Chapter 52—The Church the Light of the World
The Lord called out His people Israel and separated them from the
world that He might commit to them a sacred trust. He made them the
depositaries of His law, and He designed, through them, to preserve
among men the knowledge of Himself. Through them the light of
heaven was to shine out to the dark places of the earth, and a voice
was to be heard appealing to all peoples to turn from their idolatry to
serve the living and true God. Had the Hebrews been true to their trust,
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they would have been a power in the world. God would have been
their defense, and He would have exalted them above all other nations.
His light and truth would have been revealed through them, and they
would have stood forth under His wise and holy rule as an example of
the superiority of His government over every form of idolatry.
But they did not keep their covenant with God. They followed after
the idolatrous practices of other nations, and instead of making their
Creator’s name a praise in the earth their course held it up to the con-
tempt of the heathen. Yet the purpose of God must be accomplished.
The knowledge of His will must be spread abroad in the earth. God
brought the hand of the oppressor upon His people and scattered them
as captives among the nations. In affliction many of them repented
of their transgressions and sought the Lord. Scattered throughout the
countries of the heathen, they spread abroad the knowledge of the
true God. The principles of the divine law came in conflict with the
customs and practices of the nations. Idolaters endeavored to crush
out the true faith. The Lord in His providence brought His servants,
Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, face to face with kings and rulers, that these
idolaters might have an opportunity to receive the light. Thus the
work which God had given His people to do in prosperity, in their own
borders, but which had been neglected through their unfaithfulness,
was done by them in captivity, under great trial and embarrassment.
God has called His church in this day, as He called ancient Israel,
to stand as a light in the earth. By the mighty cleaver of truth, the
messages of the first, second, and third angels, He has separated them
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