WORTHY OF NOTICE | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 2, 1869

WORTHY OF NOTICE.

The following, from 2 Esdras ii, 33-48, is worthy of particular attention. It is a description of the same persons that John saw in Rev. vii and xiv. I quote with a few words of paraphrase thrown into brackets:

“I Esdras received a charge of the Lord upon the mount Oreb, that I should go unto Israel; but when I came unto them, they set me at naught, and despised the commandments of the Lord. And therefore I say unto you, O ye heathen, [i. e., the Gentiles,] that hear and understand, look for your Shepherd, [see Heb. xiii, 20; 1 Pet. v, 4,] he shall give you everlasting rest; [see Matt. xi, 29;] for he is nigh at hand, that shall come in the end of the world. Be ready to the reward of the kingdom, for the everlasting light shall shine upon you forevermore. [Isa. lx, 19, 20; Rev. xxii, 5.] Flee the shadow of this world, receive the joyfulness of your glory. I testify my Saviour openly. Oh! receive the gift that is given you, and be glad, giving thanks unto him that hath called you to the heavenly kingdom. Arise up and stand, behold the number [144,000] in the feast of the Lord; [i. e., the marriage supper;] which are departed from the shadow of the world, and have received [past tense, for the future] glorious garments of the Lord. The number of thy children, whom thou longedst for is fulfilled; beseech the power of the Lord, that thy people which have been called from the beginning may be hallowed. I Esdras saw upon the Mount Sion, [see Rev. xiv, 1,] a great people whom I could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs. And in the midst of them there was a young man of a high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and was more exalted; which I marveled at greatly. So I asked the angel, and said, Sir, what are these? He answered and said unto me, These be they that have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, [i. e., they have been changed from mortality to immortality,] and have confessed the name of God; now are they crowned and receive palms. Then said I unto the angel, What young person is it that crowneth them, and giveth them palms in their hands? So he answered and said unto me, It is the Son of God whom they have confessed in the world. Then began I to commend them that stood so stiffly for the name of the Lord. Then the angel said unto me, Go thy way, and tell my people what manner of things and how great wonders of the Lord thy God, thou hast seen.”