech (following the Reagan Assassination-Attempt) and then morphing into that Network "I'm as Mad as Hell!!" Speech!! Don't you think that's sort of funny??!!
When I spoke with a Mulholland Drive Space-Cowboy, they acknowledged the existence of a Civil-War in this Solar-System -- and they agreed with me when I stated that I liked the Best-Aspects of Anna and the V's. I know that I don't know -- and the stuff I'm posting is extremely tentative and experimental. It probably should occur behind closed-doors, but it sort of is, considering that my threads are mostly ignored. On the other hand, ANYONE can view this Tempest in a Teapot!! The Spooks don't really have to waste their time spying on me!! All they have to do is log-on to The Mists of Avalon!! Notice that in the second-season of Helix, the infected ship in the first-episode was named The Mists of Avalon!!
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk21.html Called to the prophetic office while Ahab was still reigning, Elisha had lived to see many changes take place in the kingdom of Israel. Judgment upon judgment had befallen the Israelites during the reign of Hazael the Syrian, who had been anointed to be the scourge of the apostate nation. The stern measures of reform instituted by Jehu had resulted in the slaying of all the house of Ahab. In continued wars with the Syrians, Jehoahaz, Jehu's successor, had lost some of the cities lying east of the Jordan. For a time it had seemed as if the Syrians might gain control of the entire kingdom. But the reformation begun by Elijah and carried forward by Elisha had led many to inquire after God. The altars of Baal were being forsaken, and slowly yet surely God's purpose was being fulfilled in the lives of those who chose to serve Him with all the heart.
It was because of His love for erring Israel that God permitted the Syrians to scourge them. It was because of His compassion for those whose moral power was weak that He raised up Jehu to slay wicked Jezebel and all the house of Ahab. Once more, through a merciful providence, the priests of Baal and of Ashtoreth were set aside and their heathen altars thrown down. God in His wisdom foresaw that if temptation were removed, some would forsake heathenism and turn their faces heavenward, and this is why He permitted calamity after calamity to befall them. His judgments were tempered with mercy; and when His purpose was accomplished, He turned the tide in favor of those who had learned to inquire after Him.
While influences for good and for evil were striving for the ascendancy, and Satan was doing all in his power to complete the ruin he had wrought during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, Elisha continued to bear his testimony. He met with opposition, yet none could gainsay his words. Throughout the kingdom he was honored and venerated. Many came to him for counsel. While Jezebel was still living, Joram, the king of Israel, sought his advice; and once, when in Damascus, he was visited by messengers from Benhadad, king of Syria, who desired to learn whether a sickness then upon him would result in death. To all the prophet bore faithful witness in a time when, on every hand, truth was being perverted and the great majority of the people were in open rebellion against Heaven.
And God never forsook His chosen messenger. On one occasion, during a Syrian invasion, the king of Syria sought to destroy Elisha because of his activity in apprising the king of Israel of the plans of the enemy. The Syrian king had taken counsel with his servants, saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp." This plan was revealed by the Lord to Elisha, who "sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
"Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber."
Determined to make away with the prophet, the Syrian king commanded, "Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him." The prophet was in Dothan; and, learning this, the king sent thither "horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots."
In terror Elisha's servant sought him with the tidings. "Alas, my master!" he said, "how shall we do?"
"Fear not," was the answer of the prophet; "for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And then, that the servant might know this for himself, "Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see." "The Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." Between the servant of God and the hosts of armed foemen was an encircling band of heavenly angels. They had come down in mighty power, not to destroy, not to exact homage, but to encamp round about and minister to the Lord's weak and helpless ones. When the people of God are brought into strait places, and apparently there is no escape for them, the Lord alone must be their dependence.
As the company of Syrian soldiers boldly advanced, ignorant of the unseen hosts of heaven, "Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray Thee, with blindness. And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
"And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master." See 2 Kings 6.
For a time after this, Israel was free from the attacks of the Syrians. But later, under the energetic direction of a determined king, Hazael, the Syrian hosts surrounded Samaria and besieged it. Never had Israel been brought into so great a strait as during this siege. The sins of the fathers were indeed being visited upon the children and the children's children. The horrors of prolonged famine were driving the king of Israel to desperate measures, when Elisha predicted deliverance the following day.
As the next morning was about to dawn, the Lord "made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host;" and they, seized with fear, "arose and fled in the twilight," leaving "their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was," with rich stores of food. They "fled for their life," not tarrying until after the Jordan had been crossed.
During the night of the flight, four leprous men at the gate of the city, made desperate by hunger, had proposed to visit the Syrian camp and throw themselves upon the mercy of the besiegers, hoping thereby to arouse sympathy and obtain food. What was their astonishment when, entering the camp, they found "no man there." With none to molest or forbid, "they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace." Quickly they returned to the city with the glad news.
Great was the spoil; so abundant were the supplies that on that day "a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel," as had been foretold by Elisha the day before. Once more the name of God was exalted before the heathen "according to the word of the Lord" through His prophet in Israel. See 2 Kings 7:5-16.
Thus the man of God continued to labor from year to year, drawing close to the people in faithful ministry, and in times of crisis standing by the side of kings as a wise counselor. The long years of idolatrous backsliding on the part of rulers and people had wrought their baleful work; the dark shadow of apostasy was still everywhere apparent, yet here and there were those who had steadfastly refused to bow the knee to Baal. As Elisha continued his work of reform, many were reclaimed from heathenism, and these learned to rejoice in the service of the true God. The prophet was cheered by these miracles of divine grace, and he was inspired with a great longing to reach all who were honest in heart. Wherever he was he endeavored to be a teacher of righteousness.
From a human point of view the outlook for the spiritual regeneration of the nation was as hopeless as is the outlook today before God's servants who are laboring in the dark places of the earth. But the church of Christ is God's agency for the proclamation of truth; she is empowered by Him to do a special work; and if she is loyal to God, obedient to His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellency of divine power. If she will be true to her allegiance, there is no power that can stand against her. The forces of the enemy will be no more able to overwhelm her than is the chaff to resist the whirlwind. There is before the church the dawn of a bright, glorious day, if she will put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, withdrawing from all allegiance to the world.
God calls upon His faithful ones, who believe in Him, to talk courage to those who are unbelieving and hopeless. Turn to the Lord, ye prisoners of hope. Seek strength from God, the living God. Show an unwavering, humble faith in His power and His willingness to save. When in faith we take hold of His strength, He will change, wonderfully change, the most hopeless, discouraging outlook. He will do this for the glory of His name.
So long as Elisha was able to journey from place to place throughout the kingdom of Israel, he continued to take an active interest in the upbuilding of the schools of the prophets. Wherever he was, God was with him, giving him words to speak and power to work miracles. On one occasion "the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell." 2 Kings 6:1, 2. Elisha went with them to Jordan, encouraging them by his presence, giving them instruction, and even performing a miracle to aid them in their work. "As one was felling a beam, the axhead fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it?
And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it." Verses 5-7.
So effectual had been his ministry and so widespread his influence that, as he lay upon his deathbed, even the youthful King Joash, an idolater with but little respect for God, recognized in the prophet a father in Israel, and acknowledged that his presence among them was of more value in time of trouble than the possession of an army of horses and chariots. The record reads: "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." 2 Kings 13:14.
To many a troubled soul in need of help the prophet had acted the part of a wise, sympathetic father. And in this instance he turned not from the godless youth before him, so unworthy of the position of trust he was occupying, and yet so greatly in need of counsel. God in His providence was bringing to the king an opportunity to redeem the failures of the past and to place his kingdom on vantage ground. The Syrian foe, now occupying the territory east of the Jordan, was to be repulsed. Once more the power of God was to be manifested in behalf of erring Israel.
The dying prophet bade the king, "Take bow and arrows." Joash obeyed. Then the prophet said, "Put thine hand upon the bow." Joash "put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, Open the window eastward"--toward the cities beyond the Jordan in possession of the Syrians. The king having opened the latticed window, Elisha bade him shoot. As the arrow sped on its way, the prophet was inspired to say, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them."
And now the prophet tested the faith of the king. Bidding Joash take up the arrows, he said, "Smite upon the ground." Thrice the king smote the ground, and then he stayed his hand. "Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times," Elisha exclaimed in dismay; "then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." 2 Kings 13:15-19.
The lesson is for all in positions of trust. When God opens the way for the accomplishment of a certain work and gives assurance of success, the chosen instrumentality must do all in his power to bring about the promised result. In proportion to the enthusiasm and perseverance with which the work is carried forward will be the success given. God can work miracles for His people only as they act their part with untiring energy. He calls for men of devotion to His work, men of moral courage, with ardent love for souls, and with a zeal that never flags. Such workers will find no task too arduous, no prospect too hopeless; they will labor on, undaunted, until apparent defeat is turned into glorious victory. Not even prison walls nor the martyr's stake beyond, will cause them to swerve from their purpose of laboring together with God for the upbuilding of His kingdom.
With the counsel and encouragement given Joash, the work of Elisha closed. He upon whom had fallen in full measure the spirit resting upon Elijah, had proved faithful to the end. Never had he wavered. Never had he lost his trust in the power of Omnipotence. Always, when the way before him seemed utterly closed, he had still advanced by faith, and God had honored his confidence and opened the way before him.
It was not given Elisha to follow his master in a fiery chariot. Upon him the Lord permitted to come a lingering illness. During the long hours of human weakness and suffering his faith laid fast hold on the promises of God, and he beheld ever about him heavenly messengers of comfort and peace. As on the heights of Dothan he had seen the encircling hosts of heaven, the fiery chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof, so now he was conscious of the presence of sympathizing angels, and he was sustained. Throughout his life he had exercised strong faith, and as he had advanced in a knowledge of God's providences and of His merciful kindness, faith had ripened into an abiding trust in his God, and when death called him he was ready to rest from his labors.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15. "The righteous hath hope in his death." Proverbs 14:32. With the psalmist, Elisha could say in all confidence, "God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me." Psalm 49-15. And with rejoicing he could testify, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." Job 19:25. "As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness." Psalm 17:15.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk22.html Among the cities of the ancient world in the days of divided Israel one of the greatest was Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian realm. Founded on the fertile bank of the Tigris, soon after the dispersion from the tower of Babel, it had flourished through the centuries until it had become "an exceeding great city of three days' journey." Jonah 3:3.
In the time of its temporal prosperity Nineveh was a center of crime and wickedness. Inspiration has characterized it as "the bloody city, . . . full of lies and robbery." In figurative language the prophet Nahum compared the Ninevites to a cruel, ravenous lion. "Upon whom," he inquired, "hath not thy wickedness passed continually?" Nahum 3:1, 19.
Yet Nineveh, wicked though it had become, was not wholly given over to evil. He who "beholdeth all the sons of men" (Psalm 33:13) and "seeth every precious thing" (Job 28:10) perceived in that city many who were reaching out after something better and higher, and who, if granted opportunity to learn of the living God, would put away their evil deeds and worship Him. And so in His wisdom God revealed Himself to them in an unmistakable manner, to lead them, if possible, to repentance. The instrument chosen for this work was the prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai. To him came the word of the Lord, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me." Jonah 1:1,2.
As the prophet thought of the difficulties and seeming impossibilities of this commission, he was tempted to question the wisdom of the call. From a human viewpoint it seemed as if nothing could be gained by proclaiming such a message in that proud city. He forgot for the moment that the God whom he served was all-wise and all-powerful. While he hesitated, still doubting, Satan overwhelmed him with discouragement. The prophet was seized with a great dread, and he "rose up to flee unto Tarshish." Going to Joppa, and finding there a ship ready to sail, "he paid the fare thereof and went down into it, to go with them." Verse 3.
In the charge given him, Jonah had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility; yet He who had bidden him go was able to sustain His servant and grant him success. Had the prophet obeyed unquestioningly, he would have been spared many bitter experiences, and would have been blessed abundantly. Yet in the hour of Jonah's despair the Lord did not desert him. Through a series of trials and strange providences, the prophet's confidence in God and in His infinite power to save was to be revived.
If, when the call first came to him, Jonah had stopped to consider calmly, he might have known how foolish would be any effort on his part to escape the responsibility placed upon him. But not for long was he permitted to go on undisturbed in his mad flight. "The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a might tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep." Verses 4, 5.
As the mariners were beseeching their heathen gods for help, the master of the ship, distressed beyond measure, sought out Jonah and said, "What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not." Verse 6.
But the prayers of the man who had turned aside from the path of duty brought no help. The mariners, impressed with the thought that the strange violence of the storm betokened the anger of their gods, proposed as a last resort the casting of lots, "that we may know," they said, "for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
"And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
"Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
"Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
"Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech Thee, O Lord, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for Thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
"Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said:
"I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, And He heard me; Out of the belly of hell cried I, And Thou heardest my voice.
"For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, In the midst of the seas; And the floods compassed me about: And Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me. "Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; Yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, Even to the soul:
"The depth closed me round about, The weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with her bars was about me forever:
"Yet hast Thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: And my prayer came in unto Thee, Into Thine holy temple.
"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." Verse 7 to 2:9.
At last Jonah had learned that "salvation belongeth unto the Lord." Psalm 3:8. With penitence and a recognition of the saving grace of God, came deliverance. Jonah was released from the perils of the mighty deep and was cast upon the dry land.
Once more the servant of God was commissioned to warn Nineveh. "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." This time he did not stop to question or doubt, but obeyed unhesitatingly. He "arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord." Jonah 3:1-3. As Jonah entered the city, he began at once to "cry against" it the message, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Verse 4. From street to street he went, sounding the note of warning.
The message was not in vain. The cry that rang through the streets of the godless city was passed from lip to lip until all the inhabitants had heard the startling announcement. The Spirit of God pressed the message home to every heart and caused multitudes to tremble because of their sins and to repent in deep humiliation.
"The people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he causeth it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?" Verses 5-9.
As king and nobles, with the common people, the high and the low," "repented at the preaching of Jonas" (Matthew 12:41) and united in crying to the God of heaven, His mercy was granted them. He "saw their words, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not." Jonah 3:10. Their doom was averted, the God of Israel was exalted and honored throughout the heathen world, and His law was revered. Not until many years later was Nineveh to fall a prey to the surrounding nations through forgetfulness of God and through boastful pride.
When Jonah learned of God's purpose to spare the city that, notwithstanding its wickedness, had been led to repent in sackcloth and ashes, he should have been the first to rejoice because of God's amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet. Jealous of his reputation, he lost sight of the infinitely greater value of the souls in that wretched city. The compassion shown by God toward the repentant Ninevites "displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." "Was not this may saying," he inquired of the Lord, "when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil." Jonah 4:1, 2.
Once more he yielded to his inclination to question and doubt, and once more he was overwhelmed with discouragement. Losing sight of the interests of others, and feeling as if he would rather die than live to see the city spared, in his dissatisfaction he exclaimed, "Now, O Lord, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."
"Doest thou well to be angry?" the Lord inquired. "So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." Verses 3-6.
Then the Lord gave Jonah an object lesson. He "prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live."
Again God spoke to His prophet, "Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?" And he said, "I do well to be angry, even unto death."
"Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" Verses 7-11.
Confused, humiliated, and unable to understand God's purpose in sparing Nineveh, Jonah nevertheless had fulfilled the commission given him to warn that great city; and though the event predicted did not come to pass, yet the message of warning was nonetheless from God. And it accomplished the purpose God designed it should. The glory of His grace was revealed among the heathen. Those who had long been sitting "in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron," "cried unto the Lord in their trouble," and "He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder." "He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." Psalm 107:10, 13, 14, 20.
Christ during His earthly ministry referred to the good wrought by the preaching of Jonah in Nineveh, and compared the inhabitants of that heathen center with the professed people of God in His day. "The men of Nineveh," He declared, "shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." Matthew 12:40, 41. Into the busy world, filled with the din of commerce and the altercation of trade, where men were trying to get all they could for self, Christ had come; and above the confusion His voice, like the trump of God, was heard: "What shall it profit a man, it he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:36, 37.
As the preaching of Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so Christ's preaching was a sign to His generation. But what a contrast in the reception of the word! Yet in the face of indifference and scorn the Saviour labored on and on, until He had accomplished His mission.
The lesson is for God's messengers today, when the cities of the nations are as verily in need of a knowledge of the attributes and purposes of the true God as were the Ninevites of old. Christ's ambassadors are to point men to the nobler world, which has largely been lost sight of. According to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, the only city that will endure is the city whose builder and maker is God. With the eye of faith man may behold the threshold of heaven, flushed with God's living glory. Through His ministering servants the Lord Jesus is calling upon men to strive with sanctified ambition to secure the immortal inheritance. He urges them to lay up treasure beside the throne of God.
There is coming rapidly and surely an almost universal guilt upon the inhabitants of the cities, because of the steady increase of determined wickedness. The corruption that prevails is beyond the power of the human pen to describe. Every day brings fresh revelations of strife, bribery, and fraud; every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide.
From age to age Satan has sought to keep men in ignorance of the beneficent designs of Jehovah. He has endeavored to remove from their sight the great things of God's law-- the principles of justice, mercy, and love therein set forth. Men boast of the wonderful progress and enlightenment of the age in which we are now living; but God sees the earth filled with iniquity and violence. Men declare that the law of God has been abrogated, that the Bible is not authentic; and as a result, a tide of evil, such as has not been seen since the days of Noah and of apostate Israel, is sweeping over the world. Nobility of soul, gentleness, piety, are battered away to gratify the lust for forbidden things. The black record of crime committed for the sake of gain is enough to chill the blood and fill the soul with horror.
Our God is a God of mercy. With long-sufferance and tender compassion He deals with the transgressors of His law. And yet, in this our day, when men and women have so many opportunities for becoming familiar with the divine law as revealed in Holy Writ, the great Ruler of the universe cannot behold with any satisfaction the wicked cities, where reign violence and crime. The end of God's forbearance with those who persist in disobedience is approaching rapidly.
Ought men to be surprised over a sudden and unexpected change in the dealings of the Supreme Ruler with the inhabitants of a fallen world? Ought they to be surprised when punishment follows transgression and increasing crime? Ought they to be surprised that God should bring destruction and death upon those whose ill-gotten gains have been obtained through deception and fraud? Notwithstanding the fact that increasing light regarding God's requirements has been shining on their pathway, many have refused to recognize Jehovah's rulership, and have chosen to remain under the black banner of the originator of all rebellion against the government of heaven.
The forbearance of God has been very great--so great that when we consider the continuous insult to His holy commandments, we marvel. The Omnipotent One has been exerting a restraining power over His own attributes. But He will certainly arise to punish the wicked, who so boldly defy the just claims of the Decalogue.
God allows men a period of probation; but there is a point beyond which divine patience is exhausted, and the judgments of God are sure to follow. The Lord bears long with men, and with cities, mercifully giving warnings to save them from divine wrath; but a time will come when pleadings for mercy will no longer be heard, and the rebellious element that continues to reject the light of truth will be blotted out, in mercy to themselves and to those who would otherwise be influenced by their example.
The time is at hand when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn. Disasters by sea and by land follow one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces of nature, wholly beyond the control of man; but in them all, God's purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.
God's messengers in the great cities are not to become discouraged over the wickedness, the injustice, the depravity, which they are called upon to face while endeavoring to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation. The Lord would cheer every such worker with the same message that He gave to the apostle Paul in wicked Corinth: "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." Acts 18:9, 10. Let those engaged in soul-saving ministry remember that while there are many who will not heed the counsel of God in His word, the whole world will not turn from light and truth, from the invitations of a patient, forbearing Saviour. In every city, filled though it may be with violence and crime, there are many who with proper teaching may learn to become followers of Jesus. Thousands may thus be reached with saving truth and be led to receive Christ as a personal Saviour.
God's message for the inhabitants of earth today is, "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:44. The conditions prevailing in society, and especially in the great cities of the nations, proclaim in thunder tones that the hour of God's judgment is come and that the end of all things earthly is at hand. We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another--fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to be surprised at this time by events both great and decisive; for the angel of mercy cannot remain much longer to shelter the impenitent.
"Behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isaiah 26:21. The storm of God's wrath is gathering; and those only will stand who respond to the invitations of mercy, as did the inhabitants of Nineveh under the preaching of Jonah, and become sanctified through obedience to the laws of the divine Ruler. The righteous alone shall be hid with Christ in God till the desolation be overpast. Let the language of the soul be:
"Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on Thee; Leave, O, leave me not alone! Still support and comfort me. "Hide me, O my Saviour, hide! Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!"
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk23.html The closing years of the ill-fated kingdom of Israel were marked with violence and bloodshed such as had never been witnessed even in the worst periods of strife and unrest under the house of Ahab. For two centuries and more the rulers of the ten tribes had been sowing the wind; now they were reaping the whirlwind. King after king was assassinated to make way for others ambitious to rule. "They have set up kings," the Lord declared of these godless usurpers, "but not by Me: they have made princes, and I knew it not." Hosea 8:4. Every principle of justice was set aside; those who should have stood before the nations of earth as the depositaries of divine grace, "dealt treacherously against the Lord" and with one another. Hosea 5:7.
With the severest reproofs, God sought to arouse the impenitent nation to a realization of its imminent danger of utter destruction. Through Hosea and Amos He sent the ten tribes message after message, urging full and complete repentance, and threatening disaster as the result of continued transgression. "Ye have plowed wickedness," declared Hosea, "ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled. . . . In a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off." Hosea 10:13-15.
Of Ephraim the prophet testified, "Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." [The prophet Hosea often referred to Ephraim, a leader in apostasy among the tribes of Israel, as a symbol of the apostate nation.] "Israel hath cast off the thing that is good." "Broken in judgment," unable to discern the disastrous outcome of their evil course, the ten tribes were soon to be "wanderers among the nations." Hosea 7:9; 8:3; 5:11; 9:17.
Some of the leaders in Israel felt keenly their loss of prestige and wished that this might be regained. But instead of turning away from those practices which had brought weakness to the kingdom, they continued in iniquity, flattering themselves that when occasion arose, they would attain to the political power they desired by allying themselves with the heathen. "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian." "Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria." "They do make a covenant with the Assyrians." Hosea 5:13, 7:11; 12:1.
Through the man of God that had appeared before the altar at Bethel, through Elijah and Elisha, through Amos and Hosea, the Lord had repeatedly set before the ten tribes the evils of disobedience. But notwithstanding reproof and entreaty, Israel had sunk lower and still lower in apostasy. "Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer," the Lord declared; "My people are bent to backsliding from Me." Hosea 4:16; 11:7.
There were times when the judgments of Heaven fell very heavily on the rebellious people. "I hewed them by the prophets," God declared; "I have slain them by the words of My mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against Me." Hosea 6:5-7.
"Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel," was the message that finally came to them: "Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against Me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. . . . I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings." Hosea 4:1, 6-9.
The iniquity in Israel during the last half century before the Assyrian captivity was like that of the days of Noah, and of every other age when men have rejected God and have given themselves wholly to evil-doing. The exaltation of nature above the God of nature, the worship of the creature instead of the Creator, has always resulted in the grossest of evils. Thus when the people of Israel, in their worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, paid supreme homage to the forces of nature, they severed their connection with all that is uplifting and ennobling, and fell an easy prey to temptation. With the defenses of the soul broken down, the misguided worshipers had no barrier against sin and yielded themselves to the evil passions of the human heart.
Against the marked oppression, the flagrant injustice, the unwonted luxury and extravagance, the shameless feasting and drunkenness, the gross licentiousness and debauchery, of their age, the prophets lifted their voices; but in vain were their protests, in vain their denunciation of sin. "Him that rebuketh in the gate," declared Amos, "they hate, . . . and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly." "They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right." Amos 5:10, 12.
Such were some of the results that had followed the setting up of two calves of gold by Jeroboam. The first departure from established forms of worship had led to the introduction of grosser forms of idolatry, until finally nearly all the inhabitants of the land had given themselves over to the alluring practices of nature worship. Forgetting their Maker, Israel "deeply corrupted themselves." Hosea 9:9.
The prophets continued to protest against these evils and to plead for rightdoing. "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy," Hosea urged; "break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you." "Turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually."
"O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity: . . . say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously." Hosea 10:12; 12:6; 14:1, 2.
The transgressors were given many opportunities to repent. In their hour of deepest apostasy and greatest need, God's message to them was one of forgiveness and hope. "O Israel," He declared, "thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help. I will be thy King: where is any other that may save thee?" Hosea 13:9, 10.
"Come, and let us return unto the Lord," the prophet entreated; "for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:1-3.
To those who had lost sight of the plan of the ages for the deliverance of sinners ensnared by the power of Satan, the Lord offered restoration and peace. "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely," He declared: "for Mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From Me is thy fruit found.
"Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, And the just shall walk in them: But the transgressors shall fall therein." Hosea 14:4-9.
The benefits of seeking God were strongly urged. "Seek ye Me," the Lord invited, "and ye shall live: but seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought."
"Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." Amos 5:4, 5, 14, 15.
By far the greater number of those who heard these invitations refused to profit by them. So contrary to the evil desires of the impenitent were the words of God's messengers, that the idolatrous priest at Bethel sent to the ruler in Israel, saying, "Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words." Amos 7:10.
Through Hosea the Lord declared, "When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria." "The pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this. " Hosea 7:1, 10.
From generation to generation the Lord had borne with His wayward children, and even now, in the face of defiant rebellion, He still longed to reveal Himself to them as willing to save. "O Ephraim," He cried, "what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away." Hosea 6:4.
The evils that had overspread the land had become incurable; and upon Israel was pronounced the dread sentence: "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone." "The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it." Hosea 4:17; 9:7.
The ten tribes of Israel were not to reap the fruitage of the apostasy that had taken form with the setting up of the strange altars at Bethel and at Dan. God's message to them was: "Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; Mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces." "The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it. . . . It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to King Jareb" (Sennacherib). Hosea 8:5, 6; 10:5, 6.
"Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saying that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least gain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us."
"The houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord." "The Lord God of hosts is He that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn." "Thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land." "Because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." Amos 9:8-10; 3:15; 9:5; 7:17; 4:12.
For a season these predicted judgments were stayed, and during the long reign of Jeroboam II the armies of Israel gained signal victories; but this time of apparent prosperity wrought no change in the hearts of the impenitent, and it was finally decreed, "Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land." Amos 7:11.
The boldness of this utterance was lost on king and people, so far had they gone in impenitence. Amaziah, a leader among the idolatrous priests at Bethel, stirred by the plain words spoken by the prophet against the nation and their king, said to Amos, "O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: but prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court." Verses 12, 13.
To this the prophet firmly responded: "Thus saith the Lord, . . . Israel shall surely go into captivity." Verse 17.
The words spoken against the apostate tribes were literally fulfilled; yet the destruction of the kingdom came gradually. In judgment the Lord remembered mercy, and at first, when "Pul the king of Assyria came against the land," Menahem, then king of Israel, was not taken captive, but was permitted to remain on the throne as a vassal of the Assyrian realm. "Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria." 2 Kings 15:19, 20. The Assyrians, having humbled the ten tribes, returned for a season to their own land.
Menahem, far from repenting of the evil that had wrought ruin in his kingdom, continued in "the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." Pekahiah and Pekah, his successors, also "did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord." Verses 18, 24, 28. "In the days of Pekah," who reigned twenty years, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, invaded Israel and carried away with him a multitude of captives from among the tribes living in Galilee and east of the Jordan. "The Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh," with others of the inhabitants of "Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali" (1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 15:29), were scattered among the heathen in lands far removed from Palestine.
From this terrible blow the northern kingdom never recovered. The feeble remnant continued the forms of government, though no longer possessed of power. Only one more ruler, Hoshea, was to follow Pekah. Soon the kingdom was to be swept away forever. But in that time of sorrow and distress God still remembered mercy, and gave the people another opportunity to turn from idolatry. In the third year of Hoshea's reign, good King Hezekiah began to rule in Judah and as speedily as possible instituted important reforms in the temple service at Jerusalem. A Passover celebration was arranged for, and to this feast were invited not only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, over which Hezekiah had been anointed king, but all the northern tribes as well. A proclamation was sounded "throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.
"So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah," with the pressing invitation, "Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord of God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. . . . Be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into His sanctuary, which He hath sanctified forever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you; if ye return unto Him." 2 Chronicles 30:5-9.
"From city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun," the couriers sent out by Hezekiah carried the message. Israel should have recognized in this invitation an appeal to repent and turn to God. But the remnant of the ten tribes still dwelling within the territory of the once-flourishing northern kingdom treated the royal messengers from Judah with indifference and even with contempt. "They laughed them to scorn, and mocked them." There were a few, however, who gladly responded. "Divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem, . . . to keep the feast of unleavened bread." Verses 10-13.
