COMPLETE
BASIS OF ONENESS.
1. "They are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world." "The men which thou gavest
me out of the world.'' John 17: 6,14. Here is the very first condition of
entering into the required unity. This world is all cursed and confused by
the malady of sin. The fall of the race which separated between man and God,
also broke the human family into fragments and hatred and strife one against
another; but Jesus came into the world and wrought a new creation. In it is
peace, unity and harmony. But no man, morally speaking, can enter the new
creation and abide at the same time in the old. Hence, no marvel that the
mass of sectarians, who conform to the world in pride; love the world in
covetousness, and run with the world in all its popular amusements and
abominations still cry,
We
must agree to disagree,
We
mortals can not hope to see
The
Word of God just all the same,
Until
we reach a higher plane.
Certainly not. But they need not
wait the future to bring the higher state. Let them repent of their sins,
deny themselves of the lusts of the flesh, and be saved out of this world by
the transforming grace of God; then shall they have met the first conditions
of discipleship, and also the first conditions of oneness. But in coming out
of the old world of sin into what shall we enter and abide, as the
2. Condition of
unity? "That they all may be one: as thou, Father, art in me, and I
in thee, that they also may be one in us." Verse 21. Here is an
important condition and basis of oneness. We can not hope to be one in any
earthborn association; but we can, and must be one in God and in Christ. They
put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who talk of joining some sect
in order to be united. Every sect is a schism, and to join one is to partake
of the sin of division which is so extremely hateful in the sight of God. Of
course, many have done so ignorantly, not discriminating between the church
which is of God, and the sect which is of man; and our compassionate High
Priest can have mercy on them that are ignorant, and out of the way, if
they are only willing to walk in the light when it shines unto them. If, then,
we are to be one in Christ Jesus, they who are saved out of the world unto
him, and abide there, walking in all his truth; and not allowing themselves
to be enticed into anything else, the same stand upon the divinely appointed
foundation of unity, and are free from the great transgression of schism. On
the contrary, whoever professes the name of Christ, and yet allows himself to be
drawn into anything else beside the Lord Jesus, the same will have to answer
for the sin of division. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all
one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3: 28. "So we being many are
one body in Christ." Romans 12:5. What excuse is there then for division? There is salvation in no other but
Christ, and "ye are complete in him"; completely saved, completely
kept, completely supplied, and completely unified. Since, therefore, we are
commanded to "abide in him" and in him we have all grace, peace and
wisdom, oneness, happiness, and holiness; what but the will of the flesh and
of the devil, can lead men to join themselves to anything else?
Says the devotee of sects,
"It is utterly impossible for any one to bring the whole Christian body
to this way of thinking." That is all true, and accounts for the
fact that every human institution has failed to unite all Christians upon the
platform of its creed; but with all this admitted there still remains no
excuse for divisions. Man's inability does not overthrow God's ability. It
still remains true that the Lord Jesus Christ "is able even to subdue
all things unto himself." Philippians 3: 21. It was not man but Christ
who "made both one [i. e., Jews and Gentiles], and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us." Ephesians 2:14. And the same
salvation will utterly break down and sweep out of existence every wall of
modern sectism. ''The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and
one soul;'' and he who, by his transforming grace, wrought this beautiful
effect at the beginning of his heavenly kingdom on earth, is able to give all
who truly submit themselves to him the same "one mind" to-day. And,
indeed, we shall show, in its proper place, that just now the Lord is
gathering his holy bride from every ism under heaven into his own body, and
fulfilling prophecy in giving them ''one heart and one way." It is God's
own doings, and man's inability has nothing to do with it. The work of
unifying the children of God is no more the work of man than is our salvation.
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
3. The third provision of our
oneness in the prayer of Christ was his fulfillment of the prediction of
Isaiah 62:2. "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all
kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of
the Lord shall name." Here is a clear prophecy of the transition from
the first to the second covenant; from the Israel that was born after the
flesh, and was of the one nation, to the Israel that is born of the Spirit,
out of all nations. The Jews as a nation rejected Christ, and the kingdom of
heaven was open to the Gentiles. An entirely new order was then enacted, and
old things passed away; and the people and church of God under the new
covenant received a new name which was given by the mouth of the Lord. The
same thing is again spoken of in Isaiah 65. In verse 12 is an awful picture
of the destruction of the Jews. '' Therefore will I number you to the sword,
and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not
answer." "And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen:
for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another
name." Verse 15. These scriptures were fulfilled when the Lord Jesus
said, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of
the world.'' "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy
name." John 17: 6,12.
While men foolishly affirm that
there is nothing in a name, the Lord God attaches importance enough to the
naming of his church to constitute it a matter of prophecy; and he excluded
all men's attempts at naming it by pre-announcing that it should be
"named by the mouth of the Lord." There are many reasons why the
naming of the church is a matter of vital importance. One object, however, is
sufficient to speak of here. Thus prayed the man of sorrows, "Holy
Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me that they may be one,
even as we are.'' Verse 11, New Version. The word rendered
"through," in the common version, is en in the Greek, and
is the same that is regularly translated in, all through the New
Testament. Of twelve translations that are before us all render it,
"Keep in thy name," save the common version. Christ
fulfilled the prophecy by manifesting the name of God to be the basis of the
church title: and he prayed the Father to keep them in his name, that they
may be one as he and the Father are one. Therefore, even in the name, perfect
unity is provided for. The entire church is to be kept in the one name, as a
means of its perfect oneness. While other names are not the chief cause of
divisions, but more generally have come into use because the divisions have
been fomented by some factious spirit, or false doctrine; nevertheless, party
names contribute their share in the creation of parties, and oneness in name
is one essential to the perfect unity for which Christ prayed.
To say that rival names do not
help to divide, and perpetrate division, is to charge the Lord with nonsense.
For why should he pray the Father to keep them all in his name, in order that
they should be one as he and the Father are one, if their oneness would
continue all the same under various names? In other words, if oneness in name
is not essential to oneness in faith, life, and spirit, why did the Savior
pray for the former as a condition of the latter? We admit that sincere,
humble children of God may cherish much love and enjoy some fellowship with
each other while under sectish names; but such names are inconsistent with
Bible unity, prevent its manifestation to the world, and become a wedge in
the hands of Satan to more and more separate and alienate. Yea, it is a fact
clearly seen by spiritual men, that the sect names are real idol gods that
men worship, and are exceedingly mad upon. But Christ has left no excuse for
them; in giving the one name for the church to be known by, he provides for
her unity and condemns all divisions.
''Keep them in thy name.'' The
holy apostles hold this prayer of their Lord in profound respect . Let us see
how they understood and carried it out.
"Feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20: 28. "The
church of God which is at Corinth." 1st Corinthians 1:2 and 2nd
Corinthians 1:1. "Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the
Gentiles, nor to the church of God.'' 1st Corinthians 10: 32. "We have
no such custom, neither the church of God." 1st Corinthians 11:16.
"Despise ye the church of God?" 1st Corinthians 11: 22. "I
persecuted the church of God.'' 1st Corinthians 15:9. "Beyond measure I
persecuted the church of God, and wasted it." Galatians 1:13. "For
ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in
Christ Jesus." 1st Thessalonians 2:14. "We ourselves glory in you
in the churches of God." 2nd Thessalonians 3"4. "If a man
know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of
God?" 1st Timothy 3:5. "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to
behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.''
1st Timothy 3:15.
The simple word "church"
frequently occurs without the qualifying part of the name; because there
being only one church that is of God, it was not necessary to designate it
every time by its full name. But that men should not attach some handle of
their own to the divine community, we find it twelve times denominated the
church of God, according to the prayer of the Savior that it should be kept
in the name of God, the Father. And lest, indeed, men should ascribe this
heavenly Jerusalem to some earthly god, once it is qualified in full,
"The church of the living God." This excludes all dead fraternities
of the dead gods of the nations.
The name chosen by divine wisdom
very beautifully acknowledges her relation to God in every respect. To her it
is said, "Thy maker is thy husband." Is it not proper and right
that the heavenly bride should honor her husband by assuming his name? Again,
the church is the family of God; she therefore naturally inherits the name of
the Father. Because of both these relations, to assume any other name is an
insult to the jealous God, who will not give his glory to another. "For
this cause," says the apostle, "I bow my knees unto the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ; of [from] whom the whole family in heaven and earth is
named." Ephesians 3:14,15. We have seen that the name was given by the
mouth of the Lord Jesus, but is derived from the Father. This latter fact is
clearly seen in the above passage correctly rendered; for the Greek
preposition ez is defined the same as ek, and signifies,
from, out of. Hence, it expresses the source, or derivation of the name. It
is rendered thus in the Emphatic Diaglott: ''For this cause I bend my
knees to the Father, from whom the whole family in the heavens and
on earth is named." Thus, also seven out of the twelve versions render
it. We should also observe that this title, "The church of God,"
acknowledges God as its founder, builder and owner. It therefore, not only
lays an important foundation for the unity of all believers under the one,
and only Scriptural, church cognomen, but it honors God as its author and
possessor. Is there then no difference in a name? Would a title that does not
indicate whether the church originated from, and belongs to, God, man, or the
devil, do equal honor to God as that which ascribes it wholly to him?
The glorious institution that
Jesus founded is a complete organization. But nothing could well take on
regular organic form without designating its name. Therefore, about the first
clause of every constitution of earthly compacts, reads something like this:
"This society [corporation or joint stock company, etc.] shall be known
by the name of," etc. So when Jesus, the Son of God, founded his
heavenly Jerusalem on earth, he put on record that this holy community must be
kept in the name of the Father, which the apostles were inspired to word as
follows, ''The ekklesia of God." In this one name her oneness
is to be maintained. Whoever, therefore, imposes, or assumes any other church
title, is not only guilty of disobeying the earnest desire of Christ, but is
also guilty of creating or partaking of the enormous sin of schism. This is a
matter of no small weight in the sight of God.
Having already shown the
perfection and infallibility of this divinely authorized discipline, we
simply call attention to it here to show that nothing essential to the
foundation of perfect unity is unsupplied. Had the founder of the church of
God left her without a creed, or system of cooperation, it might have been
taken for granted that men were left at liberty to draft such rules as they
thought best; and so have an excuse for different creeds, and divisions that
would arise therefrom. But Jesus has forever excluded all who would be
lawmakers in the kingdom of heaven. By his inspired last will and testament
he has put in quarantine every craft rigged by man in the harbors of great
Babylon.
''There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all.'' Ephesians 4:4-6. What a beautiful picture of perfect
unity! There is but one body; therefore, to start another is to go out of the
one. One Spirit; to admit another is to give place to the devil. There is one
Lord. This ignores all the lords, and high officials of sectism that resolve
themselves into a rival head, and announce themselves, ''The law-making power
of the church." " One faith"—the faith once for all delivered
to the saints. Jude 3. By whom was it given? Answer.—"The Lord gave the
word: great was the company of those that published it." Psalms 68:11.
This clearly defines the prerogative, both of Christ and all his ministers.
As head of the body, it is his place to issue all laws. As simple messengers
of the Lord, it is the duty of his messengers to deliver and enforce his
Word, without adding thereto, or taking therefrom one jot or tittle on pain
of eternal banishment from his kingdom. How utterly different the province of
ministerial duty, as portrayed in the Word of God, to that disgusting,
God-dishonoring scheme of general and annual conference and assemblies of
modern sectism, wherein they usurp the office of Christ, the "one
lawgiver."
There is "one faith, one
baptism;" i. e., the one faith of the gospel is publicly professed in
the one and same literal ordinance of baptism. Hence, when Satan infused
party spirits into the disciples at Corinth, the apostle reproved them by
three questions: "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were
ye baptized in the name of Paul?" 1st Corinthians 1:13. The idea is
this: Christ is not divided, he only was crucified for them, and they all
received the same ordinance of baptism. Hence, there was no excuse for
division and infant baptism. They could not be divided without going out of
Christ and inventing a different baptism. Therefore, it has come to pass that
the modern factions "deny this Lord that bought them," and
substitute the sacraments of Rome for the ordinances of Christ; especially
that wherein we testify our death to sin by burial with Christ in baptism.
