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| 1 Flee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a signal in Beth-haccerem; for evil appeareth out of the north, and a great destruction. |
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| 2 The comely and delicate one do I cut off, the daughter of Zion. |
Daughter of Zion – The nominal church. D23
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| 3 Shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. |
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| 4 Prepare war against her. Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day hath declined, for the shadows of the evening are lengthening. |
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| 5 Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces. |
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| 6 For thus hath Jehovah of hosts said: Hew ye down trees, and cast a mound against Jerusalem. She is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. |
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| 7 As a well poureth forth her waters, so she poureth forth her wickedness: violence and destruction are heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds. |
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| 8 Be thou instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee; lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited. |
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| 9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean like a vine the remnant of Israel: turn back thy hand, as a grape-gatherer unto the baskets. |
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| 10 To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. |
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| 11 And I am full of the fury of Jehovah, I am weary with holding in. Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken; the aged with him that is full of days. |
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| 12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah. |
With their fields – Of labor. C157
And wives – Churches. C157
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| 13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them, every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely. |
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| 14 And they have healed the breach of the daughter of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace! when there is no peace. |
Peace, peace – The whole world boasts that civilization and Christianity have won the day, that the world has become God's empire and the blessings of the Millennium are ours to enjoy. R4795:3
As at the World Parliament of Religions, it is merely a stroke of human policy to try to quiet the fears of the church. D238
As at the opening of the Kiel ship canal, where 120 ironclads participated. D156
As at the First National Arbitration Board, convened at Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 14, 1872. R5554:1
Ever since the first peace conference at The Hague the church systems have been declaring that war has come to an end. Q529:2
Their theory has been that universal peace between the nations would speedily usher in the Messianic Kingdom. R5554:2
There can be no true peace as long as there is sin; for sin is the great difficulty with the world. Q529:2
The Lord will raise up other servants who will not seek to please the ear with soft words, nor to lull the drowsy, but will proclaim the unvarnished truth concerning hypocrisy and deception. R563:3
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| 15 Are they ashamed that they have committed abomination? Nay, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they what it is to blush. Therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall stumble, saith Jehovah. |
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| 16 Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the ancient paths, which is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein2. |
Ask for – If our ways are not in harmony with those of God. R705:6*
This is the appropriate lesson for each of us, to come to the Bible afresh, to hear its message. SM543:1
The old paths – Not the theories of the Dark Ages; not Higher Criticism, Evolution, Theosophy, etc.; but the doctrines of Jesus and the apostles. SM302:1, SM543:1; E62
The finding of the Word began afresh with the introduction of the art of printing. R3609:4
The doctrines older than Wesley, Calvinism or Roman Catholicism--the doctrines of Jesus and the apostles and prophets. HG433:5
For example, celebrating the Memorial Supper upon its anniversary. R1943:2, R2115:2
As the "old paths" are found, pompous human titles which seem so much to the world and to Babylon come to appear vain, inappropriate and deceitful. R2826:2
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| 17 Also I have set watchmen over you: --Hearken ye to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. |
Watchmen – The prophets and others. R1795:6
Of the trumpet – Let the trumpet give no uncertain sound. (1 Cor. 14:8) R309:1*
The trumpet is to sound until a company shall be developed who will be the virgins, the companions of the Bride. (Psa. 45:14) R309:1*
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| 18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O assembly, what is among them. |
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| 19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts; for they have not hearkened unto my words, and as to my law, they have rejected it. |
Hear, O earth – Society. A318
I will bring evil – Prophetic of the siege of Jerusalem after Jesus' death. R2787:3
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| 20 To what purpose should there come to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing unto me. |
Incense – Representing praise. R3703:4
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| 21 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall over them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. |
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| 22 Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation is stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. |
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| 23 They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as a man for the battle, against thee, daughter of Zion. |
Like the sea – The restless, turbulent, dissatisfied masses of the world. A318
Ride upon horses – Doctrines. C316
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| 24 We have heard the report thereof: our hands are grown feeble; anguish hath taken hold of us, pain as of a woman that travaileth. |
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| 25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for there is the sword of the enemy, terror is on every side. |
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| 26 Daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes: make mourning, as for an only son--bitter lamentation; for the spoiler cometh suddenly upon us. |
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| 27 I have set thee among my people as an assayer, a fortress, that thou mayest know and try their way.
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| 28 They are all the most rebellious of rebels, going about with slander: they are bronze and iron; they are all corrupters. |
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| 29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; they have melted, and melted in vain; and the bad are not plucked away. |
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| 30 Reprobate silver shall they call them, for Jehovah hath rejected them. |
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