the great controversy-第146节

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Saith　the　Lord：　〃They　have　healed　the　hurt　of　the　daughter　of　My　people
slightly；　saying；　Peace；　peace；　when　there　is　no　peace。〃　〃With　lies　ye　have
made　the　heart　of　the　righteous　sad；　whom　I　have　not　made　sad；　and
strengthened　the　hands　of　the　wicked；　that　he　should　not　return　from　his
wicked　way；　by　promising　him　life。〃　Jeremiah　8：11；　Ezekiel　13：22。

〃Woe　be　unto　the　pastors　that　destroy　and　scatter　the　sheep　of　My　pasture！　。
。　。　Behold；　I　will　visit　upon　you　the　evil　of　your　doings。〃　〃Howl；　ye
shepherds；　and　cry；　and　wallow　yourselves　in　the　ashes；　ye　principal　of　the
flock：　for　your　days　for　slaughter　and　of　your　dispersions　are　accomplished；
。　。　。　and　the　shepherds　shall　have　no　way　to　flee；　nor　the　principal　of　the
flock　to　escape。〃　Jeremiah　23：1；
2；　25：34；　35；　margin。

Ministers　and　people　see　that　they　have　not　sustained　the　right　relation　to
God。　They　see　that　they　have　rebelled　against　the　Author　of　all　just　and
righteous　law。　The　setting　aside　of　the　divine　precepts　gave　rise　to
thousands　of　springs　of　evil；　discord；　hatred；　iniquity；　until　the　earth
became　one　vast　field　of　strife；　one　sink　of　corruption。　This　is　the　view
that　now　appears　to　those　who　rejected　truth　and　chose　to　cherish　error。　No
language　can　express　the　longing　which　the　disobedient　and　disloyal　feel　for
that　which　they　have　lost　forevereternal　life。　Men　whom　the　world　has
worshiped　for　their　talents　and　eloquence　now　see　these　things　in　their　true
light。　They　realize　what　they　have　forfeited　by　transgression；　and　they　fall
at　the　feet　of　those　whose　fidelity　they　have　despised　and　derided；　and
confess　that　God　has　loved　them。

The　people　see　that　they　have　been　deluded。　They　accuse　one　another　of
having　led　them　to　destruction；　but　all　unite　in　heaping　their　bitterest
condemnation　upon　the　ministers。　Unfaithful　pastors　have　prophesied　smooth
things；　they　have　led　their　hearers　to　make　void　the　law　of　God　and　to

656

persecute　those　who　would　keep　it　holy。　Now；　in　their　despair；　these
teachers　confess　before　the　world　their　work　of　deception。　The　multitudes
are　filled　with　fury。　〃We　are　lost！〃　they　cry；　〃and　you　are　the　cause　of　our
ruin；〃　and　they　turn　upon　the　false　shepherds。　The　very　ones　that　once
admired　them　most　will　pronounce　the　most　dreadful　curses　upon　them。　The
very　hands　that　once　crowned　them　with　laurels　will　be　raised　for　their
destruction。　The　swords　which　were　to　slay　God's　people　are　now　employed　to
destroy　their　enemies。　Everywhere　there　is　strife　and　bloodshed。

〃A　noise　shall　come　even　to　the　ends　of　the　earth；　for　the　Lord　hath　a
controversy　with　the　nations；　He　will　plead　with　all　flesh；　He　will　give
them　that　are　wicked　to　the　sword。〃　Jeremiah　25：31。　For　six　thousand　years
the　great　controversy　has　been　in　progress；　the　Son　of　God　and　His　heavenly
messengers　have　been　in　conflict　with　the　power　of　the　evil　one；　to　warn；
enlighten；　and　save　the　children　of　men。　Now　all　have　made　their　decisions；
the　wicked　have　fully　united　with　Satan　in　his　warfare　against　God。　The　time
has　come　for　God　to　vindicate　the　authority　of　His　downtrodden　law。　Now　the
controversy　is　not　alone　with　Satan；　but　with　men。　〃The　Lord　hath　a
controversy　with　the　nations；〃　〃He　will　give　them　that　are　wicked　to　the
sword。〃

