rejected the additional
light granted to themselves, they became partakers of the parents' sins,
and filled up the measure of their iniquity.

The long-suffering of God toward Jerusalem only confirmed the Jews in
their stubborn impenitence. In their hatred and cruelty toward the
disciples of Jesus, they rejected the last offer of mercy. Then God
withdrew His protection from them, and removed His restraining power from
Satan and his angels, and the nation was left to the control of the leader
she had chosen. Her children had spurned the grace of Christ, which would
have enabled them to subdue their evil impulses, and now these became the
conquerors. Satan aroused the fiercest and most debased passions of the
soul. Men did not reason; they were beyond reason,--controlled by impulse
and blind rage. They became satanic in their cruelty. In the family and in
the nation, among the highest and the lowest classes alike, there was
suspicion, envy, hatred, strife, rebellion, murder. There was no safety
anywhere. Friends and kindred betrayed one another. Parents slew their
children and children their parents. The rulers of the people had no power
to rule themselves. Uncontrolled passions made them tyrants. The Jews had
accepted false testimony to condemn the innocent Son of God. Now false
accusations made their own lives uncertain. By their actions they had long
been saying, "Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us."(38)
Now their desire was granted. The fear of God no longer disturbed them.
Satan was at the head of the nation, and the highest civil and religious
authorities were under his sway.

The leaders of the opposing factions at times united to plunder and
torture their wretched victims, and again they fell upon each other's
forces, and slaughtered without mercy. Even the sanctity of the temple
could not restrain their horrible ferocity. The worshipers were stricken
down before the altar, and the sanctuary was polluted with the bodies of
the slain. Yet in their blind and blasphemous presumption the instigators
of this hellish work publicly declared that they had no fear that
Jerusalem would be destroyed, for it was God's own city. To establish
their power more firmly, they bribed false prophets to proclaim, even
while Roman legions were besieging the temple, that the people were to
wait for deliverance from God. To the last, multitudes held fast to the
belief that the Most High would interpose for the defeat of