About two years later, Samaria was invested by the hosts of Assyria under Shalmaneser; and in the siege that followed, multitudes perished miserably of hunger and disease as well as by the sword. The city and nation fell, and the broken remnant of the ten tribes were carried away captive and scattered in the provinces of the Assyrian realm.
The destruction that befell the northern kingdom was a direct judgment from Heaven. The Assyrians were merely the instruments that God used to carry out His purpose. Through Isaiah, who began to prophesy shortly before the fall of Samaria, the Lord referred to the Assyrian hosts as "the rod of Mine anger." "The staff in their hand," He said, "is Mine indignation." Isaiah 10:5.
Grievously had the children of Israel "sinned against the Lord their God, . . . and wrought wicked things." "They would not hear, but . . . rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them." It was because they had "left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal," and refused steadfastly to repent, that the Lord "afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight," in harmony with the plain warnings He had sent them "by all His servants the prophets."
"So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria," "because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded." 2 Kings 17:7, 11,14-16, 20, 23; 18:12.
In the terrible judgments brought upon the ten tribes the Lord had a wise and merciful purpose. That which He could no longer do through them in the land of their fathers He would seek to accomplish by scattering them among the heathen. His plan for the salvation of all who should choose to avail themselves of pardon through the Saviour of the human race must yet be fulfilled; and in the afflictions brought upon Israel, He was preparing the way for His glory to be revealed to the nations of earth. Not all who were carried captive were impenitent. Among them were some who had remained true to God, and others who had humbled themselves before Him. Through these, "the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10), He would bring multitudes in the Assyrian realm to a knowledge of the attributes of His character and the beneficence of His law.
Mayday!! Mayday!! I Am Declaring an Emergency!! I presently feel much worse than I've ever felt, and research is virtually impossible, but perhaps I should concentrate on the following Minimal-List for the rest of my pathetic-life: Proverbs, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, 1&2 Corinthians, James, and Ecclesiastes (In the 'NIV Reader's Bible', In This Order, Straight-Through, Over and Over) While Listening to Bach and Buxtehude. Whoop!! Whoop!! Pull Up!! Too Low!! Terrain!! Geronimo!!
orthodoxymoron wrote:
Pris wrote:
.. Here's a question for you, Oxy. Have you ever had a flying dream? ............................................. ..
Pris, as a child, I routinely imagined building and 'flying' my own small 'flying-saucer' throughout the solar system, but not in a dream-state. I rarely recall my dreams, but I seem to have been physically, mentally, and spiritually impaired since puberty, and I wish I were kidding. Actually, I don't give a Flying F@#k if I have Flying Dreams, or not!! Siriusly, I sometimes dream of rising from the ground, and flying through the air (without wings) while concentrating on where I wish to go, but I do not (and will not) do that OBE thing (or try to psychically spy on people). I sometimes see a small streaming white-light before my eyes, which I interpret as someone spying on me. Sorry to disappoint you Spirit-Spies, but there's not much to see. Sometimes I flip-off the unseen-entities. One of these days, I'll probably lose my finger (and probably my soul). Mea Culpa. Kyrie Eleison.
Pris wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote:When I spoke with the late astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, we spoke of Life After Death -- rather than Walking On the Moon!! Dr. Mitchell spoke of the "Survival of Information" rather than the "Survival of the Soul". What if our "Soul Histories" are stored in a Lunar Grey Supercomputer?? What if our "Souls" are "Communication-Devices" to facilitate the operation of our "Mammalian-Containers"?? Once again, I won't do Seances, Regression-Hypnosis, Channeling, or ANYTHING of the sort (although I have spoken with someone who SEEMED to be some sort of an Ancient Egyptian Deity)!! What's creepy is that they wished for me to call them "Mitchell". What Would Edgar Mitchell Say?? They reminded me of Mr. Edgars in Babylon 5!! They spoke of recent "productive conversations" with the late astronaut Brian O'Leary. I also spoke with Dr. Carol Rosin -- and now I'm posting on a site hosted by "Carol". Sherry Shriner supposedly podcasts from Carrollton, Ohio. She claims to be the Granddaughter of King David. I know of a "David" who lives in a "King's Town" on "Ohio"!! Interesting!!
Yes, interesting, Oxy! (If it was me, I would have asked Dr. Edgar Mitchell if he really did walk on the moon. ) I don't know about souls being 'communication devices'?... But, they do seem to be the spark of life and consciousness required to operate these 'mammalian containers'. I'm good with OBEs, but I also do not want anything to do with seances, regression/hypnosis (other than self-hypnosis), and channeling. This RA... I'm thinking he may be an imposter entity. You know? A trickster entity masquerading as someone else perhaps? For all we know, there is/was an original benevolent RA whose form was hijacked. Trickster entities...The Rakshasa, for example, is a cannibal trickster entity that can apparently manifest in the form of someone you know and trust. It plucks the person/image from your own mind and becomes that person. That way it can get close enough to you so it can tear your flesh from your bones... Anyway, that's part of the 'legend'. It makes me wonder about 'angels', 'archangels', and 'guides'... and those 'family members' waving to loved ones from inside the white light tunnel... ..
Pris wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote:Thank-you Pris. Once, when Mel Fabregas was interviewing Edgar Mitchell, he asked him if he saw anything of an alien or extraterrestrial nature on the Moon?? Dr. Mitchell started coughing and choking -- and the phone-line went dead!! I think "we've" been to the Moon -- but not with the Apollo equipment!! I continue to model the concept of a One Solar-System Government/Business with One CEO/President -- going back five to ten thousand years -- so who knows what's REALLY gone-on throughout the solar-system during that time??!! A Primitive-Humanity seems to have been managed by an Ancient Other-Than-Human Race for thousands of years!! If the Bible is to be even partially believed, a rather harsh God is revealed. There's some love and niceness -- with a lot of murder, mayhem, and manipulation. I seek an idealistic theological conceptualization -- but the Bible seems to militate against my best efforts and intentions. I continue to think that a "Nice" Creator was deposed and exiled -- with a "Mean" Replacement ruling the roost for thousands of years. The original-creator might've been the "Real-RA" with the guy I spoke-with being the "Replacement-RA". I keep thinking about that Dr. Who "Trial of a Time-Lord" where the "Valeyard" is called the "Doctor" by the "Master". This seems to reveal "Christ" and "Antichrist" possibilities. I also think about that Leo Zagami rant, where he says "Amen-Ra is my Father".
I realize this is thin reasoning, but I'm trying to construct a Hypothesis of Why This Solar System Seems to be "God-Forsaken". Deception Seems to be Rampant -- which would be necessary if there had been a Nefarious Ancient Takeover. I continue to think that the Bible should be carefully studied for hidden clues and meanings. This might be totally useless OR it might reveal the MOST startling secrets and horrors. I have some theories regarding my relationship to "RA" but I don't wish to talk about it. The AED said that Serqet had a lot to do with our relationship (but who knows what that meant -- or whether there was any substance to it??)!! What I DO talk about is already WAY too delusional. I just think these guys can appear in a variety of bodies (via actual wardrobes of bodies -- or some sort of shapeshifting or illusion). This sort of thinking makes me shaky and crazy. But is my thinking any more crazy than Mainstream-Theology?? Think About It!! My delusional-thinking is internally-logical to me (but not externally-obvious). RA looked like Congressman Collins in State of Play -- and I seemed to be a bit like the Newspaper-Reporter. I keep reposting these videos -- but that's all I have to illustrate some of what I'm thinking. If you could only imagine what I imagine!! The Horror!!
I tend to agree with you, Oxy, about us having gone to the moon -- not with the technology they'd have us believe.
A harsh 'God' in the Bible indeed -- especially in the Old Testament. Btw, the word 'testament' is related to testis, testicles lol, the skewed/invented (arrogant) male POV. How's that no surprise. Besides that, the Old Testament reads like a Satanic ritual 'how to' manual... I never got that far into it before getting completely grossed out.
Uh-huh. This current 'Ra' seems like an imposter to me. Illusional 'shapeshifter'... yes, possible. Just how does each person's perception (and group perception) of reality (thoughts are things, creator intention) affect the possible manifestation of such a creature... a monster from the Id.
Forbidden Planet
orthodoxymoron wrote:If you could only imagine what I imagine!! The Horror!!
. .
mudra wrote:
The Near Death Experience in Iraq That Defies Belief
Natalie Sudman had quite an unusual near-death experience in the moment when her truck hit the bomb. She did not experience the typical out-of-body experience where she might have been floating above the scene before rushing through a tunnel toward the light. Instead, Natalie simply blinked from one environment to another instantly, finding herself on a sort of stage addressing thousands of other spirits who seem to be studying her experience vicariously. Natalie then describes a sort of download of information. She calls it a “transfer of information in the form of an inexplicably complex matrix”. The information included “events, thoughts, incidents, individuals, and groups in all their relationship complexities: stories, concepts, connections, nuances, layers, judgements, and projections. It included kinetic equations and dimensions and symbols and flows.” or as she says later, “might be very broadly understood as cultural and political information.” Love Always mudra
orthodoxymoron wrote:I have been reduced to considering some really nasty possibilities regarding God, god, angels, demons, souls, supercomputers, aliens, et al, to attempt to understand history and our present-predicament. It seems as if one must think God's and Satan's thoughts after Him and/or Her, to get at what's really going on. Most people should NOT attempt this sort of thing, and I'm wishing I hadn't tried, yet I still persist, for illusive reasons. I keep wondering if this solar system was invaded in antiquity, with the invaders being trapped, and put to work on this hypothetical Prison-Planet. When I spoke with Dr. Edgar Mitchell about the Soul Surviving Death, he said there was a Survival of Information rather than Soul-Survival. This seems to imply a Supercomputer recording 'Every Secret Thing'. What Would Mr. Edgars Say?? What Would Mitchell Say?? What Would Elizabeth Mitchell Say?? That's All I'm Going to Say.
My plan is to consider as many possibilities as possible, relative to what's REALLY been going-on in this world, solar-system, galaxy, and universe (for thousands, millions, billions, and even trillions of years). I simultaneously plan to attempt to help "fix" this "mess". But even though I presently believe in some sort of reincarnation -- I am combining this concept with my historical religious-presuppositions (with rather extensive unorthodox and heretical research). My path is probably unique and singular. I doubt that anyone else is traveling the path I'm presently on -- and that might be just as well. BTW -- that "I AM RA" Guy looked a lot like Bartleby (Ben Affleck) in the movie Dogma. If you look at the promotional posters for Dogma -- in one of them, the Bartleby character is NOT Ben Affleck. It's the one I communicated with for several months. Honest.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk24.html God's favor toward Israel had always been conditional on their obedience. At the foot of Sinai they had entered into covenant relationship with Him as His "peculiar treasure. . . above all people." Solemnly they had promised to follow in the path of obedience. "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do," they had said. Exodus 19:5, 8. And when, a few days afterward, God's law was spoken from Sinai, and additional instruction in the form of statutes and judgments was communicated through Moses, the Israelites with one voice had again promised, "All the words which the Lord hath said will we do." At the ratification of the covenant, the people had once more united in declaring, "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient," Exodus 24:3, 7. God had chosen Israel as His people, and they had chosen Him as their King.
Near the close of the wilderness wandering the conditions of the covenant had been repeated. At Baalpeor, on the very borders of the Promised Land, where many fell a prey to subtle temptation, those who remained faithful renewed their vows of allegiance. Through Moses they were warned against the temptations that would assail them in the future; and they were earnestly exhorted to remain separate from the surrounding nations and to worship God alone.
"Now therefore hearken," Moses had instructed Israel, "unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. . . . Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Deuteronomy 4:1-6.
The Israelites had been specially charged not to lose sight of the commandments of God, in obedience to which they would find strength and blessing. "Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently," had been the word of the Lord to them through Moses, "lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons." Verse 9. The awe-inspiring scenes connected with the giving of the law at Sinai were never to be forgotten. Plain and decided were the warnings that had been given Israel against the idolatrous customs prevailing among the neighboring nations. "Take ye . . . good heed unto yourselves," was the counsel given; "lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure," "and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven." "Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of anything, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee." Verses 15, 16, 19, 23.
Moses traced the evils that would result from a departure from the statutes of Jehovah. Calling heaven and earth to witness, he declared that if, after having dwelt long in the Land of Promise, the people should introduce corrupt forms of worship and bow down to graven images and should refuse to return to the worship of the true God, the anger of the Lord would be aroused, and they would be carried away captive and scattered among the heathen. "Ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it," he warned them; "ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." Verses 26-28.
This prophecy, fulfilled in part in the time of the judges, met a more complete and literal fulfillment in the captivity of Israel in Assyria and of Judah in Babylon.
The apostasy of Israel had developed gradually. From generation to generation, Satan had made repeated attempts to cause the chosen nation to forget "the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments" that they had promised to keep forever. Deuteronomy 6:1. He knew that if he could only lead Israel to forget God, and to "walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them," they would "surely perish." Deuteronomy 8:19.
The enemy of God's church upon the earth had not, however, taken fully into account the compassionate nature of Him who "will by no means clear the guilty," yet whose glory it is to be "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Exodus 34:6, 7. Despite the efforts of Satan to thwart God's purpose for Israel, nevertheless even in some of the darkest hours of their history, when it seemed as if the forces of evil were about to gain the victory, the Lord graciously revealed Himself. He spread before Israel the things that were for the welfare of the nation. "I have written to him the great things of My law," He declared through Hosea, "but they were counted as a strange thing." "I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them." Hosea 8:12; 11:3. Tenderly had the Lord dealt with them, instructing them by His prophets line upon line, precept upon precept.
Had Israel heeded the messages of the prophets, they would have been spared the humiliation that followed. It was because they had persisted in turning aside from His law that God was compelled to let them go into captivity. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge," was His message to them through Hosea. "Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee: . . . seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God." Hosea 4:6.
In every age, transgression of God's law has been followed by the same result. In the days of Noah, when every principle of rightdoing was violated, and iniquity became so deep and widespread that God could no longer bear with it, the decree went forth, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth." Genesis 6:7. In Abraham's day the people of Sodom openly defied God and His law; and there followed the same wickedness, the same corruption, the same unbridled indulgence, that had marked the antediluvian world. The inhabitants of Sodom passed the limits of divine forbearance, and there was kindled against them the fire of God's vengeance.
The time preceding the captivity of the ten tribes of Israel was one of similar disobedience and of similar wickedness. God's law was counted as a thing of nought, and this opened the floodgates of iniquity upon Israel. "The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land," Hosea declared, "because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood." Hosea 4:1, 2.
The prophecies of judgment delivered by Amos and Hosea were accompanied by predictions of future glory. To the ten tribes, long rebellious and impenitent, was given no promise of complete restoration to their former power in Palestine. Until the end of time, they were to be "wanderers among the nations." But through Hosea was given a prophecy that set before them the privilege of having a part in the final restoration that is to be made to the people of God at the close of earth's history, when Christ shall appear as King of kings and Lord of lords. "Many days," the prophet declared, the ten tribes were to abide "without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim." "Afterward," the prophet continued, "shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days." Hosea 3:4, 5.
In symbolic language Hosea set before the ten tribes God's plan of restoring to every penitent soul who would unite with His church on earth, the blessings granted Israel in the days of their loyalty to Him in the Promised Land. Referring to Israel as one to whom He longed to show mercy, the Lord declared, "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call Me Ishi ["My husband," margin]; and shalt call Me no more Baali ["My lord," margin]. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name." Hosea 2:14-17.
In the last days of this earth's history, God's covenant with His commandment-keeping people is to be renewed. "In that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto Me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people, Thou art My people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." Verses 18-23.
"In that day" "the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, . . . shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth." Isaiah 10:20. From "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" there will be some who will gladly respond to the message, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." They will turn from every idol that binds them to earth, and will "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." They will free themselves from every entanglement and will stand before the world as monuments of God's mercy. Obedient to the divine requirements, they will be recognized by angels and by men as those that have kept "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:6,7,12.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God." Amos 9:13-15.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk25.html The long reign of Uzziah [also known as Azariah] in the land of Judah and Benjamin was characterized by a prosperity greater than that of any other ruler since the death of Solomon, nearly two centuries before. For many years the king ruled with discretion. Under the blessing of Heaven his armies regained some of the territory that had been lost in former years. Cities were rebuilt and fortified, and the position of the nation among the surrounding peoples was greatly strengthened. Commerce revived, and the riches of the nations flowed into Jerusalem. Uzziah's name "spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong." 2 Chronicles 26:15.
This outward prosperity, however, was not accompanied by a corresponding revival of spiritual power. The temple services were continued as in former years, and multitudes assembled to worship the living God; but pride and formality gradually took the place of humility and sincerity. Of Uzziah himself it is written: "When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God." Verse 16.
The sin that resulted so disastrously to Uzziah was one of presumption. In violation of a plain command of Jehovah, that none but the descendants of Aaron should officiate as priests, the king entered the sanctuary "to burn incense upon the altar." Azariah the high priest and his associates remonstrated, and pleaded with him to turn from his purpose. "Thou hast trespassed," they urged; "neither shall it be for thine honor." Verses 16, 18.
Uzziah was filled with wrath that he, the king, should be thus rebuked. But he was not permitted to profane the sanctuary against the united protest of those in authority. While standing there, in wrathful rebellion, he was suddenly smitten with a divine judgment. Leprosy appeared on his forehead. In dismay he fled, never again to enter the temple courts. Unto the day of his death, some years later, Uzziah remained a leper--a living example of the folly of departing from a plain "Thus saith the Lord." Neither his exalted position nor his long life of service could be pleaded as an excuse for the presumptuous sin by which he marred the closing years of his reign, and brought upon himself the judgment of Heaven.
God is no respecter of persons. "The soul that doeth aught presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Numbers 15:30.
The judgment that befell Uzziah seemed to have a restraining influence on his son. Jotham bore heavy responsibilities during the later years of his father's reign and succeeded to the throne after Uzziah's death. Of Jotham it is written: "He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places." 2 Kings 15:34, 35.
The reign of Uzziah was drawing to a close, and Jotham was already bearing many of the burdens of state, when Isaiah, of the royal line, was called, while yet a young man, to the prophetic mission. The times in which Isaiah was to labor were fraught with peculiar peril to the people of God. The prophet was to witness the invasion of Judah by the combined armies of northern Israel and of Syria; he was to behold the Assyrian hosts encamped before the chief cities of the kingdom. During his lifetime, Samaria was to fall, and the ten tribes of Israel were to be scattered among the nations. Judah was again and again to be invaded by the Assyrian armies, and Jerusalem was to suffer a siege that would have resulted in her downfall had not God miraculously interposed. Already grave perils were threatening the peace of the southern kingdom. The divine protection was being removed, and the Assyrian forces were about to overspread the land of Judah.
But the dangers from without, overwhelming though they seemed, were not so serious as the dangers from within. It was the perversity of his people that brought to the Lord's servant the greatest perplexity and the deepest depression.
By their apostasy and rebellion those who should have been standing as light bearers among the nations were inviting the judgments of God. Many of the evils which were hastening the swift destruction of the northern kingdom, and which had recently been denounced in unmistakable terms by Hosea and Amos, were fast corrupting the kingdom of Judah.
The outlook was particularly discouraging as regards the social conditions of the people. In their desire for gain, men were adding house to house and field to field. See Isaiah 5:8. Justice was perverted, and no pity was shown the poor. Of these evils God declared, "The spoil of the poor is in your houses." Ye beat My people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor." Isaiah 3:14, 15. Even the magistrates, whose duty it was to protect the helpless, turned a deaf ear to the cries of the poor and needy, the widows and the fatherless. See Isaiah 10:1, 2.
With oppression and wealth came pride and love of display, gross drunkenness, and a spirit of revelry. See Isaiah 2:11, 12; 3:16, 18-23; 5:22, 11, 12. And in Isaiah's day idolatry itself no longer provoked surprise. See Isaiah 2:8, 9. Iniquitous practices had become so prevalent among all classes that the few who remained true to God were often tempted to lose heart and to give way to discouragement and despair. It seemed as if God's purpose for Israel were about to fail and that the rebellious nation was to suffer a fate similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
In the face of such conditions it is not surprising that when, during the last year of Uzziah's reign, Isaiah was called to bear to Judah God's messages of warning and reproof, he shrank from the responsibility. He well knew that he would encounter obstinate resistance. As he realized his own inability to meet the situation and thought of the stubbornness and unbelief of the people for whom he was to labor, his task seemed hopeless. Should he in despair relinquish his mission and leave Judah undisturbed to their idolatry? Were the gods of Nineveh to rule the earth in defiance of the God of heaven? Such thoughts as these were crowding through Isaiah's mind as he stood under the portico of the temple. Suddenly the gate and the inner veil of the temple seemed to be uplifted or withdrawn, and he was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where even the prophet's feet might not enter. There rose up before him a vision of Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, while the train of His glory filled the temple. On each side of the throne hovered the seraphim, their faces veiled in adoration, as they ministered before their Maker and united in the solemn invocation, "Holy, holy holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory," until post and pillar and cedar gate seemed shaken with the sound, and the house was filled with their tribute of praise. Isaiah 6:3.
As Isaiah beheld this revelation of the glory and majesty of his Lord, he was overwhelmed with a sense of the purity and holiness of God. How sharp the contrast between the matchless perfection of his Creator, and the sinful course of those who, with himself, had long been numbered among the chosen people of Israel and Judah! "Woe is me!" he cried; "for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Verse 5. Standing, as it were, in the full light of the divine presence within the inner sanctuary, he realized that if left to his own imperfection and inefficiency, he would be utterly unable to accomplish the mission to which he had been called. But a seraph was sent to relieve him of his distress and to fit him for his great mission. A living coal from the altar was laid upon his lips, with the words, "Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Then the voice of God was heard saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" and Isaiah responded, "Here am I; send me." Verses 7,8.
The heavenly visitant bade the waiting messenger, "Go, and tell this people,
"Hear ye indeed, but understand not; And see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, And make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And convert, and be healed." Verses 9, 10.
The prophet's duty was plain; he was to lift his voice in protest against the prevailing evils. But he dreaded to undertake the work without some assurance of hope. "Lord, how long?" he inquired. Verse 11. Are none of Thy chosen people ever to understand and repent and be healed?
His burden of soul in behalf of erring Judah was not to be borne in vain. His mission was not to be wholly fruitless.
Yet the evils that had been multiplying for many generations could not be removed in his day. Throughout his lifetime he must be a patient, courageous teacher--a prophet of hope as well as of doom. The divine purpose finally accomplished, the full fruitage of his efforts, and of the labors of all God's faithful messengers, would appear. A remnant should be saved. That this might be brought about, the messages of warning and entreaty were to be delivered to the rebellious nation, the Lord declared:
"Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, And the houses without man, And the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, And there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land." Verses 11, 12.
The heavy judgments that were to befall the impenitent, --war, exile, oppression, the loss of power and prestige among the nations,--all these were to come in order that those who would recognize in them the hand of an offended God might be led to repent. The ten tribes of the northern kingdom were soon to be scattered among the nations and their cities left desolate; the destroying armies of hostile nations were to sweep over their land again and again; even Jerusalem was finally to fall, and Judah was to be carried away captive; yet the Promised Land was not to remain wholly forsaken forever. The assurance of the heavenly visitant to Isaiah was:
"In it shall be a tenth, And it shall return, and shall be eaten:
As a teil tree, and as an oak, Whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: So the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." Verse 13.
This assurance of the final fulfillment of God's purpose brought courage to the heart of Isaiah. What though earthly powers array themselves against Judah? What though the Lord's messenger meet with opposition and resistance? Isaiah had seen the King, the Lord of hosts; he had heard the song of the seraphim, "The whole earth is full of His glory;" he had the promise that the messages of Jehovah to backsliding Judah would be accompanied by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit; and the prophet was nerved for the work before him. Verse 3. Throughout his long and arduous mission he carried with him the memory of this vision. For sixty years or more he stood before the children of Judah as a prophet of hope, waxing bolder and still bolder in his predictions of the future triumph of the church.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk26.html In Isaiah's day the spiritual understanding of mankind was dark through misapprehension of God. Long had Satan sought to lead men to look upon their Creator as the author of sin and suffering and death. Those whom he had thus deceived, imagined that God was hard and exacting. They regarded Him as watching to denounce and condemn, unwilling to receive the sinner so long as there was a legal excuse for not helping him. The law of love by which heaven is ruled had been misrepresented by the archdeceiver as a restriction upon men's happiness, a burdensome yoke from which they should be glad to escape. He declared that its precepts could not be obeyed and that the penalties of transgression were bestowed arbitrarily.
In losing sight of the true character of Jehovah, the Israelites were without excuse. Often had God revealed Himself to them as one "full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." Psalm 86:15. "When Israel was a child," He testified, "then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt." Hosea 11:1. Tenderly had the Lord dealt with Israel in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and in their journey to the Promised Land. "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:9.
"My presence shall go with thee," was the promise given during the journey through the wilderness. Exodus 33:14. This assurance was accompanied by a marvelous revelation of Jehovah's character, which enabled Moses to proclaim to all Israel the goodness of God, and to instruct them fully concerning the attributes of their invisible King. "The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." Exodus 34:6, 7.
It was upon his knowledge of the long-sufferance of Jehovah and of His infinite love and mercy, that Moses based his wonderful plea for the life of Israel when, on the borders of the Promised Land, they refused to advance in obedience to the command of God. At the height of their rebellion the Lord had declared, "I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them;" and He had proposed to make of the descendants of Moses "a greater nation and mightier than they." Numbers 14:12. But the prophet pleaded the marvelous providences and promises of God in behalf of the chosen nation. And then, as the strongest of all pleas, he urged the love of God for fallen man. See verses 17-19.
Graciously the Lord responded, "I have pardoned according to thy word." And then He imparted to Moses, in the form of a prophecy, a knowledge of His purpose concerning the final triumph of Israel. "As truly as I live," He declared, "all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Verses 20, 21. God's glory, His character, His merciful kindness and tender love--that which Moses had pleaded in behalf of Israel--were to be revealed to all mankind. And this promise of Jehovah was made doubly sure; it was confirmed by an oath. As surely as God lives and reigns, His glory should be declared "among the heathen, His wonders among all people." Psalm 96:3.
It was concerning the future fulfillment of this prophecy that Isaiah had heard the shining seraphim singing before the throne, "The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:3. The prophet, confident of the certainty of these words, himself afterward boldly declared of those who were bowing down to the images of wood and stone, "They shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God." Isaiah 35:2.
Today this prophecy is meeting rapid fulfillment. The missionary activities of the church of God on earth are bearing rich fruitage, and soon the gospel message will have been proclaimed to all nations. "To the praise of the glory of His grace," men and women from every kindred, tongue, and people are being made "accepted in the Beloved," "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:6; 2:7. "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory." Psalm 72:18, 19.
In the vision that came to Isaiah in the temple court, he was given a clear view of the character of the God of Israel. "The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy," had appeared before him in great majesty; yet the prophet was made to understand the compassionate nature of his Lord. He who dwells "in the high and holy place" dwells "with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isaiah 57:15. The angel commissioned to touch Isaiah's lips had brought to him the message, "Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Isaiah 6:7.
In beholding his God, the prophet, like Saul of Tarsus at the gate of Damascus, had not only been given a view of his own unworthiness; there had come to his humbled heart the assurance of forgiveness, full and free; and he had arisen a changed man. He had seen his Lord. He had caught a glimpse of the loveliness of the divine character. He could testify of the transformation wrought through beholding Infinite Love. Henceforth he was inspired with longing desire to see erring Israel set free from the burden and penalty of sin. "Why should ye be stricken any more?" the prophet inquired. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well." Isaiah 1:5, 18, 16, 17.
The God whom they had been claiming to serve, but whose character they had misunderstood, was set before them as the great Healer of spiritual disease. What though the whole head was sick and the whole heart faint? what though from the sole of the foot even unto the crown of the head there was no soundness, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores? See Isaiah 1:6. He who had been walking frowardly in the way of his heart might find healing by turning to the Lord. "I have seen his ways," the Lord declared, "and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him. . . . Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him." Isaiah 57:18, 19.
The prophet exalted God as Creator of all. His message to the cities of Judah was, "Behold your God!" Isaiah 40:9. "Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it;" "I am the Lord that maketh all things;" "I form the light, and create darkness;" "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." Isaiah 42:5; 44:24; 45:7, 12. "To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth." Isaiah 40:25, 26.
To those who feared they would not be received if they should return to God, the prophet declared:
"Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Verses 27-31.
The heart of Infinite Love yearns after those who feel powerless to free themselves from the snares of Satan; and He graciously offers to strengthen them to live for Him. "Fear thou not," He bids them; "for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." "I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye man of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:10, 13, 14.