The　mark　of　deliverance　has　been　set　upon　those　〃that　sigh　and　that　cry　for
all　the　abominations　that　be　done。〃　Now　the　angel　of　death　goes　forth；
represented　in　Ezekiel's　vision　by　the　men　with　the　slaughtering　weapons；　to
whom　the　command　is　given：　〃Slay　utterly　old　and　young；　both　maids；　and
little　children；　and　women：　but　come　not　near　any　man　upon　whom　is　the　mark；
and　begin　at　My　sanctuary。〃　Says　the　prophet：　〃They　began　at　the　ancient　men
which　were　before　the　house。〃　Ezekiel　9：1…6。　The　work　of　destruction　begins
among　those　who　have　professed　to　be　the　spiritual　guardians　of　the　people。
The　false　watchmen　are　the　first　to　fall。　There　are　none　to　pity　or　to
spare。　Men；　women；　maidens；　and　little　children　perish　together。

〃The　Lord　cometh　out　of　His　place　to　punish　the　inhabitants

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of　the　earth　for　their　iniquity：　the　earth　also　shall　disclose　her　blood；
and　shall　no　more　cover　her　slain。〃　Isaiah　26：21。　〃And　this　shall　be　the
plague　wherewith　the　Lord　will　smite　all　the　people　that　have　fought　against
Jerusalem；　Their　flesh　shall　consume　away　while　they　stand　upon　their　feet；
and　their　eyes　shall　consume　away　in　their　holes；　and　their　tongue　shall
consume　away　in　their　mouth。　And　it　shall　come　to　pass　in　that　day；　that　a
great　tumult　from　the　Lord　shall　be　among　them；　and　they　shall　lay　hold
everyone　on　the　hand　of　his　neighbor；　and　his　hand　shall　rise　up　against　the
hand　of　his　neighbor。〃　Zechariah　14：12；　13。　In　the　mad　strife　of　their　own
fierce　passions；　and　by　the　awful　outpouring　of　God's　unmingled　wrath；　fall
the　wicked　inhabitants　of　the　earthpriests；　rulers；　and　people；　rich　and
poor；　high　and　low。　〃And　the　slain　of　the　Lord　shall　be　at　that　day　from　one
end　of　the　earth　even　unto　the　other　end　of　the　earth：　they　shall　not　be
lamented；　neither　gathered；　nor　buried。〃　Jeremiah　25：33。

At　the　coming　of　Christ　the　wicked　are　blotted　from　the　face　of　the　whole
earthconsumed　with　the　spirit　of　His　mouth　and　destroyed　by　the　brightness
of　His　glory。　Christ　takes　His　people　to　the　City　of　God；　and　the　earth　is
emptied　of　its　inhabitants。　〃Behold；　the　Lord　maketh　the　earth　empty；　and
maketh　it　waste；　and　turneth　it　upside　down；　and　scattereth　abroad　the
inhabitants　thereof。〃　〃The　land　shall　be　utterly　emptied；　and　utterly
spoiled：　for　the　Lord　hath　spoken　this　word。〃　〃Because　they　have
transgressed　the　laws；　changed　the　ordinance；　broken　the　everlasting
covenant。　Therefore　hath　the　curse　devoured　the　earth；　and　they　that　dwell
therein　are　desolate：　therefore　the　inhabitants　of　the　earth　are　burned。〃
Isaiah　24：1；　3；　5；　6。

The　whole　earth　appears　like　a　desolate　wilderness。　The　ruins　of　cities　and
villages　destroyed　by　the　earthquake；　uprooted　trees；　ragged　rocks　thrown
out　by　the　sea　or　torn　out　of　the　earth　itself；　are　scattered　over　its
surface；　while　vast　caverns　mark　the　spot　where　the　mountains　have　been　rent
from　their　foundations。

