the desire of ages-第133部分

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hat　death　He　should　die。〃　This　is　the　crisis　of　the　world。　If　I　become　the　propitiation　for　the　sins　of　men；　the　world　will　be　lighted　up。　Satan's　hold　upon　the　souls　of　men　will　be　broken。　The　defaced　image　of　God　will　be　restored　in　humanity；　and　a　family　of　believing　saints　will　finally　inherit　the　heavenly　home。　This　is　the　result　of　Christ's　death。　The　Saviour　is　lost　in　contemplation　of　the　scene　of　triumph　called　up　before　Him。　He　sees　the　cross；　the　cruel；　ignominious　cross；　with　all　its　attending　horrors；　blazing　with　glory。

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But　the　work　of　human　redemption　is　not　all　that　is　accomplished　by　the　cross。　The　love　of　God　is　manifested　to　the　universe。　The　prince　of　this　world　is　cast　out。　The　accusations　which　Satan　has　brought　against　God　are　refuted。　The　reproach　which　he　has　cast　upon　heaven　is　forever　removed。　Angels　as　well　as　men　are　drawn　to　the　Redeemer。　〃I；　if　I　be　lifted　up　from　the　earth；〃　He　said；　〃will　draw　all　unto　Me。〃

Many　people　were　round　about　Christ　as　He　spoke　these　words；　and　one　said；　〃We　have　heard　out　of　the　law　that　Christ　abideth　forever：　and　how　sayest　Thou；　The　Son　of　man　must　be　lifted　up？　who　is　this　Son　of　man？　Then　Jesus　said　unto　them；　Yet　a　little　while　is　the　light　with　you。　Walk　while　ye　have　the　light；　lest　darkness　come　upon　you：　for　he　that　walketh　in　darkness　knoweth　not　whither　he　goeth。　While　ye　have　light；　believe　in　the　light；　that　ye　may　be　the　children　of　light。〃

〃But　though　He　had　done　so　many　miracles　before　them；　yet　they　believed　not　on　Him。〃　They　had　once　asked　the　Saviour；　〃What　sign　showest　Thou　then；　that　we　may　see；　and　believe　Thee？〃　John　6：30。　Innumerable　signs　had　been　given；　but　they　had　closed　their　eyes　and　hardened　their　hearts。　Now　that　the　Father　Himself　had　spoken；　and　they　could　ask　for　no　further　sign；　they　still　refused　to　believe。

〃Nevertheless　among　the　chief　rulers　also　many　believed　on　Him；　but　because　of　the　Pharisees　they　did　not　confess　Him；　lest　they　should　be　put　out　of　the　synagogue。〃　They　loved　the　praise　of　men　rather　than　the　approval　of　God。　To　save　themselves　from　reproach　and　shame；　they　denied　Christ；　and　rejected　the　offer　of　eternal　life。　And　how　many　through　all　the　centuries　since　have　been　doing　the　same　thing！　To　them　all　the　Saviour's　warning　words　apply：　〃He　that　loveth　his　life　shall　lose　it。〃　〃He　that　rejecteth　Me；〃　said　Jesus；　〃and　receiveth　not　My　words；　hath　one　that　judgeth　him：　the　word　that　I　have　spoken；　the　same　shall　judge　him　in　the　last　day。〃　John　12：48。

Alas　for　those　who　knew　not　the　time　of　their　visitation！　Slowly　and　regretfully　Christ　left　forever　the　precincts　of　the　temple。




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　69

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　On　the　Mount　of　Olives


Christ's　words　to　the　priests　and　rulers；　〃Behold；　your　house　is　left　unto　you　desolate〃　（Matt。　23：38）；　had　struck　terror　to　their　hearts。　They　affected　indifference；　but　the　question　kept　rising　in　their　minds　as　to　the　import　of　these　words。　An　unseen　danger　seemed　to　threaten　them。　Could　it　be　that　the　magnificent　temple；　which　was　the　nation's　glory；　was　soon　to　be　a　heap　of　ruins？　The　foreboding　of　evil　was　shared　by　the　disciples；　and　they　anxiously　waited　for　some　more　definite　statement　from　Jesus。　As　they　passed　with　Him　out　of　the　temple；　they　called　His　attention　to　its　strength　and　beauty。　The　stones　of　the　temple　were　of　the　purest　marble；　of　perfect　whiteness；　and　some　of　them　of　almost　fabulous　size。　A　portion　of　the　wall　had　withstood　the　siege　by　Nebuchadnezzar's　army。　In　its　perfect　masonry　it　appeared　like　one　solid　stone　dug　entire　from　the　quarry。　How　those　mighty　walls　could　be　overthrown　the　disciples　could　not　comprehend。

As　Christ's　attention　was　attracted　to　the　magnificence　of　the　temple；　what　must　have　been　the　unuttered　thoughts　of　that　Rejected　One！　The　view　before　Him　was　indeed　beautiful；　but　He　said　with　sadness；　I　see　it　all。　The　buildings　are　indeed　wonderful。　You　point　to　these　walls　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