The inhabitants of Judah were all undeserving, yet God would not give them up. By them His name was to be exalted among the heathen. Many who were wholly unacquainted with His attributes were yet to behold the glory of the divine character. It was for the purpose of making plain His merciful designs that He kept sending His servants the prophets with the message, "Turn ye again now everyone from his evil way." Jeremiah 25:5. "For My name's sake," He declared through Isaiah, "will I defer Mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off." "For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted? and I will not give My glory unto another." Isaiah 48:9 ,11.
The call to repentance was sounded with unmistakable clearness, and all were invited to return. "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found," the prophet pleaded; "call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6, 7.
Have you, reader, chosen your own way? Have you wandered far from God? Have you sought to feast upon the fruits of transgression, only to find them turn to ashes upon your lips? And now, your life plans thwarted and your hopes dead, do you sit alone and desolate? That voice which has long been speaking to your heart, but to which you would not listen, comes to you distinct and clear, "Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction." Micah 2:10. Return to your Father's house. He invites you, saying, "Return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee." "Come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isaiah 44:22; 55:3.
Do not listen to the enemy's suggestion to stay away from Christ until you have made yourself better, until you are good enough to come to God. If you wait until then you will never come. When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the promise of the Saviour, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. Tell the enemy that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer of David your own: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7.
The exhortations of the prophet to Judah to behold the living God, and to accept His gracious offers, were not in vain. There were some who gave earnest heed, and who turned from their idols to the worship of Jehovah. They learned to see in their Maker love and mercy and tender compassion. And in the dark days that were to come in the history of Judah, when only a remnant were to be left in the land, the prophet's words were to continue bearing fruit in decided reformation. "At that day," declared Isaiah, "shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images." Isaiah 17:7, 8.
Many were to behold the One altogether lovely, the chiefest among ten thousand. "Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty," was the gracious promise made them. Isaiah 33:17. Their sins were to be forgiven, and they were to make their boast in God alone. In that glad day of redemption from idolatry they would exclaim, "The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams. . . . The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us." Verses 21, 22.
The messages borne by Isaiah to those who chose to turn from their evil ways were full of comfort and encouragement. Hear the word of the Lord through His prophet:
"Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; For thou art My servant: I have formed thee; thou art My servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And, as a cloud, thy sins: Return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee." Isaiah 44:21, 22. "In that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise Thee: Though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me.
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. . . .
"Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." Isaiah 12.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk27.html The accession of Ahaz to the throne brought Isaiah and his associates face to face with conditions more appalling than any that had hitherto existed in the realm of Judah. Many who had formerly withstood the seductive influence of idolatrous practices were now being persuaded to take part in the worship of heathen deities. Princes in Israel were proving untrue to their trust; false prophets were arising with messages to lead astray; even some of the priests were teaching for hire. Yet the leaders in apostasy still kept up the forms of divine worship and claimed to be numbered among the people of God.
The prophet Micah, who bore his testimony during those troublous times, declared that sinners in Zion, while claiming to "lean upon the Lord," and blasphemously boasting, "Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us," continued to "build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity." Micah 3:11, 10. Against these evils the prophet Isaiah lifted his voice in stern rebuke: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the Lord. . . . When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread My courts?" Isaiah 1:10-12.
Inspiration declares, "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?" Proverbs 21:27. The God of heaven is "of purer eyes than to behold evil," and cannot "look on iniquity." Habakkuk 1:13. It is not because He is unwilling to forgive that He turns from the transgressor; it is because the sinner refuses to make use of the abundant provisions of grace, that God is unable to deliver from sin. "The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." Isaiah 59:1, 2.
Solomon had written, "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child!" Ecclesiastes 10:16. Thus it was with the land of Judah. Through continued transgression her rulers had become as children. Isaiah called the attention of the people to the weakness of their position among the nations of earth, and he showed that this was the result of wickedness in high places. "Behold," he said, "the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." "For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord." Isaiah 3:1-4, 8.
"They which lead thee," the prophet continued, "cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Verse 12. During the reign of Ahaz this was literally true; for of him it is written: "He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom;" "yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel." 2 Chron. 28:2, 3;2 Kings 16:3.
This was indeed a time of great peril for the chosen nation. Only a few short years, and the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel were to be scattered among the nations of heathendom. And in the kingdom of Judah also the outlook was dark. The forces for good were rapidly diminishing, the forces for evil multiplying. The prophet Micah, viewing the situation, was constrained to exclaim: "The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men." "The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge." Micah 7:2, 4. "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant," declared Isaiah, "we should have been as Sodom, and . . . Gomorrah." Isaiah 1:9.
In every age, for the sake of those who have remained true, as well as because of His infinite love for the erring, God has borne long with the rebellious, and has urged them to forsake their course of evil and return to Him. "Precept upon precept; line upon line, . . . here a little, and there a little," through men of His appointment, He has taught transgressors' the way of righteousness. Isaiah 28:10.
And thus it was during the reign of Ahaz. Invitation upon invitation was sent to erring Israel to return to their allegiance to Jehovah. Tender were the pleadings of the prophets; and as they stood before the people, earnestly exhorting to repentance and reformation, their words bore fruit to the glory of God.
Through Micah came the wonderful appeal, "Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel.
"O My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against Me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
"O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord." Micah 6:1-5.
The God whom we serve is long-suffering; "His compassions fail not." Lamentations 3:22. Throughout the period of probationary time His Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Ezekiel 33:11. It is Satan's special device to lead man into sin and then leave him there, helpless and hopeless, fearing to seek for pardon. But God invites, "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Isaiah 27:5. In Christ every provision has been made, every encouragement offered.
In the days of apostasy in Judah and Israel, many were inquiring: "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?" The answer is plain and positive: "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:6-8.
In urging the value of practical godliness, the prophet was only repeating the counsel given Israel centuries before. Through Moses, as they were about to enter the Promised Land, the word of the Lord had been: "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" Deuteronomy 10:12, 13. From age to age these counsels were repeated by the servants of Jehovah to those who were in danger of falling into habits of formalism and of forgetting to show mercy. When Christ Himself, during His earthly ministry, was approached by a lawyer with the question, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40.
These plain utterances of the prophets and of the Master Himself, should be received by us as the voice of God to every soul. We should lose no opportunity of performing deeds of mercy, of tender forethought and Christian courtesy, for the burdened and the oppressed. If we can do no more, we may speak words of courage and hope to those who are unacquainted with God, and who can be approached most easily by the avenue of sympathy and love.
Rich and abundant are the promises made to those who are watchful of opportunities to bring joy and blessing into the lives of others. "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:10, 11.
The idolatrous course of Ahaz, in the face of the earnest appeals of the prophets, could have but one result. "The wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He . . . delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing." 2 Chronicles 29:8. The kingdom suffered a rapid decline, and its very existence was soon imperiled by invading armies. "Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz." 2 Kings 16:5.
Had Ahaz and the chief men of his realm been true servants of the Most High, they would have had no fear of so unnatural an alliance as had been formed against them. But repeated transgression had shorn them of strength. Stricken with a nameless dread of the retributive judgments of an offended God, the heart of the king "was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind." Isaiah 7:2. In this crisis the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, bidding him meet the trembling king and say:
"Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted . . . . Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it: . . . thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass." The prophet declared that the kingdom of Israel, and Syria as well, would soon come to an end. "If ye will not believe," he concluded, "surely ye shall not be established." Verses 4-7,9.
Well would it have been for the kingdom of Judah had Ahaz received this message as from heaven. But choosing to lean on the arm of flesh, he sought help from the heathen. In desperation he sent word to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria: "I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me." 2 Kings 16:7. The request was accompanied by a rich present from the king's treasure and from the temple storehouse.
The help asked for was sent, and King Ahaz was given temporary relief, but at what a cost to Judah! The tribute offered aroused the cupidity of Assyria, and that treacherous nation soon threatened to overflow and spoil Judah. Ahaz and his unhappy subjects were now harassed by the fear of falling completely into the hands of the cruel Assyrians.
"The Lord brought Judah low" because of continued transgression. In this time of chastisement Ahaz, instead of repenting, trespassed "yet more against the Lord: . . . for he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus." "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them," he said, "therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me." 2 Chronicles 28:19, 22, 23.
As the apostate king neared the end of his reign, he caused the doors of the temple to be closed. The sacred services were interrupted. No longer were the candlesticks kept burning before the altar. No longer were offerings made for the sins of the people. No longer did sweet incense ascend on high at the time of the morning and the evening sacrifice. Deserting the courts of the house of God and locking fast its doors, the inhabitants of the godless city boldly set up altars for the worship of heathen deities on the street corners throughout Jerusalem. Heathenism had seemingly triumphed; the powers of darkness had well-nigh prevailed.
But in Judah there dwelt some who maintained their allegiance to Jehovah, steadfastly refusing to be led into idolatry. It was to these that Isaiah and Micah and their associates looked in hope as they surveyed the ruin wrought during the last years of Ahaz. Their sanctuary was closed, but the faithful ones were assured: "God is with us." Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for a sanctuary." Isaiah 8:10, 13, 14.
"Everyone Thinks I'm a Dick-Head!!" "Ergo, I Go Incognito!!"
Perhaps I should continue my internet-posting indefinitely, without attempting to resolve anything. Perhaps Purgatory Incorporated depends upon things NOT Being Resolved. Why should I screw the Solar System Business?? Didn't Jesus say "Know You Not That I Must Run My Father's Business?"? Did I twist the words and meaning just a bit?? What if there was a Hostile-Takeover of the Family-Business?? Think long and hard concerning King David, King Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba. Must I Explain?? A few years ago, my computer was ruthlessly attacked from Italy, Rio, and Washington State. WTF?? I hope you people who monitor me checked this out (our taxpayer dollars at work). The Internet is the Wild-West!! This is getting really old (really fast). Saving the World is like playing a Stupid Video Game. It's NOT About Right and Wrong. It's About "More Technological and Arrogant Than Thou!!" Things just keep getting faster and faster -- crazier and crazier -- more and more dangerous. We've Come A Long Way Baby!!
Pris wrote:
.. In 'The Lord of The Rings', there's Treebeard, a giant walking, talking tree. Connection to 'TREEE, GROOT', perhaps?
Speculation (with relation to RA)... maybe this has something to do with our subconscious mind (deep in the forest) and our '3rd eye' pineal gland (my home) located between the two brain hemispheres? (near the roots of the mountains)...
I kind of liked the baby Groot, but now you've got me thinking... Maybe it represents something not so 'wholesome'. Hollywood is constantly manipulating us without our comprehension. Most people haven't the foggiest clue how our minds are being deliberately messed with (see also: hyperreality and predictive programming). Hollywood is all about mind manipulation -- sorcery of the worst kind for, what's become blindingly obvious, a not-so-hidden agenda.
Frickin' RA... I've repeatedly gone after David Wilcock for his religious obsession with 'The Law of One' and RA as somehow being a 'good' thing (and pushing the 'white light tunnel' and belief in 'karma'). I equate RA to a nasty trickster entity. If RA is pushing 'The Law of One', then that most definitely can't be a good thing. I was censored in David's website comments section when I started to question these things. You can't have anything that threatens David's credibility and book sales, right?
Then, Corey Goode wormed his way out of the wormwood with his eight foot tall, blue avian (bird) ETs (seemingly altered states entities), one of which David Wilcock thinks is the embodiment of RA (or at the very least, RA takes on or steals the forms of others that make him appear 'impressive' to us -- like bird-headed Thoth, and the dog-headed Anubis [in other words, for example, there may have been an 'original' Thoth that was benevolent. See also: The Emerald Tablets, Bill Donahue]).
I repeatedly went after David Wilcock for reporting altered states experiences (his and Corey's) as 'real' events -- as if that was 'proof' enough (of blue avian ETs for example). If I can conjure up Greys and goblins in an altered state just because I intended it, what does that tell you?
All those studies of yours are seemingly quite extensive, time consuming, and complicated, Oxy. My goal has always been to narrow things down to a common denominator -- cut through the crap and get straight to the goods (eg. I AM RA, Ancient Egyptian 'Deity' for Dummies). I'm driven to find overall answers quickly and easily. If I can get the gist of something fast, that makes me happy. The bottom line is truth doesn't need to be complicated (for me). That's how I see it.
We all have a 'knowingness' when we let go (NOT let go and let God! Uggh! ) and trust ourselves -- our own nature, our own intuition -- and look for answers inside.
'Let there be light!'. ..
Carol wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote:Were some of the videos too upsetting?? Were there complaints?? Have there been any lawsuits throughout the years?? I imagine that sites such as this one make various individuals and organizations (human and otherwise) VERY Angry!! I've posted some pretty upsetting videos recently -- but I thought this site was a proper place to do so. I've noticed a change in the posting over the years -- starting with the Old Project Avalon -- and continuing with The Mists of Avalon. Despite the Bill and Kerry drama -- combined with the Richard and abraxasinas debacle -- there seemed to be more pure and detailed "truth-seeking". I also liked the larger numbers of forum-members (complete with posting whistleblowers such as Henry Deacon). It seems as if the better aspects of the Info-War have surrendered to a lower-vibrational Info-War. I have failed to find a Research Sweet-Spot -- and I'm frankly gravitating toward an 8,000 page Bible Commentary written in the 1950's to phase myself out of the alternative-quest scene. But I guess I've always been sort of a Latter-day Luddite. I'm sort of a contrarian "stick in the mud". Has it always been that way -- going way, way, way back?? Am I a Galactic Pain in Uranus?? That wouldn't surprise me one little bit.
I've also noticed that I'm being shunned on this website, and in real life. Was it something I said -- or is it who I am (going way, way, way back)?? I've made it clear that I'm doing a Modeling Research Project which doesn't reflect who I really am in real life. But has my approach awakened old rivalries and nastiness?? That wouldn't surprise me one little bit.
I have some theories regarding All of the Above -- but I thought I'd ask these questions directly in a new-thread.
Hi Oxy. I've noticed the vertical black box on my youtube posts as well and thought it was my computer, which I was going to send in and have it scanned for viruses. This apparently is a new forum problem, so be sure to post the link to the youtube post. Unfortunately we don't have Mercurial to watch out for us as he's been absent for months following his own health issues.
I know google and other servers have gotten yucky in a variety of ways as they are being controlled by Obama and crew as I recently read on Zero Hedge and elsewhere. I suspect our forum is targeted because of the content for awhile now, especially how difficult it is to find Mists on google. We used to have loads of pages that referred back to us there but its all changed as it has for other controversial forums. However, our traffic has gone up a bit so someone is finding us and reading. And our membership is increasing but the new folks aren't posting. Our forum has primarily been a readership forum with few posters.
I don't know of anyone shunning you and did respond to some of your posts in recent past. Most of my attention these days has been focused elsewhere on a problem with a neighbor at home and then on International Finances and this election - especially with all of the info coming out on WikeLeaks and the whole corrupt government issues as this election is a make or break it one on multiple levels, so I've also been doing some campaigning.
I do appreciate those members who do post and hope they don't give up on us. Even in the Skype rooms I'm in there is little chatting. GLP still is a good news breaking chatting forum as is Bill's forum.
I too wish we would have more members who would post as they enrich our little internet community. Let's keep the light on for everyone and let folks know to post their youtube links with this recent youtube kerfluffel.
Okay.. I just read Mudra's response about the computer with youtube not loading correctly and will check on that. I'm much happier thinking it is a personal computer problem then a forum problem. Thank you mucho gracias micro.
Hey JT. Glad to see you posting and you're right. Big hug to you bro.
orthodoxymoron wrote:Thank-you Pris and Carol. The videos are no longer a problem for me (after loading some sort of Flash upgrade) -- but I have a heck of a time getting the posted-images to appear. Regarding the shunning -- I suspect that some of it is imagined -- some of it is real -- and some of it is just more of my online theatrics. I take real problems -- and enhance them with "script-writing". I'm confused and crazy -- but I do a lot of online acting -- which would be deceptive if I didn't keep telling everyone that's what I'm doing. But I suspect that my warnings are mostly not heeded -- which is part of the experiment. You know -- telling people what you're doing, and then see if they pay attention. I've come to the conclusion that's what the Bible does. There are certain key-phrases which change everything -- yet which are ignored by the major religions, churches, and theologians -- which would make sense if they're all controlled by the same guy and/or gal. What Would Amen Ra Do?? I'm almost to the point of wishing to move to a small mountain cabin (with or without a bunker-basement) and NOT have the internet. A telephone might be a necessary-evil. But just go as minimalist as possible -- yet make a decade-long study of the following seemingly boring sources:
1. The Best and Latest Set of Encyclopedias.
2. The Latest Version of the SDA Bible Commentary (Approximately 8,000 Pages of Core-Commentary with probably 5,000 pages of Supplementary-Material). The Missing Link
3. Sacred Classical Music (All of It).
The idea would be to go through all of the above (straight-through over and over) year after year. No UFO's. No Aliens. No PTB. No Conspiracy-Theories. No Violent and Horrific Science-Fiction Movies. No Corrupt Politicians, Bankers, CEO's, et al. Just hour-long hikes -- chopping wood -- gardening -- looking at the planets with a 16" Dobsonian telescope -- etc. Perhaps they have a Nice Nuthouse in the Rockies (with Rooms with Views and Sexy Sex-Therapists)!! Hope Springs Eternal.
Sorry to be repetitious BUT when I spoke with the late astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, we spoke of Life After Death rather than Walking On the Moon!! Dr. Mitchell spoke of the "Survival of Information" rather than the "Survival of the Soul". What if our "Soul Histories" are stored in a Lunar Grey Supercomputer?? What if our "Souls" are "Communication-Devices" to facilitate the operation of our "Mammalian-Containers"?? Once again, I won't do Seances, Regression-Hypnosis, Channeling, or ANYTHING of the sort (although I have spoken with someone who SEEMED to be some sort of an Ancient Egyptian Deity)!! What's creepy is that they wished for me to call them "Mitchell". What Would Edgar Mitchell Say?? They reminded me of Mr. Edgars in Babylon 5!! They spoke of recent "productive conversations" with the late astronaut Brian O'Leary. I also spoke with Dr. Carol Rosin and now I'm posting on a site hosted by "Carol". Sherry Shriner supposedly podcasted from Carrollton, Ohio. She claimed to be the Granddaughter of King David. I know of a "David" who lives in a "King's Town" on "Ohio"!! Interesting!! I think I've hit rock-bottom or at least I hope it's rock-bottom but I wouldn't count on it. I simply can't face the reality which exists in my own-life and throughout the world. The images at the bottom of this post made me cry. That's all I'm going to say.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk28.html In sharp contrast with the reckless rule of Ahaz was the reformation wrought during the prosperous reign of his son. Hezekiah came to the throne determined to do all in his power to save Judah from the fate that was overtaking the northern kingdom. The messages of the prophets offered no encouragement to halfway measures. Only by most decided reformation could be threatened judgments be averted.
In the crisis, Hezekiah proved to be a man of opportunity. No sooner had he ascended the throne than he began to plan and to execute. He first turned his attention to the restoration of the temple services, so long neglected; and in this work he earnestly solicited the co-operation of a band of priests and Levites who had remained true to their sacred calling. Confident of their loyal support, he spoke with them freely concerning his desire to institute immediate and far-reaching reforms. "Our fathers have trespassed," he confessed, "and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord." "Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us." 2 Chronicles 29:6, 10.
In a few well-chosen words the king reviewed the situation they were facing--the closed temple and the cessation of all services within its precincts; the flagrant idolatry practiced in the streets of the city and throughout the kingdom; the apostasy of multitudes who might have remained true to God had the leaders in Judah set before them a right example; and the decline of the kingdom and loss of prestige in the estimation of surrounding nations. The northern kingdom was rapidly crumbling to pieces; many were perishing by the sword; a multitude had already been carried away captive; soon Israel would fall completely into the hands of the Assyrians, and be utterly ruined; and this fate would surely befall Judah as well, unless God should work mightily through chosen representatives.
Hezekiah appealed directly to the priests to unite with him in bringing about the necessary reforms. "Be not now negligent," he exhorted them; "for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that ye should minister unto Him, and burn incense." "Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers." Verses 11, 5.
It was a time for quick action. The priests began at once. Enlisting the co-operation of others of their number who had not been present during this conference, they engaged heartily in the work of cleansing and sanctifying the temple. Because of the years of desecration and neglect, this was attended with many difficulties; but the priests and the Levites labored untiringly, and within a remarkably short time they were able to report their task completed. The temple doors had been repaired and thrown open; the sacred vessels had been assembled and put into place; and all was in readiness for the re-establishment of the sanctuary services.
In the first service held, the rulers of the city united with King Hezekiah and with the priests and Levites in seeking forgiveness for the sins of the nation. Upon the altar were placed sin offerings "to make an atonement for all Israel." "And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshiped." Once more the temple courts resounded with words of praise and adoration. The songs of David and of Asaph were sung with joy, as the worshipers realized that they were being delivered from the bondage of sin and apostasy. "Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly." Verses 24, 29, 36.
God had indeed prepared the hearts of the chief men of Judah to lead out in a decided reformatory movement, that the tide of apostasy might be stayed. Through His prophets He had sent to His chosen people message after message of earnest entreaty--messages that had been despised and rejected by the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel, now given over to the enemy. But in Judah there remained a goodly remnant, and to these the prophets continued to appeal. Hear Isaiah urging, "Turn ye unto Him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted." Isaiah 31:6. Hear Micah declaring with confidence: "I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness." Micah 7:7-9.
These and other like messages revealing the willingness of God to forgive and accept those who turned to Him with full purpose of heart, had brought hope to many a fainting soul in the dark years when the temple doors remained closed; and now, as the leaders began to institute a reform, a multitude of the people, weary of the thralldom of sin, were ready to respond.
Those who entered the temple courts to seek forgiveness and to renew their vows of allegiance to Jehovah, had wonderful encouragement offered them in the prophetic portions of Scripture. The solemn warnings against idolatry, spoken through Moses in the hearing of all Israel, had been accompanied by prophecies of God's willingness to hear and forgive those who in times of apostasy should seek Him with all the heart. "If thou turn to the Lord thy God," Moses had said, "and shalt be obedient unto His voice; (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He sware unto them." Deuteronomy 4:30, 31.
And in the prophetic prayer offered at the dedication of the temple whose services Hezekiah and his associates were now restoring, Solomon had prayed, "When Thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against Thee, and shall turn again to Thee, and confess Thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto Thee in this house: then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel." I Kings 8:33, 34. The seal of divine approval had been placed upon this prayer; for at its close fire had come down from heaven to consume the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord had filled the temple. See 2 Chronicles 7:1. And by night the Lord had appeared to Solomon to tell him that his prayer had been heard, and that mercy would be shown those who should worship there. The gracious assurance was given: "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Verse 14.
These promises met abundant fulfillment during the reformation under Hezekiah.
The good beginning made at the time of the purification of the temple was followed by a broader movement, in which Israel as well as Judah participated. In his zeal to make the temple services a real blessing to the people, Hezekiah determined to revive the ancient custom of gathering the Israelites together for the celebration of the Passover feast.
For many years the Passover had not been observed as a national festival. The division of the kingdom after the close of Solomon's reign had made this seem impracticable. But the terrible judgments befalling the ten tribes were awakening in the hearts of some a desire for better things; and the stirring messages of the prophets were having their effect. By royal couriers the invitation to the Passover at Jerusalem was heralded far and wide, "from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun." The bearers of the gracious invitation were usually repulsed. The impenitent turned lightly aside; nevertheless some, eager to seek God for a clearer knowledge of His will, "humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem." 2 Chronicles 30:10, 11.
In the land of Judah the response was very general; for upon them was "the hand of God," "to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes" --a command in accord with the will of God as revealed through His prophets. Verses 22, 21.
The occasion was one of the greatest profit to the multitudes assembled. The desecrated streets of the city were cleared of the idolatrous shrines placed there during the reign of Ahaz. On the appointed day the Passover was observed, and the week was spent by the people in offering peace offerings and in learning what God would have them do. Daily the Levites "taught the good knowledge of the Lord;" and those who had prepared their hearts to seek God, found pardon. A great gladness took possession of the worshiping multitude; "the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments;" all were united in their desire to praise Him who had proved so gracious and merciful. Verse 12.
The seven days usually allotted to the Passover feast passed all too quickly, and the worshipers determined to spend another seven days in learning more fully the way of the Lord. The teaching priests continued their work of instruction from the book of the law; daily the people assembled at the temple to offer their tribute of praise and thanksgiving; and as the great meeting drew to a close, it was evident that God had wrought marvelously in the conversion of backsliding Judah and in stemming the tide of idolatry which threatened to sweep all before it. The solemn warnings of the prophets had not been uttered in vain. "There was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem." Verse 26.
The time had come for the return of the worshipers to their homes. "The priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, even unto heaven." Verse 27. God had accepted those who with broken hearts had confessed their sins and with resolute purpose had turned to Him for forgiveness and help.
There now remained an important work in which those who were returning to their homes must take an active part, and the accomplishment of this work bore evidence to the genuineness of the reformation wrought. The record reads: "All Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities." 2 Chronicles 31:1.
Hezekiah and his associates instituted various reforms for the upbuilding of the spiritual and temporal interests of the kingdom. "Throughout all Judah" the king "wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began, . . . he did it with all his heart, and prospered." "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, . . . and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; and he prospered." Verses 20, 21; 2 Kings 18:5-7.
The reign of Hezekiah was characterized by a series of remarkable providences which revealed to the surrounding nations that the God of Israel was with His people. The success of the Assyrians in capturing Samaria and in scattering the shattered remnant of the ten tribes among the nations, during the earlier portion of his reign, was leading many to question the power of the God of the Hebrews. Emboldened by their successes, the Ninevites had long since set aside the message of Jonah and had become defiant in their opposition to the purposes of Heaven. A few years after the fall of Samaria the victorious armies reappeared in Palestine, this time directing their forces against the fenced cities of Judah, with some measure of success; but they withdrew for a season because of difficulties arising in other portions of their realm. Not until some years later, toward the close of Hezekiah's reign, was it to be demonstrated before the nations of the world whether the gods of the heathen were finally to prevail.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk29.html In the midst of his prosperous reign King Hezekiah was suddenly stricken with a fatal malady. "Sick unto death," his case was beyond the power of man to help. And the last vestige of hope seemed removed when the prophet Isaiah appeared before him with the message, "Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live." Isaiah 38:1.
The outlook seemed utterly dark; yet the king could still pray to the One who had hitherto been his "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1. And so "he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech Thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore." 2 Kings 20:2, 3.
Since the days of David there had reigned no king who had wrought so mightily for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God in a time of apostasy and discouragement as had Hezekiah. The dying ruler had served his God faithfully, and had strengthened the confidence of the people in Jehovah as their Supreme Ruler. And, like David, he could now plead:
"Let my prayer come before Thee: Incline Thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: And my life draweth nigh unto the grave." Psalm 88:2, 3. "Thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth. By Thee have I been holden up." "Forsake me not when my strength faileth." "O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help." "O God, forsake me not; Until I have showed Thy strength unto this generation, And Thy power to everyone that is to come." Psalm 71:5, 6, 9, 12, 18.
He whose "compassions fail not," heard the prayer of His servant. Lamentations 3:22. "It came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of My people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake." 2 Kings 20:4-6.
Gladly the prophet returned with the words of assurance and hope. Directing that a lump of figs be laid upon the diseased part, Isaiah delivered to the king the message of God's mercy and protecting care.
Like Moses in the land of Midian, like Gideon in the presence of the heavenly messenger, like Elisha just before the ascension of his master, Hezekiah pleaded for some sign that the message was from heaven. "What shall be the sign," he inquired of the prophet, "that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?"
"This sign shalt thou have of the Lord," the prophet answered, "that the Lord will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?" "It is a light thing," Hezekiah replied, "for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees."
Only by the direct interposition of God could the shadow on the sundial be made to turn back ten degrees; and this was to be the sign to Hezekiah that the Lord had heard his prayer. Accordingly, "the prophet cried unto the Lord: and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz." Verses 8-11.
Restored to his wonted strength, the king of Judah acknowledged in words of song the mercies of Jehovah, and vowed to spend his remaining days in willing service to the King of kings. His grateful recognition of God's compassionate dealing with him is an inspiration to all who desire to spend their years to the glory of their Maker.
"I said In the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. "I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
"Mine age is departed, And is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: "I have cut off like a weaver my life: He will cut me off with pining sickness:
"From day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me. I reckoned till morning, that, As a lion, so will He break all my bones:
"From day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me. Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: Mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
"What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, And Himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
"O Lord, by these things men live, And in all these things is the life of my spirit: So wilt Thou recover me, and make me to live.
"Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: But Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.
"For the grave cannot praise Thee, Death cannot celebrate Thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.
