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“Israel’s confidence in God underwent a trial because of its near extinction as a nation. Was God faithful? God had promised to be with Israel; why had he deserted his people and let them be made captive? The Babylonian captivity must, the Israelites reasoned, be the result of some grievous failing on the part of the people, who had not kept their part of the covenant. What was the failure and what were the roots of that failure? Could Israel avoid such sin in the future and never again go into exile?

In Nehemiah the repatriated exiles have been contaminated with paganism because they have married Pagan women of ‘Ashdod, Ammon and Moab’ (Neh. 13:26) who import the worship of idols into Israel. Idolatry, failure to worship Yahweh as God, replacing him with other gods, was the sin for which Israel was punished in the first place. Men failed to keep themselves free from such sin and were punished with exile. And they failed because they were let astray by their wives. Uxoriousness was a vice that could lead to calamity. Pagan wives led the Israelite husbands astray, and husbands, besotted by love for their wives, were weak, refusing to discipline their families. Even Solomon was led astray: ‘ Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women” Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless foreign women made him to sin (Neh. 13:26.) “ (Leon Podles, The Church Impotent, 1999, p.65)

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“Jehovah found His abode in the bosom of his redeemed people, and nowhere else. Redemption was the necessary basis of God's habitation amongst men. Apart from redemption, the divine presence could only prove the destruction of man. But redemption being known, that presence secures man's highest privilege and brightest glory.

God dwelt in the midst of his people Israel. He came down from heaven, not only to redeem them out of the land of Egypt, but to be their traveling- companion through the wilderness. What a thought! The Most High God taking up His abode on the sand of the desert, and in the very bosom of his redeemed congregation. Truly, there was nothing like that throughout the whole wide, wide world. There was that host of six hundred thousand men, besides women and children, in a sterile desert, where there was not a blade of grass, not a drop of water- no visible source of subsistence. How were they to be fed? God was there! How were they to be kept in order? God was there! How were they to track their way through a howling wilderness, where there was no way? God was there!” (C.H. Mackintosh, Notes on the book of Numbers, 1882, p. 432)

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“It is an error, however, to conclude from this doctrine that because all are now ‘priests’ in the New Testament Church and have equal access to God through Christ, all may rightly exercise any role involved in the life and worship of the Church. To plead the ‘priesthood of all believers’ in this way is a little different from Korah's contention that ‘all the congregation is holy’ and should therefore have an equal right to the functions of Moses and Aaron.

The truth of the matter is that God continues to make distinctions in office and function, even in the New Testament Church, and with His commanded distinctions we ought to be content. ‘Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, variety of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Cor. 12:27-30).

The order of office and function that God has established within His Church is designed to reflect His provision in Christ and His people's dependence upon His word through Christ for salvation. To deny God's appointed offices, or the distinction of function that He has prescribed, is to exalt man's judgment over God’s and put individuals- apart from His calling, gifting and appointing them as His representatives- in the place of God.

It is also an error to conclude from the priesthood of all believers that every Christian has the right to ‘add something’ to the service of worship through the exercise of his or her particular gifts. Even the priests of the Old Covenant did not have the prerogative to invent rites and ordinances to be added to God's commands for worship. Why then would it be assumed that Christ’s fulfillment of the symbolism of the priesthood opens the way for individuals to set aside His commanded ordinances and determine for themselves how God is to be worshipped?” (Douglas Comin, Worship from Genesis to Revelation, 2007, p. 42-43)

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“…[W]as it really necessary for learned Catholics like Martin Luther, large number of priests, and a multitude of laypeople to break with Rome, fragmenting the Western church? The alternative of reform from within should surely have been attempted.

