3743 — Written in the Earth
Will you please tell us the meaning of "written in the earth," Jer. 17:13? It would seem clearly from the Scripture itself that those who are written in the earth will perish with the cleansing of the earth. "All that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters." Those written in the earth are those who have their hearts and hopes in the earth. Jesus told His disciples to rejoice because "your names are written in heaven." It would seem very clear that the expression marks destiny,—written in earth for destruction, written in heaven for life everlasting. Jesus tells us in John 3:3 that "except one be born from above, he can not see the kingdom of God." One's name is recorded, usually, where he is born. This is expressed in the beautiful Psalm 87: "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know Me: behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: this one was born there." And those born in the earth and of the earth, and of these cities, and having their hearts here, would perish with their treasures. But the psalmist continues: "And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest Himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there."