We have evidence in God’s word of the liability of His people to be greatly deceived. There are many instances where what may seem to be a sincere zeal for the honor of God has its origin in leaving the soul unguarded for the enemy to tempt and to impress the mind with a perverted sense of the real state of things. And we may expect just such things in these last days, for Satan is just as busy now as he was in the congregation of Israel. The cruelty and strength of prejudice are not understood. After the congregation had the evidence before their sight of the destruction of these leaders in rebellion, the power of suspicion and distrust which had been let into their souls was not removed. They saw the ground open and the leaders of rebellion go down into the bowels of the earth. This fearful exhibition surely ought to have cured them and led them to the deepest repentance for their abuse of Moses. {3T 353.2}

I Guds ord har vi beviser for at hans folks ansvarlighed er blevet stærkt bedraget. Der er mange tilfælde, hvor den tilsyneladende oprigtige nidkærhed for Guds ære, synes at bunde i, at sjæle overlades ubevogtet til fjenden. Så kan fjenden friste og indprente sindet med en trodsig fordrejet fornemmelse af tingenes virkelige tilstand. Og vi kan netop forvente forholdene i disse sidste dage, for Satan har lige så travlt nu som han havde i Israels forsamling. Fordums grusomhed og styrke kan ikke erkendes. Efter at menigheden havde været vidne til ødelæggelsen af disse oprørske ledere, var mistænksomhedens kraft, som var komme ind i dem, ikke blevet fjernet. De så jorden åben og de oprørske ledere fjerne sig ned i jordens indre. Dette frygtelige skue har uden tvivl kureret dem og ledt dem til den dybeste anger for deres mishandling af Moses.