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The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It 30
them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward (Psalm
19:7-11).
What value is gold if you are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked?”
What value is gold if you are dead and condemned to eternal damnation? The Lord God counsels
us to buy from him “gold tried in the fire,” that we may “be rich; and white raiment, that” we
may “be clothed, and that the shame of” our “nakedness” would not appear; and that we should
anoint our “eyes with eye salve, that we may see” (Revelation 3:18). The gold that he is speaking
of is Jesus Christ and his mercy and grace, a treasure that is truly priceless.
I
The white raiment is
the righteousness of Jesus Christ that covers our sin (which is our nakedness). The eye salve
represents the Holy Spirit, which allows us to see and comprehend the truth of God's holy word.
The cost to buy the mercy and saving grace of Jesus Christ (gold refined in the fire) is very
affordable to all; it is free. It cost nothing other than the surrender of our wretched, miserable,
mortal life to Jesus Christ who promises to give us a wonderful, joyous, eternal life in return.
After counseling us to obtain the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our Lord God warns us that he
will “rebuke and chasten” (judge) those he loves. He loves all but need not judge the righteous
and so his judgment falls on those who have rejected him and his Son Jesus Christ:
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need
of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou
mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the
shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that
thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as
I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne (Revelation 3:17-
21).
God Brings A Warning
God judges both individuals and nations. Before he judges either an individual or a nation
he seeks to warn them through dreams and visions. He desires to communicate their perilous
state and their need for repentance. In Isaiah the Lord states that he declares new things before
they spring forth:
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass,
I
Psalm 19:9-10 tells us that the judgments of God a more desired than refined gold; they are to be more desired
because they are more valuable. Likewise, 1 Peter 1:7 says that the trial or rather testing of our faith is more
precious than gold tried in the fire. The judgments of God and the trials of our faith point us to Jesus Christ. In
Isaiah 13:12 God said “I will make a man more precious than fine gold;” that man is Jesus Christ.
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