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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Bend yourselves, yea, bend ye, O nation not desired, |
O nation – The Royal Priesthood, the Holy Nation. R996:4
Not desired – Despised by the world because of your faithfulness to God and the truth. R996:4
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| 2 Before the bringing forth of a statute, As chaff hath the day passed on, While yet not come in upon you doth the heat of the anger of Jehovah, While yet not come in upon you doth a day of the anger of Jehovah, |
Bring forth – Before the decree brings forth its results. R996:4
Before the day – The day of trouble. A334
Pass as the chaff – As fire consuming chaff; quickly in comparison with the slow operation of past ages. A334; R996:4
Come upon you – There is no hope held out that this trouble can be averted. D540
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| 3 Seek Jehovah, all ye humble of the land, Who His judgment have done, Seek ye righteousness, seek humility, It may be ye are hidden in a day of the anger of Jehovah. |
Seek ye the LORD – Exhorting the better elements of the world, not the Church, which is accounted worthy to escape those things coming upon the world. D68; R4997:4[R4997]; R2021:1; R5041:6[R5041]
Let him present himself wholly to God that he may know and do God's will, and thus prepare himself for the ushering in of the Kingdom. HG516:4
All ye – A class of the world not spirit-begotten. Q719:1; R5041:6, R1607:5
Meek of the earth – The humble of the world in general. A334; D68; F555
As well as the Body of Christ. A334
This class should include all mature children of the consecrated ones who have been rightly taught in the precepts of the Lord. F555
Few are in the attitude of mind to hear this message. OV86:4
No doubt the trouble will be equally upon the poor; but to them it will seem less severe since they have been accustomed to less. SM191:2
"Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." (Isa. 24:6) R5041:6
Wrought his judgment – His will. A334
Who love justice and pursue peace. A334; D540
Seek righteousness – Justice. PD92/107
The right, the truth. R996:4
Practice righteousness, truth, godliness, kindness, benevolence, justice; trust in the Lord; seek to walk in his ways. R2564:5
The wise policy, to say nothing of principle, is to deal justly, generously and kindly with our fellow-men in every rank and condition of life. D67
The Lord will be pleased to select from among such penitent seekers of righteousness some as substitutes to complete his elect Church. R2564:5
Such will be the ones most ready to welcome our King and his Kingdom. R2564:5
Instead of seeking a non-existent place of safety, let us bring our selves in to a condition of safety. R2021:1; F554
Seek meekness – For those who are not seeking after righteousness and meekness, it will be better for them to go through the trouble in order to prepare them for the great blessing to come later. R5864:2
Seek the right and seek it meekly--the time is short. R996:5
The more meek and righteous men may be, the better they will be prepared for the awful shock and terrible distress of that day of trouble. R4997:5
During the time of trouble, for the first time in the world's history there will be a premium on meekness, patience, love, gentleness, goodness. R1963:6
Rely on the Lord and not on carnal weapons. SM191:2
It may be – As a consequence of seeking righteousness and meekness. R1607:5
Ye shall be hid – Partly hid. A334
Protected from at least some measure of trouble. R2021:1, R5864:2, R1607:5
In the French Revolution, which was a type of the Day of Vengeance, favors were shown to the just, generous and kind, and extreme wrath was visited upon oppressors. D67, D68
Not the Great Company--for they shall suffer the destruction of the flesh in this time of trouble. R5041:6, R1963:6
As the three Hebrews were preserved in the fiery furnace. R5041:6
Their manner of life, habits of thought and action, sympathies for the right, and appreciation of the Bible account of the trouble and its outcome, will all conspire to make them suffer less than others. A334
Words of wisdom to the world in general. The Little Flock is promised that they shall escape all those things coming upon the world. (Luke 21:36) D68
Day of the LORD'S anger – The anarchy of the French Revolution and the anarchy which overthrew the Jewish nation in AD70 are Scriptural illustrations of what may be expected soon. PD92/107
Against that evil day, we warn men that they repent and develop meekness and righteousness. R4433:1
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| 4 For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon [is] for a desolation, Ashdod! at noon they do cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up. |
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| 5 Ho! O inhabitants of the sea-coast, Nation of the Cherethites, A word of Jehovah [is] against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines, And I have destroyed thee without an inhabitant. |
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| 6 And the sea-coast hath been habitations, Cottages [for] shepherds, and folds [for] a flock. |
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| 7 And the coast hath been for the remnant of the house of Judah, By them they have pleasure, In houses of Ashkelon at even they lie down, For inspect them doth Jehovah their God, And He hath turned back [to] their captivity. |
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| 8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, Wherewith they reproached My people, And magnify [themselves] against their border. |
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| 9 Therefore, I live, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Surely, Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them, And a remnant of My nation inherit them. |
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| 10 This [is] to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify [themselves] against the people of Jehovah of Hosts. |
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| 11 Fearful [is] Jehovah against them, For He made bare all gods of the land, And bow themselves to Him, each from his place, Do all islanders of the nations.
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| 12 Also ye, O Cushim, pierced of My sword [are] they. |
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| 13 And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur, And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness. |
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| 14 And crouched in her midst have droves, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedge-hog in her knobs lodge, A voice doth sing at the window, 'Destruction [is] at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.' |
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| 15 This [is] the exulting city that is dwelling confidently, That is saying in her heart, 'I [am], and beside me there is none,' How hath she been for a desolation, A crouching-place for beasts, Every one passing by her doth hiss, He doth shake his hand! |
The rejoicing city – Babylon, Christendom. D527
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