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| 1 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction. |
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| 2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. |
Daughter of Zion – The nominal church. D23
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| 3 The 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 ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. |
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| 5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces. |
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| 6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. |
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| 7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. |
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| 8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. |
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| 9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. |
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| 10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
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| 11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, 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, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. |
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 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, 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 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. |
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| 16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. |
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 set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken 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 congregation, what is among them. |
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| 19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but 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 cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. |
Incense – Representing praise. R3703:4
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| 21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. |
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| 22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. |
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| 23 They shall 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 men for war against thee, O 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 fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. |
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| 25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. |
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| 26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. |
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| 27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. |
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| 28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are copper and iron; they are all corrupters. |
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| 29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. |
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| 30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. |
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