"The Lord had shown me the character and final come-out of that party; that His frown was upon those connected with that paper, and His hand was against them. And although they might appear to prosper for a time, and some honest ones be deceived, yet truth would eventually triumph, and every honest soul would break away from the deception which had held him, and come out clear from the influence of those wicked men; as God's hand was against them, they must go down. 1T 96.1"
"The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment."
The EGW passage speaks of truth eventually triumphing over deception, and the wicked ultimately failing. Proverbs 12:19 makes a similar point about the enduring nature of truth versus the fleeting nature of lies. The thematic parallel is strong and direct.
"The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth."
Both passages describe God's opposition to those who do evil. The EGW passage speaks of God's 'frown' and 'hand against them,' while the Psalm speaks of God's 'face' being against them. The core idea of divine opposition to evildoers is present in both.
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Both passages deal with deception, the consequences of rejecting truth, and God's judgment on the wicked. The EGW passage speaks of a specific group, while the Bible verse is more general, but the underlying themes are similar.
"For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."
The EGW passage describes the eventual downfall of those who are opposed to God. Psalm 37:2 speaks of the wicked being quickly cut down. Both passages convey the idea of the temporary nature of the prosperity of the wicked and their ultimate demise.
"Again my husband's health became very poor. He was troubled with cough and soreness of lungs, and his nervous system was prostrated. His anxiety of mind, the burdens which he bore in Rochester, his labor in the office, sickness and deaths in the family, the lack of sympathy from those who should have shared his labors, together with his traveling and preaching, were too much for his strength, and he seemed to be fast going down to a consumptive's grave. That was a time of gloom and darkness. A few rays of light occasionally parted the heavy clouds, giving us a little hope, or we should have sunk in despair. It seemed at times that God had forsaken us. 1T 96.2"
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;"
The EGW passage describes feeling 'troubled' and 'forsaken,' while 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 explicitly states 'We are troubled on every side...Persecuted, but not forsaken.' The parallel is strong, as both passages address feelings of being overwhelmed but not ultimately abandoned.
"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:"
Both passages describe a time of intense hardship and despair, where the individuals felt overwhelmed and even questioned God's presence. The EGW passage describes her husband's failing health and their feelings of gloom, while 2 Corinthians 1:8 speaks of being pressed beyond measure and despairing of life. The shared experience of overwhelming difficulty and a sense of abandonment creates a valid thematic parallel.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
Both passages describe a time of darkness and potential despair, with the EGW passage echoing the sentiment of walking through a difficult period where hope seems distant. The Psalm offers comfort in God's presence, while the EGW passage expresses a feeling of God's absence, creating a contrasting yet related thematic parallel.
"For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
The EGW passage describes a time of 'gloom and darkness' with occasional 'rays of light,' mirroring the Psalm's contrast between 'weeping' and 'joy.' Both passages deal with the transient nature of suffering and the hope for eventual relief.
"The Messenger party framed all manner of falsehoods concerning us. These words of the psalmist were often brought forcibly to my mind: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” Some of the writers of that sheet even triumphed over the feebleness of my husband, saying that God would take care of him, and remove him out of the way. When he read this as he lay sick, faith revived, and he exclaimed: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord, and may yet preach at their funeral.” 1T 96.3"
"I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."
EGW directly quotes Psalm 118:17, making this an explicit allusion. The context in EGW's writing further emphasizes the personal application of the verse to her husband's illness.
"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."
EGW directly quotes Psalm 37:1-2, making this an explicit allusion. The context in EGW's writing shows that she is using the verse to encourage herself and others not to be discouraged by the actions of evildoers.