the desire of ages-第150章

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as　apparently　indestructible；　but　listen　to　My　words：　The　day　will　come　when　〃there　shall　not　be　left　one　stone　upon　another；　that　shall　not　be　thrown　down。〃

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Christ's　words　had　been　spoken　in　the　hearing　of　a　large　number　of　people；　but　when　He　was　alone；　Peter；　John；　James；　and　Andrew　came　to　Him　as　He　sat　upon　the　Mount　of　Olives。　〃Tell　us；〃　they　said；　〃when　shall　these　things　be？　and　what　shall　be　the　sign　of　Thy　coming；　and　of　the　end　of　the　world？〃　Jesus　did　not　answer　His　disciples　by　taking　up　separately　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem　and　the　great　day　of　His　coming。　He　mingled　the　description　of　these　two　events。　Had　He　opened　to　His　disciples　future　events　as　He　beheld　them；　they　would　have　been　unable　to　endure　the　sight。　In　mercy　to　them　He　blended　the　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

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the　Messiah。　Be　not　deceived；　they　are　the　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　another。〃　All　this　the　Christians　suffered。　Fathers　and　mothers　betrayed　their　children。　Children　betrayed　their　parents。　Friends　delivered　their　friends　up　to　the　Sanhedrin。　The　persecutors　wrought　out　their　purpose　by　killing　Stephen；　James；　and　other　Christians。

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Through　His　servants；　God　gave　the　Jewish　people　a　last　opportunity　to　repent。　He　manifested　Himself　through　His　witnesses　in　their　arrest；　in　their　trial；　and　in　their　imprisonment。　Yet　their　judges　pronounced　on　them　the　death　sentence。　They　were　men　of　whom　the　world　was　not　worthy；　and　by　killing　them　the　Jews　crucified　afresh　the　Son　of　God。　So　it　will　be　again。　The　authorities　will　make　laws　to　restrict　religious　liberty。　They　will　assume　the　right　that　is　God's　alone。　They　will　think　they　can　force　the　conscience；　which　God　alone　should　control。　Even　now　they　are　making　a　beginning；　this　work　they　will　continue　to　carry　forward　till　they　reach　a　boundary　over　which　they　cannot　step。　God　will　interpose　in　behalf　of　His　loyal；　commandment…keeping　people。

On　every　occasion　when　persecution　takes　place；　those　who　witness　it　make　decisions　either　for　Christ　or　against　Him。　Those　who　manifest　sympathy　for　the　ones　wrongly　condemned　show　their　attachment　for　Christ。　Others　are　offended　because　the　principles　of　truth　cut　directly　across　their　practice。　Many　stumble　and　fall；　apostatizing　from　the　faith　they　once　advocated。　Those　who　apostatize　in　time　of　trial　will；　to　secure　their　own　safety；　bear　false　witness；　and　betray　their　brethren。　Christ　has　warned　us　of　this；　that　we　may　not　be　surprised　at　the　unnatural；　cruel　course　of　those　who　reject　the　light。

Christ　gave　His　disciples　a　sign　of　the　ruin　to　come　on　Jerusalem；　and　He　told　them　how　to　escape：　〃When　ye　shall　see　Jerusalem　compassed　with　armies；　then　know　that　the　desolation　thereof　is　nigh。　Then　let　them　which　are　in　Judea　flee　to　the　mountains；　and　let　them　which　are　in　the　midst　of　it　depart　out；　and　let　not　them　that　are　in　the　countries　enter　thereinto。　For　these　be　the　days　of　vengeance；　that　all　things　which　are　written　may　be　fulfilled。〃　This　warning　was　given　to　be　heeded　forty　years　after；　at　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem。　The　Christians　obeyed　the　warning；　and　not　a　Christian　perished　in　the　fall　of　the　city。

〃Pray　ye　that　your　flight　be　not　in　the　winter；　neither　on　the　Sabbath　day；〃　Christ　said。　He　who　made　the　Sabbath　did　not　abolish　it；　nailing　it　to　His　cross。　The　Sabbath　was　not　rendered　null　and　void　by　His　death。　Forty　years　after　His　crucifixion　it　was　still　to　be　held　sacred。　For　forty　years　the　disciples　were　to　pray　that　their　flight　might　not　be　on　the　Sabbath　day。

From　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem；　Christ　passed　on　rapidly　to　the　greater　event；　the　last　link　in　the　chain　of　this　earth's　history；the　coming　of　the　Son　of　God　in　majesty　and　glory。　Between　these　two　events；　there　lay　open　to　Christ's　view　long　centuries　of　darkness；　centuries　for　His

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church　marked　with　blood　and　tears　and　agony。　Upon　these　scenes　His　disciples　could　not　then　endure　to　look；　and　Jesus　passed　them　by　with　a　brief　mention。　〃Then　shall　be　great　tribulation；〃　He　said；　〃such　as　was　not　since　the　beginning　of　the　world　to　this　time；　no；　nor　ever　shall　be。　And　except　those　days　should　be　shortened；　there　should　no　flesh　be　saved：　but　for　the　elect's　sake　those　days　shall　be　shortened。〃　For　more　than　a　thousand　years　such　persecution　as　the　world　had　never　before　known　was　to　come　upon　Christ's　followers。　Millions　upon　millions　of　His　faithful　witnesses　were　to　be　slain。　Had　not　God's　hand　been　stretched　out　to　preserve　His　people；　all　would　have　perished。　〃But　for　the　elect's　sake；〃　He　said；　〃those　days　shall　be　shortened。〃

Now；　in　unmistakable　language；　our　Lord　speaks　of　His　second　coming；　and　He　gives　warning　of　dangers　to　precede　His　advent　to　the　world。　〃If　any　man　shall　say　unto　you；　Lo；　here　is　Christ；　or　there；　believe　it　not。　For　there　shall　arise　false　christs；　and　false　prophets；　and　shall　show　great　signs　and　wonders；　insomuch　that；　if　it　were　possible；　they　shall　deceive　the　very　elect。　Behold；　I　have　told　you　before。　Wherefore　if　they　shall　say　unto　you；　Behold；　He　is　in　the　desert；　go　not　forth：　behold；　He　is　in　the　secret　chambers；　believe　it　not。　For　as　the　lightning　cometh　out　of　the　east；　and　shineth　even　unto　the　west；　so　shall　also　the　coming　of　the　Son　of　man　be。〃　As　one　of　the　signs　of　Jerusalem's　destruction；　Christ　had　said；　〃Many　false　prophets　shall　rise；　and　shall　deceive　many。〃　False　prophets　did　rise；　deceiving　the　people；　and　leading　great　numbers　into　the　desert。　Magicians　and　sorcerers；　claiming　miraculous　power；　drew　the　people　after　them　into　the　mountain　solitudes。　But　this　prophecy　was　spoken　also　for　the　last　days。　This　sign　is　given　as　a　sign　of　the　second　advent。　Even　now　fals