"The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, As I do this day: The father to the children shall make known Thy truth. "The Lord was ready to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of the Lord." Isaiah 38:10-20.
In the fertile valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates there dwelt an ancient race which, though at that time subject to Assyria, was destined to rule the world. Among its people were wise men who gave much attention to the study of astronomy; and when they noticed that the shadow on the sundial had been turned back ten degrees, they marveled greatly. Their king, Merodachbaladan, upon learning that this miracle had been wrought as a sign to the king of Judah that the God of heaven had granted him a new lease of life, sent ambassadors to Hezekiah to congratulate him on his recovery and to learn, if possible, more of the God who was able to perform so great a wonder.
The visit of these messengers from the ruler of a far-away land gave Hezekiah an opportunity to extol the living God. How easy it would have been for him to tell them of God, the upholder of all created things, through whose favor his own life had been spared when all other hope had fled! What momentous transformations might have taken place had these seekers after truth from the plains of Chaldea been led to acknowledge the supreme sovereignty of the living God!
But pride and vanity took possession of Hezekiah's heart, and in self-exaltation he laid open to covetous eyes the treasures with which God had enriched His people. The king "showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not." Isaiah 39:2. Not to glorify God did he do this, but to exalt himself in the eyes of the foreign princes. He did not stop to consider that these men were representatives of a powerful nation that had not the fear nor the love of God in their hearts, and that it was imprudent to make them his confidants concerning the temporal riches of the nation.
The visit of the ambassadors to Hezekiah was a test of his gratitude and devotion. The record says, "Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart." 2 Chronicles 32:31. Had Hezekiah improved the opportunity given him to bear witness to the power, the goodness, the compassion, of the God of Israel, the report of the ambassadors would have been as light piercing darkness. But he magnified himself above the Lord of hosts. He "rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up." Verse 25.
How disastrous the results which were to follow! To Isaiah it was revealed that the returning ambassadors were carrying with them a report of the riches they had seen, and that the king of Babylon and his counselors would plan to enrich their own country with the treasures of Jerusalem. Hezekiah had grievously sinned; "therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem." Verse 25.
"Then came Isaiah the prophet unto King Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.
"Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
"Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken." Isaiah 39:3-8.
Filled with remorse, "Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah." 2 Chronicles 32:26. But the evil seed had been sown and in time was to spring up and yield a harvest of desolation and woe. During his remaining years the king of Judah was to have much prosperity because of his steadfast purpose to redeem the past and to bring honor to the name of the God whom he served; yet his faith was to be severely tried, and he was to learn that only by putting his trust fully in Jehovah could he hope to triumph over the powers of darkness that were plotting his ruin and the utter destruction of his people.
The story of Hezekiah's failure to prove true to his trust at the time of the visit of the ambassadors is fraught with an important lesson for all. Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience, of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, of the matchless depths of the Saviour's love. When mind and heart are filled with the love of God, it will not be difficult to impart that which enters into the spiritual life. Great thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, unselfish purposes, yearnings for piety and holiness, will find expression in words that reveal the character of the heart treasure.
Those with whom we associate day by day need our help, our guidance. They may be in such a condition of mind that a word spoken in season will be as a nail in a sure place. Tomorrow some of these souls may be where we can never reach them again. What is our influence over these fellow travelers?
Every day of life is freighted with responsibilities which we must bear. Every day, our words and acts are making impressions upon those with whom we associate. How great the need that we set a watch upon our lips and guard carefully our steps! One reckless movement, one imprudent step, and the surging waves of some strong temptation may sweep a soul into the downward path. We cannot gather up the thoughts we have planted in human minds. If they have been evil, we may have set in motion a train of circumstances, a tide of evil, which we are powerless to stay.
On the other hand, if by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same beneficial influence over others. Thus hundreds and thousands are helped by our unconscious influence. The true follower of Christ strengthens the good purposes of all with whom he comes in contact. Before an unbelieving, sin-loving world he reveals the power of God's grace and the perfection of His character.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk30.html In a time of grave national peril, when the hosts of Assyria were invading the land of Judah and it seemed as if nothing could save Jerusalem from utter destruction, Hezekiah rallied the forces of his realm to resist with unfailing courage their heathen oppressors and to trust in the power of Jehovah to deliver. "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him," Hezekiah exhorted the men of Judah; "for there be more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles." 2 Chronicles 32:7, 8.
It was not without reason that Hezekiah could speak with certainty of the outcome. The boastful Assyrian, while used by God for a season as the rod of His anger for the punishment of the nations, was not always to prevail. See Isaiah 10:5. "Be not afraid of the Assyrian," had been the message of the Lord through Isaiah some years before to those that dwelt in Zion; "for yet a very little while, . . . and the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as His rod was upon the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing." Verses 24-27.
In another prophetic message, given "in the year that King Ahaz died," the prophet had declared: "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains tread him underfoot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?" Isaiah 14:28, 24-27.
The power of the oppressor was to be broken. Yet Hezekiah, in the earlier years of his reign, had continued to pay tribute to Assyria, in harmony with the agreement entered into by Ahaz. Meanwhile the king had taken "counsel with his princes and his mighty men," and had done everything possible for the defense of his kingdom. He had made sure of a bountiful supply of water within the walls of Jerusalem, while without the city there should be a scarcity. "Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance. And he set captains of war over the people." 2 Chronicles 32:3, 5, 6. Nothing had been left undone that could be done in preparation for a siege.
At the time of Hezekiah's accession to the throne of Judah, the Assyrians had already carried captive a large number of the children of Israel from the northern kingdom; and a few years after he had begun to reign, and while he was still strengthening the defenses of Jerusalem, the Assyrians besieged and captured Samaria and scattered the ten tribes among the many provinces of the Assyrian realm. The borders of Judah were only a few miles distant, with Jerusalem less than fifty miles away; and the rich spoils to be found within the temple would tempt the enemy to return.
But the king of Judah had determined to do his part in preparing to resist the enemy; and, having accomplished all that human ingenuity and energy could do, he had assembled his forces and had exhorted them to be of good courage. "Great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" had been the message of the prophet Isaiah to Judah; and the king with unwavering faith now declared, "With us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles." Isaiah 12:6; 2 Chronicles 32:8.
Nothing more quickly inspires faith than the exercise of faith. The king of Judah had prepared for the coming storm; and now, confident that the prophecy against the Assyrians would be fulfilled, he stayed his soul upon God. "And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah." 2 Chronicles 32:8. What though the armies of Assyria, fresh from the conquest of the greatest nations of earth, and triumphant over Samaria in Israel, should now turn their forces against Judah? What though they should boast, "As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?" Isaiah 10:10, 11. Judah had nothing to fear; for their trust was in Jehovah.
The long-expected crisis finally came. The forces of Assyria, advancing from triumph to triumph, appeared in Judea. Confident of victory, the leaders divided their forces into two armies, one of which was to meet the Egyptian army to the southward, while the other was to besiege Jerusalem.
Judah's only hope was now in God. All possible help from Egypt had been cut off, and no other nations were near to lend a friendly hand.
The Assyrian officers, sure of the strength of their disciplined forces, arranged for a conference with the chief men of Judah, during which they insolently demanded the surrender of the city. This demand was accompanied by blasphemous revilings against the God of the Hebrews. Because of the weakness and apostasy of Israel and Judah, the name of God was no longer feared among the nations, but had become a subject for continual reproach. See Isaiah 52:5.
"Speak ye now to Hezekiah," said Rabshakeh, one of Sennacherib's chief officers, "Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?" 2 Kings 18:19, 20.
The officers were conferring outside the gates of the city, but within the hearing of the sentries on the wall; and as the representatives of the Assyrian king loudly urged their proposals upon the chief men of Judah, they were requested to speak in the Syrian rather than the Jewish language, in order that those upon the wall might not have knowledge of the proceedings of the conference. Rabshakeh, scorning this suggestion, lifted his voice still higher, and, continuing to speak in the Jewish language, said:
"Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
"Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye everyone of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree, and drink ye everyone the waters of his own cistern; until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
"Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?" Isaiah 36:13-20.
To these taunts the children of Judah "answered him not a word." The conference was at an end. The Jewish representatives returned to Hezekiah "with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh." Verses 21, 22. The king, upon learning of the blasphemous challenge, "rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord." 2 Kings 19:1.
A messenger was dispatched to Isaiah to inform him of the outcome of the conference. "This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy," was the word the king sent. "It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left." Verses 3, 4.
"For this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to Heaven." 2 Chronicles 32:20.
God answered the prayers of His servants. To Isaiah was given the message for Hezekiah: "Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." 2 Kings 19:6, 7.
The Assyrian representatives, after taking leave of the chief men of Judah, communicated direct with their king, who was with the division of his army guarding the approach from Egypt. Upon hearing the report, Sennacherib wrote "letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of mine hand." 2 Chronicles 32:17.
The boastful threat was accompanied by the message: "Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?" 2 Kings 19:10-13.
When the king of Judah received the taunting letter, he took it into the temple and "spread it before the Lord" and prayed with strong faith for help from heaven, that the nations of earth might know that the God of the Hebrews still lived and reigned. Verse 14. The honor of Jehovah was at stake; He alone could bring deliverance.
"O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims," Hezekiah pleaded, "Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; Thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down Thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, Thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech Thee, save Thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the Lord God, even Thou only." 2 Kings 19:15-19.
"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up Thy strength, And come and save us. Turn us again, O God, And cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. "O Lord God of hosts, How long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of Thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; And givest them tears to drink in great measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors: And our enemies laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts, And cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
"Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, And didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, And the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, And her branches unto the river.
"Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges, So that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, And the wild beast of the field doth devour it. Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts: Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; And the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted, And the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself. . . . "Quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, Cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." Psalm 80.
Hezekiah's pleadings in behalf of Judah and of the honor of their Supreme Ruler were in harmony with the mind of God. Solomon, in his benediction at the dedication of the temple, had prayed the Lord to maintain "the cause of His people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else." 1 Kings 8:59, 60. Especially was the Lord to show favor when, in times of war or of oppression by an army, the chief men of Israel should enter the house of prayer and plead for deliverance. Verses 33, 34.
Hezekiah was not left without hope. Isaiah sent to him, saying, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him:
"The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
"Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.
"Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
"But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against Me. Because thy rage against Me and thy tumult is come up into Mine ears, therefore I will put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest." 2 Kings 19:20-28.
The land of Judah had been laid waste by the army of occupation, but God had promised to provide miraculously for the needs of the people. To Hezekiah came the message: "This shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of Mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city, to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake." Verses 29-34.
That very night deliverance came. "The angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand." Verse 35. "All the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria," were slain. 2 Chronicles 32:21.
Tidings of this terrible judgment upon the army that had been sent to take Jerusalem, soon reached Sennacherib, who was still guarding the approach to Judea from Egypt. Stricken with fear, the Assyrian king hasted to depart and "returned with shame of face to his own land." Verse 21. But he had not long to reign. In harmony with the prophecy that had been uttered concerning his sudden end, he was assassinated by those of his own home, "and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead." Isaiah 37:38.
The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyrian. The honor of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the surrounding nations. In Jerusalem the hearts of the people were filled with holy joy. Their earnest entreaties for deliverance had been mingled with confession of sin and with many tears. In their great need they had trusted wholly in the power of God to save, and He had not failed them. Now the temple courts resounded with songs of solemn praise.
"In Judah is God known: His name is great in Israel. In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion. There brake He the arrows of the bow, The shield, and the sword, and the battle. "Thou art more glorious and excellent Than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: And none of the men of might have found their hands. At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
"Thou, even Thou, art to be feared: And who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry? Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared, and was still, When God arose to judgment, To save all the meek of the earth.
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: The remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain. Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: Let all that be round about Him bring presents unto Him that ought to be feared. He shall cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth." Psalm 76.
The rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire is rich in lessons for the nations of earth today. Inspiration has likened the glory of Assyria at the height of her prosperity to a noble tree in the garden of God, towering above the surrounding trees.
"The Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. . . . Under his shadow dwelt all great nations. Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. . . . All the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him." Ezekiel 31:3-9.
But the rulers of Assyria, instead of using their unusual blessings for the benefit of mankind, became the scourge of many lands. Merciless, with no thought of God or their fellow men, they pursued the fixed policy of causing all nations to acknowledge the supremacy of the gods of Nineveh, whom they exalted above the Most High. God had sent Jonah to them with a message of warning, and for a season they humbled themselves before the Lord of hosts and sought forgiveness. But soon they turned again to idol worship and to the conquest of the world.
The prophet Nahum, in his arraignment of the evildoers in Nineveh, exclaimed:
"Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery; The prey departeth not; "The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, And of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: And there is a multitude of slain. . . .
"Behold, I am against thee, Saith the Lord of hosts." Nahum 3:1-5.
With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps account with the nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account remains open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath begins. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. Mercy no longer pleads in their behalf.
"The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him." Nahum 1:3-6.
It was thus that Nineveh, "the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me," became a desolation, "empty, and void, and waste," "the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid." Zephaniah 2:15; Nahum 2:10, 11.
Looking forward to the time when the pride of Assyria should be brought low, Zephaniah prophesied of Nineveh: "Flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for He shall uncover the cedar work." Zephaniah 2:14.
Great was the glory of the Assyrian realm; great was its downfall. The prophet Ezekiel, carrying farther the figure of a noble cedar tree, plainly foretold the fall of Assyria because of its pride and cruelty. He declared:
"Thus saith the Lord God; . . . He hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness. And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches: to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height. . . .
"Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: . . . and all the trees of the field fainted for him. I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall." Ezekiel 31:10-16.
The pride of Assyria and its fall are to serve as an object lesson to the end of time. Of the nations of earth today who in arrogance and pride array themselves against Him, God inquires, "To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth." Verse 18.
"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. But with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end" of all who endeavor to exalt themselves above the Most High. Nahum 1:7, 8.
"The pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away." Zechariah 10:11. This is true not only of the nations that arrayed themselves against God in ancient times, but also of nations today who fail of fulfilling the divine purpose. In the day of final awards, when the righteous Judge of all the earth shall "sift the nations" (Isaiah 30:28), and those that have kept the truth shall be permitted to enter the City of God, heaven's arches will ring with the triumphant songs of the redeemed. "Ye shall have a song," the prophet declares, "as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel. And the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard. . . . Through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps." Verses 29-32.
Thank-you, Ashera. A new page has dawned. I might continue my EGW and KJV stuff, or I might not, but context is always determinative, and I have incessantly and irreverently utilized contextual superimposition as a mental and spiritual exercise in modernity. What Would Monseigneur Bowe Say?? He's probably turning over in his grave!! I spent way too much time listening to Sherry Shriner with attempted neutrality. She supposedly died in January of 2018 but she might simply be incognito. She had a nasty Anti-Paul bias which I attempted to understand. Later, I listened to Jeffrey Daugherty and he had a similar Anti-Paul bias. Both Sherry and Jeffery seemed to know way too much concerning the unknown and unknowable. I just stumble around the internet with my mental, physical, and spiritual difficulties. Don't Make Fun of the Handicapped!! What if there is a point to atheistic biblical studies?? That seems counterintuitive but what if they are partially correct?? What if a new fundamentalism emerges with a couple of key books and interpretations?? But What if NO-ONE Will EVER be Happy and Satisfied?? Should I Simply Shut Up and Read The Seattle Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal Interspersed with Exercise in Nature?? My threads frankly embarrass me, despite my considering them to mostly be religious and political science-fiction!! Must I Explain??
There is so much information and questions regarding this interview to be continued in follow-up posts.
JUAN Q SAVIN: INTERVIEW with Kerry Cassidy
Kerry (she's on a bit of a rant yet a good rant asking questions that many have on their minds. However, her rant about god omits "free will" and lessons to be learned when confronted with evil. Which path does one choose? What lessons are learned? How does one confront and fight evil? Does one choose to be a sovereign being in the midst of adversity or surrender by joining the dark side?):
...O the military are secreting away the perpetrators... how does that serve the people? All because they are afraid of rioting? So the farce continues? Putting these dark players In prisons on the Moon? This is not going to convince people. Why are they so afraid of the PEOPLE?
HOW MUCH LONGER are they going to let this farce with Covid19 continue and more nonsensical laws forcing people to stay in their homes? Who does this serve?
When you have the evidence to expose all the lies once and for all why do you prolong the farce?
So Gene Decode and Juan O Savin come forward and tell the truth but they have no one STANDING BESIDE THEM OUT IN THE PUBLIC... no REAL PROOF ...FILMS AND PRESS CONFERENCES.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Don't tell people to do their homework, take a deep breath, eat their popcorn...this is denigrating nonsense... We have ALL DONE OUR HOMEWORK... we are ALL OVER THE SOCIAL MEDIA TALKING ABOUT THIS SUPPORTING YOU ANDTHE TRUTH... What are you doing to support US? More talk?
You say trust God? Which God? The one that sat back and let these CABALS REIGN AGAINST HUMANS FOR EONS? THE GODS OF THE BIBLE ARE THE ANUNNAKI... THE CREATOR ...does not work like that.... AMERICA will go down on your "Gods" watch... JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DYING EVERYDAY... BEING MURDERED BY DESPOTS AND DICTATORS ALL AROUND THE WORLD... your God has been watching and letting this happen... Meanwhile time goes by.... We need to save ourselves and each other.... RELEASE THE TRUTH TO THE MASSES... Stop the Paternalistic ways of dealing with the people...stop fighting A SECRET WAR.... and tell us to go eat popcorn... YOU FEAR OUR STRENGTH... BOTH SIDES FEAR THE PEOPLE.... stop with the comforting messages stop placating the people into further slumber...The real enemy is SECRECY.
(OP note: The sad sorry truth is how the Satanic cable has control of the planet world-wide and what is going on in the DUMBs is so horrific that an average individual would block it out of their mind. A normal individual could not, would not want to accept a reality of pervasive evil living underneath their feet. This reality includes how kidnapped children are tortured and used for the manufacturing of Adrenochrom. Putting this information out in little bits at a time is far easier for the public to come to terms with.)
IF the good guys come in and use THE SAME TACTICS as the dark side what is the purpose? DON'T HIDE THE BATTLE BRING IT OUT IN THE OPEN.
You want to hold trials in secret? Condemn people in secret? Convict them in secret?
(OP Note: The people Kerry is referring to are subjected to military tribunals. Those who rape and murder children are executed. Others may get life in prison. The worst who get life are in prisons off-planet.)
You want to RESCUE PEOPLE and keep it secret? Who are you really keeping secrets from? Not the dark side..THEY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING WHICH IS WHY THEY ARE RUNNING FOR COVER... escalating their game. They know WHO YOU ARE..they have all the surveillance bells and whistles to know what you are doing.. the only ones who don't really know ARE THE PEOPLE. WE ARE KEPT IN THE DARK NOT ONLY UNDERGROUND BUT ABOVE GROUND AS WELL... all this needs to be EXPOSED.
(OP Note: Actually much of this is being done in secret spear-headed by the Guardian Space Alliance who are compassionate. They are aware that the planet needed their help to rid earth of this evil.)
If Trump calls a PRESS CONFERENCE OF REAL JOURNALISTS TONS OF US WOULD FLY TO FLORIDA TO GET THE STORY...why doesn't he use the alternative journalists to document the story? What is stopping him? We all have cameras... we all have the talent AND THE AUDIENCES to show them what's really going on... so LET US IN... why are you fencing out the PEOPLE FROM SEEING THE TRUTH? YOU use SECRET CODES just like the dark side... if both sides communicate via secret codes the person on the street is deceived by BOTH SIDES. Stop the facade...TAKE OFF THE MASKS...
Gene Decode Reveals the Ascension is Upon Us as the Planets of 4 and 5D are Already Visible
I'm feeling more and more miserable. It's almost unbearable, at this point. I believe that it's more than "all in my head" or the result of "making bad-choices". Honesty was probably my first and worst mistake. Was (and is) that my "Original and Ongoing Sin" Going Way, Way, Way Back?? "The Truth" is SO Overrated. Regardless of whether this book is "The Truth" or not, it's an amazing Old-Testament Centered Whole-Bible Approach. I fully realize that I am completely "Out of Touch" with the "Way Things Are" but perhaps that isn't such a bad-thing after-all. I keep thinking about how different the following "Whole-Bible" Approaches are:
1. Genesis to Revelation (KJV).
2. Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, Desire of Ages, Christ's Object Lessons, Acts of the Apostles (EGW).
3. The SDA Bible Commentary.
I tend to think that a New-Paradigm is emerging, which might initially appear to be a Kinder and Gentler New World Order -- yet will ultimately morph into a Harsh and Unyielding Orthodoxy which would make the Dark-Ages Powers That Be Blush and/or Turn Over in Their Graves. My background is SDA, but I can't even talk to SDA's about what I post on this website. We live in completely-different universes. I just thought I should attempt to place some of this historical-stuff in a science-fictional and alternative-research context. This project is obviously a complete failure, but hopefully I'm obtaining some "brownie-points" somewhere in this seemingly harsh, violent, and illogical universe. But honestly, I have very-little hope for a useable-future. A Significant Individual of Interest told me to "Be Patient". He said that the "Powers That Be" will fail, which will result in an extermination. He said that we needed to "Start Over". I've encountered this same basic theme over and over. I obviously seek some sort of an idealistic reorganization, but I'm not a proponent of "fire and brimstone" or "murder and mayhem" or "apocalyptic-salvation". Can't We All Just Get Along?? Hope Springs Eternal.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk31.html Throughout his ministry Isaiah bore a plain testimony concerning God's purpose for the heathen. Other prophets had made mention of the divine plan, but their language was not always understood. To Isaiah it was given to make very plain to Judah the truth that among the Israel of God were to be numbered many who were not descendants of Abraham after the flesh. This teaching was not in harmony with the theology of his age, yet he fearlessly proclaimed the messages given him of God and brought hope to many a longing heart reaching out after the spiritual blessings promised to the seed of Abraham.
The apostle to the Gentiles, in his letter to the believers in Rome, calls attention to this characteristic of Isaiah's teaching. "Isaiah is very bold," Paul declares, "and saith, I was found of them that sought Me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me." Romans 10:20.
Often the Israelites seemed unable or unwilling to understand God's purpose for the heathen. Yet it was this very purpose that had made them a separate people and had established them as an independent nation among the nations of the earth. Abraham, their father, to whom the covenant promise was first given, had been called to go forth from his kindred, to the regions beyond, that he might be a light bearer to the heathen. Although the promise to him included a posterity as numerous as the sand by the sea, yet it was for no selfish purpose that he was to become the founder of a great nation in the land of Canaan. God's covenant with him embraced all the nations of earth. "I will bless thee," Jehovah declared, "and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 12:2, 3.
In the renewal of the covenant shortly before the birth of Isaac, God's purpose for mankind was gain made plain. "All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him," was the assurance of the Lord concerning the child of promise. Genesis 18:18. And later the heavenly visitant once more declared, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Genesis 22:18.
The all-embracing terms of this covenant were familiar to Abraham's children and to his children's children. It was in order that the Israelites might be a blessing to the nations, and that God's name might be made known "throughout all the earth" (Exodus 9:16), that they were delivered from Egyptian bondage. If obedient to His requirements, they were to be placed far in advance of other peoples in wisdom and understanding; but this supremacy was to be reached and maintained only in order that through them the purpose of God for "all nations of the earth" might be fulfilled.
The marvelous providences connected with Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage and with their occupancy of the Promised Land led many of the heathen to recognize the God of Israel as the Supreme Ruler. "The Egyptians shall know," had been the promise, "that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth Mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." Exodus 7:5. Even proud Pharaoh was constrained to acknowledge Jehovah's power. "Go, serve the Lord," he urged Moses and Aaron, "and bless me also." Exodus 12:31, 32.
The advancing hosts of Israel found that knowledge of the mighty workings of the God of the Hebrews had gone before them, and that some among the heathen were learning that He alone was the true God. In wicked Jericho the testimony of a heathen woman was, "The Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." Joshua 2:11. The knowledge of Jehovah that had thus come to her, proved her salvation. By faith "Rahab perished not with them that believed not." Hebrews 11:31. And her conversion was not an isolated case of God's mercy toward idolaters who acknowledged His divine authority. In the midst of the land a numerous people--the Gibeonites --renounced their heathenism and united with Israel, sharing in the blessings of the covenant.
No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan's influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free.
In the years that followed the occupation of the Promised Land, the beneficent designs of Jehovah for the salvation of the heathen were almost wholly lost sight of, and it became necessary for Him to set forth His plan anew. "All the ends of the world," the psalmist was inspired to sing, "shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee." "Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God." "The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory." "This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem; when the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord." Psalms 22:27; 68:31; 102:15, 18-22.
Had Israel been true to her trust, all the nations of earth would have shared in her blessings. But the hearts of those to whom had been entrusted a knowledge of saving truth, were untouched by the needs of those around them. As God's purpose was lost sight of, the heathen came to be looked upon as beyond the pale of His mercy. The light of truth was withheld, and darkness prevailed. The nations were overspread with a veil of ignorance; the love of God was little known; error and superstition flourished.
Such was the prospect that greeted Isaiah when he was called to the prophetic mission; yet he was not discouraged, for ringing in his ears was the triumphal chorus of the angels surrounding the throne of God, "The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:3. And his faith was strengthened by visions of glorious conquests by the church of God, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:9. "The face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations," was finally to be destroyed. Isaiah 25:7. The Spirit of God was to be poured out upon all flesh. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness were to be numbered among the Israel of God. "They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses," said the prophet. "One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel." Isaiah 44:4, 5.
To the prophet was given a revelation of the beneficent design of God in scattering impenitent Judah among the nations of earth. "My people shall know My name," the Lord declared; "they shall know in that day that I am He that doth speak." Isaiah 52:6. And not only were they themselves to learn the lesson of obedience and trust; in their places of exile they were also to impart to others a knowledge of the living God. Many from among the sons of the strangers were to learn to love Him as their Creator and their Redeemer; they were to begin the observance of His holy Sabbath day as a memorial of His creative power; and when He should make "bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations," to deliver His people from captivity, "all the ends of the earth" should see of the salvation of God. Verse 10. Many of these converts from heathenism would wish to unite themselves fully with the Israelites and accompany them on the return journey to Judea. None of these were to say, "The Lord hath utterly separated me from His people" (Isaiah 56:3), for the word of God through His prophet to those who should yield themselves to Him and observe His law was that they should thenceforth be numbered among spiritual Israel--His church on earth.
"The sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to Him, beside those that are gathered unto Him." Verses 6-8.
The prophet was permitted to look down the centuries to the time of the advent of the promised Messiah. At first he beheld only "trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish." Isaiah 8:22. Many who were longing for the light of truth were being led astray by false teachers into the bewildering mazes of philosophy and spiritism; others were placing their trust in a form of godliness, but were not bringing true holiness into the life practice. The outlook seemed hopeless; but soon the scene changed, and before the eyes of the prophet was spread a wondrous vision. He saw the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and, lost in admiration, he exclaimed: "The dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first He lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Isaiah 9:1,2.
This glorious Light of the world was to bring salvation to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Of the work before Him, the prophet heard the eternal Father declare: "It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth." "In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee: and I will preserve Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that Thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves." "Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim." Isaiah 49:6, 8,9,12.
Looking on still farther through the ages, the prophet beheld the literal fulfillment of these glorious promises. He saw the bearers of the glad tidings of salvation going to the ends of the earth, to every kindred and people. He heard the Lord saying of the gospel church, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream;" and he heard the commission, "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles." Isaiah 66:12; 54:2, 3.
Jehovah declared to the prophet that He would send His witnesses "unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, . . . to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off." Isaiah 66:19.
"How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, That publisheth peace; That bringeth good tidings of good, That publisheth salvation; That saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" Isaiah 52:7.
The prophet heard the voice of God calling His church to her appointed work, that the way might be prepared for the ushering in of His everlasting kingdom. The message was unmistakably plain:
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And gross darkness the people: But the Lord shall arise upon thee, And His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising.
"Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: All they gather themselves together, they come to thee: Thy sons shall come from far, And thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side."
"And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, And their kings shall minister unto thee: For in My wrath I smote thee, But in My favor have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day nor night; That men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, And that their kings may be brought."
"Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else." Isaiah 60:1-4, 10, 11;45:22.
These prophecies of a great spiritual awakening in a time of gross darkness are today meeting fulfillment in the advancing lines of mission stations that are reaching out into the benighted regions of earth. The groups of missionaries in heathen lands have been likened by the prophet to ensigns set up for the guidance of those who are looking for the light of truth.
"In that day," says Isaiah, "there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people. . . . And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Isaiah 11:10-12.
