CHAPTER 36 (The Great Controversy)
The Time of
Jacob's Trouble
I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages,
and associating in companies together, and living in the most solitary
places. Angels provided them food and
water; but the wicked were suffering with hunger and thirst. Then I saw the leading men of earth
consulting together, and Satan and his angels were busy around them. I saw a writing, and copies of it scattered
in different parts of the land, giving orders, that unless the saints should
yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first day,
they were at liberty, after such a time, to put them to death. But in this time the saints were calm and
composed, trusting in God, and leaning upon his promise, that a way of escape
would be made for them. In some places,
before the time for the writing to be executed, the wicked rushed upon the saints
to slay them; but angels in the form of men of war fought for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of
destroying the saints of the Most High; but Jesus bade his angels watch over
them, for God would be honored by making a covenant with those who had kept his
law in the sight of the heathen round about them; and Jesus would be honored by
translating the faithful, waiting ones, who had so long expected him, without
their seeing death.
Soon I saw the saints suffering great mental
anguish. They seemed to be surrounded
with the wicked inhabitants of earth.
Every appearance was against them.
Some began to fear that God had left them at last to perish by the hand
of the wicked. But if their eyes could
have been opened, they would have seen themselves surrounded by angels of
God. Next came the multitude of the
angry wicked, and next a mass of evil angels, hurrying on the wicked to slay
the saints. But as they would attempt to
approach them, they would first have to pass this company of mighty, holy
angels, which was impossible. The angels
of God were causing them to recede, and also causing the evil angels who were
pressing around them, to fall back. It
was an hour of terrible, fearful agony to the saints. They cried day and night unto God for
deliverance. To outward appearance there
was no possibility of their escape. The
wicked had already commenced their triumphing, and were crying out, Why don't
your God deliver you out of our hands?
Why don't you go up, and save your lives? The saints heeded them not. They were wrestling with God like Jacob. The angels longed to deliver them; but they must
wait a little longer, and drink of the cup, and be baptized with the
baptism. The angels, faithful to their
trust, kept their watch. The time had
about come when God was to manifest his mighty power, and gloriously deliver
them. God would not suffer his name to
be reproached among the heathen. For his
name's glory he would deliver every one of those who had patiently waited for
him, and whose names were written in the book.
I was pointed back to faithful Noah. The rain descended, the floods came. Noah and his family had entered the ark, and
God shut them in. Noah had faithfully
warned the inhabitants of the old world, while they had mocked and derided
him. And as the waters descended upon
the earth, and as one after another were being drowned, they beheld that ark
that they had made so much sport of, riding safely upon the waters, preserving
the faithful Noah and his family. So I
saw that the people of God, who had warned the world of his coming wrath, would
be delivered. They had faithfully warned
the inhabitants of the earth, and God would not suffer the wicked to destroy
those who were expecting translation, and who would not bow to the decree of
the beast, or receive his mark. I saw
that if the wicked were permitted to slay the saints, Satan and all his evil
host, and all who hate God, would be gratified.
And O, what a time of triumph it would be for his Satanic majesty, to
have power, in the last closing struggle, over those who had so long waited to
behold Him whom they loved. Those who
have mocked at the idea of the saints going up, will witness the care of God
for his people, and their glorious deliverance.
As the saints left the cities and villages, they
were pursued by the wicked. They raised
their swords to kill the saints, but they broke, and fell as powerless as a
straw. Angels of God shielded the
saints. As they cried day and night for
deliverance, their cry came up before God.
See Genesis chap.6&7, 32:24-28; Psalms
chap.91; Matthew 20:23; Revelation 13:8-17
Gen 6:1 And it
came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and
daughters were born unto them,
Gen 6:2 That
the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took
them wives of all which they chose.
Gen 6:3 And
the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is
flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Gen 6:4 There
were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same
became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Gen 6:5 And
GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 And it
repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his
heart.
Gen 6:7 And
the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the
earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air;
for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Gen 6:8 But
Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Gen 6:9 These
are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his
generations, and Noah walked with God.
Gen 6:10 And
Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Gen 6:11 The
earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence.
Gen 6:12 And
God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth.
Gen 6:13 And
God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is
filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth.
Gen 6:14 Make
thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch
it within and without with pitch.
Gen 6:15 And
this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be
three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it
thirty cubits.
Gen 6:16 A
window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above;
and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second,
and third stories shalt thou make it.
Gen 6:17 And,
behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all
flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that
is in the earth shall die.
Gen 6:18 But
with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou,
and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Gen 6:19 And
of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the
ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Gen 6:20 Of
fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing
of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep
them alive.
Gen 6:21 And
take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to
thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Gen 6:22 Thus
did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Gen 7:1 And
the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee
have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Gen 7:2 Of
every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female:
and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Gen 7:3 Of
fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive
upon the face of all the earth.
Gen 7:4 For
yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty
nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the
face of the earth.
Gen 7:5 And
Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
Gen 7:6 And
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the
earth.
Gen 7:7 And
Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into
the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
Gen 7:8 Of
clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every
thing that creepeth upon the earth,
Gen 7:9 There
went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had
commanded Noah.
Gen 7:10 And
it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the
earth.
Gen 7:11 In
the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day
of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up,
and the windows of heaven were opened.
Gen 7:12 And
the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
Gen 7:13 In
the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of
Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the
ark;
Gen 7:14 They,
and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl
after his kind, every bird of every sort.
Gen 7:15 And
they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the
breath of life.
Gen 7:16 And
they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded
him: and the LORD shut him in.
Gen 7:17 And
the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up
the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
Gen 7:18 And
the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark
went upon the face of the waters.
Gen 7:19 And
the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that
were under the whole heaven, were covered.
Gen 7:20
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were
covered.
Gen 7:21 And
all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of
beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every
man:
Gen 7:22 All
in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land,
died.
Gen 7:23 And
every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground,
both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and
they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that
were with him in the ark.
Gen 7:24 And
the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
Gen 32:24 And
Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of
the day.
Gen 32:25 And
when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his
thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with
him.
Gen 32:26 And
he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go,
except thou bless me.
Gen 32:27 And
he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Gen 32:28 And
he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince
hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Psa 91:1 He
that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2 I
will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I
trust.
Psa 91:3
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome
pestilence.
Psa 91:4 He
shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his
truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psa 91:5 Thou
shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by
day;
Psa 91:6 Nor
for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that
wasteth at noonday.
Psa 91:7 A
thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it
shall not come nigh thee.
Psa 91:8 Only
with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Psa 91:9
Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy
habitation;
Psa 91:10
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy
dwelling.
Psa 91:11 For
he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They
shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a
stone.
Psa 91:13 Thou
shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou
trample under feet.
Psa 91:14
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set
him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psa 91:15 He
shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I
will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 91:16 With
long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Mat 20:23 And
he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left,
is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my
Father.
Rev 18:8
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine;
and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who
judgeth her.
Rev 18:9 And
the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously
with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke
of her burning,
Rev 18:10
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great
city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Rev 18:11 And
the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth
their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12 The
merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine
linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner
vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and
iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13 And
cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and
fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and
slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14 And
the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things
which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them
no more at all.
Rev 18:15 The
merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off
for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16 And
saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and
purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and
pearls!
Rev 18:17 For
in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all
the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar
off,
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