There will come adversity upon adversity, and there will occur report upon report, and people will actually seek a vision from a prophet, and the law itself will perish from a priest and counsel from elderly men.

With the sword of warfare outside the city and utter famine and pestilence inside, confusion reigned. It was “adversity upon adversity,” and each report was one increasing the fear and despair. Oh, yes, they sought peace, but there was none, for the reason that they sought it in the wrong way. They wanted peace to continue while they went the same disobedient way they had practiced prior to the siege. Through the prophet Jeremiah Jehovah had instructed them to go out in unconditional surrender to the Babylonians. If they had done this, Jehovah would have seen to it that their lives were spared. But they did not have faith in their Sovereign God.

Therefore, it was of no use for them to go to a prophet to “seek a vision.” They had the word of God’s true prophet Jeremiah, that the city would fall. God was not going to contradict himself and give them a message of peace through another prophet. The law as given by the priest, who was against priest Jeremiah, was to “perish.” The counsel by the princes and elderly men was of no value. In fact, it was fear of his princes that Zedekiah used as an excuse not to obey the instructions of Jehovah through Jeremiah.

Already there is adversity upon adversity coming upon Christendom’s churches, with their failing church attendance and the loss of ministers and revenues. Her clergymen no longer give the people guidance from God’s law, and they have no realistic, believable “vision” as to any improved conditions ahead.

But these adversities are only preliminary to the “great tribulation” shortly to break upon Christendom.