The day of deliverance is at hand. "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9. Among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, He sees men and women who are praying for light and knowledge. Their souls are unsatisfied; long have they fed on ashes. See Isaiah 44:20. The enemy of all righteousness has turned them aside, and they grope as blind men. But they are honest in heart and desire to learn a better way. Although in the depths of heathenism, with no knowledge of the written law of God nor of His Son Jesus, they have revealed in manifold ways the working of a divine power on mind and character.
At times those who have no knowledge of God aside from that which they have received under the operations of divine grace have been kind to His servants, protecting them at the risk of their own lives. The Holy Spirit is implanting the grace of Christ in the heart of many a noble seeker after truth, quickening his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his former education. The "Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9), is shining in his soul; and this Light, if heeded, will guide his feet to the kingdom of God. The prophet Micah said: "When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. . . . He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness." Micah 7:8, 9.
Heaven's plan of salvation is broad enough to embrace the whole world. God longs to breathe into prostrate humanity the breath of life. And He will not permit any soul to be disappointed who is sincere in his longing for something higher and nobler than anything the world can offer. Constantly He is sending His angels to those who, while surrounded by circumstances the most discouraging, pray in faith for some power higher than themselves to take possession of them and bring deliverance and peace. In various ways God will reveal Himself to them and will place them in touch with providences that will establish their confidence in the One who has given Himself a ransom for all, "that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." Psalm 78:7.
"Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?" "Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered." Isaiah 49:24, 25. "They shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods." Isaiah 42:17.
"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God!" Psalm 146:5. "Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope!" Zechariah 9:12. Unto all the honest in heart in heathen lands--"the upright" in the sight of Heaven--"there ariseth light in the darkness." Psalm 112:4. God hath spoken: "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk32.html The kingdom of Judah, prosperous throughout the times of Hezekiah, was once more brought low during the long years of Manasseh's wicked reign, when paganism was revived, and many of the people were led into idolatry. "Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen." 2 Chronicles 33:9. The glorious light of former generations was followed by the darkness of superstition and error. Gross evils sprang up and flourished--tyranny, oppression, hatred of all that is good. Justice was perverted; violence prevailed.
Yet those evil times were not without witnesses for God and the right. The trying experiences through which Judah had safely passed during Hezekiah's reign had developed, in the hearts of many, a sturdiness of character that now served as a bulwark against the prevailing iniquity. Their testimony in behalf of truth and righteousness aroused the anger of Manasseh and his associates in authority, who endeavored to establish themselves in evil-doing by silencing every voice of disapproval. "Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another." 2 Kings 21:16.
One of the first to fall was Isaiah, who for over half a century had stood Judah as the appointed messenger of Jehovah. "Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews 11:36-38.
Some of those who suffered persecution during Manasseh's reign were commissioned to bear special messages of reproof and of judgment. The king of Judah, the prophets declared, "hath done wickedly above all . . . which were before him." Because of this wickedness, his kingdom was nearing a crisis; soon the inhabitants of the land were to be carried captive to Babylon, there to become "a prey and a spoil to all their enemies." 2 Kings 21:11,14. But the Lord would not utterly forsake those who in a strange land should acknowledge Him as their Ruler; they might suffer great tribulation, yet He would bring deliverance to them in His appointed time and way. Those who should put their trust wholly in Him would find a sure refuge.
Faithfully the prophets continued their warnings and their exhortations; fearlessly they spoke to Manasseh and to his people; but the messages were scorned; backsliding Judah would not heed. As an earnest of what would befall the people should they continue impenitent, the Lord permitted their king to be captured by a band of Assyrian soldiers, who "bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon," their temporary capital. This affliction brought the king to his senses; "he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him: and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord He was God." 2 Chronicles 33:11-13. But this repentance, remarkable though it was, came too late to save the kingdom from the corrupting influence of years of idolatrous practices. Many had stumbled and fallen, never again to rise.
Among those whose life experience had been shaped beyond recall by the fatal apostasy of Manasseh, was his own son, who came to the throne at the age of twenty-two. Of King Amon it is written: "He walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshiped them: and he forsook the Lord God of his fathers" (2 Kings 21:21, 22); he "humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more." The wicked king was not permitted to reign long. In the midst of his daring impiety, only two years from the time he ascended the throne, he was slain in the palace by his own servants; and "the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead." 2 Chronicles 33:23, 25.
With the accession of Josiah to the throne, where he was to rule for thirty-one years, those who had maintained the purity of their faith began to hope that the downward course of the kingdom was checked; for the new king, though only eight years old, feared God, and from the very beginning "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left." 2 Kings 22:2. Born of a wicked king, beset with temptations to follow in his father's steps, and with few counselors to encourage him in the right way, Josiah nevertheless was true to the God of Israel. Warned by the errors of past generations, he chose to do right, instead of descending to the low level of sin and degradation to which his father and his grandfather had fallen. He "turned not aside to the right hand or to the left." As one who was to occupy a position of trust, he resolved to obey the instruction that had been given for the guidance of Israel's rulers, and his obedience made it possible for God to use him as a vessel unto honor.
At the time Josiah began to rule, and for many years before, the truehearted in Judah were questioning whether God's promises to ancient Israel could ever be fulfilled. From a human point of view the divine purpose for the chosen nation seemed almost impossible of accomplishment. The apostasy of former centuries had gathered strength with the passing years; ten of the tribes had been scattered among the heathen; only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained, and even these now seemed on the verge of moral and national ruin. The prophets had begun to foretell the utter destruction of their fair city, where stood the temple built by Solomon, and where all their earthly hopes of national greatness had centered. Could it be that God was about to turn aside from His avowed purpose of bringing deliverance to those who should put their trust in Him? In the face of the long-continued persecution of the righteous, and of the apparent prosperity of the wicked, could those who had remained true to God hope for better days?
These anxious questionings were voiced by the prophet Habakkuk. Viewing the situation of the faithful in his day, he expressed the burden of his heart in the inquiry: "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save! Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth." Habakkuk 1:2-4.
God answered the cry of His loyal children. Through His chosen mouthpiece He revealed His determination to bring chastisement upon the nation that had turned from Him to serve the gods of the heathen. Within the lifetime of some who were even then making inquiry regarding the future, He would miraculously shape the affairs of the ruling nations of earth and bring the Babylonians into the ascendancy. These Chaldeans, "terrible and dreadful," were to fall suddenly upon the land of Judah as a divinely appointed scourge. Verse 7. The princes of Judah and the fairest of the people were to be carried captive to Babylon; the Judean cities and villages and the cultivated fields were to be laid waste; nothing was to be spared.
Confident that even in this terrible judgment the purpose of God for His people would in some way be fulfilled, Habakkuk bowed in submission to the revealed will of Jehovah. "Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One?" he exclaimed. And then, his faith reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future, and laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God's love for His trusting children, the prophet added, "We shall not die." Verse 12. With this declaration of faith he rested his case, and that of every believing Israelite, in the hands of a compassionate God.
This was not Habakkuk's only experience in the exercise of strong faith. On one occasion, when meditating concerning the future, he said, "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me." Graciously the Lord answered him: "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." Habakkuk 2:1-4.
The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God's people today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. "The just shall live by his faith." In the service of God there need be no despondency, no wavering, no fear. The Lord will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. He will give them the wisdom their varied necessities demand.
Of the abundant provision made for every tempted soul, the apostle Paul bears eloquent testimony. To him was given the divine assurance, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." In gratitude and confidence the tried servant of God responded: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, them am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.
We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles have testified--the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its final fulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords. The time of waiting may seem long, the soul may be oppressed by discouraging circumstances, many in whom confidence has been placed may fall by the way; but with the prophet who endeavored to encourage Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, "The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him." Habakkuk 2:20. Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message, "The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. . . . The just shall live by his faith." Verses 3, 4.
"O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make known; In wrath remember mercy. "God came from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light; He had bright beams out of His side: And there was the hiding of His power. Before Him went the pestilence, And burning coals went forth at His feet. He stood, and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills did bow: His ways are everlasting."
"Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, Even for salvation with Thine anointed."
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength." Habakkuk 3:2-6, 13, 17-19, margin.
Habakkuk was not the only one through whom was given a message of bright hope and of future triumph as well as of present judgment. During the reign of Josiah the word of the Lord came to Zephaniah, specifying plainly the results of continued apostasy, and calling the attention of the true church to the glorious prospect beyond. His prophecies of impending judgment upon Judah apply with equal force to the judgments that are to fall upon an impenitent world at the time of the second advent of Christ:
"The great day of the Lord is near, It is near, and hasteth greatly, Even the voice of the day of the Lord: The mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
"That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of wasteness and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess,
"A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm Against the fenced cities, And against the high towers." Zephaniah 1:14-16.
"I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust. . . . Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath: but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." Verses 17, 18.
"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, Before the day pass as the chaff, Before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, Before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, Which have wrought His judgment; Seek righteousness, Seek meekness: It may be ye shall be hid In the day of the Lord's anger." Zephaniah 2:1-3.
"Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth. At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring again your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord." Zephaniah 3:19, 20, R.V.
"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy: The King of Israel, even the Lord, Is in the midst of thee: Thou shalt not see evil any more. "In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: And to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee Is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." Verses 14-17.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk33.html The silent yet powerful influences set in operation by the messages of the prophets regarding the Babylonian Captivity did much to prepare the way for a reformation that took place in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign. This reform movement, by which threatened judgments were averted for a season, was brought about in a wholly unexpected manner through the discovery and study of a portion of Holy Scripture that for many years had been strangely misplaced and lost.
Nearly a century before, during the first Passover celebrated by Hezekiah, provision had been made for the daily public reading of the book of the law to the people by teaching priests. It was the observance of the statutes recorded by Moses, especially those given in the book of the covenant, which forms a part of Deuteronomy, that had made the reign of Hezekiah so prosperous. But Manasseh had dared set aside these statutes; and during his reign the temple copy of the book of the law, through careless neglect, had become lost. Thus for many years the people generally were deprived of its instruction. The long-lost manuscript was found in the temple by Hilkiah, the high priest, while the building was undergoing extensive repairs in harmony with King Josiah's plan for the preservation of the sacred structure. The high priest handed the precious volume to Shaphan, a learned scribe, who read it and then took it to the king with the story of its discovery.
Josiah was deeply stirred as he heard read for the first time the exhortations and warnings recorded in this ancient manuscript. Never before had he realized so fully the plainness with which God had set before Israel "life and death, blessing and cursing" (Deuteronomy 30:19): and how repeatedly they had been urged to choose the way of life, that they might become a praise in the earth, a blessing to all nations. "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid," Israel had been exhorted through Moses; "for the Lord thy God. He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, not forsake thee." Deuteronomy 31:6.
The book abounded in assurances of God's willingness to save to the uttermost those who should place their trust fully in Him. As He had wrought in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, so would He work mightily in establishing them in the Land of Promise and in placing them at the head of the nations of earth.
The encouragements offered as the reward of obedience were accompanied by prophecies of judgments against the disobedient; and as the king heard the inspired words, he recognized, in the picture set before him, conditions that were similar to those actually existing in his kingdom. In connection with these prophetic portrayals of departure from God, he was startled to find plain statements to the effect that the day of calamity would follow swiftly and that there would be no remedy. The language was plain; there could be no mistaking the meaning of the words. And at the close of the volume, in a summary of God's dealings with Israel and a rehearsal of the events of the future, these matters were made doubly plain. In the hearing of all Israel, Moses had declared:
"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distill as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: For all His ways are judgment: A God of truth and without iniquity, Just and right is He." Deuteronomy 32:1-4. "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations: Ask thy father, and he will show thee; Thy elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people According to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.
He found him in a desert land, And in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye." Verses 7-10. But Israel "forsook God which made him, And lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, With abominations provoked they Him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; To gods whom they knew not, To new gods that came newly up, Whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, And hast forgotten God that formed thee.
"And when the Lord saw it, He abhorred them, Because of the provoking of His sons, and of His daughters. And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be: For they are a very froward generation, Children in whom is no faith. They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their vanities: And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation."
"I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend Mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, And with bitter destruction."
"For they are a nation void of counsel, Neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!
How should one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Except their rock had sold them, And the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges." "Is not this laid up in store with Me, And sealed up among My treasures? To Me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; Their foot shall slide in due time: For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things that shall come upon them make haste." Verses 15:21, 23, 24, 28-31, 34, 35.
These and similar passages revealed to Josiah God's love for His people and His abhorrence of sin. As the king read the prophecies of swift judgment upon those who should persist in rebellion, he trembled for the future. The perversity of Judah had been great; what was to be the outcome of their continued apostasy?
In former years the king had not been indifferent to the prevailing idolatry. "In the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young," he had consecrated himself fully to the service of God. Four years later, at the age of twenty, he had made an earnest effort to remove temptation from his subjects by purging "Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images." "They brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem." 2 Chronicles 34:3-5.
Not content with doing thorough work in the land of Judah, the youthful ruler had extended his efforts to the portions of Palestine formerly occupied by the ten tribes of Israel, only a feeble remnant of which now remained. "So did he," the record reads, "in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali." Not until he had traversed the length and breadth of this region of ruined homes, and "had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel," did he return to Jerusalem. Verses 6,7.
Thus Josiah, from his earliest manhood, had endeavored to take advantage of his position as king to exalt to principles of God's holy law. And now, while Shaphan the scribe was reading to him out of the book of the law, the king discerned in this volume a treasure of knowledge, a powerful ally, in the work of reform he so much desired to see wrought in the land. He resolved to walk in the light of its counsels, and also to do all in his power to acquaint his people with its teachings and to lead them, if possible, to cultivate reverence and love for the law of heaven.
But was it possible to bring about the needed reform? Israel had almost reached the limit of divine forbearance; soon God would arise to punish those who had brought dishonor upon His name. Already the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people. Overwhelmed with sorrow and dismay, Josiah rent his garments and bowed before God in agony of spirit, seeking pardon for the sins of an impenitent nation.
At that time the prophetess Huldah was living in Jerusalem, near the temple. The mind of the king, filled with anxious foreboding, reverted to her, and he determined to inquire of the Lord through this chosen messenger to learn, if possible, whether by any means within his power he might save erring Judah, now on the verge of ruin.
The gravity of the situation and the respect in which he held the prophetess led him to choose as his messengers to her the first men of the kingdom. "Go ye," he bade them, "inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us." 2 Kings 22:13.
Through Huldah the Lord sent Josiah word that Jerusalem's ruin could not be averted. Even should the people now humble themselves before God, they could not escape their punishment. So long had their senses been deadened by wrongdoing that, if judgment should not come upon them, they would soon return to the same sinful course. "Tell the man that sent you to me," the prophetess declared, "Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched." Verses 15-17.
But because the king had humbled his heart before God, the Lord would acknowledge his promptness in seeking forgiveness and mercy. To him was sent the message: "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place." Verses 19, 20.
The king must leave with God the events of the future; he could not alter the eternal decrees of Jehovah. But in announcing the retributive judgments of Heaven, the Lord had not withdrawn opportunity for repentance and reformation; and Josiah, discerning in this a willingness on the part of God to temper His judgments with mercy, determined to do all in his power to bring about decided reforms. He arranged at once for a great convocation, to which were invited the elders and magistrates in Jerusalem and Judah, together with the common people. These, with the priests and Levites, met the king in the court of the temple.
To this vast assembly the king himself read "all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord." 2 Kings 23:2. The royal reader was deeply affected, and he delivered his message with the pathos of a broken heart. His hearers were profoundly moved. The intensity of feeling revealed in the countenance of the king, the solemnity of the message itself, the warning of judgments impending--all these had their effect, and many determined to join with the king in seeking forgiveness.
Josiah now proposed that those highest in authority unite with the people in solemnly covenanting before God to co-operate with one another in an effort to institute decided changes. "The king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book." The response was more hearty than the king had dared hope for: "All the people stood to the covenant." Verse 3.
In the reformation that followed, the king turned his attention to the destruction of every vestige of idolatry that remained. So long had the inhabitants of the land followed the customs of the surrounding nations in bowing down to images of wood and stone, that it seemed almost beyond the power of man to remove every trace of these evils. But Josiah persevered in his effort to cleanse the land. Sternly he met idolatry by slaying "all the priests of the high places;" "moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord." Verses 20, 24.
In the days of the rending of the kingdom, centuries before, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in bold defiance of the God whom Israel had served, was endeavoring to turn the hearts of the people away from the services of the temple in Jerusalem to new forms of worship, he had set up an unconsecrated altar at Bethel. During the dedication of this altar, where many in years to come were to be seduced into idolatrous practices, there had suddenly appeared a man of God from Judea, with words of condemnation for the sacrilegious proceedings. He had "cried against the altar," declaring:
"O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee." 1 Kings 13:2. This announcement had been accompanied by a sign that the word spoken was of the Lord.
Three centuries had passed. During the reformation wrought by Josiah, the king found himself in Bethel, where stood this ancient altar. The prophecy uttered so many years before in the presence of Jeroboam, was now to be literally fulfilled.
"The altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
"And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchers that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchers, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
"Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulcher of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria." 2 Kings 23:15-18.
On the southern slopes of Olivet, opposite the beautiful temple of Jehovah on Mount Moriah, were the shrines and images that had been placed there by Solomon to please his idolatrous wives. See 1 Kings 11:6-8. For upwards of three centuries the great, misshapen images had stood on the "Mount of Offense," mute witnesses to the apostasy of Israel's wisest king. These, too, were removed and destroyed by Josiah.
The king sought further to establish the faith of Judah in the God of their fathers by holding a great Passover feast, in harmony with the provisions made in the book of the law. Preparation was made by those having the sacred services in charge, and on the great day of the feast, offerings were freely made. "There was not holden such a Passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah." 2 Kings 23:22. But the zeal of Josiah, acceptable though it was to God, could not atone for the sins of past generations; nor could the piety displayed by the king's followers effect a change of heart in many who stubbornly refused to turn from idolatry to the worship of the true God.
For more than a decade following the celebration of the Passover, Josiah continued to reign. At the age of thirty-nine he met death in battle with the forces of Egypt, "and was buried in one of the sepulchers of his fathers." "All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations." 2 Chronicles 35:24, 25. Like unto Josiah "was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, . . . because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked Him withal." 2 Kings 23:25, 26. The time was rapidly approaching when Jerusalem was to be utterly destroyed and the inhabitants of the land carried captive to Babylon, there to learn the lessons they had refused to learn under circumstances more favorable.
It seems as if the world is filled with Nasty-Games to Play. Take Your Pick. What if, in the moment we rebelled against God in antiquity, we doomed ourselves to Eternal Freedom from God?? I could explain, but I'm not in the mood. Whether one is for or against This or That seems to be dependent upon how much one has invested in This or That. We All Seem to Wish to WIN. It seems as if many of us would Sleep with the Devil if we thought we'd have a better chance of WINNING. I'm trying very hard to opt-out of just about everything. My current Latter-day Luddite strategy is to focus-upon the following Minimal-List (for better or worse, I know not):
1. Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, Desire of Ages, and Acts of the Apostles (by E.G. White from 1890 to 1917).
2. Volumes 3, 4, and 6 of the SDA Bible Commentary (1 Chronicles to Malachi, and Acts to Ephesians) Created in the 1950's.
3. The Music of Bach and Buxtehude (Composed in the 1600's and 1700's). I Go For Baroque.
This approach involves NOT joining a Church or Secret-Society. It also has very-little to do with the Information-War and Technological-Revolution. It's probably a bad business-plan, but at this point, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. One more thing, regarding Artificial-Intelligence and Robotics, consider re-watching all episodes and movies of Battlestar Gallactica. What Would the Cylons Say??
I think some of us must look very-closely at the texts I posted in the previous couple of posts. Try reading them in-order, straight-through, over and over. Revelation seems to point-toward a First-Century A.D. Fulfillment!! That didn't fracking-happen -- so does that significantly undermine the credibility of Revelation?? The Millennium is a sore-spot for me. Something seems screwy about that concept!!
Pris wrote:
orthodoxymoron wrote:When I spoke with the late astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, we spoke of Life After Death -- rather than Walking On the Moon!! Dr. Mitchell spoke of the "Survival of Information" rather than the "Survival of the Soul". What if our "Soul Histories" are stored in a Lunar Grey Supercomputer?? What if our "Souls" are "Communication-Devices" to facilitate the operation of our "Mammalian-Containers"?? Once again, I won't do Seances, Regression-Hypnosis, Channeling, or ANYTHING of the sort (although I have spoken with someone who SEEMED to be some sort of an Ancient Egyptian Deity)!! What's creepy is that they wished for me to call them "Mitchell". What Would Edgar Mitchell Say?? They reminded me of Mr. Edgars in Babylon 5!! They spoke of recent "productive conversations" with the late astronaut Brian O'Leary. I also spoke with Dr. Carol Rosin -- and now I'm posting on a site hosted by "Carol". Sherry Shriner supposedly podcasts from Carrollton, Ohio. She claims to be the Granddaughter of King David. I know of a "David" who lives in a "King's Town" on "Ohio"!! Interesting!!
Yes, interesting, Oxy! (If it was me, I would have asked Dr. Edgar Mitchell if he really did walk on the moon. )
I don't know about souls being 'communication devices'?... But, they do seem to be the spark of life and consciousness required to operate these 'mammalian containers'.
I'm good with OBEs, but I also do not want anything to do with seances, regression/hypnosis (other than self-hypnosis), and channeling.
This RA... I'm thinking he may be an imposter entity. You know? A trickster entity masquerading as someone else perhaps? For all we know, there is/was an original benevolent RA whose form was hijacked.
Trickster entities...
The Rakshasa, for example, is a cannibal trickster entity that can apparently manifest in the form of someone you know and trust. It plucks the person/image from your own mind and becomes that person. That way it can get close enough to you so it can tear your flesh from your bones... Anyway, that's part of the 'legend'. It makes me wonder about 'angels', 'archangels', and 'guides'... and those 'family members' waving to loved ones from inside the white light tunnel... . .
Thank-you Pris. Once, when Mel Fabregas was interviewing Edgar Mitchell, he asked him if he saw anything of an alien or extraterrestrial nature on the Moon?? Dr. Mitchell started coughing and choking -- and the phone-line went dead!! I think "we've" been to the Moon -- but not with the Apollo equipment!! I continue to model the concept of a One Solar-System Government/Business with One CEO/President -- going back five to ten thousand years -- so who knows what's REALLY gone-on throughout the solar-system during that time??!! A Primitive-Humanity seems to have been managed by an Ancient Other-Than-Human Race for thousands of years!! If the Bible is to be even partially believed, a rather harsh God is revealed. There's some love and niceness -- with a lot of murder, mayhem, and manipulation. I seek an idealistic theological conceptualization -- but the Bible seems to militate against my best efforts and intentions. I continue to think that a "Nice" Creator was deposed and exiled -- with a "Mean" Replacement ruling the roost for thousands of years. The original-creator might've been the "Real-RA" with the guy I spoke-with being the "Replacement-RA". I keep thinking about that Dr. Who "Trial of a Time-Lord" where the "Valeyard" is called the "Doctor" by the "Master". This seems to reveal "Christ" and "Antichrist" possibilities. I also think about that Leo Zagami rant, where he says "Amen-Ra is my Father".
I realize this is thin reasoning, but I'm trying to construct a Hypothesis of Why This Solar System Seems to be "God-Forsaken". Deception Seems to be Rampant -- which would be necessary if there had been a Nefarious Ancient Takeover. I continue to think that the Bible should be carefully studied for hidden clues and meanings. This might be totally useless OR it might reveal the MOST startling secrets and horrors. I have some theories regarding my relationship to "RA" but I don't wish to talk about it. The AED said that Serqet had a lot to do with our relationship (but who knows what that meant -- or whether there was any substance to it??)!! What I DO talk about is already WAY too delusional. I just think these guys can appear in a variety of bodies (via actual wardrobes of bodies -- or some sort of shapeshifting or illusion). This sort of thinking makes me shaky and crazy. But is my thinking any more crazy than Mainstream-Theology?? Think About It!! My delusional-thinking is internally-logical to me (but not externally-obvious). RA looked like Senator Collins in State of Play -- and I seemed to be a bit like the Newspaper-Reporter. I keep reposting these videos -- but that's all I have to illustrate some of what I'm thinking. If you could only imagine what I imagine!! The Horror!!
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk34.html Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival as the result of the reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth, in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign. A member of the Levitical priesthood, Jeremiah had been trained from childhood for holy service. In those happy years of preparation he little realized that he had been ordained from birth to be "a prophet unto the nations;" and when the divine call came, he was overwhelmed with a sense of his unworthiness. "Ah, Lord God!" he exclaimed, "behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child." Jeremiah 1:5, 6.
In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. In childhood he had proved faithful; and now he was to endure hardness, as a good soldier of the cross. "Say not, I am a child," the Lord bade His chosen messenger; "for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee." "Gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee." Verses 7, 8, 17-19.
For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify in life and character the worship of the only true God. During the terrible sieges of Jerusalem he was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was to predict the downfall of the house of David and the destruction of the beautiful temple built by Solomon. And when imprisoned because of his fearless utterances, he was still to speak plainly against sin in high places. Despised, hated, rejected of men, he was finally to witness the literal fulfillment of his own prophecies of impending doom, and share in the sorrow and woe that should follow the destruction of the fated city.
Yet amid the general ruin into which the nation was rapidly passing, Jeremiah was often permitted to look beyond the distressing scenes of the present to the glorious prospects of the future, when God's people should be ransomed from the land of the enemy and planted again in Zion. He foresaw the time when the Lord would renew His covenant relationship with them. "Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all." Jeremiah 31:12.
Of his call to the prophetic mission, Jeremiah himself wrote: "The Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9, 10.
Thank God for the words, "to build, and to plant." By these words Jeremiah was assured of the Lord's purpose to restore and to heal. Stern were the messages to be borne in the years that were to follow. Prophecies of swift-coming judgments were to be fearlessly delivered. From the plains of Shinar "an evil" was to "break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land." "I will utter My judgments against them," the Lord declared, "touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me." Verses 14, 16. Yet the prophet was to accompany these messages with assurances of forgiveness to all who should turn from their evil-doing.
As a wise master builder, Jeremiah at the very beginning of his lifework sought to encourage the men of Judah to lay the foundations of their spiritual life broad and deep, by making thorough work of repentance. Long had they been building with material likened by the apostle Paul to wood, hay, and stubble, and by Jeremiah himself to dross. "Refuse silver shall men call them," he declared of the impenitent nation, "because the Lord hath rejected them." Jeremiah 6:30, margin. Now they were urged to begin building wisely and for eternity, casting aside the rubbish of apostasy and unbelief, and using as foundation material the pure gold, the refined silver, the precious stones--faith and obedience and good works--which alone are acceptable in the sight of a holy God.
Through Jeremiah the word of the Lord to His people was: "Return, thou backsliding Israel, . . . and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God. . . . Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you." "Thou shalt call Me, My Father; and shalt not turn away from Me." "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." Jeremiah 3:12-14, 19, 22.
And in addition to these wonderful pleadings, the Lord gave His erring people the very words with which they might turn to Him. They were to say: "Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. . . . We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God." Verses 22-25.
The reformation under Josiah had cleansed the land of the idolatrous shrines, but the hearts of the multitude had not been transformed. The seeds of truth that had sprung up and given promise of an abundant harvest had been choked by thorns. Another such backsliding would be fatal; and the Lord sought to arouse the nation to a realization of their danger. Only as they should prove loyal to Jehovah could they hope for the divine favor and for prosperity.
Jeremiah called their attention repeatedly to the counsels given in Deuteronomy. More than any other of the prophets, he emphasized the teachings of the Mosaic law and showed how these might bring the highest spiritual blessing to the nation and to every individual heart. "Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein," he pleaded, "and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16.
On one occasion, by command of the Lord, the prophet took his position at one of the principal entrances to the city and there urged the importance of keeping holy the Sabbath day. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were in danger of losing sight of the sanctity of the Sabbath, and they were solemnly warned against following their secular pursuits on that day. A blessing was promised on condition of obedience. "If ye diligently hearken unto Me," the Lord declared, and "hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain forever." Jeremiah 17:24, 25.
This promise of prosperity as the reward of allegiance was accompanied by a prophecy of the terrible judgments that would befall the city should its inhabitants prove disloyal to God and His law. If the admonitions to obey the Lord God of their fathers and to hallow His Sabbath day were not heeded, the city and its palaces would be utterly destroyed by fire.
Thus the prophet stood firmly for the sound principles of right living so clearly outlined in the book of the law. But the conditions prevailing in the land of Judah were such that only by the most decided measures could a change for the better be brought about; therefore he labored most earnestly in behalf of the impenitent. "Break up your fallow ground," he pleaded, "and sow not among thorns." "O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved." Jeremiah 4:3, 14.
