Page 366 - The Faith I Live By (1958)

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Saved From Violence, December 7
Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept;
and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into
the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
Isaiah 30:29
.
When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those
who honor the law of God, there will be, in different lands, a simultane-
ous movement for their destruction....
The people of God—some in prison cells, some hidden in solitary
retreats in the forests and the mountains—still plead for divine protec-
tion, while in every quarter companies of armed men, urged on by hosts
of evil angels, are preparing for the work of death....
With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil
men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness,
deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a
rainbow ... spans the heavens, and seems to encircle each praying
company....
By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard, saying,
“Look up,” and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they behold the bow
of promise. The black, angry clouds that covered the firmament are
parted, and like Stephen they look up steadfastly into heaven, and see
the glory of God, and the Son of man seated upon His throne. In His
divine form they discern the marks of His humiliation; and from His lips
they hear the request, presented before His Father and the holy angels,
“I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.”
John 17:24
. Again a voice, musical and triumphant, is heard, saying:
“They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled. They have
kept the word of My patience; they shall walk among the angels;” and
the pale, quivering lips of those who have held fast their faith, utter a
shout of victory. It is at midnight that God manifests His power for
the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength.
Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with
terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with
solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance.
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