The Lord having given the same rule for all his disciples to walk by, and the
Holy Spirit to guide each one into a knowledge of all this divine system of
truth; there is here again, no possible excuse for division. Neither Christ,
his Spirit, nor yet his Word cause divisions. They are all the result of
carnality and subscribing to some tradition or creed of man, which make of no
effect the Word of God. He, therefore, that subscribes to anything else, by
the inspired Word is guilty of the sin of division in the sight of him who
has made all provision for unity.
5. We now come to the great
condition, and all-potent means of perfect unity found in the prayer of
Christ. In the very midst of his four times repeated prayer that we should be
"one as he and the Father are one," he thus implores the Father:
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. And for their sakes
I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.''
John 17:17,19.
Here we say is secured to us the
essential and all-sufficient means of producing perfect unity in all the body
of Christ. First, we will trace the blessed cause and effect in its negative
virtues. In 1st Corinthians 3:3; Galatians 5:19, 20, we see that factions or
heresies are the works of the flesh, the fruits of the carnal mind. Entire
sanctification heals all divisions by removing the cause; for it cleanses the
heart from all unrighteousness. But there is a positive part to this all-sanctifying
work of grace, namely, the infilling of the Holy Spirit; the return of Christ
from heaven in the power of the Comforter, and bringing with him the Father,
and all to abide in the church forever; thus filling his sanctified temples
"with all the fullness of God." While the
perfect cleansing feature of the sanctifying grace removes all
carnality, the cause of division; the all-pervading love of God, shed abroad
in the heart by the Holy Spirit that is given to us, brings all hearts into
the same harmony that reigns in heaven, into perfect unity, as the Father and
Son are one. This is expressed in these words: "And the glory which thou
gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in
them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as
thou hast loved me.'' John 17: 22, 23.
The glory he has given to the
church, which makes us one as he and the Father, he thus defines, "I in
them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." The
unifying glory is the indwelling God; for "the Lord shall be unto thee
an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." Isaiah 60:19. In Luke 2:
32 Christ is declared to be, " A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the
glory of thy people Israel.'' And again we read, "If ye be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God
resteth upon you." 1st Peter 4:14. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
constitute the excellent glory that Jesus bequeathed to his church. Who dare
say that this divine fullness is unable to produce the effect Christ said it
would? "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord." 2nd Corinthians 3:18.
From glory to glory, we receive
the glory of the very image of Christ; namely, from the glory of
justification into the glory of entire sanctification. "But we are bound
to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of
the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2nd Thessalonians
2:13,14.
This very clearly shows that the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the
Comforter. For our sanctification is "to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ." This glory makes us all one as the Father and
his Son. "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom
are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of
their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and
they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to
call them brethren." Hebrews 2:10,11. Here again the glory, and the
grace of entire sanctification are spoken of as the same, and perfect oneness
is its sure fruit. Both Christ and all that are wholly sanctified by him are
of one, yea, of one Spirit, of one mind, of one faith, of one heart and soul,
and all in "one body," of which he is the head, and we are members
in particular. If, therefore, Christ and his apostle tell us the truth, we
are forced to the conclusion that all who are not thus made one, and who yet plead for
sects, are not sanctified, not in possession of the glory. But let us hear
the testimony of the Word once more: "And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13.
Here again this beautiful fruit of
perfected holiness is recorded; namely, unity. The various gifts of the
ministerial calling are all given of God, and all center in the paramount
object of the perfection of the saints; in which experience they "all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto
a perfect man," a perfect body. Christ "made of twain [Jews and
Gentiles] one new man," a new church; and thank God, he has provided for
the perfect holiness and unity of this church of the new covenant. The
perfection of the saints is attained in entire sanctification (Hebrews
10:14), and "the unity of the faith," its inevitable fruit. The
language implies two things, i. e., they are all brought into the one faith,
"the faith" once for all delivered to the saints. Second, they are
not left in various and conflicting views and interpretations of the one
faith. Nay, but the ''unity of the faith," implies one faith, a perfect
uniformity in the understanding of the same. So we plant our feet on the sure
Word of God and by its authority affirm that God has made full provision, in
every respect, for the perfect harmony in faith, life and teaching, of all
who honestly wish to know the truth and obey the same. Therefore, perfect
unity is a, law and characteristic of God's church in its normal condition.
But before we pass from this
point, we must expose the perverse reasonings of modern heretics. In one strain of
logic they affirm that it is all right that the Christian world is divided
into so many different shades of belief, and variety of church-organization;
that thereby the gospel has been more extensively spread and more people
evangelized, because everybody can find a church to suit him. And when the
Word of God is brought forward to show that all God's people should be one,
they seek to cover the enormous sin of schisms by saying, "All God's
people are one." Now while it must be admitted that there is a measure
of inward fellowship, and a tendency to draw together, in the hearts of all
who possess any degree of saving grace, it is equally true that there is such
a thing as the sin of division. Had not Christ seen that it was possible for
divisions to be brought in among his disciples, he would not have so
earnestly prayed that they should all be one. It is also true, that while
there are men and women in the various organized divisions who have passed from death unto life,
they can only "live at a poor dying rate," while they are
fenced apart by the party names and creeds. As we have said, the tendency of
all who profess any measure of the love of God, is to draw together and
assemble together; but this very inward bent of the Spirit of God is denied this course by the control of party interests, and
party lords. And so the Spirit, grieved and hindered, gradually swoons and
dies out of the heart, and the sectarian spirit only is left to animate their
profession. So then be it understood that (1) Perfect unity is the order of
God's church, and his will in all that believe; (2) The disciples of Christ,
may be in a scattered condition in sects, and such are all the Protestant
sects, so far as real disciples compose their membership; (3) Where
separations of any kind are brought in between truly converted men, the
church is not in the normal state, and spiritual death must sooner or later
ensue to the body thus disintegrated; and being spiritually dead it is no
longer God's church; (4) The formation of sects, or organizing divisions,
both destroys the church and prevents the salvation of the world.
The next attribute of the church
that Jesus founded of which we shall speak is
 |
UNIVERSALITY.
That is, it contains universally
all true believers. The great Redeemer declared, ''There shall be one fold
and one shepherd." "So we, being many, are one body in Christ.''
Romans 12:5. That one body is his church; for God, the Father, gave his Son
"to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body."
Ephesians 1:22, 23. In 1st Corinthians 12:12 this one body is identical with
Christ himself. Since, therefore, the church is the body of Christ, yea, and
is Christ, and since it is also a fact that no one can be saved outside of
Christ, and outside of his body, therefore it follows that all who are
saved of God are inside the church of God, and all outside of it are unsaved.
It is the universal fold of all the redeemed. Next we will consider
|
EXCLUSIVENESS.
The use of this term conveys the
idea that all who are not in the church that Jesus founded, are excluded from
salvation and the Christian's hope. If any person is not disposed to comply
with the conditions of membership in God's church, he can not turn aside and
join some other church that presents a wider door; for there is no other.
There is but one Savior for all men: "There is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.'' But all who are saved by
him are "baptized [or inducted] by one Spirit into one body"; so
all who are outside of this one body are excluded from the grace of God.
Christ is an exclusive Christ; there is none other beside him. The faith that
he gave us is an exclusive faith; no other saves the soul. The truth of God
is exclusive in its nature; everything contrary to it is false. The kingdom
of Christ is exclusive. It is a stone that breaks everything else to pieces.
The one church that Jesus founded and named, and which is his own body, is
also exclusive, for there is only "one body in Christ." During the
reign of pagan persecution the rulers offered to stop the bloody martyrdom
and allow the Christians to worship God in freedom, if they would confess
that the pagan idols were also real Gods. This they could not do, but chose
rather to die. And on this very point of exclusiveness is the present offense
of the cross. People would not seriously object to God's ministers setting
forth the church as contained in the Scriptures, if we would recognize their
earth-born institutions as being also God's churches. But this we can
not do and be honest before God, and faithful to his Word. There is but one
household of faith. Christ does not have a plurality of wives. He has but one
bride, and she has no sisters. Thus saith her husband, ''My dove, my
undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her
mother." Song of Solomon 6:9.
It is true there is in these last
days a large sisterhood of Protestant bodies calling themselves churches, but
the Lamb's wife owns no kin to them. They are of an entirely different
family. Their mother is "Mystery, Babylon, the mother of harlots."
As God is one, only one religion can emanate from him. As "God is not
the author of confusion,'' his church can not be a split up and confused lot
of rival institutions. He recognizes no sisterhood of churches. If,
therefore, there is but one church that emanated from God, whence come the
rest? Martin Luther would answer, "Whatever is not of God is of the
devil." Men come to us and say just what the devil besought of Christ: "Let us alone." "Go on
and preach what you believe, but let everybody else alone." This is
great blindness. If the true God would reign, Dagon, and all other gods must
fall down, and have their heads broken off. If Christ be lifted up,
antichrist must be demolished. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness
can not jointly flourish, nor even coexist in the same heart. No man can
preach the truth without knocking down error, any more than darkness can yet
hold sway after light has come. So likewise, the church of the living God,
which is the pillar and ground of the truth, must utterly exclude and
antagonize every counterfeit church. Hence, in the present evening light,
which reveals the true fold, "every founder is confounded by the graven
image, for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation
they shall perish.'' Jeremiah 10:14,15. That time has now come; for the
preaching of the "pillar and ground of the truth" demolishes
"the work of error."
God's church is exclusive, like
himself. And he who is not willing to commit himself exclusively to God and
to the church that Jesus purchased with his own blood, but for the friendship
of the world and the masses of sectarians, yet endorses the great wicked
babel of isms, and by so doing avoids persecution—he is not fit for the
kingdom. While men have held a place both in God's church, and man's creeds,
through ignorance, yet when the true light comes they have no cloak for their
ignorance and must cut loose from the one or the other. If they then refuse to walk in the light, "It shall
be taken away from them that which they have." Or if they only have a
form, only "seem to be religious," "that which they seem to
have shall be taken away.'' The spirit of this age is to place Christ and
Belial on an equality; to call everything that has a name to be religious,
God's church; and thus try to palm off upon the Almighty the corrupt works of
the devil and insult his holiness by classifying with his heaven-born seed,
all the hypocrites, and abominable characters that have been taken into the
various branches of Babylon. But, ''The Lord knoweth them that are his.''
The great congress of all
religions held in Chicago at the world's fair, A. D. 1893, was a perfect
selling out of Christ. They claimed to meet in one great brotherhood, forcing
fellowship between light and darkness, Christ and Belial, God and idols,
heaven and hell. Heathen, idolaters, Shintoists, and worshipers of all the
ridiculous gods that hell has invented, met on one common level, as one great
family, which virtually denied the exclusiveness of the God of the Bible and
placed Christ on a level with heathen idols. This, we say, was an
abominable slander on the name of Christ, and wicked blasphemy in the sight
of God. It virtually proves the whole business of Roman and Protestant babel
have left Christ and have gone over to the gods of Baal. For surely Christ is
separate from all such, and the God of the Bible, he only is God, and his
church the one and only true and saving fold, and the faith of Christ is
alone from heaven.
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Holiness.
This is the one all-important, and
absolutely essential attribute of the divine church. Before God put forth the
first creative act in the formation of this world, he determined that its
inhabitants should be holy. "According as he hath chosen us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love.'' Ephesians 1: 4. For this reason he created man in his
own image, in his own moral likeness. And this image of God, in which man was
created, and into which he is again restored by the all-transforming and sanctifying grace of God, is
''righteousness and true holiness.'' Ephesians 4: 23. "After God,"
must mean after the original pattern in which man was created; after the
moral likeness of his own Maker, which is defined as "righteousness and
true holiness." Colossians 3:9, 10 leaves us no shadow of
a doubt that this original God-likeness, from which we have the word
godliness, is restored to the soul of man here in this life. "Seeing
that ye have put off the old man [evil nature] with his deeds; and have put
on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of Mm that created him." Here we see that salvation in the second
Adam brings back the holy image of God that man lost by sin in the first
Adam.
This moral perfection in man is
essential to the very object of his being. "And the Lord spake unto
Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and
say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.'' Leviticus
19:1, 2. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.''