As an idea, it was much on the mind of many people during the Middle Ages. The kings of Europe even met with religious leaders at Konstanz in southernmost Germany, between 1414 and 1418, for a Council intended to solve the ills of the Roman church. Ultimately, however, little was accomplished, apart from eliminating rival popes to end a schism-and burning a holy man, John Hus, who had taught that only radical changes in Catholic doctrine and practice could heal the ills of Christendom. When John Paul II in St. Peter’s on 12 March 2000 apologized for the wrongdoing of his church, he failed to mention this incident, although he had originally planned to do so.

The Lord had loved the church at Rome when it was led by godly Priscilla and Aquila. As a good friend of ours used to say before his voice was swallowed up in silence, ‘Every harlot was a virgin once.’ Therefore when this congregation apostatized from Bible truth and adopted heathen practices, God did not abruptly abandon it.

In Old Testament times, he had often forgiven the lewd behavior of his people, both Judah and northern Israel, with its ten tribes, exclaiming: ‘How shall I give you up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?’ Hos. 11:8. Similarly he was also longsuffering towards the backsliding Roman Church.

Through the great apostle Paul, he even- in advance- provided an antidote for many of its ailments: his greatest epistle to the Romans on righteousness by faith. This is the very book that would kindle, almost 1500 years later, an unquenchable flame of love for Christ and a deep desire for reform in Martin Luther’s heart.

Through many messengers, including priests and holy monks, the Almighty pleaded with the city on the Tiber. To the congregation of Thyatira, symbol of the saints whom Rome was oppressing and killing over 1260 years, the True and Faithful Witness wrote about the need for endurance to the end. He warned against the teachings of Jezebel, another symbol for Catholicism, yet also stated: ‘I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not’ (Rev.2:21). Eventually even the divine forbearance can be worn out, and God gives up, and as when in ancient times he said about the Kingdom of northern Israel: ‘Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.’ Hos.4:17” (Edwin de Kock, 7 Heads & 10 Horns, 2011. p.39-40)

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“Nothing has for the past two hundred years played a more important part in the religious history of the Anglo-Saxon world than the Irish connection, in both its purely Catholic and its ecumenical aspects.

Regarding the former, Paul Blanchard has in The Irish and Catholic power presented a startling analysis. Especially his chapter on ‘The Irish Catholic Empire in America’ shows how in 1953 the Roman Church of this country- and for that matter, of the entire English- speaking world was dominated by people from the Emerald Isle. Every cardinal in the United states was of Irish extraction-Spellman in New York, Mooney in Detroit, Stritch in Chicago, and McIntyre in Los Angeles. (Moreover, every other cardinal in the English- speaking world was of Irish stock-McGuigan in Toronto, Griffin in London, and Gilroy in Sydney.)

But in another way, too, the ecclestical impact of Ireland has been immense and possibly even more dangerous to the Protestant world. In the later nineteenth century, Futurism- particularly through its espousal by Irish Catholic Anglicans- largely neutralized the first angels message in the British Isles. More than that, it did much to Catholicize the Church of England and also to prepare the way for the ecumenical movement of the 20th century.” (Edwin de Kock, Use and Abuse of Prophecy, 2007, 43-44)

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“Another element we find in the boiling cauldron of idolatry is ingratitude for God's actions and purposes in our lives. It's striking that the mob referred to Moses as ‘this fellow’ who brought them out of Egypt, as if he were a hired hand or a gate-crasher. It's amazing how they can admit that Moses was instrumental in their deliverance from slavery… and yet in the next breath propose more or less giving the guy up for dead!
More significant, though, is the fact that there is no mention of their Divine Deliverer in their speech to Aaron. How many times had they heard:

‘Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of [His] hand’ Ex.13:3

‘On that day explain to your son, ‘this is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt’ Ex.13”8

‘This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ Ex.16:6

They had been delivered from an oppressive and painful slavery. They had seen mindboggling miracles. They had been guided by a pillar of fire and a column of cloud. They had vowed to obey everything God had said to them (Ex. 19:8). Yet ‘although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor give thanks to him.’ (Rom.1:21 NIV)

When you and I neglect the habit of worship, both corporate and private, we open the door to idolatry. When prayers of thanksgiving slow to a trickle, or stop, we make ourselves vulnerable. When we forget God's actions and purposes to such a degree that we neither glorify him nor give thanks to him, we should beware. Such ingratitude is a catalyst for the creation of an idol.” (Bob Hostetler, American Idols, 2006, p.12-13)

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“This life, this probationary life, was and is for the purpose of giving man the ability to once again choose whom he will serve.