But by the great mass of the people the call to repentance and reformation was unheeded. Since the death of good King Josiah, those who ruled the nation had been proving untrue to their trust and had been leading many astray. Jehoahaz, deposed by the interference of the king of Egypt, had been followed by Jehoiakim, an older son of Josiah. From the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah had little hope of saving his beloved land from destruction and the people from captivity. Yet he was not permitted to remain silent while utter ruin threatened the kingdom. Those who had remained loyal to God must be encouraged to persevere in rightdoing, and sinners must, if possible, be induced to turn from iniquity.
The crisis demanded a public and far-reaching effort. Jeremiah was commanded by the Lord to stand in the court of the temple and speak to all the people of Judah who might pass in and out. From the messages given him he must diminish not a word, that sinners in Zion might have the fullest possible opportunity to hearken and to turn from their evil ways.
The prophet obeyed; he stood in the gate of the Lord's house and there lifted his voice in warning and entreaty. Under the inspiration of the Almighty he declared:
"Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these. For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever." Jeremiah 7:2-7.
The unwillingness of the Lord to chastise is here vividly shown. He stays His judgments that He may plead with the impenitent. He who exercises "loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth" yearns over His erring children; in every way possible He seeks to teach them the way of life everlasting. Jeremiah 9:24. He had brought the Israelites out of bondage that they might serve Him, the only true and living God. Though they had wandered long in idolatry and had slighted His warnings, yet He now declares His willingness to defer chastisement and grant yet another opportunity for repentance. He makes plain the fact that only by the most thorough heart reformation could the impending doom be averted. In vain would be the trust they might place in the temple and its services. Rites and ceremonies could not atone for sin. Notwithstanding their claim to be the chosen people of God, reformation of heart and of the life practice alone could save them from the inevitable result of continued transgression.
Thus it was that "in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem" the message of Jeremiah to Judah was, "Hear ye the words of this covenant,"--the plain precepts of Jehovah as recorded in the Sacred Scriptures,--"and do them." Jeremiah 11:6. And this is the message he proclaimed as he stood in the temple courts in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim.
Israel's experience from the days of the Exodus was briefly reviewed. God's covenant with them had been, "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you." Shamelessly and repeatedly had this covenant been broken. The chosen nation had "walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward." Jeremiah 7:23, 24.
"Why," the Lord inquired, "is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?" Jeremiah 8:5. In the language of the prophet it was because they had obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God and had refused to be corrected. See Jeremiah 5:3. "Truth is perished," he mourned, "and is cut off from their mouth." "The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the Lord." "Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" Jeremiah 7:28; 8:7; 9:9.
The time had come for deep heart searching. While Josiah had been their ruler, the people had had some ground for hope. But no longer could he intercede in their behalf, for he had fallen in battle. The sins of the nation were such that the time for intercession had all but passed by. "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me," the Lord declared, "yet My mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them. Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity." Jeremiah 15:1, 2.
A refusal to heed the invitation of mercy that God was now offering would bring upon the impenitent nation the judgments that had befallen the northern kingdom of Israel over a century before. The message to them now was: "If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth." Jeremiah 26:4-6.
Those who stood in the temple court listening to Jeremiah's discourse understood clearly this reference to Shiloh, and to the time in the days of Eli when the Philistines had overcome Israel and carried away the ark of the testament.
The sin of Eli had consisted in passing lightly over the iniquity of his sons in sacred office, and over the evils prevailing throughout the land. His neglect to correct these evils had brought upon Israel a fearful calamity. His sons had fallen in battle, Eli himself had lost his life, the ark of God had been taken from the land of Israel, thirty thousand of the people had been slain--and all because sin had been allowed to flourish unrebuked and unchecked. Israel had vainly thought that, notwithstanding their sinful practices, the presence of the ark would ensure them victory over the Philistines. In like manner, during the days of Jeremiah, the inhabitants of Judah were prone to believe that a strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from a just punishment for their wicked course.
What a lesson is this to men holding positions of responsibility today in the church of God! What a solemn warning to deal faithfully with wrongs that bring dishonor to the cause of truth! Let none who claim to be the depositaries of God's law flatter themselves that the regard they may outwardly show toward the commandments will preserve them from the exercise of divine justice. Let none refuse to be reproved for evil, nor charge the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp from evil-doing. A sin-hating God calls upon those who claim to keep His law to depart from all iniquity. A neglect to repent and to render willing obedience will bring upon men and women today as serious consequences as came upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can no longer be delayed. 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.
Jeremiah's message to priests and people aroused the antagonism of many. With boisterous denunciation they cried out, "Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord." Jeremiah 26:9. Priests, false prophets, and people turned in wrath upon him who would not speak to them smooth things or prophesy deceit. Thus was the message of God despised, and His servant threatened with death.
Tidings of the words of Jeremiah were carried to the princes of Judah, and they hastened from the palace of the king to the temple, to learn for themselves the truth of the matter. "Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears." Verse 11. But Jeremiah stood boldly before the princes and the people, declaring: "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears." Verses 12-15.
Had the prophet been intimidated by the threatening attitude of those high in authority, his message would have been without effect, and he would have lost his life; but the courage with which he delivered the solemn warning commanded the respect of the people and turned the princes of Israel in his favor. They reasoned with the priests and false prophets, showing them how unwise would be the extreme measures they advocated, and their words produced a reaction in the minds of the people. Thus God raised up defenders for His servant.
The elders also united in protesting against the decision of the priests regarding the fate of Jeremiah. They cited the case of Micah, who had prophesied judgments upon Jerusalem, saying, "Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest." And they asked: "Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls." Verses 18, 19.
Through the pleading of these men of influence the prophet's life was spared, although many of the priests and false prophets, unable to endure the condemning truths he uttered, would gladly have seen him put to death on the plea of sedition.
From the day of his call to the close of his ministry, Jeremiah stood before Judah as "a tower and a fortress" against which the wrath of man could not prevail. "They shall fight against thee," the Lord had forewarned His servant, "but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible." Jeremiah 6:27; 15:20, 21.
Naturally of a timid and shrinking disposition, Jeremiah longed for the peace and quiet of a life of retirement, where he need not witness the continued impenitence of his beloved nation. His heart was wrung with anguish over the ruin wrought by sin. "O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears," he mourned, "that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them." Jeremiah 9:1, 2.
Cruel were the mockings he was called upon to endure. His sensitive soul was pierced through and through by the arrows of derision hurled at him by those who despised his messages and made light of his burden for their conversion. "I was a derision to all my people," he declared, "and their song all the day." "I am in derision daily, everyone mocketh me." "All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him." Lamentations 3:14; Jeremiah 20:7, 10.
But the faithful prophet was daily strengthened to endure. "The Lord is with me as a mighty terrible One," he declared in faith; "therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be really ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten." "Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers." Jeremiah 20:11, 13.
The experiences through which Jeremiah passed in the days of his youth and also in the later years of his ministry, taught him the lesson that "the way of man is not in self: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." He learned to pray, "O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me nothing." Jeremiah 10:23, 24.
When called to drink of the cup of tribulation and sorrow, and when tempted in his misery to say, "My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord," he recalled the providences of God in his behalf and triumphantly exclaimed, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:18, 22-26.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk35.html The first years of Jehoiakim's reign were filled with warnings of approaching doom. The word of the Lord spoken by the prophets was about to be fulfilled. The Assyrian power to the northward, long supreme, was no longer to rule the nations. Egypt on the south, in whose power the king of Judah was vainly placing his trust, was soon to receive a decided check. All unexpectedly a new world power, the Babylonian Empire, was rising to the eastward and swiftly overshadowing all other nations.
Within a few short years the king of Babylon was to be used as the instrument of God's wrath upon impenitent Judah. Again and again Jerusalem was to be invested and entered by the besieging armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Company after company--at first a few only, but later on thousands and tens of thousands--were to be taken captive to the land of Shinar, there to dwell in enforced exile. Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah--all these Jewish kings were in turn to become vassals of the Babylonian ruler, and all in turn were to rebel. Severer and yet more severe chastisements were to be inflicted upon the rebellious nation, until at last the entire land was to become a desolation, Jerusalem was to be laid waste and burned with fire, the temple that Solomon had built was to be destroyed, and the kingdom of Judah was to fall, never again to occupy its former position among the nations of earth.
Those times of change, so fraught with peril to the Israelitish nation, were marked with many messages from Heaven through Jeremiah. Thus the Lord gave the children of Judah ample opportunity of freeing themselves from entangling alliances with Egypt, and of avoiding controversy with the rulers of Babylon. As the threatened danger came closer, he taught the people by means of a series of acted parables, hoping thus to arouse them to a sense of their obligation to God, and also to encourage them to maintain friendly relations with the Babylonian government.
To illustrate the importance of yielding implicit obedience to the requirements of God, Jeremiah gathered some Rechabites into one of the chambers of the temple and set wine before them, inviting them to drink. As was to have been expected, he met with remonstrance and absolute refusal. "We will drink no wine," the Rechabites firmly declared, "for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever."
"Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to My words? saith the Lord. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment." Jeremiah 35:6, 12-14. God sought thus to bring into sharp contrast the obedience of the Rechabites with the disobedience and rebellion of His people. The Rechabites had obeyed the command of their father and now refused to be enticed into transgression. But the men of Judah had hearkened not to the words of the Lord, and were in consequence about to suffer His severest judgments.
"I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking," the Lord declared, "but ye hearkened not unto Me. I have sent also unto you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto Me. Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto Me: therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered." Verses 14-17.
When men's hearts are softened and subdued by the constraining influence of the Holy Spirit, they will give heed to counsel; but when they turn from admonition until their hearts become hardened, the Lord permits them to be led by other influences. Refusing the truth, they accept falsehood, which becomes a snare to their own destruction.
God had pleaded with Judah not to provoke Him to anger, but they had hearkened not. Finally sentence was pronounced against them. They were to be led away captive to Babylon. The Chaldeans were to be used as the instrument by which God would chastise His disobedient people. The sufferings of the men of Judah were to be in proportion to the light they had had and to the warnings they had despised and rejected. Long had God delayed His judgments, but now He would visit His displeasure upon them as a last effort to check them in their evil course.
Upon the house of the Rechabites was pronounced a continued blessing. The prophet declared, "Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before Me forever." Verses 18, 19. Thus God taught His people that faithfulness and obedience would be reflected back upon Judah in blessing, even as the Rechabites were blessed for obedience to their father's command.
The lesson is for us. If the requirements of a good and wise father, who took the best and most effectual means to secure his posterity against the evils of intemperance, were worthy of strict obedience, surely God's authority should be held in as much greater reverence as He is holier than man. Our Creator and our Commander, infinite in power, terrible in judgment, seeks by every means to bring men to see and repent of their sins. By the mouth of His servants He predicts the dangers of disobedience; He sounds the note of warning and faithfully reproves sin. His people are kept in prosperity only by His mercy, through the vigilant watchcare of chosen instrumentalities. He cannot uphold and guard a people who reject His counsel and despise His reproofs. For a time He may withhold His retributive judgments; yet He cannot always stay His hand.
The children of Judah were numbered among those of whom God had declared, "Ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." Exodus 19:6. Never did Jeremiah in his ministry lose sight of the vital importance of heart holiness in the varied relationships of life, and especially in the service of the most high God. Plainly he foresaw the downfall of the kingdom and a scattering of the inhabitants of Judah among the nations; but with the eye of faith he looked beyond all this to the times of restoration. Ringing in his ears was the divine promise: "I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds. . . . Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jeremiah 23:3-6.
Thus prophecies of oncoming judgment were mingled with promises of final and glorious deliverance. Those who should choose to make their peace with God and live holy lives amid the prevailing apostasy, would receive strength for every trial and be enabled to witness for Him with mighty power. And in the ages to come the deliverance wrought in their behalf would exceed in fame that wrought for the children of Israel at the time of the Exodus. The days were coming, the Lord declared through His prophet, when "they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land." Verses 7,8. Such were the wonderful prophecies uttered by Jeremiah during the closing years of the history of the kingdom of Judah, when the Babylonians were coming unto universal rule, and were even then bringing their besieging armies against the walls of Zion.
Like sweetest music these promises of deliverance fell upon the ears of those who were steadfast in their worship of Jehovah. In the homes of the high and the lowly, where the counsels of a covenant-keeping God were still held in reverence, the words of the prophet were repeated again and again. Even the children were mightily stirred, and upon their young and receptive minds lasting impressions were made.
It was their conscientious observance of the commands of Holy Scripture, that in the days of Jeremiah's ministry brought to Daniel and his fellows opportunities to exalt the true God before the nations of earth. The instruction these Hebrew children had received in the homes of their parents, made them strong in faith and constant in their service of the living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. When, early in the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar for the first time besieged and captured Jerusalem, and carried away Daniel and his companions, with others specially chosen for service in the court of Babylon, the faith of the Hebrew captives was tried to the utmost. But those who had learned to place their trust in the promises of God found these all-sufficient in every experience through which they were called to pass during their sojourn in a strange land. The Scriptures proved to them a guide and a stay.
As an interpreter of the meaning of the judgments beginning to fall upon Judah, Jeremiah stood nobly in defense of the justice of God and of His merciful designs even in the severest chastisements. Untiringly the prophet labored. Desirous of reaching all classes, he extended the sphere of his influence beyond Jerusalem to the surrounding districts by frequent visits to various parts of the kingdom.
In his testimonies to the church, Jeremiah constantly referred to the teachings of the book of the law that had been so greatly honored and exalted during Josiah's reign. He emphasized anew the importance of maintaining a covenant relationship with the all-merciful and compassionate Being who upon the heights of Sinai had spoken the precepts of the Decalogue. Jeremiah's words of warning and entreaty reached every part of the kingdom, and all had opportunity to know the will of God concerning the nation.
The prophet made plain the fact that our heavenly Father allows His judgments to fall, "that the nations may know themselves to be but men." Psalm 9:20. "If ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me," the Lord had forewarned His people, "I, even I, . . . will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste." Leviticus 26:21, 28,33.
At the very time messages of impending doom were urged upon princes and people, their ruler, Jehoiakim, who should have been a wise spiritual leader, foremost in confession of sin and in reformation and good works, was spending his time in selfish pleasure. "I will build me a wide house and large chambers," he proposed; and this house, "ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion" (Jeremiah 22:14), was built with money and labor secured through fraud and oppression.
The wrath of the prophet was aroused, and he was inspired to pronounce judgment upon the faithless ruler. "Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong," he declared; "that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work. . . . Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know Me? saith the Lord. But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." Verses 13-19.
Within a few years this terrible judgment was to be visited upon Jehoiakim; but first the Lord in mercy informed the impenitent nation of His set purpose. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign "Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem," pointing out that for over a score of years, "from the thirteenth year of Josiah, . . . even unto this day," he had borne witness of God's desire to save, but that his messages had been despised. Jeremiah 25:2, 3. And now the word of the Lord to them was:
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years." Verses 8-11. Although the sentence of doom had been clearly pronounced, its awful import could scarcely be understood by the multitudes who heard. That deeper impressions might be made, the Lord sought to illustrate the meaning of the words spoken. He bade Jeremiah liken the fate of the nation to the draining of a cup filled with the wine of divine wrath. Among the first to drink of this cup of woe was to be "Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof." Others were to partake of the same cup--"Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people," and many other nations of earth--until God's purpose should have been fulfilled. See Jeremiah 25.
To illustrate further the nature of the swift-coming judgments, the prophet was bidden to "take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests; and go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom," and there, after reviewing the apostasy of Judah, he was to dash to pieces "a potter's earthen bottle," and declare in behalf of Jehovah, whose servant he was, "Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again."
The prophet did as he was commanded. Then, returning to the city, he stood in the court of the temple and declared in the hearing of all the people. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear My words." See Jeremiah 19.
The prophet's words, instead of leading to confession and repentance, aroused the anger of those high in authority, and as a consequence Jeremiah was deprived of his liberty. Imprisoned, and placed in the stocks, the prophet nevertheless continued to speak the messages of Heaven to those who stood by. His voice could not be silenced by persecution. The word of truth, he declared, "was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." Jeremiah 20:9.
It was about this time that the Lord commanded Jeremiah to commit to writing the messages he desired to bear to those for whose salvation his heart of pity was continually yearning."Take thee a roll of a book," the Lord bade His servant, "and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." Jeremiah 36:2,3.
In obedience to this command, Jeremiah called to his aid a faithful friend, Baruch the scribe, and dictated "all the words of the Lord, which He had spoken unto him." Verse 4. These were carefully written out on a roll of parchment and constituted a solemn reproof for sin, a warning of the sure result of continual apostasy, and an earnest appeal for the renunciation of all evil.
When the writing was completed, Jeremiah, who was still a prisoner, sent Baruch to read the roll to the multitudes who were assembling at the temple on the occasion of a national fast day, "in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month." "It may be," the prophet said, "they will present their supplication before the Lord, and will return everyone from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the Lord hath pronounced against this people." Verses 9, 7.
Baruch obeyed, and the roll was read before all the people of Judah. Afterward the scribe was summoned before the princes to read the words to them. They listened with great interest and promised to inform the king concerning all they had heard, but counseled the scribe to hide himself, for they feared the king would reject the testimony and seek to slay those who had prepared and delivered the message.
When King Jehoiakim was told by the princes what Baruch had read, he immediately ordered the roll brought before him and read in his hearing. One of the royal attendants, Jehudi by name, fetched the roll and began reading the words of reproof and warning. It was the time of winter, and the king and his companions of state, the princes of Judah, were gathered about an open fire. Only a small portion had been read, when the king, far from trembling at the danger hanging over himself and his people, seized the roll and in a frenzy of rage "cut it with the penknife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed." Verse 23.
Neither the king nor his princes were afraid "nor rent their garments." Certain of the princes, however, "had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them." The writing having been destroyed, the wrath of the wicked king rose against Jeremiah and Baruch, and he forthwith sent for them to be taken; "but the Lord hid them." Verses 24-26.
In bringing to the attention of the temple worshipers, and of the princes and king, the written admonitions contained in the inspired roll, God was graciously seeking to warn the men of Judah for their good. "It may be," He said, "the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." Verse 3. God pities men struggling in the blindness of perversity; He seeks to enlighten the darkened understanding by sending reproofs and threatenings designed to cause the most exalted to feel their ignorance and to deplore their errors. He endeavors to help the self-complacent to become dissatisfied with their vain attainments and to seek for spiritual blessing through a close connection with heaven.
God's plan is not to send messengers who will please and flatter sinners; He delivers no messages of peace to lull the unsanctified into carnal security. Instead, He lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer and pierces his soul with sharp arrows of conviction. Ministering angels present to him the fearful judgments of God, to deepen the sense of need and to prompt the agonizing cry, "What must I do to be saved?" Acts 16;30. But the Hand that humbles to the dust, rebukes sin, and puts pride and ambition to shame, is the Hand that lifts up the penitent, stricken one. With deepest sympathy He who permits the chastisement to fall, inquires, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?"
When man has sinned against a holy and merciful God, he can pursue no course so noble as to repent sincerely and confess his errors in tears and bitterness of soul. This God requires of him; He accepts nothing less than a broken heart and a contrite spirit. But King Jehoiakim and his lords, in their arrogance and pride, refused the invitation of God. They would not heed the warning, and repent. The gracious opportunity proffered them at the time of the burning of the sacred roll, was their last. God had declared that if at that time they refused to hear His voice, He would inflict upon them fearful retribution. They did refuse to hear, and He pronounced His final judgments upon Judah, and He would visit with special wrath the man who had proudly lifted himself up against the Almighty.
"Thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them." Jeremiah 36:30, 31.
The burning of the roll was not the end of the matter. The written words were more easily disposed of than the reproof and warning they contained and the swift-coming punishment God had pronounced against rebellious Israel. But even the written roll was reproduced. "Take thee again another roll," the Lord commanded His servant, "and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned." The record of the prophecies concerning Judah and Jerusalem had been reduced to ashes; but the words were still living in the heart of Jeremiah, "as a burning fire," and the prophet was permitted to reproduce that which the wrath of man would fain have destroyed.
Taking another roll, Jeremiah gave it to Baruch, "who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words." Verses 28,32. The wrath of man had sought to prevent the labors of the prophet of God; but the very means by which Jehoiakim had endeavored to limit the influence of the servant of Jehovah, gave further opportunity for making plain the divine requirements.
The spirit of opposition to reproof, that led to the persecution and imprisonment of Jeremiah, exists today. Many refuse to heed repeated warnings, preferring rather to listen to false teachers who flatter their vanity and overlook their evil-doing. In the day of trouble such will have no sure refuge, no help from heaven. God's chosen servants should meet with courage and patience the trials and sufferings that befall them through reproach, neglect, and misrepresentation. They should continue to discharge faithfully the work God has given them to do, ever remembering that the prophets of old and the Saviour of mankind and His apostles also endured abuse and persecution for the Word's sake.
It was God's purpose that Jehoiakim should heed the counsels of Jeremiah and thus win favor in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar and save himself much sorrow. The youthful king had sworn allegiance to the Babylonian ruler, and had he remained true to his promise he would have commanded the respect of the heathen, and this would have led to precious opportunities for the conversion of souls.
Scorning the unusual privileges granted him, Judah's king willfully followed a way of his own choosing. He violated his word of honor to the Babylonian ruler, and rebelled. This brought him and his kingdom into a very strait place. Against him were sent "bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon," and he was powerless to prevent the land from being overrun by these marauders. 2 Kings 24:2. Within a few years he closed his disastrous reign in ignominy, rejected of Heaven, unloved by his people, and despised by the rulers of Babylon whose confidence he had betrayed--and all as the result of his fatal mistake in turning from the purpose of God as revealed through His appointed messenger.
Jehoiachin [also known as Jeconiah, and Coniah], the son of Jehoiakim, occupied the throne only three months and ten days, when he surrendered to the Chaldean armies which, because of the rebellion of Judah's ruler, were once more besieging the fated city. On this occasion Nebuchadnezzar "carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land," several thousand in number, together with "craftsmen and smiths a thousand." With these the king of Babylon took "all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house." 2 Kings 24:15,16,13.
The kingdom of Judah, broken in power and robbed of its strength both in men and in treasure, was nevertheless still permitted to exist as a separate government. At its head Nebuchadnezzar placed Mattaniah, a younger son of Josiah, changing his name to Zedekiah.
I randomly noticed a lady humming a tune, and asked her if she were a singer, to which she responded affirmatively. I inquired regarding the type of music, to which she indicated she was an opera-singer, and spontaneously began singing beautifully!! I applauded with delight!! Turns out, she has sung extensively in New York, and mentioned the Fifth-Avenue Presbyterian Church. I wasn't immediately familiar with it, but I was familiar with several west-coast Presbyterian churches, including the Hollywood Presbyterian Church and the Bel Air Presbyterian Church in California, as well as the University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. There are interesting and personal stories with all of them, and we should've had a longer conversation, but I'll leave it at that for now.
I just re-watched the "Dimensions" episode (season 2, episode 4) of Earth: Final Conflict, and it contains a lot of possible clues. I've mentioned some previously. This is the episode where Da'an says "Ma'el never came to Earth." I have to point-out that this occurred in a parallel-universe (or something like that). In this dimension, Ma'el was a Taelon spiritual-leader who was nevertheless overthrown. In the other dimension, Ma'el DID Come to Earth, and said that Humanity was the Way of the Future for the Taelons. What if the two Ma'el stories parallel two possible RA stories?? How can one EVER Know the Absolute-Truth Regarding the Historical and the Otherworldly?? Please watch that episode repeatedly, taking-notes -- and tell me what YOU think!! On the other hand, I suspect that the major-posters on this website have known the whole-truth for a very-long time (but they seem reluctant to share what they really know). I've gotten used to that. The two sisters mentioned something about their mother, which I missed previously, and I'm not sure I got it this time. I'm going to watch that episode again today.
Please don't take my Ancient Egyptian Deity talk too Siriusly. I might've gotten it completely wrong. I get the sinking-feeling that anything I say and do will be used against me. Once again, I suspect this is a rigged-game I can't win (even if I win). In other words, one might be placed in the "hot-seat" as a "scapegoat" right before everything is scheduled to "go to hell". What Would Azazel Say?? Once, the AED asked me if I were ready to "run-things"?? I answered "NO!! It's Too Complicated!!" I continue to suspect that a supercomputer might already be "running-things" with very-little human or alien input. On another occasion, I told the AED that I had the "Launch-Codes"!! They seemed genuinely-concerned!! Just remember to "Turn the Other Cheek As You Turn the Other Key!!" Also, remember that "The KGB Read the KJV!!" Observing how things REALLY Work for Several Lifetimes Would Probably be a Prerequisite to Entry-Level Solar-System Governance. Honestly. I'm going down this delusional road to clarify political and theological issues -- but I beat around the burning-bush to an excruciating extent. I won't even attempt to think about a lot of things (let alone talk about them) and that's all I'm going to say about that!! One more thing. When Dr. Who is offered reinstatement as Lord President of Gallifrey, he turns it down. When Jupiter Jones obtains the Title to Earth, she appears to leave everything the same (other than preventing a "Harvest"). I've suggested the concept of "Changing Everything Without Changing Anything". Regardless of what happens, I think I'd like to live in a small mountain-cabin -- and read boring-books while listening to sacred classical music. It might be easier that way. World Without End. Almond Raw.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk36.html Zedekiah at the beginning of his reign was trusted fully by the king of Babylon and had as a tried counselor the prophet Jeremiah. By pursuing an honorable course toward the Babylonians and by paying heed to the messages from the Lord through Jeremiah, he could have kept the respect of many in high authority and have had opportunity to communicate to them a knowledge of the true God. Thus the captive exiles already in Babylon would have been placed on vantage ground and granted many liberties; the name of God would have been honored far and wide; and those that remained in the land of Judah would have been spared the terrible calamities that finally came upon them.
Through Jeremiah, Zedekiah and all Judah, including those taken to Babylon, were counseled to submit quietly to the temporary rule of their conquerors. It was especially important that those in captivity should seek the peace of the land into which they had been carried. This, however, was contrary to the inclinations of the human heart; and Satan, taking advantage of the circumstances, caused false prophets to arise among the people, both in Jerusalem and in Babylon, who declared that the yoke of bondage would soon be broken and the former prestige of the nation restored.
The heeding of such flattering prophecies would have led to fatal moves on the part of the king and the exiles, and would have frustrated the merciful designs of God in their behalf. Lest an insurrection be incited and great suffering ensue, the Lord commanded Jeremiah to meet the crisis without delay, by warning the king of Judah of the sure consequence of rebellion. The captives also were admonished, by written communications, not to be deluded into believing their deliverance near. "Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you," he urged. Jeremiah 29:8. In this connection mention was made of the Lord's purpose to restore Israel at the close of the seventy years of captivity foretold by His messengers.
With what tender compassion did God inform His captive people of His plans for Israel! He knew that should they be persuaded by false prophets to look for a speedy deliverance, their position in Babylon would be made very difficult. Any demonstration or insurrection on their part would awaken the vigilance and severity of the Chaldean authorities and would lead to a further restriction of their liberties. Suffering and disaster would result. He desired them to submit quietly to their fate and make their servitude as pleasant as possible; and his counsel to them was: "Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; . . . and seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace." Verses 5-7.
Among the false teachers in Babylon were two men who claimed to be holy, but whose lives were corrupt. Jeremiah had condemned the evil course of these men and had warned them of their danger. Angered by reproof, they sought to oppose the work of the true prophet by stirring up the people to discredit his words and to act contrary to the counsel of God in the matter of subjecting themselves to the king of Babylon. The Lord testified through Jeremiah that these false prophets should be delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and slain before his eyes. Not long afterward, this prediction was literally fulfilled.
To the end of time, men will arise to create confusion and rebellion among those who claim to be representatives of the true God. Those who prophesy lies will encourage men to look upon sin as a light thing. When the terrible results of their evil deeds are made manifest, they will seek, if possible, to make the one who has faithfully warned them, responsible for their difficulties, even as the Jews charged Jeremiah with their evil fortunes. But as surely as the words of Jehovah through His prophet were vindicated anciently, so surely will the certainty of His messages be established today.
From the first, Jeremiah had followed a consistent course in counseling submission to the Babylonians. This counsel was given not only to Judah, but to many of the surrounding nations. In the earlier portion of Zedekiah's reign, ambassadors from the rulers of Edom, Moab, Tyre, and other nations visited the king of Judah to learn whether in his judgment the time was opportune for a united revolt and whether he would join them in battling against the king of Babylon. While these ambassadors were awaiting a response, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, "Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah." Jeremiah 27:2,3.
Jeremiah was commanded to instruct the ambassadors to inform their rulers that God had given them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and that they were to "serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come." Verse 7.
