"Love of money and love of display have made this world as a den of thieves and robbers. The Scriptures picture the greed and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming. “Go to now, ye rich men,” James writes; “ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” James 5:1, 3-6 . PK 651.1"
"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."
EGW directly quotes James 5:1, 3-6, making this an explicit allusion.
"Even among those who profess to be walking in the fear of the Lord, there are some who are acting over again the course pursued by the nobles of Israel. Because it is in their power to do so, they exact more than is just, and thus become oppressors. And because avarice and treachery are seen in the lives of those who have named the name of Christ, because the church retains on her books the names of those who have gained their possessions by injustice, the religion of Christ is held in contempt. Extravagance, overreaching, extortion, are corrupting the faith of many and destroying their spirituality. The church is in a great degree responsible for the sins of her members. She gives countenance to evil if she fails to lift her voice against it. PK 651.2"
"For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written."
The EGW passage echoes the sentiment of Romans 2:24, that the actions of believers can cause God's name to be blasphemed. The connection is thematic, focusing on the negative impact of hypocrisy.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
The EGW passage discusses those who profess faith but act unjustly, which aligns with the warning in Matthew 7:21-23 about those who claim to know Christ but are rejected for their iniquity. The connection is thematic, focusing on the importance of actions matching profession.
"And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage."
Both passages address oppression and injustice, particularly regarding the powerful taking advantage of the vulnerable. Micah 2:2 speaks directly of coveting and seizing property, while the EGW passage speaks of exacting more than is just and oppressing others, echoing the same theme.
"The customs of the world are no criterion for the Christian. He is not to imitate its sharp practices, its overreaching, its extortion. Every unjust act toward a fellow being is a violation of the golden rule. Every wrong done to the children of God is done to Christ Himself in the person of His saints. Every attempt to take advantage of the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another is registered as fraud in the ledger of heaven. He who truly fears God, would rather toil day and night, and eat the bread of poverty, than to indulge the passion for gain that oppresses the widow and fatherless or turns the stranger from his right. PK 651.3"
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
The EGW passage directly applies the principle of the golden rule (Matthew 7:12) to specific behaviors like sharp practices and extortion. It expands on the implications of violating the golden rule in a practical context.
"Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."
The EGW passage states that wrongs done to God's children are done to Christ, which is the core principle of Matthew 25:45. The EGW passage applies this principle to specific acts of injustice.
"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."
Both passages address the issue of defrauding or taking advantage of others. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 specifically warns against defrauding a brother, while the EGW passage speaks more broadly about unjust acts and overreaching.