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Now　the　event　takes　place　foreshadowed　in　the　last　solemn　service　of　the　Day
of　Atonement。　When　the　ministration　in　the　holy　of　holies　had　been
completed；　and　the　sins　of　Israel　had　been　removed　from　the　sanctuary　by
virtue　of　the　blood　of　the　sin　offering；　then　the　scapegoat　was　presented
alive　before　the　Lord；　and　in　the　presence　of　the　congregation　the　high
priest　confessed　over　him　〃all　the　iniquities　of　the　children　of　Israel；　and
all　their　transgressions　in　all　their　sins；　putting　them　upon　the　head　of
the　goat。〃　Leviticus　16：21。　In　like　manner；　when　the　work　of　atonement　in
the　heavenly　sanctuary　has　been　completed；　then　in　the　presence　of　God　and
heavenly　angels　and　the　hosts　of　the　redeemed　the　sins　of　God's　people　will
be　placed　upon　Satan；　he　will　be　declared　guilty　of　all　the　evil　which　he
has　caused　them　to　commit。　And　as　the　scapegoat　was　sent　away　into　a　land
not　inhabited；　so　Satan　will　be　banished　to　the　desolate　earth；　an
uninhabited　and　dreary　wilderness。

The　revelator　foretells　the　banishment　of　Satan　and　the　condition　of　chaos
and　desolation　to　which　the　earth　is　to　be　reduced；　and　he　declares　that
this　condition　will　exist　for　a　thousand　years。　After　presenting　the　scenes
of　the　Lord's　second　coming　and　the　destruction　of　the　wicked；　the　prophecy
continues：　〃I　saw　an　angel　come　down　from　heaven；　having　the　key　of　the
bottomless　pit　and　a　great　chain　in　his　hand。　And　he　laid　hold　on　the
dragon；　that　old　serpent；　which　is　the　devil；　and　Satan；　and　bound　him　a
thousand　years；　and　cast　him　into　the　bottomless　pit；　and　shut　him　up；　and
set　a　seal　upon　him；　that　he　should　deceive　the　nations　no　more；　till　the
thousand　years　should　be　fulfilled：　and　after　that　he　must　be　loosed　a
little　season。〃　Revelation　20：1…3。

That　the　expression　〃bottomless　pit〃　represents　the　earth　in　a　state　of
confusion　and　darkness　is　evident　from　other　scriptures。　Concerning　the
condition　of　the　earth　〃in　the　beginning；〃　the　Bible　record　says　that　it
〃was　without　form；　and　void；　and　darkness　was　upon　the　face　of　the　deep。〃＇*
THE　HEBREW　WORD　HERE　TRANSLATED　〃DEEP〃　IS　RENDERED　IN　THE　SEPTUAGINT　（GREEK）
TRANSLATION　OF　THE　HEBREW　OLD　TESTAMENT　BY　THE　SAME　WORD　RENDERED
〃BOTTOMLESS　PIT〃　IN　REVELATION　20：1…3。＇

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Genesis　1：2。　Prophecy　teaches　that　it　will　be　brought　back；　partially　at
least；　to　this　condition。　Looking　forward　to　the　great　day　of　God；　the
prophet　Jeremiah　declares：　〃I　beheld　the　earth；　and；　lo；　it　was　without
form；　and　void；　and　the　heavens；　and　they　had　no　light。　I　beheld　the
mountains；　and；　lo；　they　trembled；　and　all　the　hills　moved　lightly。　I
beheld；　and；　lo；　there　was　no　man；　and　all　the　birds　of　the　heavens　were
fled。　I　beheld；　and；　lo；　the　fruitful　place　was　a　wilderness；　and　all　the
cities　thereof　were　broken　down。〃　Jeremiah　4：23…26。

Here　is　to　be　the　home　of　Satan　with　his　evil　angels　for　a