The ambassadors were further instructed to declare to their rulers that if they refused to serve the Babylonian king they should be punished "with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence" till they were consumed. Especially were they to turn from the teaching of false prophets who might counsel otherwise. "Hearken not ye to your prophets," the Lord declared, "nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein." Verses 8-11. The lightest punishment that a merciful God could inflict upon so rebellious a people was submission to the rule of Babylon, but if they warred against this decree of servitude they were to feel the full vigor of His chastisement. The amazement of the assembled council of nations knew no bounds when Jeremiah, carrying the yoke of subjection about his neck, made known to them the will of God.
Against determined opposition Jeremiah stood firmly for the policy of submission. Prominent among those who presumed to gainsay the counsel of the Lord was Hananiah, one of the false prophets against whom the people had been warned. Thinking to gain the favor of the king and of the royal court, he lifted his voice in protest, declaring that God had given him words of encouragement for the Jews. Said he: "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord's house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: and I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon." Jeremiah 28:2-4. Jeremiah, in the presence of the priests and people, earnestly entreated them to submit to the king of Babylon for the time the Lord had specified. He cited the men of Judah to the prophecies of Hosea, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others whose messages of reproof and warning had been similar to his own. He referred them to events which had taken place in fulfillment of prophecies of retribution for unrepented sin. In the past the judgments of God had been visited upon the impenitent in exact fulfillment of His purpose as revealed through His messengers.
"The prophet which prophesieth of peace," Jeremiah proposed in conclusion, "when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him." Verse 9. If Israel chose to run the risk, future developments would effectually decide which was the true prophet.
The words of Jeremiah counseling submission aroused Hananiah to a daring challenge of the reliability of the message delivered. Taking the symbolic yoke from Jeremiah's neck, Hananiah broke it, saying, "Thus saith the Lord; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.
"And the prophet Jeremiah went his way." Verse II. Apparently he could do nothing more than to retire from the scene of conflict. But Jeremiah was given another message. "Go and tell Hananiah," he was bidden, "Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. . . .
"Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month." Verses 13-17.
The false prophet had strengthened the unbelief of the people in Jeremiah and his message. He had wickedly declared himself the Lord's messenger, and he suffered death in consequence. In the fifth month Jeremiah prophesied the death of Hananiah, and in the seventh month his words were proved true by their fulfillment.
The unrest caused by the representations of the false prophets brought Zedekiah under suspicion of treason, and only by quick and decisive action on his part was he permitted to continue reigning as a vassal. Opportunity for such action was taken advantage of shortly after the return of the ambassadors from Jerusalem to the surrounding nations, when the king of Judah accompanied Seraiah, "a quiet prince," on an important mission to Babylon. Jeremiah 51:59. During this visit to the Chaldean court, Zedekiah renewed his oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar.
Through Daniel and others of the Hebrew captives, the Babylonian monarch had been made acquainted with the power and supreme authority of the true God; and when Zedekiah once more solemnly promised to remain loyal, Nebuchadnezzar required him to swear to this promise in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Had Zedekiah respected this renewal of his covenant oath, his loyalty would have had a profound influence on the minds of many who were watching the conduct of those who claimed to reverence the name and to cherish the honor of the God of the Hebrews.
But Judah's king lost sight of his high privilege of bringing honor to the name of the living God. Of Zedekiah it is recorded: "He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel." 2 Chronicles 36:12, 13.
While Jeremiah continued to bear his testimony in the land of Judah, the prophet Ezekiel was raised up from among the captives in Babylon, to warn and to comfort the exiles, and also to confirm the word of the Lord that was being spoken through Jeremiah. During the years that remained of Zedekiah's reign, Ezekiel made very plain the folly of trusting to the false predictions of those who were causing the captives to hope for an early return to Jerusalem. He was also instructed to foretell, by means of a variety of symbols and solemn messages, the siege and utter destruction of Jerusalem.
In the sixth year of the reign of Zedekiah, the Lord revealed to Ezekiel in vision some of the abominations that were being practiced in Jerusalem, and within the gate of the Lord's house, and even in the inner court. The chambers of images, and the pictured idols, "every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel"--all these in rapid succession passed before the astonished gaze of the prophet. Ezekiel 8:10.
Those who should have been spiritual leaders among the people, "the ancients of the house of Israel," to the number of seventy, were seen offering incense before the idolatrous representations that had been introduced into hidden chambers within the sacred precincts of the temple court. "The Lord seeth us not," the men of Judah flattered themselves as they engaged in their heathenish practices; "the Lord hath forsaken the earth," they blasphemously declared. Verses 11, 12.
There were still "greater abominations" for the prophet to behold. At a gate leading from the outer to the inner court he was shown "women weeping for Tammuz," and within "the inner court of the Lord's house, . . . at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east." Verses 13-16.
And now the glorious Being who accompanied Ezekiel throughout this astonishing vision of wickedness in high places in the land of Judah, inquired of the prophet: "Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke Me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them." Verses 17,18.
Through Jeremiah the Lord had declared of the wicked men who presumptuously dared to stand before the people in His name: "Both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in My house have I found their wickedness." Jeremiah 23:11. In the terrible arraignment of Judah as recorded in the closing narrative of the chronicler of Zedekiah's reign, this charge of violating the sanctity of the temple was repeated. "Moreover," the sacred writer declared, "all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem." 2 Chronicles 36:14.
The day of doom for the kingdom of Judah was fast approaching. No longer could the Lord set before them the hope of averting the severest of His judgments. "Should ye be utterly unpunished?" He inquired. "Ye shall not be unpunished." Jeremiah 25:29.
Even these words were received with mocking derision. "The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth," declared the impenitent. But through Ezekiel this denial of the sure word of prophecy was sternly rebuked. "Tell them," the Lord declared, "I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.
"Again," testifies Ezekiel, "the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of My words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 12:22-28.
Foremost among those who were rapidly leading the nation to ruin was Zedekiah their king. Forsaking utterly the counsels of the Lord as given through the prophets, forgetting the debt of gratitude he owed Nebuchadnezzar, violating his solemn oath of allegiance taken in the name of the Lord God of Israel, Judah's king rebelled against the prophets, against his benefactor, and against his God. In the vanity of his own wisdom he turned for help to the ancient enemy of Israel's prosperity, "sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people."
"Shall he prosper?" the Lord inquired concerning the one who had thus basely betrayed every sacred trust; "shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war: . . . seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape." Ezekiel 17:15-18.
To the "profane wicked prince" had come the day of final reckoning. "Remove the diadem," the Lord decreed, "and take off the crown." Not until Christ Himself should set up His kingdom was Judah again to be permitted to have a king. "I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it," was the divine edict concerning the throne of the house of David; "and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him." Ezekiel 21:25-27.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk37.html In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem," to besiege the city. 2 Kings 25:1. The outlook for Judah was hopeless. "Behold, I am against thee," the Lord Himself declared through Ezekiel. "I the Lord have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath" it shall not return any more. . . . Every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water." "I will pour out Mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of My wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skillful to destroy." Ezekiel 21:3, 5-7, 31.
The Egyptians endeavored to come to the rescue of the beleaguered city; and the Chaldeans, in order to keep them back, abandoned for a time their siege of the Judean capital. Hope sprang up in the heart of Zedekiah, and he sent a messenger to Jeremiah, asking him to pray to God in behalf of the Hebrew nation.
The prophet's fearful answer was that the Chaldeans would return and destroy the city. The fiat had gone forth; no longer could the impenitent nation avert the divine judgments. "Deceive not yourselves," the Lord warned His people. "The Chaldeans . . . shall not depart. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire." Jeremiah 37:9, 10. The remnant of Judah were to go into captivity, to learn through adversity the lessons they had refused to learn under circumstances more favorable. From this decree of the holy Watcher there could be no appeal.
Among the righteous still in Jerusalem, to whom had been made plain the divine purpose, were some who determined to place beyond the reach of ruthless hands the sacred ark containing the tables of stone on which had been traced the precepts of the Decalogue. This they did. With mourning and sadness they secreted the ark in a cave, where it was to be hidden from the people of Israel and Judah because of their sins, and was to be no more restored to them. That sacred ark is yet hidden. It has never been disturbed since it was secreted.
For many years Jeremiah had stood before the people as a faithful witness for God; and now, as the fated city was about to pass into the hands of the heathen, he considered his work done and attempted to leave, but was prevented by a son of one of the false prophets, who reported that Jeremiah was about to join the Babylonians, to whom he had repeatedly urged the men of Judah to submit. The prophet denied the lying charge, but nevertheless "the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison." Verse 15.
The hopes that had sprung up in the hearts of princes and people when the armies of Nebuchadnezzar turned south to meet the Egyptians, were soon dashed to the ground. The word of the Lord had been, "Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt." The might of Egypt was but a broken reed. "All the inhabitants of Egypt," Inspiration had declared, "shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel." "I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt." Ezekiel 29:3, 6; 30:25, 26.
While the princes of Judah were still vainly looking toward Egypt for help, King Zedekiah with anxious foreboding was thinking of the prophet of God that had been thrust into prison. After many days the king sent for him and asked him secretly, "Is there any word from the Lord?" Jeremiah answered, "There is: for, said He, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
"Moreover Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison? Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land? Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there." Jeremiah 37:17-20. At this Zedekiah commanded that they "commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison." Verse 21.
The king dared not openly manifest any faith in Jeremiah. Though his fear drove him to seek information of him privately, yet he was too weak to brave the disapprobation of his princes and of the people by submitting to the will of God as declared by the prophet.
From the court of the prison Jeremiah continued to advise submission to the Babylonian rule. To offer resistance would be to invite sure death. The message of the Lord to Judah was: "He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live." Plain and positive were the words spoken. In the name of the Lord the prophet boldly declared, "This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it." Jeremiah 38:2, 3.
At last the princes, enraged over the repeated counsels of Jeremiah, which were contrary to their set policy of resistance, made a vigorous protest before the king, urging that the prophet was an enemy to the nation, and that his words had weakened the hands of the people and brought misfortune upon them; therefore he should be put to death.
The cowardly king knew that the charges were false; but in order to propitiate those who occupied high and influential positions in the nation, he feigned to believe their falsehoods and gave Jeremiah into their hands to do with him as they pleased. The prophet was cast "into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire." Verse 6. But God raised up friends for him, who besought the king in his behalf, and had him again removed to the court of the prison.
Once more the king sent privately for Jeremiah, and bade him faithfully relate the purpose of God toward Jerusalem. In response, Jeremiah inquired, "If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?" The king entered into a secret compact with the prophet. "As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul," Zedekiah promised, "I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life." Verses 15, 16.
There was still opportunity for the king to reveal a willingness to heed the warnings of Jehovah, and thus to temper with mercy the judgments even now falling on city and nation. "If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes," was the message given the king, "then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand."
"I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans," the king replied, "lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me." But the prophet promised, "They shall not deliver thee." And he added the earnest entreaty, "Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live." Verses 17-20.
Thus even to the last hour, God made plain His willingness to show mercy to those who would choose to submit to His just requirements. Had the king chosen to obey, the lives of the people might have been spared, and the city saved from conflagration; but he thought he had gone too far to retrace his steps. He was afraid of the Jews, afraid of ridicule, afraid for his life. After years of rebellion against God, Zedekiah thought it too humiliating to say to his people, I accept the word of the Lord, as spoken through the prophet Jeremiah; I dare not venture to war against the enemy in the face of all these warnings.
With tears Jeremiah entreated Zedekiah to save himself and his people. With anguish of spirit he assured him that unless he should heed the counsel of God, he could not escape with his life, and all his possessions would fall to the Babylonians. But the king had started on the wrong course, and he would not retrace his steps. He decided to follow the counsel of the false prophets, and of the men whom he really despised, and who ridiculed his weakness in yielding so readily to their wishes. He sacrificed the noble freedom of his manhood and became a cringing slave to public opinion. With no fixed purpose to do evil, he was also without resolution to stand boldly for the right. Convicted though he was of the value of the counsel given by Jeremiah, he had not the moral stamina to obey; and as a consequence he advanced steadily in the wrong direction.
The king was even too weak to be willing that his courtiers and people should know that he had held a conference with Jeremiah, so fully had the fear of man taken possession of his soul. If Zedekiah had stood up bravely and declared that he believed the words of the prophet, already half fulfilled, what desolation might have been averted! He should have said, I will obey the Lord, and save the city from utter ruin. I dare not disregard the commands of God because of the fear or favor of man. I love the truth, I hate sin, and I will follow the counsel of the Mighty One of Israel.
Then the people would have respected his courageous spirit, and those who were wavering between faith and unbelief would have taken a firm stand for the right. The very fearlessness and justice of this course would have inspired his subjects with admiration and loyalty. He would have had ample support, and Judah would have been spared the untold woe of carnage and famine and fire.
The weakness of Zedekiah was a sin for which he paid a fearful penalty. The enemy swept down like a resistless avalanche and devastated the city. The Hebrew armies were beaten back in confusion. The nation was conquered. Zedekiah was taken prisoner, and his sons were slain before his eyes. The king was led away from Jerusalem a captive, his eyes were put out, and after arriving in Babylon he perished miserably. The beautiful temple that for more than four centuries had crowned the summit of Mount Zion was not spared by the Chaldeans. "They burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof." 2 Chronicles 36:19.
At the time of the final overthrow of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, many had escaped the horrors of the long siege, only to perish by the sword. Of those who still remained, some, notably the chief of the priests and officers. and the princes of the realm, were taken to Babylon and there executed as traitors. Others were carried captive, to live in servitude to Nebuchadnezzar and to his sons "until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah." Verses 20, 21. Of Jeremiah himself it is recorded: "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuchadnezzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee." Jeremiah 39:11, 12.
Released from prison by the Babylonian officers, the prophet chose to cast in his lot with the feeble remnant, "certain poor of the land" left by the Chaldeans to be "vinedressers and husbandmen." Over these the Babylonians set Gedaliah as governor. Only a few months passed before the newly appointed governor was treacherously slain. The poor people, after passing through many trials, were finally persuaded by their leaders to take refuge in the land of Egypt. Against this move, Jeremiah lifted his voice in protest. "Go ye not into Egypt," he pleaded. But the inspired counsel was not heeded, and "all the remnant of Judah, . . . even men, and women, and children," took flight into Egypt. "They obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes." Jeremiah 43:5-7.
The prophecies of doom pronounced by Jeremiah upon the remnant that had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by fleeing to Egypt were mingled with promises of pardon to those who should repent of their folly and stand ready to return. While the Lord would not spare those who turned from His counsel to the seductive influences of Egyptian idolatry, yet He would show mercy to those who should prove loyal and true. "A small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah," He declared; "and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, Mine, or theirs." Jeremiah 44:28.
The sorrow of the prophet over the utter perversity of those who would have been the spiritual light of the world, his sorrow over the fate of Zion and of the people carried captive to Babylon, is revealed in the lamentations he has left on record as a memorial of the folly of turning from the counsels of Jehovah to human wisdom. Amid the ruin wrought, Jeremiah could still declare, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed;" and his constant prayer was, "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord." Lamentations 3:22, 40. While Judah was still a kingdom among the nations, he had inquired of his God, "Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? hath Thy soul loathed Zion?" and he had made bold to plead, "Do not abhor us, for Thy name's sake." Jeremiah 14:19, 21. The prophet's absolute faith in God's eternal purpose to bring order out of confusion, and to demonstrate to the nations of earth and to the entire universe His attributes of justice and love, now led him to plead confidently in behalf of those who might turn from evil to righteousness.
But now Zion was utterly destroyed; the people of God were in their captivity. Overwhelmed with grief, the prophet exclaimed: "How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
"Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy."
"How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not His footstool in the day of His anger! The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: He hath thrown down in His wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He hath brought them down to the ground: He hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel: He hath drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. He hath bent His bow like an enemy: He stood with His right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: He poured out His fury like fire."
"What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?"
"Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. . . . Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities. Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. . . . For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim."
"Thou, O Lord, remainest forever; Thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost Thou forget us forever, and forsake us so long time? Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old." Lamentations 1:1-5; 2:1-4, 13; 5:1-3, 7, 8, 17, 19-21.
NANUXII wrote:
vidya moshka wrote:Science is mankind’s attempt to describe something he didn’t create.
nice line ! and ditto btw.
Regarding your comment on the stones being poured , i think a mix of cut and poured is plausible. I say cut because the slabs in the pyramid are all odd sizes... would be harder to make 2.5 million casts and then pour them, unless they were modular but wood could not withstand the heat of molten rock.... I think they were cut and then heated to fit , some were cast yes but the bulk of the interior were cut. The precision of the shafts inside the pyramid would have to have been poured over form work.
Unless the shafts were super heated by a machine that could take a pre defined form and tunnel in a straight line whilst vitrifying the walls as it went and pushing the excess material out the end of the shaft , then sealing the shafts with heavier pre cut stones. We are talking about advanced tech so the imagination is probably closer to fact imo.
Making a cast out of copper is not likely , its melting point is about 1080 deg c , melting point of granite is about 1230 deg c and basalt is between 900 and 1250 deg c. I believe a cast was made yes , but out of what ? pouring molten rock into a copper cast would pretty much ruin the cast after one or 2 pours if not destroying it all together. If a cast was made from something that could withstand continuous heats of over 1000 deg c , only thing that could do that is a sort of tungsten alloy .. good for around 3400 deg c. But then how did they make the cast !? rocks and copper chisels ? pfft lol
Reason i say this is because they have found cutting swarf marks on the rocks , swarf marks, in case, are the marks left by a rotary tool when cutting a medium.
There are un finished rocks with a perfect cylinder cut into it but un finished .. they show what appears to be swarf marks from what we would call a diamond drill. Thats actually in the video i suggested for you.
Most of my professional life was as an engineer , both chemical and mechanical with a focus on reverse engineering and fuzzy logic, hence why i am so fascinated by the pyramids and im delighted to converse with someone with a scientific background !
N N
NANUXII wrote:Regarding when they were made , i say between 75 and 37 k years ago because they were all aligned to the equinox of Leo. You dont go that far into making structures aligned to an astrological form without being able to align to the planetary movements, which were obviously very important.
The energies we dont understand come into play here , obviously something they knew about alignment.
I also said could be over 300,000 years because thats when the neanderthal became extinct and homo sapiens started to emerge. I think that was the result of an extra terrestrial eugenics/genetic engineering program. Must have been , there is no way neanderthal could evolve to homo sapien in such a short time ... it would take some 10 to 15 million years for that to take place imo.
I also further postulate that the extra terrestrials who changed our dna originally 300,000 years ago might be a totally different race to the ones who occupied egypt etc 30 to 70k years ago ...
mind you limestone takes 100 years to erode 0.5 mm 70,000 years would only account for 35 mm ... i think the casings were thicker than that ...
hmmmm
OH ! I almost forgot , ive been having premonitions the last 4 to 5 weeks of something major starting in late March 2021 , possibly around the 20th ... Something to do with covid shenanigans which then lead into a banking run. I think it may be the banks will revoke cash asset guarantees, then shortly after that bank accounts and retirement funds will be raided , similar to what happened in greese. It may make crypto sky rocket .. or crypto might be targeted as well.
I feel quite strongly about this one , so much so that my partner and i have taken all our paper and crypto assets and put them into tangibles.
When i get these premonitions i must have at least one or two more coordinates to coincide with it and i have found them .. its created a marker for me.
So if you got cash in banks get it out and get it out now. If what i think is going to happen your paper money is going to lose value very fast. Tangibles like slv or gold are a no brainer.
N N
Carol wrote:
"Transition to a New Age for the American Continent Set to Begin"[/size]
P3 sources say Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is now the de facto Director calling the shots as interim caretaker, so-called President Joe Biden is holding his oval office appearances at the Castle Rock, Amazon Studios in Culver City, California. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3bx42MrtZw
The White House in Washington DC remains unoccupied. According to a colleague with a White House Press pass:
“The White House…press office and WH press contacts phone numbers have been disconnected, but I am still receiving forwarded emails from another server other than the White House. Also, the public comment line at the White House has been closed…this is just on the surface and is playing out to wake the sleepwalkers but I don’t see how they can keep up with this ruse for much longer.”
The so-called regime now “controlling” the United States has already proposed to other countries the idea of holding online meetings. In other words, it is just a matter of time before the leaders of other governments realize there is no physical Biden competent enough mentally for them to meet.
The P3 now wants Bezos to oversee a transition to a new system based on meritocracy and real-time democracy. They say he was assigned following a failed attempt by the Rockefeller family and the Khazarian Mafia to hand the U.S. over to Communist China in exchange for vast amounts of money.
When the Rockefellers were removed from control by the Illuminati, the Chinese Communist Party – also controlled by the Khazarian Mafia – retaliated by trying to invade Taiwan.
Now, following the CCP defeat in the air war over Taiwan, the CCP seized de facto control of Pakistan and Myanmar. They now have India surrounded and are threatening to invade it.
The military coup in Myanmar, which accounts for roughly 10% of global rare earth metal production, temporarily sent shares of Chinese rare earth companies surging, driven by fears that instability and U.S. sanctions could disrupt exports .
Also, on February 3rd, the U.S. and Japanese military were staging a live-fire drill at a training ground near Mt. Fuji when a massive fire erupted that raged uncontrolled all night. It was briefly reported in the Japanese media before a news black-out was enforced. None of our contacts was willing to talk about what happened but it looks like they were attacked, probably by the Chinese. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqczipCW1j0&feature=youtu.be
However, according to Japanese military intelligence, the Chinese Communist Party is about to…
lose power. The reason is that the Taiwan faction, connected to the old Ming, Sung, and Tang royal families, has activated its 8 million secret society members in mainland China. They did this in reaction to the attempted invasion of Taiwan and because the CCP killed millions of people in Wuhan with their ill-advised 5G activation. This means the people of China and the U.S. are fighting the same Satanic enemy.
This is what this entire Covid-19 bio-warfare campaign against the people of the planet is all about. For example, take a look at how Egypt punished slaves and damaged their brains to make them more docile and then compare it with “Covid-19 tests.” https://twitter.com/DeannaSpingola/status/1356349883251351554
Furthermore, if you do not think the pedophilia stuff is real, take a look at what took place in just one Catholic orphanage. Young boys were sold as sex objects over decades. For sure, this was not an isolated incident, child sex slavery, etc. was systematic and took place all over the world. https://www.thedailybeast.com/german-nuns-sold-orphaned-children-to-sexual-predators-says-report
Also, the systematic removal of all people involved in the Covid 19 crime is continuing according to MI6 and Russian FSB sources. That is certainly why Andrew Brooks a research professor at Rutgers University who developed the first saliva test for the coronavirus has unexpectedly died at the age of 51.
He also tweeted “Their recent events were a fiasco. #Trump ’s fall wasn’t just the fall of an unfit president. It was the decline of U.S. power & social order,” adding that these “are the words of U.S. experts, not ours.”
This, by the way, is what a high-level P3 Freemason source had to say about why U.S. President Trump left the White House:
“They got to Trump-they killed his brother with a ”heart attack” [in August 2020]. Also his wife Melania was on a government plane that made an emergency landing due to a “malfunction”– so Trump gave up. That is why Barr, Durham, Huber did nothing–and nothing will happen. Trump was not going to sacrifice his family for all these elections and was removed because he was standing in the way of a “Star Trek future.” (Note: They wish. Trump will be leading the Star Trek future.)
Although if many U.S. patriots are bitterly disappointed over this turn of events, they should not be. Instead of looking back at an imaginary past with rose-tinted glasses, they should participate in the ongoing second American Revolution by helping to create a better future.
Let’s also keep in mind recent developments such as U.S. General Michael Flynn speaking on February 6th in a 50-minute interview where he said, “We have to accept the situation as it is and now we have to do something about it.” Flynn noted that if they are trying to impeach Donald Trump then “you must still call him Mr. President because you can only impeach a sitting president.” He also noted, “People do not believe the nonsense coming out of our current government.” Flynn previously said he was 100% confident in the future outcome so let’s see where that goes.
He may be providing some misdirection for operational security as the public is now able to view a summary of key evidence in the “Absolute Proof” presentation likely to be used in Trump’s defense during the upcoming impeachment trial. It implicates many foreign nations of hacking the vote in a feeding frenzy with captured real-time IP addresses and vote tabulation. https://rumble.com/vdlebn-mike-lindell-absolute-proof-exposing-election-fraud-and-the-theft-of-americ.html
What Americans need to understand is that their country was taken over at an early stage by a cult of genocidal human slavers. For example, while all or most Americans know that the Declaration of Independence reads “all men are created equal…and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” they are mostly unaware it also contains the following phrase:
“The merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”
This false statement was used to justify a deliberate policy of genocide against First Nations. That is why in the U.S. now there is less than a quarter of the first nations peoples than were there when the first European settlers arrived.
Furthermore, the United States has been at war almost constantly during its 245 years of “independence.” Since World War II ended the United States has killed tens of millions of people through bio-warfare in Africa and other countries as well as through wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and elsewhere.
As someone with ancestors on the Mayflower, I do not forget that our ancestors were saved from starvation by the First Nations. That is why, together with Americans, we celebrate Thanksgiving. In Canada, we never forgot our original bond with the First Nations, which is why there are now far more of them than when Europeans first arrived.
Now is the time for Canada and the United States to create a new republic that really does treat all humans as equal.
If you do not like this vision, we recommend you take Bezos off his pedestal by pushing for something even better.
Also, we believe a more insidious enemy is the group of families who still control the Fortune 500 companies.
For example, the old oil, gas, and coal oligopolies are holding us back and keeping us poor by preventing the spread of hydrogen fuel. The technology exists where people can use a solar panel and water to create their own hydrogen fuel. The only exhaust these cars would produce would be water vapor.
Instead, they are pushing “green,” electric cars. The problem is most of the energy used to power electric vehicles comes from burning coal, which pollutes a lot more than gasoline-burning internal combustion engines do.
That is why “the European oil giants Total, BP and Shell have been buying up assets along the EV charging value chain. The latest news is that Shell has agreed to buy 100% of the European charging network ubitricity.”
The Japanese are fighting to remove Khazarian Mafia control of their country in part because their efforts to move to a hydrogen-based economy are being stifled by the Rockefeller type oil interests. Remember, these are the people who staged the March 11, 2011, Fukushima attack on Japan in part to force them to buy more oil.
Japanese right-wing sources say Japan will soon be an independent country as Khazarian proxies are being systematically removed.
In other countries, a series of regime changes are unfolding as well. Recently there have been changes of leadership in Holland, Myanmar, and Italy. These will be followed by changes in Thailand, Albania, Colombia, Germany, and Mongolia, according to Japanese right-wing sources, who successfully predicted the above three changes of government.
On a final note this week, the Chinese New Year this year will last for 16 days starting on February 12th. This means March is when big things will happen. That is when Asian secret societies say they’ll be ready to reopen negotiations with Western secret societies over the future of the planet. Their basic stance is “no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation to focus on cooperation and manage differences.” http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-02/08/c_139729794.htm
However, please brace yourself for turbulence over the next few weeks as Eastern and Western secret societies carry out big moves to try to strengthen their hands before the talks start again.
The WDS, for its part, is preparing major moves for the year of the charging bull. Remember, the bull is by far stronger than the strongest predator.
Last edited by orthodoxymoron on Sat Jul 23, 2022 4:27 am; edited 1 time in total
US, French and German volunteers have been living on freeze-dried food and trying to avoid personal conflicts on the red planet-like slopes of Mauna Loa. A scientist simulates working on the surface of Mars at the Hi-Seas habitat on the northern slope of Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Photograph: Neil Scheibelhut/AFP
Associated Press in Hilo, Hawaii Sunday 21 August 2016 15.36 EDTLast modified on Sunday 21 August 2016 16.40 EDT
Six scientists are close to wrapping up a year of near isolation in a Mars simulation on a Hawaii mountain.
The scientists are housed in a dome on Mauna Loa and can go outside only in spacesuits, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported. They manage limited resources while conducting research and working to avoid personal conflicts. Communication is delayed by 20 minutes, the length it would take to relay messages from Mars.
The Hawaiian dome where Nasa prepares humanity for life on Mars Kim Binsted, principal investigator for the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (Hi-Seas), said this simulation was the second-longest of its kind after a mission that lasted 520 days in Russia. “They’re doing OK, as far as we can tell,” Binsted said of the scientists.
Previous simulations in the Mauna Loa dome have lasted four to eight months. Mauna Loa soil is similar to what would be found on Mars. The area’s high elevation means almost no plant growth. Nasa funded the study run through the University of Hawaii.
The scientists will have access to fresh produce and other foods not available to them in the dome when the simulation ends on 28 August.