1st Peter 1: 15, 16. Can any thoughtful mind read these words without the
impression that God created man to enjoy the blessing of fellowship and
companionship with him? to enjoy the society of God, and to be a "worker
together with him," in carrying forward his beneficent plans? The
imperative command is, "Be ye holy;" and the one great and
all-sufficient reason for the injunction is,'' Because I the Lord your God am
holy.'' The import of the reason is this, man was created to walk with and enjoy God. But God being holy,
man must also be holy; otherwise there can be no affinity between God and
man: no adaptation to each other's society. Therefore, when our first parents
by sin lost their holiness of heart, the image of God, they were spoiled for
his heavenly society. They dreaded his approach, and hid with fear and
trembling when they heard his voice. Having now become unholy, his holiness
drove them out from his presence. And let it here be remembered that heaven
on high is filled with the holiness and presence of God, and it is the utmost
folly and delusion to cherish a hope of entering into its ineffable glory,
unless made perfect and spotless in holiness before God. "Follow peace
with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
But, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." For
this great object was the church established here on earth. She is the
mountain of God's own holiness, and her plane of moral perfection is the
plane of heaven. She is all one "family in heaven and earth," so
that all who are in fellowship with her, are in fellowship with
the Father and his Son Jesus Christ (1st John 1:3), and are consequently fitted for the enjoyment of all the holy
society of heaven. The church of the living God is paradise restored on
earth, a "new creation"; and no person can enter save through
salvation from all sin; and no person can remain in the church when ceasing
to be holy, no more than Adam and Eve could remain in Eden after corrupted by
sin. As their own sin made the presence of God unendurable, and necessarily
drove them out, so ''every branch in Christ that bringeth not forth good
fruit, the Father taketh away." There are then no unholy branches in the
Christ vine. '' For if the first-fruit [Christ] be holy; ... so are the
branches." Romans 11:16.
Persons belonging to the different
religious organizations which men have founded, it is said, ought to be holy;
but all the members of God's church are holy. When men are judged unworthy of
membership in any modern sect, it is in the power of its rulers, by some
course prescribed in their discipline, to expel such. But men becoming unfit
for membership in the body of Christ, are already without the same. God's
church is self-adjusting. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not."
"He that committeth sin is of the devil." 1st John 3: 6, 8. By the
act of sinning he transforms himself from the family of God to the family of
Satan. Therefore, as the root is holy so are also the branches. It is not
said that they ought to be holy, which would admit the possibility of unholy
branches, but they are holy. Therefore the unholy are not branches at all.
The chief end of man's existence
is to worship the Lord. But how must a holy God be worshiped? Answer.—
"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Psalms 29: 2. O
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him all the earth.''
Psalms 96; 9, The same in substance is required by the Savior in the
absolute demand, ''God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship
him in spirit and in truth.'' Since God's church is on the plane of spiritual
worship to God, it is holy in his sight.
The church is also seen to be holy
unto God, because he walks in the midst of her. "Where two or three meet
in my name, there am I in the midst of them." "And I will manifest
myself unto you as I do not unto the world.'' These and similar statements,
show a social communion between God and his people in the new Jerusalem,
which is the church of the first-born; and holiness is just as essential to
enjoy the society of God, as it was when its loss drove Adam and Eve from his
presence.
But still more strikingly does the
holiness of God's church on earth appear when we consider it as the actual
dwelling place of God. "In whom ye also are builded together for a
habitation of God through the Spirit." "As God hath said, I will
dwell in them and walk in them.'' Can any person conceive of God dwelling in
any other but a holy temple? Nay, "The temple of God is
holy, which temple ye are.'' 1st Corinthians 3:17. Neither can a few unholy
ones pass under cover of the general holiness of others. Had there been a
thousand holy men in Eden, they would have intensified rather than decreased,
the fire of God's holy presence, and would have made the place all the more
unendurable to the sinner. So no hypocrite can smuggle himself into the awful
temple of God's presence. Without holiness of heart,'' God is a consuming
fire." "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous." Psalms 1:5. There never
was, nor ever can be a sinner or unholy person in the church, which is the
body of Christ. Such characters may, and do assemble with the church, and may
seek to pass for members of the body, and where the church is deficient
in discerning, such may actually pass undetected, and yet they are not in the
church.
This must be apparent to all when
we consider what constitutes membership in any society. First, the
conditions, and process of becoming a member must be met; and, second, the
name entered on the roll of membership. Therefore the class-book of any sect
decides who are and who are not its members. No matter how much a man may
affirm his membership, if not in their book his claim is false. And no
difference how vile a character may be, if his name stands on their book he
is a member, even though the society be ashamed to confess the fact. Now it
is by these same two tests that we define membership in God's church. First,
all must have entered through Christ, the only door, and by the process of
salvation (John 10: 9; Ephesians 2:18) ; for there is no other possible
admittance. Second, he must have his name in the Lamb's book of life; for
there is no other enrollment of the names of all the household of God.
Therefore, no one can enter except by salvation, and all that are thus born
of God do not commit sin, but are "holy brethren"; and,
furthermore, no sinner or hypocrite has deceived God, and has his name
written down in heaven; and whosoever committeth sin and does not continue to
overcome, his name is blotted out of the book of life. "And the Lord
said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my
book." Exodus 32:33. But, "He that over-cometh, the same shall be
clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of
life." Revelation 3:5. There are then no sinners continued on the book
of God's church, nor any one who is overcome by the devil, or any evil agent.
Not an unholy member in the church of God, She is a "spiritual house, an
holy priesthood"; "a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.'' 1st Peter
2:5,9. Yea, saith her Lord,'' Thou art all fair, my love; there is no
spot in thee." Song of Solomon 4: 7.
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UNCHANGEABLENESS.
Though great and popular
counterfeits of the church have been formed on earth, which are very mutable
in all their elements; and though it is also true that the real membership of
God's church may increase and decrease in numbers, and during the middle ages
they were trodden down, and so worn out by the persecuting powers of
darkness, that but few remained on earth to keep alive the holy seed: yea,
and though it be also true that the truth itself, and nearly all the doctrine
and principles of the church of the living God, were trodden under foot by
the adversary and almost entirely hidden out of sight beneath the traditions
and inventions of men, yet it still remains true that every doctrinal element
of the divine structure is eternal and unchangeable. Many factious bodies
have arisen since Christ purchased and founded his holy community, but, ''The
portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things.''
Jeremiah 51: 19. The fold of Christ is the same thing on earth to-day that
she was before the first "molten image" of sectism was evolved from
strife and spiritual ignorance. We have seen that God is the builder and
maker of the church; and the wise man says, "I know that, whatsoever God
doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from
it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been
is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that
which is past." Ecclesiastes 3:14, 15.
It looks indeed as if these words
were placed on record to rebuke all the founders of new sects, and inventors
of new creeds. Also to vindicate the unchangeable church of God. The law of
Moses was given for a temporal purpose, and for a limited time. ''It was added
because of transgressions [to restrain sinful deeds], till the seed should
come." Galatians 3:19. That seed is Christ. Verse 16. So the whole law
system was only to remain until Christ came, and it was supplanted by the new
covenant, the law of Christ. But while it was in force no man could set it
aside, add to, or take from it. But the Christian system constitutes the law
of the kingdom of God which shall "stand forever"; therefore, it
"shall be forever." An attempt to change one word of it is sure death
to the soul. Even the pope with all his boasted power, is unable to change
the eternal laws of the kingdom of heaven, though he shall ''think to change
times and laws.'' Daniel 7: 25. No power short of the throne of God can
change one thing in the divine church. "Nothing can be put to it, nor
anything taken from it. ... That which hath been [in the church at the
beginning] is now, and that which is to be [in the church in all future time
and eternity] hath already been [in it from the beginning]; and God requireth
that which is past." The same self-denial, and repentance, and utter
forsaking of all sin, that were conditions of entering the church at the
beginning must be met to-day. The same experience of entire sanctification
and holy character demanded then is yet required and fully provided for in
God's church. "No man can serve two masters" now, any more than
when Christ uttered the saying; although Satan has deceived the mass of
sectarian professors into the false notion that they can serve sin and Christ
right along together—sin daily in word, thought, and deed, and yet be
Christians. But the Book has not changed, and it is still true that "he
that committeth sin is of the devil."
The same purity, unity, glory and
power and perfect peace that God put in his church, are yet there, though
only appropriated by few men on earth. The same miraculous gifts that the
Lord set in the body have never been taken out. Gifts of wisdom and
knowledge, healing and discerning of spirits, and the gift of casting out
devils, these are all yet in the church, notwithstanding the teaching of all
sectism to the contrary. Finding not these gifts in their bodies, they have
all taught the people that God has recalled them. But he had never promised
to set in men's structures what he has placed in his own church. But since we
have returned from Babylon to the heavenly Jerusalem we find the precious gifts all yet remaining in it, and awaiting the faith once
delivered to the saints to grasp and develop them into use. There is not one
nonessential incorporated into the Word of God, nor yet one element that was
to drop out after the death of the apostles, or at any subsequent time.
The inspired apostle Paul,
speaking of the New Testament ordinances, said to the Corinthians: "For
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the
Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread," etc.
1st Corinthians 11: 23. And in verse 2 he commanded them, saying, "Keep
the ordinances, as I delivered them unto you." So God's people are not
left at liberty to modify one of the ordinances in the least, much less to
substitute the sprinkling rite of paganism, and Romanism, for the sacred
ordinance of burial with Christ in baptism. And how presumptuous it is to
cast away one of the ordinances of Christ, as the largest portion of
professors do; or all of them, as the Quakers and a few others do; taking the
ridiculous position that the law of Christ met with a revision some time
after the apostles died, and the canon of the Scriptures complete, in
which the positive ordinances were left out. How directly opposite to the
words of Christ this falsehood! Thus we read: "For as often as ye eat
this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."
And the command to baptize all who believe in Christ is incorporated in the
commission which authorizes the perpetual ministry, and to which is subjoined
the promise, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen." So the obligation to administer the ordinance of baptism extends
parallel with the commission to preach the gospel to the end of the world;
and so of every element of the entire divine system. There is not a mutable
factor in it. This fact is clearly established in Jude 3. "Beloved, ...
I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for
the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints."
The verb "delivered" is in the aorist tense, and therefore denotes
that it was "delivered once for all," as rendered in the Revised
Version, and nearly all other translations. If it was delivered once for all,
it is therefore unchangeable to the end of time. Even the language of the
common version, "once delivered unto the saints," conveys
that idea. So we repeat that the church as it stood in its primitive glory,
and unity exists unchanged to-day. Amen.
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INDESTRUCTIBILITY.
This element of the church, we
wish especially to notice; for upon the erroneous supposition that the church
Christ built was entirely destroyed, Mormon fiction has built her house. They
argue that the apostasy destroyed the church, hence it became necessary for
man to build another; and that under divine inspiration Joseph Smith reestablished the church of God upon earth. But if we
can prove that the church of God was never destroyed, but exists to-day, we
establish the fact that the Mormons, with all their modern sects, are but
human frauds imposed upon the people.
In Daniel 2 : 44 the New Testament
church was prophesied of as a kingdom set up by the God of heaven, which
shall never be destroyed: . .. and it shall
stand forever." This accords with the language of Jesus in
Matthew 16: 18: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." These solemn declarations of Heaven's truth are sufficient
to establish the fact that the church Christ built will stand forever. If the
gates of hell could not prevail against it, it exists to-day. Yes, dear
reader, that divine temple exists just as solid, and firm, and shines with as
much luster and brilliancy as in days of yore. Though it has waded through
bloody seas of martyrdom, and for centuries has been largely hid from human
view under ecclesiastical rubbish of men, yet it never was destroyed. Never!
Earthly kingdoms and governments have passed away; great and mighty changes
have been wrought in the earth, but the church of God has marched onward in
its course, and now as we near the close of time's mortal year, it rises
above the mists and fogs of superstitious night and shines forth in pristine
glory as the beautiful rays of the setting sun. It is destined to march
onward in its upward flight while the cycles of eternity roll.
Let us briefly view the elements
which compose this temple. Christ is its head (Colossians 1: 18), foundation
(1st Corinthians 3:11), door (John 10:7, 9), and governor (Isaiah 9:6, 7).
Its walls are salvation. Isaiah 26 : 1. Its law, the truth. Galatians 6:2.
