Basic HTML Version
Chapter 41—The Earth in Ruins
When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there is
a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict
of life. Blinded by Satan’s deceptions the rich prided themselves
on their superiority to those less favored. But they had neglected to
feed the hungry, clothe the naked, deal justly, and love mercy. Now
they are stripped of all that made them great and are left destitute.
They look with terror upon the destruction of their idols. They have
sold their souls for earthly enjoyments and have not become rich
toward God. Their lives are a failure, their pleasures turned to gall.
The gain of a lifetime is swept away in a moment. The rich bemoan
the destruction of their grand houses, the scattering of their gold and
silver, and the fear that they themselves are to perish with their idols.
The wicked lament that the result is what it is, but they do not repent
of their wickedness.
The minister who has sacrificed truth to gain the favor of men
now discerns the influence of his teachings. Every line written, every
word uttered that led men to rest in a refuge of falsehood has been
scattering seed; and now he beholds the harvest. Saith the Lord:
“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture! ... Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings.”
“With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I
have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that
he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.”
Jeremiah 23:1, 2
;
Ezekiel 13:22
.
[396]
Ministers and people see that they have rebelled against the
Author of all righteous law. Setting aside the divine precepts gave
rise to thousands of springs of iniquity, until the earth became one
vast sink of corruption. No language can express the longing which
the disloyal feel for that which they have lost forever—eternal life.
The people accuse one another of having led them to destruction,
but all unite in heaping their bitterest condemnation upon the un-
faithful pastors who prophesied “smooth things” (
Isaiah 30:10
), who
352