“They are clamoring to get into the ocean,” Binsted said. “I think they will enjoy having a beer as well.” The current simulation has been the fourth and longest, with volunteers from France, Germany and the United States, including a soil scientist, an astronomer, a physicist and an astrobiologist, who have survived on freeze-dried foods for months. An eight-month simulation starts in January.
"Can't we all just get along??" When I consider religious and political ecumenism, I feel like more of a sell-out heretic than you can imagine. This is the sort of thing I have to deal-with:
When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. — Ellen White 5T 451 (1885).
This quotation hit me right between the eyes when I recently suggested the possibility of taking a closer-look at French-Catholicism, British-Anglicanism, and American-Constitutionalism. Is the "Gulf" potentially the "English Channel"??!! Is "Spiritualism" my "dabbling" with the concepts of "Reincarnation" and "Ancient Egyptian Deities"??!! Is the "Abyss" the "Atlantic Ocean"?? My thinking angers "EVERYONE"!! I don't pick a side. I just insult "EVERYONE"!! I'm really NOT trying to win a popularity-contest -- and I'm NOT looking for a solar-system job. I'm simply attempting to make sense out of the absurd. "Order Out of Chaos" or something like that. What if there were a Neo Avingnon-Papacy (say in A.D. 2112)??!! Imagine an English-French-American North American Union!! Imagine Ron Paul, The SDA Bible Commentary, and Sacred Classical Music -- all in the context of the Abbey Church of St. Ouen!! Does ANYONE know what I'm talking about?? Do I know what I'm talking about?? Don't answer all at once!! Put Down Those Stones!!
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk38.html The dark years of destruction and death marking the end of the kingdom of Judah would have brought despair to the stoutest heart had it not been for the encouragements in the prophetic utterances of God's messengers. Through Jeremiah in Jerusalem, through Daniel in the court of Babylon, through Ezekiel on the banks of the Chebar, the Lord in mercy made clear His eternal purpose and gave assurance of His willingness to fulfill to His chosen people the promises recorded in the writings of Moses. That which He had said He would do for those who should prove true to Him, He would surely bring to pass. "The word of God . . . liveth and abideth forever." 1 Peter 1:23.
In the days of the wilderness wandering the Lord had made abundant provision for His children to keep in remembrance the words of His law. After the settlement in Canaan the divine precepts were to be repeated daily in every home; they were to be written plainly upon the doorposts and gates, and spread upon memorial tablets. They were to be set to music and chanted by young and old. Priests were to teach these holy precepts in public assemblies, and the rulers of the land were to make them their daily study. "Meditate therein day and night," the Lord commanded Joshua concerning the book of the law, "that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8.
The writings of Moses were taught by Joshua to all Israel. "There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them." Joshua 8:35. This was in harmony with the express command of Jehovah providing for a public rehearsal of the words of the book of the law every seven years, during the Feast of Tabernacles. "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates," the spiritual leaders of Israel had been instructed. "that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: and that their children, which have not known anything, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it." Deuteronomy 31:12, 13.
Had this counsel been heeded through the centuries that followed, how different would have been Israel's history! Only as a reverence for God's Holy Word was cherished in the hearts of the people, could they hope to fulfill the divine purpose. It was regard for the law of God that gave Israel strength during the reign of David and the earlier years of Solomon's rule; it was through faith in the living word that reformation was wrought in the days of Elijah and of Josiah. And it was to these same Scriptures of truth, Israel's richest heritage, that Jeremiah appealed in his efforts toward reform. Wherever he ministered he met the people with the earnest plea, "Hear ye the words of this covenant," words which would bring them a full understanding of God's purpose to extend to all nations a knowledge of saving truth. Jeremiah 11:12.
In the closing years of Judah's apostasy the exhortations of the prophets were seemingly of but little avail; and as the armies of the Chaldeans came for the third and last time to besiege Jerusalem, hope fled from every heart. Jeremiah predicted utter ruin; and it was because of his insistence on surrender that he had finally been thrown into prison. But God left not to hopeless despair the faithful remnant who were still in the city. Even while Jeremiah was kept under close surveillance by those who scorned his messages, there came to him fresh revelations concerning Heaven's willingness to forgive and to save, which have been an unfailing source of comfort to the church of God from that day to this.
Laying fast hold on the promises of God, Jeremiah, by means of an acted parable, illustrated before the inhabitants of the fated city his strong faith in the ultimate fulfillment of God's purpose for His people. In the presence of witnesses, and with careful observance of all necessary legal forms, he purchased for seventeen shekels of silver an ancestral field situated in the neighboring village of Anathoth.
From every human point of view this purchase of land in territory already under the control of the Babylonians, appeared to be an act of folly. The prophet himself had been foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, the desolation of Judea, and the utter ruin of the kingdom. He had been prophesying a long period of captivity in faraway Babylon. Already advanced in years, he could never hope to receive personal benefit from the purchase he had made. However, his study of the prophecies that were recorded in the Scriptures had created within his heart a firm conviction that the Lord purposed to restore to the children of the captivity their ancient possession of the Land of Promise. With the eye of faith Jeremiah saw the exiles returning at the end of the years of affliction and reoccupying the land of their fathers. Through the purchase of the Anathoth estate he would do what he could to inspire others with the hope that brought so much comfort to his own heart.
Having signed the deeds of transfer and secured the countersignatures of witnesses, Jeremiah charged Baruch his secretary: "Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land." Jeremiah 32:14, 15.
So discouraging was the outlook for Judah at the time of this extraordinary transaction that immediately after perfecting the details of the purchase and arranging for the preservation of the written records, the faith of Jeremiah, unshaken though it had been, was now sorely tried. Had he, in his endeavor to encourage Judah, acted presumptuously? In his desire to establish confidence in the promises of God's word, had he given ground for false hope? Those who had entered into covenant relationship with God had long since scorned the provisions made in their behalf. Could the promises to the chosen nation ever meet with complete fulfillment?
Perplexed in spirit, bowed down with sorrow over the sufferings of those who had refused to repent of their sins, the prophet appealed to God for further enlightenment concerning the divine purpose for mankind.
"Ah Lord God!" he prayed, "behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched-out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee: Thou showest loving-kindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the great, the mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is His name, great in counsel, and mighty in work: for Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made Thee a name, as at this day; and hast brought forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched-out arm, and with great terror; and hast given them this land, which Thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not Thy voice, neither walked in Thy law; they have done nothing of all that Thou commandedst them to do: therefore Thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them." Verses 17-23.
Nebuchadnezzar's armies were about to take the walls of Zion by storm. Thousands were perishing in a last desperate defense of the city. Many thousands more were dying of hunger and disease. The fate of Jerusalem was already sealed. The besieging towers of the enemy's forces were already overlooking the walls. "Behold the mounts," the prophet continued in his prayer to God; "they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what Thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, Thou seest it. And Thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans." Verses 24, 25.
The prayer of the prophet was graciously answered. "The word of the Lord unto Jeremiah" in that hour of distress, when the faith of the messenger of truth was being tried as by fire, was: "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?" Verses 26, 27. The city was soon to fall into the hand of the Chaldeans; its gates and palaces were to be set on fire and burned; but, notwithstanding the fact that destruction was imminent and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were to be carried away captive, nevertheless the eternal purpose of Jehovah for Israel was yet to be fulfilled. In further answer to the prayer of His servant, the Lord declared concerning those upon whom His chastisements were falling:
"Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in Mine anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul.
"For thus saith the Lord; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord." Verses 37-44.
In confirmation of these assurances of deliverance and restoration, "the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, "Thus saith the Lord the Maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is His name; Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; . . . Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities. . . . And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
"Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, . . . the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for His mercy endureth forever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. In the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah." Jeremiah 33:1-14.
Thus was the church of God comforted in one of the darkest hours of her long conflict with the forces of evil. Satan had seemingly triumphed in his efforts to destroy Israel; but the Lord was overruling the events of the present, and during the years that were to follow, His people were to have opportunity to redeem the past. His message to the church was:
"Fear thou not, O My servant Jacob; . . . neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee." "I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds." Jeremiah 30:10, 11, 17.
In the glad day of restoration the tribes of divided Israel were to be reunited as one people. The Lord was to be acknowledged as ruler over "all the families of Israel." "They shall be My people." He declared. "Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame; . . . they shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My first-born." Jeremiah 31:1, 7-9
Humbled in the sight of the nations, those who once had been recognized as favored of Heaven above all other peoples of the earth were to learn in exile the lesson of obedience so necessary for their future happiness. Until they had learned this lesson, God could not do for them all that He desired to do. "I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished," He declared in explanation of His purpose to chastise them for their spiritual good. Jeremiah 30:11. Yet those who had been the object of His tender love were not forever set aside; before all the nations of earth He would demonstrate His plan to bring victory out of apparent defeat, to save rather than to destroy. To the prophet was given the message:
"He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. . . . I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the Lord."
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness. And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks. For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul."
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31:10-14, 23-25, 31-34.
http://whiteestate.org/books/pk/pk39.html Among the children of Israel who were carried captive to Babylon at the beginning of the seventy years' captivity were Christian patriots, men who were as true as steel to principle, who would not be corrupted by selfishness, but who would honor God at the loss of all things. In the land of their captivity these men were to carry out God's purpose by giving to heathen nations the blessings that come through a knowledge of Jehovah. They were to be His representatives. Never were they to compromise with idolaters; their faith and their name as worshipers of the living God they were to bear as a high honor. And this they did. In prosperity and adversity they honored God, and God honored them.
The fact that these men, worshipers of Jehovah, were captives in Babylon, and that the vessels of God's house had been placed in the Temple of the Babylonish gods, was boastfully cited by the victors as evidence that their religion and customs were superior to the religion and customs of the Hebrews. Yet through the very humiliations that Israel's departure from Him had invited, God gave Babylon evidence of His supremacy, of the holiness of His requirements, and of the sure results of obedience. And this testimony He gave, as alone it could be given, through those who were loyal to Him.
Among those who maintained their allegiance to God were Daniel and his three companions--illustrious examples of what men may become who unite with the God of wisdom and power. From the comparative simplicity of their Jewish home, these youth of royal line were taken to the most magnificent of cities and into the court of the world's greatest monarch. Nebuchadnezzar "spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace. . . .
"Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. " Seeing in these youth the promise of remarkable ability, Nebuchadnezzar determined that they should be trained to fill important positions in his kingdom. That they might be fully qualified for their lifework, he arranged for them to learn the language of the Chaldeans and for three years to be granted the unusual educational advantages afforded princess of the realm.
The names of Daniel and his companions were changed to names representing Chaldean deities. Great significance was attached to the names given by Hebrew parents to their children. Often these stood for traits of character that the parent desired to see developed in the child. The prince in whose charge the captive youth were placed, "gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego."
The king did not compel the Hebrew youth to renounce their faith in favor of idolatry, but he hoped to bring this about gradually. By giving them names significant of idolatry, by bringing them daily into close association with idolatrous customs, and under the influence of the seductive rites of heathen worship, he hoped to induce them to renounce the religion of their nation and to unite with the worship of the Babylonians.
At the very outset of their career there came to them a decisive test of character. It was provided that they should eat of the food and drink of the wine that came from the king's table. In this the king thought to give them an expression of his favor and of his solicitude for their welfare. But a portion having been offered to idols, the food from the king's table was consecrated to idolatry; and one partaking of it would be regarded as offering homage to the gods of Babylon. In such homage, loyalty to Jehovah forbade Daniel and his companions to join. Even a mere pretense of eating the food or drinking the wine would be a denial of their faith. To do this would be to array themselves with heathenism and to dishonor the principles of the law of God.
Nor dared they risk the enervating effect of luxury and dissipation on physical, mental, and spiritual development. They were acquainted with the history of Nadab and Abihu, the record of whose intemperance and its results had been preserved in the parchments of the Pentateuch; and they knew that their own physical and mental power would be injuriously affected by the use of wine.
Daniel and his associates had been trained by their parents to habits of strict temperance. They had been taught that God would hold them accountable for their capabilities, and that they must never dwarf or enfeeble their powers. This education was to Daniel and his companions the means of their preservation amidst the demoralizing influences of the court of Babylon. Strong were the temptations surrounding them in that corrupt and luxurious court, but they remained uncontaminated. No power, no influence, could sway them from the principles they had learned in early life by a study of the word and works of God.
Had Daniel so desired, he might have found in his surroundings a plausible excuse for departing from strictly temperate habits. He might have argued that, dependent as he was on the king's favor and subject to his power, there was no other course for him to pursue than to eat of the king's food and drink of his wine; for should he adhere to the divine teaching, he would offend the king and probably lose his position and his life. Should he disregard the commandment of the Lord he would retain the favor of the king and secure for himself intellectual advantages and flattering worldly prospects.
But Daniel did not hesitate. The approval of God was dearer to him than the favor of the most powerful earthly potentate--dearer than life itself. He determined to stand firm in his integrity, let the result be what it might. He "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." And in this resolve he was supported by his three companions.
In reaching this decision, the Hebrew youth did not act presumptuously but in firm reliance upon God. They did not choose to be singular, but they would be so rather than dishonor God. Should they compromise with wrong in this instance by yielding to the pressure of circumstances, their departure from principle would weaken their sense of right and their abhorrence of wrong. The first wrong step would lead to others, until, their connection with Heaven severed, they would be swept away by temptation.
"God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs," and the request that he might not defile himself was received with respect. Yet the prince hesitated to grant it. "I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink," he explained to Daniel; "for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king."
Daniel then appealed to Melzar, the officer in special charge of the Hebrew youth, requesting that they might be excused from eating the king's meat and drinking his wine. He asked that the matter be tested by a ten days' trial, the Hebrew youth during this time being supplied with simple food, while their companions ate of the king's dainties.
Melzar, though fearful that by complying with this request he would incur the displeasure of the king, nevertheless consented; and Daniel knew that his case was won. At the end of the ten days' trial the result was found to be the opposite of the prince's fears. "Their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat." In personal appearance the Hebrew youth showed a marked superiority over their companions. As a result, Daniel and his associates were permitted to continue their simple diet during their entire course of training.
For three years the Hebrew youth studied to acquire "the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." During this time they held fast their allegiance to God and depended constantly upon His power. With their habits of self-denial they united earnestness of purpose, diligence, and steadfastness. It was not pride or ambition that had brought them into the king's court, into companionship with those who neither knew nor feared God; they were captives in a strange land, placed there by Infinite Wisdom. Separated from home influences and sacred associations, they sought to acquit themselves creditably, for the honor of their down-trodden people, and for the glory of Him whose servants they were.
The Lord regarded with approval the firmness and self-denial of the Hebrew youth, and their purity of motive; and His blessing attended them. He "gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." The promise was fulfilled, "Them that honor Me I will honor." 1 Samuel 2:30. As Daniel clung to God with unwavering trust, the spirit of prophetic power came upon him. While receiving instruction from man in the duties of court life, he was being taught by God to read the mysteries of the future and to record for coming generations, through figures and symbols, events covering the history of this world till the close of time.
When the time came for the youth in training to be tested, the Hebrews were examined, with other candidates, for the service of the kingdom. But "among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah." Their keen comprehension, their wide knowledge, their choice and exact language, testified to the unimpaired strength and vigor of their mental powers. "In all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm;" "therefore stood they before the king."
At the court of Babylon were gathered representatives from all lands, men of the highest talent, men the most richly endowed with natural gifts, and possessed of the broadest culture that the world could bestow; yet among them all, the Hebrew youth were without a peer. In physical strength and beauty, in mental vigor and literary attainment, they stood unrivaled. The erect form, the firm, elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses, the untainted breath--all were so many certificates of good habits, insignia of the nobility with which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws.
In acquiring the wisdom of the Babylonians, Daniel and his companions were far more successful than their fellow students; but their learning did not come by chance. They obtained their knowledge by the faithful use of their powers, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They placed themselves in connection with the Source of all wisdom, making the knowledge of God the foundation of their education. In faith they prayed for wisdom, and they lived their prayers. They placed themselves where God could bless them. They avoided that which would weaken their powers, and improved every opportunity to become intelligent in all lines of learning. They followed the rules of life that could not fail to give them strength of intellect. They sought to acquire knowledge for one purpose--that they might honor God. They realized that in order to stand as representatives of true religion amid the false religions of heathenism they must have clearness of intellect and must perfect a Christian character. And God Himself was their teacher. Constantly praying, conscientiously studying, keeping in touch with the Unseen, they walked with God as did Enoch.
True success in any line of work is not the result of chance or accident or destiny. It is the outworking of God's providences, the reward of faith and discretion, of virtue and perseverance. Fine mental qualities and a high moral tone are not the result of accident. God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them.
While God was working in Daniel and his companions "to will and to do of His good pleasure," they were working out their own salvation. Philippians 2:13. Herein is revealed the outworking of the divine principle of co-operation, without which no true success can be attained. Human effort avails nothing without divine power; and without human endeavor, divine effort is with many of no avail. To make God's grace our own, we must act our part. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort.
As the Lord co-operated with Daniel and his fellows, so He will co-operate with all who strive to do His will. And by the impartation of His Spirit He will strengthen every true purpose, every noble resolution. Those who walk in the path of obedience will encounter many hindrances. Strong, subtle influences may bind them to the world; but the Lord is able to render futile every agency that works for the defeat of His chosen ones; in His strength they may overcome every temptation, conquer every difficulty.
God brought Daniel and his associates into connection with the great men of Babylon, that in the midst of a nation of idolaters they might represent His character. How did they become fitted for a position of so great trust and honor? It was faithfulness in little things that gave complexion to their whole life. They honored God in the smallest duties, as well as in the larger responsibilities.
As God called Daniel to witness for Him in Babylon, so He calls us to be His witnesses in the world today. In the smallest as well as the largest affairs of life, He desires us to reveal to men the principles of His kingdom. Many are waiting for some great work to be brought to them, while daily they lose opportunities for revealing faithfulness to God. Daily they fail of discharging with wholeheartedness the little duties of life. While they wait for some large work in which they may exercise supposedly great talents, and thus satisfy their ambitious longings, their days pass away.
In the life of the true Christian there are no nonessentials; in the sight of Omnipotence every duty is important. The Lord measures with exactness every possibility for service. The unused capabilities are just as much brought into account as those that are used. We shall be judged by what we ought to have done, but did not accomplish because we did not use our powers to glorify God.
A noble character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. It is the result of self-discipline, of subjection of the lower to the higher nature, of the surrender of self to the service of God and man.
Through the fidelity to the principles of temperance shown by the Hebrew youth God is speaking to the youth of today. There is need of men who like Daniel will do and dare for the cause of right. Pure hearts, strong hands, fearless courage, are needed; for the warfare between vice and virtue calls for ceaseless vigilance. To every soul Satan comes with temptation in many alluring forms on the point of indulgence of appetite.
The body is a most important medium through which the mind and the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character. Hence it is that the adversary of souls directs his temptations to the enfeebling and degrading of the physical powers. His success here often means the surrender of the whole being to evil. The tendencies of the physical nature, unless under the dominion of a higher power, will surely work ruin and death. The body is to be brought into subjection to the higher powers of the being. The passions are to be controlled by the will, which is itself to be under the control of God. The kingly power of reason, sanctified by divine grace, is to bear sway in the life. Intellectual power, physical stamina, and the length of life depend upon immutable laws. Through obedience to these laws, man may stand conqueror of himself, conqueror of his own inclinations, conqueror of principalities and powers, of "the rulers of the darkness of this world," and of "spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12.
In that ancient ritual which is the gospel in symbol, no blemished offering could be brought to God's altar. The sacrifice that was to represent Christ must be spotless. The word of God points to this as an illustration of what His children are to be--"a living sacrifice," "holy and without blemish." Romans 12:1; Ephesians 5:27.
The Hebrew worthies were men of like passions with ourselves; yet, notwithstanding the seductive influences of the court of Babylon, they stood firm, because they depended upon a strength that is infinite. In them a heathen nation beheld an illustration of the goodness and beneficence of God, and of the love of Christ. And in their experience we have an instance of the triumph of principle over temptation, of purity over depravity, of devotion and loyalty over atheism and idolatry.
The spirit that possessed Daniel, the youth of today may have; they may draw from the same source of strength, possess the same power of self-control, and reveal the same grace in their lives, even under circumstances as unfavorable. Though surrounded by temptations to self-indulgence, especially in our large cities, where every form of sensual gratification is made easy and inviting, yet by divine grace their purpose to honor God may remain firm. Through strong resolution and vigilant watchfulness they may withstand every temptation that assails the soul. But only by him who determines to do right because it is right will the victory be gained. What a lifework was that of these noble Hebrews! As they bade farewell to their childhood home, little did they dream what a high destiny was to be theirs. Faithful and steadfast, they yielded to the divine guiding, so that through them God could fulfill His purpose.
The same mighty truths that were revealed through these men, God desires to reveal through the youth and children today. The life of Daniel and his fellows is a demonstration of what He will do for those who yield themselves to Him and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose.
Your daily reminder DC is still a prison. Photo of fence surrounding WH.
Don't underestimate the boss and his team. There's 1000's working behind the scenes you don't see. Taking down Queens, Pope's and Princes.
Assange is right. He saw their web of corruption nearly a decade ago. Which means, so did Trump. He's been planning this masterpiece for over a decade.
One of their biggest fears was that we all leave Twitter and Facebook and expose their bullshit. If they can't control you it eats at them. It's about power for the elites. They think they can play God but instead they will meet God, and it won't be pretty.
I told you January 6th the whole thing was staged. The girl is alive. Now with impeachment, the whole conversation is becoming popular. The problem is, most still can't figure out who staged it? Think laptops.
Undercover.
Lincoln 1865. History repeats itself. (photo of gallows)
No it's not MJ playing Bidan. He's playing the weekend. Can't play both.
Blinding lights lyrics.
I look around and Sin City's cold and empty (oh) No one's around to judge me (oh) I can't see clearly when you're gone.
Doomsday plane is for Scare event. Scare means fake. Movie. Remember?
The goal is to wake the sheep up.
The movie moves really fast from here. Impeachment trial is White Squall. Skippers trial.
Nightshift.
Mask bullshit is ending soon. Hang tight.
Which mask bs, the byedun mask bs or the Covid mask bs?
Both.
No the Mrna vax was to scare ya. Gates is gone. You see his new wife? Still don't get the vaccine. Vaccines are bs. Waste.
Yup.
Gates new wife
Lol
Jackets and brackets. Gates went down with Epstein.
Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive!Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive! Kappy is alive!
Alex Jones is controlled opposition. Mossad funded.
Don't get me wrong, Jones cracked the Bohemian Grove decades ago. But then sold out for $$$$.
If you think we aren't going to come under attack here you got are living in a fairy tale land. Last night on Telegram I experienced the most demonic brute force demonic and disgusting porn attack I've ever seen. 3000k replies with 90% of them beasiality from a dozen in a group attack. The demons will fight, and they will kick and scream. Be prepared, prayed up and mentally ready for battle. Be wise and vigilent, always on guard.
Having a beer with Lin while watching the tribunals on Cspan would make the best evening ever.
Look seriously to the liberals I have a message. Republicans aren't the problem. The corrupt politicians are the problem. Trump will unite with declas. When you find out the truth about 911 and Benghazi you'll be signing in the street with the Maga crew.
Still can't figure out what's worse, 911 or the ventilator genoicide with Covid.
If anons were carebears.
I believe Joe is...
President Actor
Trust the news Do not trust the news
See nothing wrong with 2021 See everything is nuts in 2021
Whose worse?
Don Lemon Anderson Pooper
I threw you a hard one there. Both suck. Lol.
Which one is the quarterback?
Barry Obama Big Mike
Oh stop you know Big Mike calls the plays.
"2020 has been tough on all of us" - Michelle Obama
You bad. Big Mike miracle grow.
Who uses signal?
Miracle grow as in fertilizer. Expand your thinking.
New year. New look. You think Trump didn't do XXXX in the last year? C'mon man. He said he was draining the swamp. Oh you think the swamp won? Not.
Christopher Wray is a sleeper. Barr is a stealth bomber. Facts.
Cia has toilet duty after all the dirty poopy things they've done.
Barr burried Biden. Not literally although Biden was literally burried.
Happel either flipped or she's a whitehat. Jury's still out on her. She's very secretive. She was Cia director. She's a tough one.
Servers raided in Germany true Haspel shot during raid was bs.
Barr is solid.
Anyone who plays the bagpipe ain't ds.
Everything you are hearing in the news is tottally bullshit. Seriously. I find 1% of accuracy in it daily. Not just intentional fake news, but Trump is feeding the media bullshit right now. Along w Wray. Media are the ass hats in the dark here. Death of the mockingbird media.
All these false flags is us. Feeding the bs narratives to the media. Capitol deaths. Missing C4 from California. Next up is Defcon missile scare. Part of the
You gotta fight fire with
10 pounds of explosives missing from Twentynine Palms Marine base. A reward is being offered to help find the 10 pounds of high-powered plastic explosives.
C4 doesn't go missing. Ever. Period. Not in the Usa.
Btw I wish they stole 17 pounds that would have been
Trump used this word 17 times when talking about background checks. President Donald Trump's latest support for "meaningful" background checks comes 18 months after he said background checks would be implemented following the Parkland mass shooting. CNN's Erin Burnett reports.
Are the children safe? It's a constant struggle. Much much safer than when Hillary roamed the streets, but evil always lurks. Keep an eye on your kids always. Trust nobody with your children.
This isn't like a lightswitch. Nothing happens all at once overnight. Trump has been fighting child trafficking for 4 years strong. He'll continue to do it. We are 10x better than we were in 2015. Always room for improvement and constantly a battle. But the adrenochrome factories are drying up. Just look at Kathy Griffin.
Holy Crap Jeff Flake just said they need 17 Republicans to impeach Trump.
Carol wrote:
Vidya Moksha wrote:
Carol wrote:Aquitted!! Passed 33!
sorry.breaking news.... they just had more votes arrive. He lost by 743 !
Hahahaha.. not bloody likely. Trump won. The whole charade was illegal to begin with but that is typical for the DemonicRats. Most who are Luciferians.
Both worship the Devil/Satan/Lucifer/darkside. Satanist participate in ritualistic sexual abuse, torture and murder of both children and adults. In addition children are tortured in order for the pineal gland to produce Adrenochrom, A child may produce 3-4 ounces before they are sacrificed and eaten. They found 50 gallon vats of Adrenochrom which is ingested to stay young looking. Zukerberg, a Satanist, talked about how addicting Adrenochrom was. These people are sick. At the top of demon list are the Reptilian who view humans as humans view cattle. To be used for food - both energetically and otherwise. Luciferians may start off in the more benign rituals and progress into the Satanic rituals.
There are hundreds of DUMBs connected by underground tunnels with cages filled with children hanging from the ceiling. Some have never seen daylight. One cannot even imagine the horrific conditions they exist in or the types of torture they endure before they are murdered. There were photos of dead bodies I wish I could have unseen that are provided in some of the disclosure materials. The links are on some of the telegram channels. However, even though I copied the links I don't have the stomach or heart to review them. Too painful.
The good news is that the Guardian Space Alliance is in full planet-wide rescue operation mode rescuing the children, destroying the DUMBs along with the tunnels and dealing with those down there that include military tribunals, executions or according to Gene DeCode life in prison off-planet.
Michael LaVaughn Robinson: Deep State Satanic NWO Tranny, Also Known As Michelle Obama Friday, February 12, 2021
) actually EVER fathom what is going on?
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; in penitence he began to retrace his steps toward the exalted plane of purity and holiness from whence he had fallen so far. He could never hope to escape the blasting results of sin, he could never free his mind from all remembrance of the self-indulgent course he had been pursuing, but he would endeavor earnestly to dissuade others from following after folly. He would humbly confess the error of his ways and lift his voice in warning lest others be lost irretrievably because of the influences for evil he had been setting in operation. 
) I don't know about souls being 'communication devices'?... But, they do seem to be the spark of life and consciousness required to operate these 'mammalian containers'. I'm good with OBEs, but I also do not want anything to do with seances, regression/hypnosis (other than self-hypnosis), and channeling. This RA... I'm thinking he may be an imposter entity. You know? A trickster entity masquerading as someone else perhaps? For all we know, there is/was an original benevolent RA whose form was hijacked. Trickster entities...The Rakshasa, for example, is a cannibal trickster entity that can apparently manifest in the form of someone you know and trust. It plucks the person/image from your own mind and becomes that person. That way it can get close enough to you so it can tear your flesh from your bones... Anyway, that's part of the 'legend'. It makes me wonder about 'angels', 'archangels', and 'guides'... and those 'family members' waving to loved ones from inside the white light tunnel... 
) and trust ourselves -- our own nature, our own intuition -- and look for answers inside.