Its bond of union, the love of God. Colossians 2:2. Its membership, the
saved of all nations. Now then it will be seen at a glance that, to destroy
the church, you would have to destroy its foundation (Christ), which the
apostle Paul declares "standeth sure"; its head (Christ), who is
"alive forevermore"; its door, which "no man can shut";
its law, which "endureth forever"; its walls (salvation); yea, all
the people of God who compose it. But since there never has been a time but
what God had a people, and all the above elements are eternal, the church of
God is indestructible. Its walls of salvation no man can batter down.
But one phase of the church went
into apostasy—the people—and not all of them. For there were millions who,
rather than bow down and acknowledge the ungodly doctrines of popery, sealed
their testimony with their blood. The foundation, head, door, government,
unity, purity, etc., of the church never went into apostasy; and in these
last days as we come out of apostasy we simply return to those primitive
elements again. We come to the same Zion which Christ established in the
beginning. The church of God is a spiritual institution. 1st Peter 2:5
"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ." Its door of admission is a spiritual door. Jesus says, ''I am
the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.'' John 10:9.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.'' 1st Corinthians
12:13. Its foundation is spiritual, "For other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1st Corinthians 3:11.
"That spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."
1st Corinthians 10:4.
Thus we cover every specification
of the New Testament church and find it wholly divine, spiritual, and
eternal.
Therefore, it is utterly
impossible for men to build an organization like it, because they can not
manufacture spiritual things. This church is the finest organism the world has
ever seen. It is truly worthy of God himself. It is his temple, in which he
dwells; therefore, there is nothing so august as this church, seeing it is
the temple of God. Nothing so worthy of reverence, seeing God dwells in it.
Nothing so ancient, since it existed before all modern religious sects. And,
thank God! there is nothing so solid, since Jesus is its only foundation and
it is declared to be the pillar and ground of the truth. There is nothing
more closely united and indivisible, since all hearts are knit together by
the perfect love of God, and Christ is its cornerstone. Nothing more lofty,
since it reaches as high as heaven. Nothing so regular and well proportioned,
since Christ and the Holy Spirit are the architects. Nothing so beautiful,
since it is adorned with Christ's holiness. Nothing so brilliant, since
Christ is its light. Nothing so strong, since salvation is its walls and
bulwarks. There is no institution in the world so spacious, since it is
spread over the whole world, and takes in all who have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb. No institution so spiritual, since
all its members are living stones, animated and inhabited by the Holy Spirit.
No institution so lasting, since it is destined to stand forever. In it the
poor, the wretched, and distressed of every nation find shelter. It is the
place where God does his marvelous works, where he is to be sought and found,
and worshiped. Such is the sanctuary of the New Testament. She is a
strong tower, into which we have run and are safe.
The Conquests and Victories of the
Church of God.
Having viewed the primitive church
in its brilliant glory and beauty, we will now trace it through its many
conquests and victories throughout the entire Christian era, until it is
caught up to explore and enjoy the celestial world of light and bliss. These
great conquests and victories through which the church was to pass are
beautifully portrayed in prophecy and Revelation. The prophets with a few
strokes of their pencil, and a few dashes of their pen spoke volumes to us.
"Whoso readeth, let him understand." The kingdom of Christ is
represented as one of constant conquest and victory. Christ reigns while his
enemies are being conquered: "For he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet." 1st Corinthians 15: 25. In the very opening of
the plan of redemption, Christ is seen upon a white horse: and he had a bow;
and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Revelation 6:1, 2. This white horse denotes the purity of his church or
kingdom. A bow in his hand signifies that he is a warrior: and such he is
declared to be in the same book of symbols: "In righteousness he doth
judge and make war." Revelation 19:11. A crown was given him. This proves
that Christ had begun his reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. He went
forth conquering, and to conquer. Christ the King of heaven was never to lose
a battle. His mission was to conquer; hence, he went forth
conquering. This represents the glorious victories gained in the early
morning of the Christian era; Christ conquering the nations through his pure
church. Not only is Christ seen in the form of a warrior rushing to
battle, but the whole church was seen: "Looking forth as the morning,
fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with
banners." Song of Solomon 6:10. We will first consider her victory
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OVER
SIN, DEATH, AND SATAN, THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS.
Man originally was a king, and
reigned over the whole world. It lay prostrate at his feet. He held the
dominion. But through the subtlety of the old serpent, man was robbed of his
kingdom and became a servant; was brought under bondage. Satan became prince
of this world and held dominion over all mankind. "By one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that
all have sinned." We are further told that "death reigned from Adam
to Moses." Romans 5:12,14. The gloomy pall of spiritual death hung over
all the world. Even Moses' law could not give life, for Paul tells us,
"If a law had been given which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the law." The fact is, spiritual life
was never obtained from the time Adam fell until Christ announced to the world,
"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly." Since, therefore, spiritual death hung over all, it follows
that all were under the dominion of sin; and so testifies the apostle that
"God hath concluded all under sin." In that dispensation it was
said, "There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth
not." "'There is no man that sinneth not." "For the blood
of bulls and goats could not take away sins." "The law made nothing
perfect." Therefore they were required to offer sacrifices "year by
year continually," and a remembrance was made "of sins every
year."
This all being true the reader can
better understand why Satan was called the ''Prince of this world.'' He held
the dominion over mankind. They never were fully delivered from his
tyrannical rule. But Christ the King of heaven came to earth to restore to
man ''the first dominion.'' He set up the kingdom of heaven in direct
opposition to the kingdom of darkness. He began by saving men from their
sins, and "healing all that were oppressed of the devil." This
caused Satan's kingdom to fall "like lightning." By the giving of
his life, and his triumphant resurrection from the grave, Christ conquered
death, sin, and hell, bringing salvation, life, and immortality to light, and
extended the same freely to all. Hear his own words: "All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth." Matthew 28:18. "Wherefore he is
able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." The
prince of this world (Satan) was cast out (John 12:31), and Christ was raised
up "a Prince and a Savior" (Acts 5:31); "Prince of the kings
of the earth.'' Revelation 1: 5. This same power he gave to the church:
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy.'' Luke 10:19. "Unto him that loved us,
and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and
priests unto God." Revelation 1:5,6. Thus we see the prince of darkness
dethroned and Christ and his church reigning over him. Yea, they reigned over
the world, over sin and diseases. On thrones of love the whole church sat ''a
royal priesthood," saved through the blood of Christ. Thus was "the
kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom" given to the saints, or the
church, and her first great victory was won. We will now follow her through
the various great conflicts with ecclesiastical powers, and with admiration
view her at last as a mighty redeemed host, with palms in their hands
standing before the throne, more than conquerors through him that loved us.
The first of these was
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PAGANISM
UNDER THE ROMAN POWER.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
marched his armies to Jerusalem, destroyed the city and house of God, took the
vessels of the temple, and the remaining Jews, and carried them away captive.
This occurred B. C. 606. Among the captives carried to Babylon was one
Daniel, who especially was endued with wisdom from on high. In the
second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he had a remarkable dream. In his dream
he saw a great image. Being an idolater, an image was an object that would at
once command his attention and respect. But the thing went from him;
therefore, he called all the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers, but none
could reveal or interpret the dream. Finally God revealed the matter to
Daniel, who made known to the king his dream as follows:
"Thou, O king, sawest, and
behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood
before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine
gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till
that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that
were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay,
the brass, the silver and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became
like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them
away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Daniel 2:31-35.
These five short verses open one
of the most sublime chapters of human history. It is so comprehensive that
the real period which it covers, beginning more than twenty five centuries
ago, reaches from that far distant point past the rise and fall of kingdoms,
past the setting up and overthrow of empires, past cycles and ages, over into
the eternal state—yes, to all eternity. First, in the vision, are brought to
view four universal monarchies, which ruled in succession in ancient times.
The first of these is represented by the head of gold, interpreted by the
prophet as follows: ''Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of
heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. ... Thou
art this head of gold." Verse 37,38.
By this we understand that the
Chaldean kingdom is what the head of gold represented. It was a golden
kingdom in a golden age. Babylon, its metropolis, lay in the garden of the
East. The city lay in a perfect square, fifteen miles on each side. It was
surrounded by a wall 350 ft. high and 87 ft. thick. It had one hundred and
fifty gates of solid brass. Its hanging gardens were a wonderment. This city
contained many things which were wonders of the world, but the city itself
was the greatest wonder of its time. It was in this city, by the rivers of
Babylon, that the Israelite captives sat down and wept, when they remembered
Zion. Said they, "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst
thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song;
and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the
songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"
Psalms 137: 1-4. I presume it is safe to say that never before did the earth
see a city like this; and since has it never seen its equal. With the earth
prostrate at her feet, she sat, "The glory of kingdoms, the beauty of
the Chaldees' excellency." Such was Babylon, with Nebuchadnezzar,
in the prime of life, its ruler, when the Israel captives entered its
impregnable walls to serve for seventy years.
While Babylon was founded by
Nimrod over two thousand years before Christ, it did not enter the field of
prophecy until connected with the people of God, which was about 606 B. C.
Here the head of gold began in history and continued until 538 B. C., when,
during the reign of Belshazzar the son of Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom fell
into the hands of the Medes and Persians. See Daniel 5. The Medo-Persian
kingdom is what the "beast and arms of silver" represented,
interpreted by Daniel as follows: "And after thee shall arise another
kingdom inferior to thee." Verse 39. It was not inferior in power, nor
in the extent to which it carried its conquests; for Cyrus erected the most
extensive empire that up to that time had ever existed. But it was far
inferior in wealth, luxury, and magnificence. But the Medo-Persian kingdom was finally overthrown and conquered by the Grecians.
This occurred about 286 B. C.
The Grecian empire is what the
"belly and thighs of brass" represented, interpreted by Daniel as
"a third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.''
Verse 39. The conquests of Grecia under Alexander have no parallel in
historic annals for suddenness and rapidity. The "legs of iron" and
"feet part of iron, and part of clay," Daniel interprets to be
the "fourth kingdom," both in its strong and divided
condition, Verse 40-43.
A careful reading of verses 41, 42
will show that the feet, part of iron and clay are termed "the
kingdom," though divided. This was Rome. Thus far in this vision
the image represents four universal kingdoms; viz., Babylon, Medo-Persian,
Grecian, and Roman. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that
the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in
pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold." Verse
44, 45.
This language is so clear that it
would seem impossible to misunderstand it. "In the days of these kings"—kingdoms.
But four kingdoms are seen in the image. But four are spoken of in
the interpretation thereof. In their days, or, before they pass off the field
of action, the God of heaven would set up his everlasting kingdom. While they
yet held the dominion, the stone would be cut out and smash them to pieces.
Ah, beloved reader, how wonderful the fulfillment! It was when Rome, the
fourth of the above kingdoms, had reached the summit of its glory and power;
when its domain was so large that it was denominated "all the
world" (Luke 2:1); and Augustus Caesar was an absolute sovereign, ruling
over three hundred millions of people, that a little babe was born in the
town of Bethlehem of Judea; whose infant wailings, no doubt, were mingled
with the lowing of oxen, and the bleating of lambs, but who established a
kingdom, which, without fagot or sword, without war and bloodshed, with no
weapons but the gospel of Christ, the blood of the Lamb, and burning
testimony, marched onward with conquering power, until the heathen kingdoms
of darkness went crashing to pieces before it. The lion-hearted rulers of
nations handed over their scepters to the "Lion of the tribe of
Judah," whose throne is forever and ever; and a scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of his kingdom. Hebrews 1: 8. In fulfillment of Daniel's
prophecy, "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom
of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is
at hand." Mark 1:14,15. The dispensation of the glorious gospel of
infinite mercy, and manifestation of eternal truth by Jesus Christ, was now
to fully open up to all mankind. This is called a kingdom because it has
laws, all the moral precepts of the gospel: its subjects, all
who believe in Christ Jesus: and its king, the Sovereign of heaven
and earth.
From the above scripture we learn
four things: First, everything that is done is according to a plan laid by
divine wisdom, and never performed till the time appointed is filled up.
Second, that the kingdom and reign of sin were to be destroyed, and the
kingdom of grace and heaven established in their place. "Where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound." "Sin shall not have dominion
over you, for ye are . .. under grace.'' Third, that the kingdom of God and his
reign by grace begins with repentance of past sins. Fourth, that this reign
of grace is at hand, and began with Christ's ministry, when the
time was announced'' fulfilled.'' And now,, nothing but an obstinate
perseverance in sin and impenitence can keep a soul out of it; and
that now is the time to enter in.
