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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
The Rebels Perish
Korah, in his exalted self-confidence, gathered all the congregation
of Israel against Moses and Aaron, “unto the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the
congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume
them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God,
the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be
wroth with all the congregation?
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congrega-
tion, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan,
and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram;
and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congre-
gation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men,
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and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. So
they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on
every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door
of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to
do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If
these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after
the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the
Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow
them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick
into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the
Lord.” As Moses ceased speaking, the earth opened, and their tents,
and all that pertained unto them, were swallowed up. They went down
alive into the pit, the earth closed over them, and they perished from
among the congregation.
As the children of Israel heard the cry of the perishing ones, they
fled a great distance from them. They knew that they were in a measure
guilty, for they had received the accusations against Moses and Aaron,
and they were afraid that they would also perish with them. But the
judgment of God was not yet finished. A fire came from the cloud
of glory and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered
incense. These were princes; that is, men generally of good judgment
and of influence in the congregation, men of renown. They were highly