24
The Great Controversy 1888
work of Christ. And the children had not enjoyed the opportunities
or received the light which their parents had spurned. Through the
preaching of the apostles and their associates, God would cause light
to shine upon them; they would be permitted to see how prophecy had
been fulfilled, not only in the birth and life of Christ, but in his death
and resurrection. The children were not condemned for the sins of
the parents; but when, with a knowledge of all the light given to their
parents, the children rejected the additional light granted to themselves,
they became partakers of the parents’ sins, and filled up the measure
of their iniquity.
The long-suffering of God toward Jerusalem only confirmed the
Jews in their stubborn impenitence. In their hatred and cruelty toward
the disciples of Jesus, they rejected the last offer of mercy. Then God
withdrew his protection from them, and removed his restraining power
from Satan and his angels, and the nation was left to the control of the
leader she had chosen. Her children had spurned the grace of Christ,
which would have enabled them to subdue their evil impulses, and
now these became the conquerors. Satan aroused the fiercest and most
debased passions of the soul. Men did not reason; they were beyond
reason,—controlled by impulse and blind rage. They became Satanic
[29]
in their cruelty. In the family and in the nation, among the highest
and the lowest classes alike, there was suspicion, envy, hatred, strife,
rebellion, murder. There was no safety anywhere. Friends and kindred
betrayed one another. Parents slew their children, and children their
parents. The rulers of the people had no power to rule themselves.
Uncontrolled passions made them tyrants. The Jews had accepted false
testimony to condemn the innocent Son of God. Now false accusations
made their own lives uncertain. By their actions they had long been
saying, “Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” [
Isaiah
30:11
.] Now their desire was granted. The fear of God no longer
disturbed them. Satan was at the head of the nation, and the highest
civil and religious authorities were under his sway.
The leaders of the opposing factions at times united to plunder and
torture their wretched victims, and again they fell upon each other’s
forces, and slaughtered without mercy. Even the sanctity of the temple
could not restrain their horrible ferocity. The worshipers were stricken
down before the altar, and the sanctuary was polluted with the bodies
of the slain. Yet in their blind and blasphemous presumption the insti-