Christ came to establish his
church, of which he is the everlasting head and governor. He set up a
government and kingdom which is eternal. Revolutions may destroy the kingdoms
of earth, but the gates of hell and death shall never be able to destroy the
church or kingdom of Christ. His is the only dominion that shall never have
an end. In the language of Dr. A. Clark, "The kingdom of grace and the
kingdom of glory form the endless government of Christ." This was the
stone which smote the image upon its feet, and broke them to pieces. And, as
portrayed in this prophecy, pagan Rome finally was broken to pieces under the
iron rod of the gospel of Christ, and fell A. D. 476. That iron kingdom
which once ruled the earth crumbled to pieces under the fire of gospel truth
and holiness, and the church of God triumphed. Christianity became the fifth
universal kingdom. Rome was the last of earthly kingdoms that ever swayed
universal authority, or ever will. But Christ's kingdom is universal. The
uttermost parts of the earth is his possession. In every nation are to be
found disciples of Christ. His rule extends to all the earth. Kings and
magistrates bow before him and do him homage.
Before passing from this prophecy
we shall take a little space to consider the erroneous position of
millennialism. They argue that as the ten toes of the image represent the ten
divided kingdoms of Rome, these were the kingdoms to be in existence when
Christ would set up his everlasting kingdom; and since none of
those ten kingdoms were in existence when Christ appeared in his first
advent, they conclude that the establishment of Christ's kingdom is yet
future. I shall now prove their position false for the following reasons:
1. The ten toes are not called
kingdoms in the prophecy. The legs, feet, and toes are all summed up in this
prophecy as "the kingdom"—the "fourth kingdom." Verse
40-43. Only the four universal monarchies—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and
Rome are called kingdoms. The image, as a whole, represents these four. They
are called kingdoms. "And in the days of these kings
[kingdoms]” the God of heaven was to set up his everlasting kingdom; that is,
during their reign; before they passed off the field of action. While they
yet held dominion, as before proved, this was fulfilled by the coming of
Christ and the establishment of his kingdom, or church, during the reign of
Rome. Christianity fulfilled the prophecy in smashing to pieces these heathen
powers.
2. The time can not reach to
Christ's second coming, for none of the original ten kingdoms are now in
existence. Three of them fell under popery. Daniel 7: 8, 20, 24. They have
all long since passed away. There are in existence today probably twenty
fragments of those original kingdoms, but the toes of the image are no more.
3. The image Nebuchadnezzar saw in
his dream, was evidently a well proportioned man. His toes were the proper
size. But millennialism would say that Nebuchadnezzar saw a man with toes
longer than the man. Let us measure that image from the crown of his head to
his toes. The Babylonian kingdom represented by the head of gold came into
prophecy about 600 B. C. The first of the ten kingdoms of Rome was formed
about A. D. 356. This was the Huns. This would make in all 956 years. So the
whole image measured less than one thousand years, till we reach the toes.
Now if those toes still exist, as foolish millenarians suppose, till the
present year 1902, they would measure over 1,500 years. That would make a man
with toes 500 years longer than the man. Such are the absurdities of those
who believe in a future literal kingdom to be established upon earth.
4. The stone struck the image upon
his feet. But since there is no longer feet or toes of that image left, the
kingdom of God is already established. When set up by Christ it was a small
stone, but it began to roll onward, and finally became so great that, when
Rome became brittle, Christianity struck her such an awful blow that she flew
to pieces.
5. All the New Testament
scriptures teach that the kingdom was set up at Christ's first advent. See
Mark 1:14, 15; John 18:36, 37; John 1:49; John 12:12-15; Luke 19: 37, 38;
Matthew 21:4, 5; Hebrews 2:9; Revelation 1:5; Ephesians 1:20-22; Hebrews 1:
7, 8; Hebrews 4:16; Luke 17: 20-22; Romans 14:17; Revelation 1:5, 6;
Romans 5:17; Luke 16:16; Matthew 3:12; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 11:12; Matthew
12:28; Mark 12: 34; Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27; Mark 9:1; Colossians 1:13;
Revelation 1:9. These twenty six positive texts, with many more, are surely a
sufficient apology for us not accepting the false doctrine of a future
kingdom upon earth. The only kingdom yet future is the everlasting kingdom of
glory above, which we shall enter when time is no more.
This same conflict and victory of
the church over paganism under the Roman power is beautifully portrayed in
the book of Revelation. "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a
woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a
crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth,
and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and
behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns
upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was
ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And
she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:
and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled
into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should
feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.'' Revelation
12:1-6.
Prior to this John saw a door
opened in heaven, and heard a voice, saying, "Come up hither, and I will
shew thee things which must be hereafter." He says, "And
immediately I was in the Spirit." Revelation 4:1, 2. This explains such
expressions as, There appeared a great wonder in
heaven, and, There was war in heaven, etc. John, while in the
Spirit, saw in symbol; or in other words, there passed before him a
panorama of visions, of great events which were to take place upon the earth.
He saw in heaven, in vision, what would take place upon earth in reality. The
woman here described represents the true church of God— the bride of
Christ—in her primitive unity and purity. The blessed union which exists
between Christ and his people is explained by the term marriage. This
is true both of our present spiritual union with Christ, and our future
eternal union with him. The whole church is in Scripture termed "the
Lamb's wife," "the bride of Christ," etc. She was ''clothed
with the sun,'' a striking emblem of Jesus Christ —the "Sun of righteousness,"
the light and glory of the church.
The church was clothed with his
righteousness, which is represented in the same apocalypse by ''pure linen,
clean and white.'' Revelation 19: 8. She was clothed with his holiness, with
the beautiful garments of salvation. The result was that she was a pure
church. She was clothed with his power; for to her he said: "Behold, I
give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy." Thus she was equipped to battle the hosts of hell,
and this power was manifest in the salvation of sinners, the sanctification
of believers, and the healing of the sick of all manner of diseases. She was
clothed with his authority and judgments. The result was that "with
great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus:
and great grace was upon them all." "And great fear came upon all
the church, and upon as many as heard these things." "And of the
rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them."
"And upon her head a
crown." Ah! she sat a queen. Her husband, the glorious Lord, is the king
of heaven— "King of kings, and Lord of lords," He ascended
on high, "crowned with glory and honor," and now reigns a
monarch over earth and sky. But his wife—the church —shares this royal honor.
With the same glory which the Father crowned him, he crowned her. "And
the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them." She shares his reign
in the kingdom of peace. A crown upon her head. She reigns with Christ over
sin, Satan and the world. '' He died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he
liveth unto God." And to the church it is said: "Sin shall not have
dominion over you." Jesus testified that "all power in heaven and
in earth is given unto me." And to the church he gave "power over
all the power of the enemy.'' He testifies: " I have overcome the
world." And we read that "whatsoever is born of God over-cometh the
world." Thus, beloved reader, "The Kingdom and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven was given to the saints of the Most
High."
The twelve stars in her crown,
represent the twelve apostles of the Lamb. These adorned her fair brow. Her
travail in birth and pain to be delivered represent the earnest labor of the
early church for the salvation of the world. The fruit of matrimony is
offspring. The object of our marriage to Christ is that we may bring forth
fruit unto God. Romans 7:1-4. Like a true wife, the church joined heart and
soul with him in the great cause which drew him to the earth. The whole
church is a unit made up of "workers together with God" in the
salvation of lost souls. Both "the Spirit and the bride say, Come."
"As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."
It is said that she "brought
forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron." The
question before us now, is, what does this man child represent? Many
expositors suppose it refers to Christ. But for the following reasons it can
not: The woman here referred to is the New Testament church. This church
labors and pains to be delivered, and suddenly brings forth this
child. Christ is not a child of the church of God. She is not his mother. He
is her founder, and husband, the Father of this child. The prophet calls him
''the everlasting Father.'' Since it can not refer to Christ, we shall
clearly prove that it refers to the great and mighty host of children brought
forth by the pristine church. This man child is clearly defined in the
prophecy of Isaiah as follows:
"Before she travailed, she
brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who
hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made
to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as
Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth,
and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth
and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with
her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for
her: that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations;
that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For
thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the
glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be
borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother
comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.''
Isaiah 66: 7-13.
Here is the same man child seen in
Revelation 12. The same is declared to be 'a nation of children
born at once,' "in one day." "She [Zion] was
delivered of a man child." In surprise the prophet exclaims: "Who
hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made
to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as
soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." This is clear.
A nation of children born suddenly constitutes the man child who was to rule
the nations with a rod of iron. This child sucks the breasts of her
consolations, and milks out, and is delighted with the abundance of her
glory; is borne upon her sides, and dandled upon her knees. What does this
refer to but new-born babes, who desire the sincere milk of the Word, that
they may grow thereby? 1st Peter 2:2. Paul said to some of these "babes
in Christ," "I have fed you with milk." 1st Corinthians 3:1-3.
Was not this fulfilled in the early church? While Zion (one hundred and
twenty in number) was in travail in an upper room in Jerusalem, they suddenly
brought forth, and a nation of three thousand children were born into the
family in one day. In a few days the number of children increased to
about ten thousand. It was but a little while until the number increased to
hundreds of thousands. At an early date the church at Antioch alone numbered
one hundred thousand. A great and mighty nation of children born at once;
born unto Zion.
But why is this called a man
child? It will be observed in Ephesians 2:15 that the host of Jews and
Gentiles born unto the church of God, made one in his blood, reconciled unto
God in one body, constitute "one new man." This is the
man child, just as the great apostate church is termed the man of
sin in 2nd Thessalonians 2. But it may be objected that this child was
to rule the nations. True; and so did this host. It was prophesied of them by Daniel, "But the saints of the Most High
shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and
ever.'' Daniel 7:18. The Lord himself applies the foregoing language to his
people in Revelation 2: 26, 27: "And he that over-cometh,... to him will
I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron." "Whatsoever is born of God over-cometh the world: and this
is the victory that over-cometh the world, even our faith.'' 1st John 5: 4.
This represents the glorious
triumph of the early church. The breaking of the nations into shivers, and
ruling them with a rod of iron, is the same as the stone of Daniel 2 breaking
in pieces and consuming the brass, iron, silver, and gold, until no place was
found for them. Those heathen nations were consumed before the onward march
of Christianity. The iron rod of the gospel broke them to pieces.
But it is said that John saw
another wonder—"A great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns,
and seven crowns upon his heads.'' This dragon represents Rome under the
pagan religion. Rome was truly a dragon power. Its color—red—denotes its
blood-thirstiness. Its seven heads are elsewhere explained as follows: ''The
seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." Revelation
17: 9. This, no doubt, refers to the seven hills which support the city of
Rome. Rome is built on seven mountains. Since this city was the seat of pagan
government, this power sat on seven mountains.
But the seven heads of this power
are further explained to mean something else as well. "And there are
seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and
when he cometh, he must continue a short space." Revelation 17:10. These
were the seven supreme forms of government which ruled the empire. They were
as follows: the regal power, the dictatorship, the decemvirate, the consular,
the triumvirate, the imperial, and the patriciate. At the time John wrote the
book of Revelation, the first "five were fallen.'' He says, ''One is.''
The sixth head, or that which existed in John's time, was the imperial head
under the Caesars. The seventh head, John says, "Is not yet come;"
had not yet appeared in John's time. When it would come it was to continue
but "a short space." This was the patriciate. It ruled the empire
only about fifty-one years. A further exposition of this will be given
farther on in this chapter.
The ten horns of the dragon
represent the ten kingdoms which grew out of the Roman empire. Revelation 17:12. They
were the Huns, the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths, the Franks, the Vandals, the
Suevi, the Burgundians, the Heruli, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Lombards.
The tail of the dragon signifies the latter end of his reign. The
casting down of the stars, doubtless, refers to the thousands of bright
luminaries who were martyred during the reign of paganism; for it is said
that the dragon stood before the woman to devour her child as soon as it was
born. How awfully true! Just as fast as men accepted the Christian faith the
pagans were ready to devour them. Such were the bloody days of the church
under pagan Rome. But Christianity spread so rapidly, and the gospel had such
a crushing effect that Rome finally tottered and fell.
