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The Desire of Ages
description of the two great crises, leaving the disciples to study out
the meaning for themselves. When He referred to the destruction of
Jerusalem, His prophetic words reached beyond that event to the final
conflagration in that day when the Lord shall rise out of His place to
punish the world for their iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her
blood, and shall no more cover her slain. This entire discourse was
given, not for the disciples only, but for those who should live in the
last scenes of this earth’s history.
Turning to the disciples, Christ said, “Take heed that no man
deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.” Many false messiahs will appear, claiming
to work miracles, and declaring that the time of the deliverance of the
Jewish nation has come. These will mislead many. Christ’s words
were fulfilled. Between His death and the siege of Jerusalem many
false messiahs appeared. But this warning was given also to those who
live in this age of the world. The same deceptions practiced prior to
the destruction of Jerusalem have been practiced through the ages, and
will be practiced again.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be
not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is
not yet.” Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, men wrestled for the
supremacy. Emperors were murdered. Those supposed to be standing
next the throne were slain. There were wars and rumors of wars.
“All these things must come to pass,” said Christ, “but the end [of
the Jewish nation as a nation] is not yet. For nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the
beginning of sorrows.” Christ said, As the rabbis see these signs, they
will declare them to be God’s judgments upon the nations for holding
in bondage His chosen people. They will declare that these signs are
the token of the advent of the Messiah. Be not deceived; they are the
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beginning of His judgments. The people have looked to themselves.
They have not repented and been converted that I should heal them.
The signs that they represent as tokens of their release from bondage
are signs of their destruction.
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you:
and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall
many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one