Sin had bound mankind to death, and there was no more choice, for, ‘they had fallen under the power and control of the prince of darkness’, (Con 17). But through Jesus, God was able ‘to leave man a free moral agent to a certain length of probation.’ Testimonies to Southern Africa, 48.

By proposing to take that guilt upon Himself, this act of God averted from man the immediate execution of the death sentence, and ‘secured for man a period of probation.’ TDG 137. This is grace given to all men, or we could say, unmerited and undeserved grace shown towards every person that will ever be born.

God did not wait for Adam and Eve to come to repentance before he did something. Man, of himself, cannot even repent. Repentance is a gift from God. Therefore, God came seeking lost humanity, to give man the ability to make another choice. From a heart longing to bring His stolen children back, ‘probation was granted to all, that all may form characters for eternal life. An opportunity will be given to all to decide for life or death.’ 2T 691

This wonderful probationary life is part of God's gift of loving grace given to all men. ‘Grace is an attribute character (character trait) of God exercised towards undeserving human beings. We did not seek for it, but it was sent in search of us.’” MH 161. (Debbi Puffer, Earth’s Final Generation, 2011, p.51)

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“But now we must ask an important question: Why would Jesus want to obliterate the Western nations and their transplanetary offspring, including America? He is not naturally destructive, but reasonable, compassionate, and kind. The Creator and Redeemer would only destroy as a last resort, and for very good reasons. To this question, people of different nationalities would give different answers.

For instance, the Africans and Asians-still smarting under the memories of the white man’s empires-can point to the exploitation and wrongs inflicted on them over the past five centuries. Some of them also have more recent grievances, real or imaginary, like Iran, which routinely refers to the United States as ‘the great Satan.’

But the Bible gives a totally different reason for the Lord’s displeasure with the Western powers. It says they will support the Antichrist in a coalition that opposes and fights against the Lord Jesus.

Is this possible? Let us read about the astounding and tragic apostasy in Rev. 17, where the same countries are depicted, though under a different symbolism: ‘And the ten horns which you saw are 10 kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind and give over their power and authority to the beast; they will make war on the Lamb and the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those with him are called chosen and faithful. (Vv, 12-14 RSV).

As we have already stated there will be no one- world government, because ‘they will not hold together,’ (Dan. 2:43, RSV); yet for a short while they will form an alliance to fight against the Lord and those who truly serve him.

The passage from Revelation helps us to understand why the stone first strikes the statue on its feet and toes: they decide to become Christ’s enemies and must be dealt with accordingly.” (Edwin de Kock, Christ & Antichrist in Prophecy and History, 2013, p.39-40)

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“What about homosexuality? Even in churches, young people often do not understand why the Bible teaches that same sex relations are morally wrong. It makes more sense when we realize that a secular approach rests on the same divided view of the human being, with its devaluing of the body.

Most people assume that same-sex desire is genetically based. Certainly we do not choose our sexual attractions. They come to us involuntarily and feel natural. Yet despite intensive research, scientists have not turned up clear evidence of a genetic cause.

What studies do show is that sexual desires have physical correlates. For example, when scientists use magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), they find that some men's brains light up in response to female images, while others light up in response to male images. But people's brains also light up in response to fear, love, uneven religious experiences. This should not be surprising. Humans are unified beings. Knowing that feelings have physical correlates can help us be more compassionate toward people. But it does not tell us what is right or wrong, moral or immoral.” (Nancy Pearcey, Love Thy Body, 2018, p.29)