But what became of that holy
nation—the great host of saints, who were marching onward victorious over
every foe? Aye, they suddenly disappeared from the earth. The child was
caught up to God, and to his throne. They ascended to paradise, while
darkness, superstition, and iniquity flooded the earth. The brilliant light
of Christianity was eclipsed by the darkness of apostasy.
''The woman fled into the
wilderness.'' This wilderness signifies the great apostasy into
which the church went. It is a fact that the apostasy rapidly developed at
the end of the pagan persecutions. However we will consider that more fully
later on. The above is one description. Again we are taken over the same
ground.
"And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and
his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in
heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and
the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their
lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is
come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a
short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he
persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were
given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness,
into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a
time, from the face of the serpent." Revelation 12: 7-14.
It has been thought by some that
this great conflict took place in the eternal heavens between Beelzebub and
Christ; but such a view is very erroneous. To say that the eternal heavens,
where purity and holiness reign, was once the scene of war, is preposterous
in the extreme. This is to be understood the same as the wonders in heaven.
John while in the Spirit saw in vision what took place upon the
earth in reality. This great conflict took place in the early morning of the
Christian era.
But who is Michael? ''Yet Michael
the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body
of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The
Lord rebuke thee." Jude 9. Jude here calls him the archangel—chief or
head of the angelic host. We have but to enquire who this is to have the
solution. 1st Peter 3:21, 22—"Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven, and
is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made
subject unto him." "Again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten
into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
Hebrews 1:6. Christ then is the archangel, whom Jude terms Michael. Daniel
calls Michael "the great prince which standeth for the children of thy
people." Daniel 12:1. This is a clear prophecy of Christ, whom "God
exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.'' Acts 5:30, 31. We deem the
foregoing sufficient to convince any one that Michael is the Lord Jesus
Christ. In fact, when Michael conquered the dragon, the host of heaven sent
up a shout to God, because "the power of his Christ" was
manifest. Verse 10.
As before proved, the dragon
represents paganism, or Rome under the pagan religion. Now, if by the dragon
he meant Beelzebub himself, then we are necessarily led to the conclusion
that the great apostate spirit is a monster having seven heads and ten horns,
and also that he has a tail, with which he drags after him the third part of
the stars of heaven. God never created such an angel, nor can it be proved
that Satan now has such an appearance. The appellations, "old
serpent," "Devil," and "Satan" must, therefore, be
understood figuratively.
The heathen power was called
''that old serpent which deceiveth the whole world," from its subtlety
against the Christians, and its causing almost the whole then
known world as far as was in its power to embrace the absurdities of
paganism. From its great opposition to the Christian church, it was called
Satan, which is a Hebrew word signifying an adversary. It was also called the
devil, because its religion was purely of devilish origin. Paul says that
"the things which the Gentiles [heathen nations] sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils; ... and I would not that ye should have fellowship with
devils. Ye can not drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils."
1st Corinthians 10: 20, 21. It is a fact that the early Christians called the
pagan power the devil; and they rightly named it, for it was the
principal agent through which the old fiend deceived the world, and opposed
the church of God in primitive days.
At the ushering in of this gospel
dispensation, paganism was the universal religion. Rome held universal sway.
Even the Jews as a nation, with a few exceptions had accepted it; forsaking
the God of their fathers, they worshiped idols. Paganism held the highest
position on earth when Christ appeared to save the world. But he who is
called Michael, because he is like God, and his angels (messengers—holy
ministry) waged war against this dragon in his high places. Being victorious
he proved to the world that heathenism had no right to such a high seat.
Therefore Christ cast him down, and set his kingdom up instead.
It is said that "the dragon
fought and his angels, and prevailed not.'' This refers to the bitter
opposition heathen Rome waged against Christianity. His angels refer to the
advocates, and adherents of paganism. Heathenism and Christianity stood in
direct opposition. But, thank God, "the great dragon was cast out;"
Christianity prevailed.
"And they overcame him by the
blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not
their lives unto the death.'' Here is given the reason why the
followers of Christ prevailed at this time against all their
adversaries. It was because they fought against the dragon in the armor of
God. "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb," by proclaiming
salvation to sinners through Christ crucified, and by their continual intercessions
at the throne of grace for the conversion of the heathen world. All this they
did at the peril of their lives. Never before in the history of the world was
a kingdom established with such conquering power. Never did an army go forth
with such weapons of warfare. Rome fought with the sword, cross, fagot, and
wild beasts of the earth. The Christians' only weapons were the blood of the
Lamb, and the word of their testimony. They testified the gospel of Christ
where ever they went. The Roman hosts fought with swords of steel, while the
Christians fought with the sword of the Spirit. Thank God! "they
overcame." When the pagans took a Christian to the stake, and the flames
were taking his life away, he testified that the blood of Jesus saved him.
The Christians never lifted their hands in rebellion, but submitted calmly to
death, testifying to salvation through the blood. The testimony of one
Christian in death's hour would often convert a large number of pagans. Thus
the blood of the Lamb set forth in testimony slaughtered more pagans than it
was possible to slaughter Christians. The time came when the Christians
far outnumbered the pagans and they threw down their arms and desired
admittance into the church.
Had not an apostasy taken place,
the world would have been swept to God. Christianity prevailed. That stone
smote the image and broke it to pieces. Rome tottered and finally fell A. D.
476. When Christianity thus prevailed the hosts of heaven and earth were
heard to shout, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of
our God, and the power of his Christ.'' This is a song of triumph of the
Christian church over heathen idolatry, and is very expressive of the great
joy of the Christians upon this most stupendous event. John heard this in
heaven, but in reality it took place upon earth.
This great rejoicing of the early
church was because the accuser of the brethren was cast down, which accused
them day and night. Whenever famine, pestilence, or any other calamity befell
the pagans, they accused the Christians for it. If a fire broke out in their
city, the blame was laid on the Christians, and they were slaughtered by the
thousand. No wonder there was a shout of joy when that power was broken.
It is further said that when the
dragon found himself cast out, he persecuted the woman which brought forth
the man child. This refers to the pagan persecutions. When Rome saw her
religion crumbling under the increasing light of Christianity she tried to
save herself by slaughtering the Christians. But where one saint sealed his
testimony with his blood, ten took his place. Watch-fires were kindled in
every land, and finally Rome went to pieces.
"And to the woman were given
two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her
place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from
the face of the serpent.'' Revelation 12:14. This wilderness is the same as
that of verse 6, which refers to the great apostasy of the church. This same
great conflict and victory of the church over paganism is brought to view in
Revelation 20:
"And I saw an angel come down
from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his
hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,
and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless
pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the
nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that
he must be loosed a little season.'' Verse 1-3.
This scripture, no doubt, has been
more speculated upon than any other in the Bible. It is used as a foundation
for all the multiplied absurdities and diversities of false doctrines
respecting a fancied millennium future. Many precious men and women, in order
to prop up a corrupt theory, in their blind zeal will set aside the plain
testimony of New Testament scripture and literalize this text. But no such
thing is hinted at as a future literal reign upon earth. If the reader will
closely compare Revelation 20:1-3 with Revelation 12:7-11 he will observe
that the same event is referred to The angel which came down from heaven is
Michael, the archangel—the Lord Jesus Christ. He had the key of the
bottomless pit; for he testifies, "I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of
hell and of death.'' Revelation 1:18. The language of this text is
highly figurative. The dragon here referred to is the same as that in
Revelation 12; viz., pagan Rome. There is but one dragon brought to view in
the book of Revelation, the dragon with seven heads and ten horns. 12: 3.
That dragon represents Rome under the pagan religion. The appellations,
"Devil, and Satan," are applied to this hellish power both in Revelation
12 and 20.
We have before observed why these
terms were applied to paganism. Because its religion was purely of devilish
origin, and because it was the chief instrument through which the devil
deceived the whole then known world. When this power ruled the earth, and its
religion was universal, Christ the archangel came down from heaven, set up
his everlasting kingdom in direct opposition to this dragon power, and
with the great chain of his eternal gospel he bound the religion of paganism
and hurled it from its lofty position to the great abyss from which it
emanated.
The one thousand years signify the
long period of time when paganism as a religion was largely extinct.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto
them.'' Revelation 20:4. John saw this after the angel came down, and while
he was binding the dragon. Like Revelation 12:10, this refers to the triumph
of the early church over heathen darkness; the glory of Christ's kingdom
before the apostasy. Through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit
multitudes were raised up from a dead state in sins to life in Christ. This
great host thus quickened into life in the clear morning of the Christian
era, composed the first great spiritual resurrection. Through full salvation
they were made kings and priests unto God; and sitting upon thrones of love
they reigned '' in life'' over sin, Satan, and disease. Judgment was given to
them. This refers to the righteous judgments of God which filled the early
church. Thus, in brief, we trace the church through her first great conflict
with ecclesiastical powers, and behold her sweep onward with triumph over all
her foes. As we follow her to the end of the world, we give a history of
events which should awaken a deep interest in the minds and hearts of all.
"No one takes much interest
in the history of the world before the coming of Christ. The old dynasties of
Babylon, Media, Assyria, are but dim specters lost in the remoteness of the
long forgotten past. Though the Christian lingers with solemn pleasure over
the faintly revealed scenes of patriarchal life, still he feels but little
personal interest in the gorgeous empires which rise and disappear before him
in those remote times, in spectral visions, like the genii of an Arabian
tale. Thebes, Palmyra, Nineveh—palatial mansions once lined their streets,
and pride and opulence thronged their dwellings: but their ruins have faded
away, their rocky sepulchers are swept clean by the winds of centuries; and
none but a few antiquarians now care to know of their prosperity and
adversity; of their pristine grandeur and their present decay.
"All this is changed since
the coming of Christ. Nineteen centuries ago a babe was born in the stable of
an inn, in the Roman province of Judea. The life of that babe has stamped a
new impress upon the history of the world. When the child Jesus was born, all
the then known nations of the earth were in subjection to one government—that
of Rome. The Atlantic Ocean was an unexplored sea, whose depths no mariner
ever ventured to penetrate. The Indias had but a shadowy and almost fabulous
existence. Rumor said, that over the wild, unexplored wastes of interior
Asia, fierce tribes wandered, sweeping to and fro, like demons of darkness;
and marvelous stories were told of their monstrous aspect and fiend-like
ferocity. The Mediterranean Sea, then the largest body of water really known
upon the globe, was but a Roman lake. It was the central portion of the Roman
empire. Around its shores were clustered the thronged provinces and the
majestic cities which gave Rome celebrity above all previous dynasties, and
which invested the empire of the Caesars with fame that no modern kingdom,
empire, or republic, has been able to eclipse.
"A few years before the birth
of Christ, Julius Caesar perished in the senate chamber at Rome, pierced by
the daggers of Brutus and other assassins. At the great victory of Pharsalia,
Caesar had struck down his only rival, Pompey, and had concentrated the power
of the world in his single hand. His nephew Octavius, the second Caesar,
surnamed Augustus, or the August, was, at the time Jesus was born, the
monarch of the world. Notwithstanding a few nominal restraints, he was an
absolute sovereign, without any constitutional checks. It is not too much to
say that his power was unlimited. He could do what he pleased with the
property, liberty, and the life of every man, woman, and child of more than
three hundred millions, composing the Roman empire. Such power no mortal had
ever swayed before. Little did this Roman emperor imagine, as he sat
enthroned in his gorgeous palace upon the Capitoline Hill, that a babe
slumbering in a manger at Bethlehem, an obscure hamlet in the remote province
of Syria, and whose infant wailings perhaps blended with the bleating of the
goats or the lowing of the kine, was to establish an empire, before which all
the power of the Caesars was to dwindle into insignificance.
"But so it was, Jesus the
babe of Bethlehem, has become, beyond all others, whether philosophers, warriors,
or kings, the most conspicuous being who ever trod this globe. Before the
name of Jesus of Nazareth all others fade away. Uneducated, he has introduced
principles which have overthrown the proudest system of ancient philosophy.
By the utterance of a few words, all of which can be written on half a dozen
pages, he has demolished all the pagan systems which pride and passion
and power had then enthroned. The Roman god and goddesses—Jupiter, Juno,
Venus, Bashus, Diana—have fled before the approach of the religion of Jesus,
as fabled specters vanish before the dawn. Jesus, the ''Son of man'' and ''
Son of God,'' has introduced a system of religion so comprehensive, that it
is adapted to every conceivable situation in life; so simple, that the most
unlearned, and even children, can comprehend it. This babe of Bethlehem,
whose words were so few, whose brief life was so soon ended, and whose
sacrificial death upon the cross was so wonderful, though dead, still
lives and reigns in this world—a monarch more influential than any other, or
all other sovereigns upon the globe. His empire has advanced
majestically, with ever increasing power, down the path of eighteen
centuries.
