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| 1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through, so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. |
The burden of – Much of the threatening of this chapter is of two-fold application and fulfilment, on literal and symbolic Babylon. R45:1
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Desert of the sea – This only makes sense when looked at symbolically. A desert is a place without water. The sea here is the symbolic sea class, the irreligious restless masses of mankind. R498 |
| 2 A grievous vision is declared unto me: the treacherous dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, Elam! besiege, Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease. |
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| 3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain; anguish hath taken hold upon me, as the anguish of a woman in travail: I am bowed down so as not to hear, I am dismayed so as not to see. |
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| 4 My heart panteth, horror affrighteth me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into trembling unto me. |
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| 5 Prepare the table, appoint the watch; eat, drink: arise, ye princes, anoint the shield. |
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| 6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. |
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A watchman – Pastor Russell. |
| 7 And he saw chariots, horsemen by pairs, a chariot with asses, a chariot with camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed. |
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| 8 And he cried as a lion, Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights. |
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He cried, A lion – Corrected translation: "He cried as a lion." Here the watchman (Pastor Russell) cries out a message from our returned Lord (thus he is said to have "cried as a lion" - as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as our Lord.)
I stand continually upon the watchtower – As a faithful watchman should do. A watchman watches for the morning and watches for danger. Pastor Russell fulfilled both of these duties. |
| 9 --And behold, there cometh a chariot of men; horsemen by pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. |
Babylon is fallen – Mystic Babylon, Christendom. R45:1
The fall of the literal was by the turning aside of the waters and the drying up of the Euphrates. The symbolic Euphrates is also said to be "dried up." (Rev. 16:12) Each is compared to a stone cast into the water. (Jer. 51:64; Rev. 18:21) R45:1
As Jesus said, "your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 23:38), so in the spring of 1878 AD the nominal gospel church was given up and their house left desolate. R46:1
The two events of the New Jerusalem or Kingdom of God being established in the earth and the complete overthrow of the great city of Babylon will occur simultaneously. R1352:6[R1352:6]
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Babylon – Christendom, confusion, especially the confused condition of being mixed with the civil powers, the union of church and state. |
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| 10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor! What I have heard of Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. |
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My threshing – A reference to the Harvest Work of threshing out the grain.
Corn of my floor – Compare Matt. 3:12. |
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| 11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? |
Watchman – "I will stand upon my watch, and will set my foot upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me." (Hab. 2:1) R4943:6
On the lookout from whence matters of interest and profit may be announced to the "Little Flock," and as "The Herald of Christ's Presence" to give "meat in due season" to the "household of faith." R3:5
It is the duty of the watchman on the walls of Zion to declare the whole counsel of God--the bitter as well as the sweet. HG414:1
The Rabbis expound that the watchman who speaks here is the Messiah. R4691:6*
What of the night? – That is, what hour of night is it? "Little children, it is the last hour." (1 John 2:18) R4692:4*
It is right for us to desire the morning, to hope for it, to inquire as to the signs of it hour after hour. R302:2*
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| 12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire; return, come. |
The morning – The Millennial morning, which will bring to light the hidden things of darkness. A21; C208; R968:1, R1774:1, R3332:1, R4926:2
It will dispel the noxious vapors of evil and bring life, health, peace and joy. A21
We have been in the Millennial dawn since the year 1874 and enjoying many of its blessings. SM792:2
When He appears, Day appears. R302:3*
"The Lord shall help her (the Church) early in the morning." (Psa. 46:5) R2504:4
Cometh – Has come (Revised Swedish Bible). R3531:2*
We are in the morning of this text. R6014:2
Daybreak began more than a century ago--in the year 1799 AD. HG416:1
Were this morning an uncertainty, how dark the night would seem! how difficult to fight against faintness and despair! R303:5*
In proportion as the blessings of God have come in this New Day the discontent and unbelief of humanity have increased. SM794:3
And also – And still it is (Revised Swedish Bible). R3531:2*
The night – The time of trouble. R3332:1; D273
A much darker time in comparison with the present, which is called day. R968:2
The sunlight of Gospel truth, which has enlightened the Church, is fading out gradually and being eclipsed by worldly wisdom. HG418:4
The short night of trouble will affect the consecrated followers before it reaches the world in general. R4167:6
A night of trouble, in the forepart of which the saints will be gathered out of Babylon. D608
Typified by the imprisonment of John the Baptist. R1754:5
The night of the parable of the rich fool. (Luke 12:15-20) D273
"The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine." (2 Tim. 4:3) R968:2
When the sun and moon (the Gospel and the Mosaic Law) shall be dark (general infidelity being widespread); and the stars (apostolic lights) withdraw their shining. (Joel 2:10) D544
"Wherein no man can work." (John 9:4) C208, C211, C225; D544; R968:2, R1754:5, R1409:1, R587:4*
After the morning dawn has been well ushered in--a dark cloud just at sunrise. R6014:3; SM795:2
An overcasting of the skies, a great morning storm. R4149:4; HG417:5
Great tribulation immediately preceding the dawning of the glorious day. R1774:1, R3332:1
When the religious liberty now enjoyed will be greatly restricted by the strong hand of combined civil and ecclesiastical power. R1409:1
When all opportunities for service will be effectually obstructed, leaving no opportunity for candidates to enter the work--the shutting of the door. C208
"in that night there shall be two in one bed." (Luke 17:34) D608
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night." (Psa. 91:5) R3332:1, R4926:2
If ye will inquire – If ye will ask more (Revised Swedish Bible) than "what of the night?" R3531:2*
For the length of the night is hidden, the time of the daybreak is uncertain. R302:2*
Inquire ye – Because you ought to know; because without a knowledge of prophecy God's present works are a mystery; and because knowing the future is of incalculable importance in shaping the present. R4691:5*
Return, come – Come back again (for more information). R3531:2*
To the Jews, Turn ye, repentance toward God; and come, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. R4691:6*
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| 13 The burden against Arabia. In the forest of Arabia shall ye lodge, ye caravans of Dedanites. |
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| 14 Bring ye water to meet the thirsty! The inhabitants of the land of Tema come forth with their bread for him that fleeth. |
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| 15 For they flee from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. |
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| 16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Within a year, according to the years of a hired servant, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail; |
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| 17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, shall be diminished: for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken. |
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