''The Caesars have perished, and
their palaces are in ruins. The empire of Charlemange has risen, like one of
those gorgeous clouds we often admire, brilliant with the radiance of the
setting sun; and like that cloud, it has vanished forever. Charles 5 has
marshaled the armies of Europe around his throne, and has almost rivaled the
Caesars in the majesty of his sway; and, like a dream, the vision of his
universal empire has fled. But the kingdom of Jesus has survived all these
wrecks of empires. Without a palace or a court; without a bayonet or a saber;
without any emoluments of rank or wealth or power offered by Jesus to his
subjects, his kingdom has advanced steadily, resistlessly increasing in
strength every hour, crushing all opposition, triumphing over all time's
changes; so that, at the present moment, the kingdom of Jesus is a stronger
kingdom, more potent in all the elements of influence over the human heart,
than all other governments of earth.
''There is not a man upon this
globe who would now lay down his life from love for anyone of the numerous
monarchs of Rome; but there are thousands who would go joyfully to the
dungeon or the stake from love for that Jesus who commenced his earthly
career in the manger of a country inn, whose whole life was but a scene of
poverty and suffering, and who finally perished upon the cross in the
endurance of a cruel death with malefactors.
"As this child, from the
period of whose birth time itself is now dated, was passing through the
season of infancy and childhood, naval fleets swept the Mediterranean Sea,
and Roman legions trampled bloodily over subjugated provinces. There were
conflagrations of cities, ravages of fields, fierce battles, slaughter,
misery and death. Nearly all these events are now forgotten; but the name of
Jesus of Nazareth grows more lustrous as the ages roll on." Next in
order we will consider the dark reign of
|
Popery.
The gospel age is frequently in
Scripture termed a day. The Old Testament prophets in speaking of
things that would transpire in this dispensation frequently said, "It
shall come to pass in that day." Adam's transgression had shrouded the
whole world in darkness and death. Gloom and despair, misery, sin, and
wickedness abounded. Yet as soon as man fell into sin, God schemed a way of
escape. A plan of redemption was foreordained through his infinite wisdom and
mercy. Ages before that plan was revealed and opened to mankind through his
only begotten Son, the Lord cast its shadow upon earth. The law was a shadow
of good things to come. It had some glory; some blessed rays of light from
heaven shined upon earth, and God spake to man through prophets. Through the
priest, man had the privilege of conversing with his Creator and making his
desires known. This was a blessed privilege enjoyed by Israel; but that
people, to whom was delivered the lively oracles, forsook the God of their
fathers, and, as a nation, went into idolatry. This brought the wrath of God
upon them, and he answered them no more through prophets. The last prophet
through whom God spoke to Israel was Malachi; then came an awful night of
about four hundred years upon that favored people. This was prophesied by the
prophet Micah: "Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that lead my
people astray, that bite with their teeth, and proclaim peace to them;
and when nothing was put into their mouth, they raised up war against them:
therefore there shall be night to you instead of a vision, and there shall be
to you darkness instead of prophecy; and the sun shall go down upon the
prophets, and the day shall be dark upon them. And the seers of night visions shall be ashamed, and the
prophets shall be laughed to scorn: and all the people shall speak against
them, because there shall be none to hearken to them.'' Micah 3: 5-7, LXX.
This was an awful night to Israel.
Midnight darkness filled the earth. Men sought in the darkness of that night
to find the word of the Lord but could not find it. An awful famine was in
the land. But this awful silence of Israel's night was suddenly broken by
"one crying in the wilderness,'' and saying, ''Repent ye: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand." The twilight of earth's most
glorious day— the day of salvation—was breaking upon mankind. The Elias—the
harbinger of that day—was now preparing the way for Messiah to begin his
ministry. The prophets foresaw the ushering in of the gospel dispensation,
and spoke of it as a clear morning. Isaiah foretold it in these words:
"The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of
the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning
cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.''
Isaiah 21:11,12.
Dumah signifies silence. This was
the time of silence from Malachi to Christ. The inquirer asks, "What of
the night?'' viz., What time of night is it? The watchman cried, "The
morning cometh." This morning refers to the clear morning of the
Christian era. "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come
to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.'' Isaiah 60: 2, 3.
The time of darkness here referred to, that covered the earth and gross
darkness the people, was the awful night of Judaism. But it was foreseen that
the Lord would arise and his glory be seen. This refers to the ushering in of
the better dispensation. The coming of Christ was to be as a beautiful
sunrise, and the Gentiles were to come to the brightness of his rising.
"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise
with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of
the stall." Malachi 4: 2.
In fulfillment of these
predictions, Christ came the Sun of righteousness, and ushered in a clear
day—the day of salvation. ''Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the
day spring [sunrising, margin] from on high hath visited us, to give light to
them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the way of peace.'' Luke 1:78, 79. ''The people which sat in darkness saw
great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is
sprung up.'' Matthew 4:16. "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem,
whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the
consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed
unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen
the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child
Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his
arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in
peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which
thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the
Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." Luke 2: 25-32. ''For so
hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.''
Acts 13: 47. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do
well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until
the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." 2nd Peter 1:19.
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." Romans
13:12. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life." John 8:12.
Here are a number of scriptures
which clearly show how clear and bright was the dawning of the gospel day. Jesus
came like the rising sun, the light of the world. He shed his blessed rays of
light and salvation throughout the earth. Sinful darkness gave way to truth
and grace. Christ established his church; true holiness adorned her fair
brow. Unity and purity were her chief characteristics. Of her he said,
"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." Song of
Solomon 4: 7. Again, ''My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the
only one of her mother." Song of Solomon 6:9. Unity and purity are
inseparable. One can not exist without the other. Holiness is the mainspring
of all gospel truth, it is a golden thread which runs all through the New
Testament.
As long as true holiness was
possessed by God's people, they were one, and fortified against all apostasy.
We read of them on Pentecost that they were all "with one accord in one
place." After the church had multiplied to thousands "the multitude
of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul." Acts 4:32.
The reason of this was "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,"
"and great grace was upon them all." Judgment went forth against sin with such authority that "of
the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified
them." "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many
as heard these things." Acts 5:11. "And by the hands of the
apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were
all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join
himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more
added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they
brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches,
that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of
them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto
Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean
spirits: and they were healed every one.'' Acts 5:12-16.
Jesus said of the church, "Ye
are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14. Such she was, and her light
shone as the bright morning sun. She was a divine, a spiritual
institution. But the clear morning glory of the church did not last long. It
was foreseen that a great apostasy would come. The early ministers went forth
with the knowledge that a long dark night of superstition, error, and persecution
lay before them. Jesus had foretold and warned the church to "beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles'? even so every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree can not
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye
shall know them." Matthew 7:15-20. "And many false prophets shall
rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of
many shall wax cold.'' Matthew 24:11,12.
Paul gave the following warning to
the church, a prediction of this great reign of deception. "For I know
this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember,
that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day
with tears.'' Acts 20: 29-31. ''Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving
of them which believe and know the truth." 1st Timothy 4:1-3.
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears." 2nd Timothy 4:2,3.
Peter foretold this time in the
following language: ''But there were false prophets also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by
reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through
covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose
judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not.'' 2nd Peter 2:1-3.
All these texts describe an awful
reign of darkness and deception which was to come upon the church; a
time when false prophets would deceive many by turning their hearts away from
the truth. These false teachers would bring in "damnable heresies,"
and many should follow their pernicious ways; and because iniquity would abound, the love of many should wax cold. What an awful
picture, and yet how true. The very things predicted came to pass, as we
shall hereafter prove. We will next observe that this great apostasy came
early in the Christian era.
"The people of thy holiness have
possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down
thy sanctuary." Isaiah 63:18. The little while in
which God's people were to possess true holiness was the early morning of the
Christian era. Had the church ever retained holiness, there never would have
been an apostasy. But by retrograding from this lofty plane she opened the
doors to every species of false doctrine and error. The result was the enemies of truth trod down
the sanctuary—the church. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but
try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world." 1st John 4:1. "For many deceivers are entered
into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This
is a deceiver and an antichrist." 2nd John 7. "Little children, it
is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now
are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They
went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they
would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be
made manifest that they were not all of us." 1st John 2:18, 19.
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out of the way.'' 2nd Thessalonians 2: 7.
From these texts we clearly learn
that the way was paved for the reign of antichrist at a very early date.
In A. D. 54 the mystery of iniquity was already at work. In A. D. 90 John
testified that already many antichrists were working, many false teachers had
entered the world, and some had gone out from among them; viz., separated
from the established church, and gone off into heresy. It is very clear that
at a very early date, true holiness was lost sight of, and the way was being
laid for an awful reign of sin and corruption. Many little heresies arose one
after another until finally, these ripened into an awful beast
power— Popery. This was foretold in the following language:'' Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our
gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that
the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of
sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth
in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Even him, whose coming
is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 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." Thessalonians 2:14, 9-12.
It seems that some of the
Thessalonian brethren had an idea that the second advent of Christ would take place in
their day; but the apostle disabused their minds of that idea, by assuring
them that before that day there would come a falling away. What can
this mean but an apostasy? a retrogration from the pure apostolic plane? 'The
apostle saw this but a small step before him. This falling away is the same
as that predicted in 1st Timothy 4:1-3, where it is said, ''Some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils." Popery was filled with just such spirits and doctrines. The
faith once delivered to the saints, was the pure faith of the gospel. Through
it men received the remission of sins. ''Thy faith hath saved thee." Believers
were sanctified, they received "an inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me." Through faith in the name of Jesus,
the sick were healed of all their diseases, the lame were made to walk, the
blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. Devils were cast out,
and great power and grace rested upon the entire church.
The reader can easily judge what
the result was when men fell away from that faith. When they departed from
it, they lost all the foregoing blessings from God. It can be seen at once
how such a departure and falling away brought darkness, superstition, and all
conceivable doctrines of devils into the world. The faith of the gospel teaches ''one fold," "one body"—the body of
Christ which is the church —''one mind," "one heart and soul,"
"one doctrine,'' etc.; but when men fell away from that blessed state of
unity, it became necessary for them to be identified with some other body,
enter some other fold, and adhere to contrary doctrines. Thus, it was that an
apostate church was organized, and established in the earth. 2nd
Thessalonians 2:3, is rendered in the Emphatic Diaglott as follows: "Let
no one delude you by any means, because the apostasy must come
first, and there must be revealed that man of sin, that son of
destruction." "Falling away" is from he
apostasia,. A similar word is translated "divorcement" in
Matthew 5:31; 19: 7; Mark 10: 4. It means separation.
Before more fully examining this
prophecy in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, I will take up this thought
briefly: "A falling away [apostasia—separation] first." The church
of God is represented in Scripture as "the bride, the Lamb's wife."
The blessed union between Christ and his people in the beginning of this age
is expressed by the term marriage. "For Zion's sake will I not
hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the
righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a
lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all
kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of
the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the
Lord and a royal diadem in the hands of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed
Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt
be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee,
and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall
thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall
thy God rejoice over thee." Isaiah 62:1-5.
The prophet is here speaking of
the New Testament church. Zion and Jerusalem are metaphors which signify the
church of God. She was to be termed Beulah—married. "Thy land shall be
married." It was foreseen that as a bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride,
so God would rejoice over his people. This is a clear prediction of the new
covenant church married to Christ. The Gentiles were to help compose this
fair bride. As a result of this marriage relation she was to be called
"by a new name." How clear! As soon as marriage is consummated, the
woman drops her maiden name, and is called by a new name, the name of
her husband. So as soon as we are married to Christ we take his name. After this
blessed union, whatever we do in word or deed we "do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus." Colossians 3:17.
The wife in order to honor her
husband must bear his name. To take upon her any other man's name is to
dishonor her husband, and make herself an adulteress. Just so with the
church; in order to honor Christ her husband, she must bear his name. To take
upon her any other name is to make her a spiritual adulteress. In the
beautiful twilight of this glorious salvation day we hear John saying,
"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom." John 3:29. He referred
to Christ and his church.
Paul speaks of this blessed union,
in writing to the Roman brethren, as follows: "Know ye not, brethren,
(for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over
a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by
the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she
is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth,
she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her
husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress,
though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are
become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to
another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth
fruit unto God." Romans 7:1-4.
I will give a little allegory
which will explain the above language of the apostle: A woman once married a
husband who did not love her. He was very crude and coarse in his manners. He
was very rigid. He laid burdens upon her which she was unable to bear.
His demands were very unreasonable. Instead of being kind, he would emphasize
his demands with, "Thou shalt." He followed his wife wherever she
went, with his hands full of stones, and if she disobeyed him in the least,
he was ready to stone her to death.
Reader, do you think that wife had
a happy life? Certainly not. But in the course of time that husband died and
was buried; and after his death she married another. This second husband
loved her; he was kind and affectionate. His demands were reasonable and not
grievous. Instead of him emphasizing his demands with "Thou shalt,"
he tenderly said, "If you love me you will." And when she went
about her daily work, he joined with her, and was always "a present help
in time of need." Do you think that woman wore crape on her hat after
her first husband died? I trow not.
Reader, this is no fable, but the
very truth taught in Romans 7. That woman was the Jewish church or people of
God under the old dispensation. Her first husband was the law, the
ministration of death; but the time came when that husband died, the law was
abolished. In late years the Adventists have dug up the decayed carcass, and
have married it, yea, are hugging it as their husband. But their supposed
husband is dead, while ours is alive forevermore.
After the death of that system the
people of God were married to another, even him who was raised from the dead,
namely, Jesus Christ. The object of this blessed union is that "we
should bring forth fruit unto God," produce offspring. Millennialists
usually contend that the church is not now really married to Christ—only
espoused, engaged to be married. If that is true, then all the children of
God are bastards and not legitimate children. Thus, it has been discovered by
these crafty preachers, that the apostle John was mistaken when he said,
''Beloved, now are we the sons of God.'' 1st John 3: 2. But let God be true.
A careful reading of Ephesians 5
will convince all honest readers that the same relation which exists between
Christ and his church, exists between husband and wife. Therefore we repeat,
the union between the early church and Christ is clearly expressed by the term marriage. Christ
had but one bride; she was chaste and pure.
The apostle foresaw
a separation—apostasia. Thus, the apostasy is portrayed in
prophecy. It will be remembered that the church was seen in Revelation 12:1
as a woman clothed with the sun, with a crown upon her head adorned with
twelve stars. How beautiful was that bride, robed in holiness, in the
garments of salvation. She sat a queen. A crown upon her head denoted her
royalty. Her husband was the King of heaven and earth; King of kings, and
Lord of lords. He was crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9); but he also
crowned her with his glory. "The glory which thou gavest me I have given
them.'' John 17:22. Thus, the church sat and reigned a queen—a kingdom of
priests.
But it will be remembered that
that fair woman fled into the wilderness. Revelation 12: 6,14. She
forsook her husband— Christ—"departed," and fled into the
wilderness. This wilderness signifies the great apostasy into which the
church went. She was to remain in this wilderness state "a thousand two
hundred and three score days." Verse 6. This can not refer to natural
days, for it would only cover three and one-half years. Under the law there
was a week of seven days and a week of seven years. This was in common use
among the Jews. The first account of this will be found in Genesis 29, where
Jacob served Laban seven years for Rachel; but when the seven years were
fulfilled he gave Jacob Leah, his oldest daughter, instead. This displeased
Jacob for he loved Rachel. "And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the
first-born. Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service
which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and
fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also."
Genesis 29:26-28.
Here it is seen that seven years
are called a week. Hence, a day equals a year. This is clearly
brought out in Moses' law. We will here insert a few texts which make this
clear.
''After the number of the days in
which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye
bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of
promise." Numbers 14:34. "And when thou hast accomplished them, lie
again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of
Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year." Ezekiel
4:6. We have "each day for a year." "I have appointed thee
each day for a year."
Applying this rule, the twelve
hundred and sixty days in which the church was to remain in the wilderness
equal so many years. This period reaches from the time she went into utter
darkness till she came out into clearer light. It measures the length of time
the papacy was to usurp authority over the people of God. The papacy was
substantially set up about 270 A. D. Every history records a rapid decline in
all the virtues and glories of the church at that time.
Measuring from this date the 1,260
years reached to 1530 A. D. In that year the first Protestant creed was
formed—the Augsburg Confession in Germany. It is also a fact that at
this time the reformation was rapidly spreading, and thousands dropped the
doctrines of the papacy, threw off the galling yoke, and came out into
clearer light. In Revelation 12:14, the time specified for the church to
remain in the wilderness, is called "a time, and times, and half a
time." This wilderness is the same as that in verse 6, hence, the time
must be the same. A time signifies a year. See Daniel 4: 25, 31-37. Three and
one-half times equal three and one half years, or forty-two months. Counting
thirty days to the month we have 1,260 days or years, which extend from 270
A. D. to 1530 A. D. That period covers the reign of Catholicism, the dark
night of the Christian era.
Having measured the time when the
church was to remain in this wilderness state, we will now view her as
portrayed by the pen of inspiration. That pure woman fled into the
wilderness. After this John was carried away in the Spirit ''into the
wilderness.'' Revelation 17: 3. This was the same wilderness into which the church went.
What did John now see?
"And there came one of the
seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me,
Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that
sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the
wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names
of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness
of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood
of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration." Revelation 17:1-6.
Oh, how changed! What a contrast!
Before she went into the wilderness she was pure. Now he beholds "a
great whore." Instead of a pure woman, that chaste virgin, he now
beholds a woman "with whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the
wine of her fornication.'' "She holds a cup full of the "filthiness
of her fornication." This woman is "drunken with the blood of the
saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.'' No wonder when John saw
her he "wondered with great admiration." Before the apostasy she
stood upon the moon, the Word of God (12:1). Now she sits "upon a
scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten
horns." Ah, beloved reader, this woman represents the apostate church.
She is the Catholic church. The beast that carried her is imperial Rome under
the popes and bishops. This is made clear by the angel's interpretation of
this marvelous vision.
"And the angel said unto me,
Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and
of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The
beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation
of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains,
on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and
one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a
short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and
is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou
sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but received
power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give
their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb,
and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings:
and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith
unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples,
and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest
upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in
their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto
the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which
thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the
earth." Verses 7-18.
Here is a full explanation of the
mystery. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
This no doubt refers to the city of Rome, built upon seven hills or mountains.
Rome was the seat of both the pagan and papal government. Hence, in her, sat
this woman and ruled or reigned over the kings of the earth. Thus she sat on
seven mountains. But the seven heads have another signification. "And
there are seven kings." These refer to the seven supreme forms of
government which the Roman empire had: (1) the regal power, (2) the
dictatorship, (3) the decemvirate, (4) the consular, (5) the triumvirate, (6)
the imperial, (7) and the patriciate.
These were the ruling powers of
the empire. The angel informed John that'' five are fallen, and one is, and
the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short
space.'' That is, at the time John received this vision, the first five had
already fallen. "One is." The form of government ruling the empire
in John's time was the imperial power of the heathen Caesars. It
was the sixth head of Rome. The other "not yet come," was the
patriciate which had not yet developed at John's time. It was to continue
"but a short space." Adam Clark says, the time the patriciate ruled
the empire was limited to forty-five years. Some authorities say fifty-one
years. This was a short period compared with the duration of several of the
preceding forms of government. This makes the seven heads of the empire.
Next the angel interprets the
beast upon which the woman sat: '' And the beast that thou sawest was, and is
not; ... behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." " And
the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven,
and goeth into perdition." This beast upon which the woman sat is the
eighth head of Rome, and yet was one of the seven. This beast was popery.
Popery was the eighth and last head of Rome. But, says one, how was it one of
the original seven? The sixth head of the empire was
the imperial under the heathen Caesars. This imperial power was the
persecuting power of Rome against the early Christians. Imperial Rome ruled
the world. Thus "it was. "But the time came when the hordes of
savages from the North swept the empire and the imperial head was wounded to
death. The imperial government was overthrown. This lasted about fifty-one
years, and while the imperial head was thus wounded to death, the patriciate
ruled the empire. Thus "it was not."
But a little later this same
imperial power revived under a Christian garb. The same power that ruled
under the Caesars in heathen garb, though wounded to death for about
fifty-one years, revived and ruled under the priests and popes in Christian
garb. Thus this beast "was, and is not, and yet is,'' and now
constitutes the eighth head of Rome. It was the same identical power which
ruled under Caesar that ruled under popery—imperial Rome—first in heathen
garb, next in Christian garb; but it was the same persecuting power in
Christian garb, as it had been in heathen garb. See diagram of Rome, page
295.
As early as A. D. 270 the devil
manufactured an apostate church. This apostate institution is what the woman,
the great whore, represented. When the old persecuting imperial power
revived, it entered this apostate institution and gave it its life under the
popes and priests. It became the power that ruled this apostate church. Thus the woman sat upon this scarlet colored
beast. This beast was imperial Rome under popes and priests,
hence popery. This makes clear how the horns of imperial Rome,
under pagan rule, served as the horns of papal Rome. It was the same power
clothed in a different garb. These ten horns, as already seen in this
chapter, signify the ten divided kingdoms of Rome. These were to "give
their power and strength unto the beast." Thus they became his horns, as
well as they had served as the horns of the dragon. The time was to come when
these kings would "hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.'' This no doubt was
fulfilled when the very nations who had once supported popery, and
constituted her horns, turned against her and sheared her of all her temporal
power. Among others, England and Germany effected this, and became the horns
or powers which supported Protestantism.
This beast ascended '' out of the
bottomless pit.'' It was of hellish origin. Such is the whole system of
popery. It emanated from hell, and "shall go into perdition." This
very beast will finally be "cast alive into a lake of fire burning with
brimstone.'' Revelation 19: 20. ''And the woman which thou sawest is that
great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.'' Revelation 17:18.
This is Babylon the great —the Roman Catholic sect. She is the great whore.
She is guilty of "the blood of the saints, and the martyrs of
Jesus." History states that she glutted herself with the blood of nearly
50,000,000 saints. The bride of Christ was clothed with the sun. She wore the
robes of righteousness. But this woman ''was arrayed in purple and scarlet
color.'' This apostate woman, Christ never acknowledged as his bride. Isaiah
speaks thus: "How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of
judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." Isaiah 1:21.
She forsook her husband—Christ—and corrupted herself and became a harlot—a
great whore. This caused
the Separation, "apostasia." She separated herself
from Christ, her head. ''The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ
is the head of the church." But she departed from her living head, and
the pope became her head—husband. Thus she committed fornication. She played
the harlot.
"For of old time I have
broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress;
when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing
the harlot. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how
then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?"
Jeremiah 2:20, 21. ''They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from
him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again, shall not that
land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many
lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 3:1.
"The Lord said also unto me
in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel
hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green
tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all
these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous
sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding
Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of
divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the
harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that
she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt
treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.'' Jeremiah 3:6-9,
20.
"Plead with your mother,
plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore
put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her
breasts. For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them
hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me
my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.'' Hosea
2:2, 5.
While these scriptures were
fulfilled in Judah’s and Israel's apostasy, and had direct reference to
that time, they indirectly reach a fulfillment in the apostasy of the church,
for Israel was a type of the church. Israel was planted "a noble vine, a
right seed." But she treacherously departed from the Lord, went into
open idolatry; committed adultery with stones and stocks. She played the
harlot with many lovers, and the land was greatly polluted. For this
cause the Lord ''put her away, and gave her a bill of divorce."
"Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement,
whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions
is your mother put away." Isaiah 50:1.
In the legal dispensation when a
man put away his wife he gave her a bill of divorcement. So the Lord uses
this language to express the condition of Israel when she forsook him. He no
longer recognized her as his wife, or people. This is expressed by
divorcement. But in this dispensation divorcing is not recognized. The
divorce law was abolished. However, for one certain cause—fornication or
adultery—a man can put away his wife—separate. So just as Israel departed
from God, "the faithful city Zion" —the Lamb's wife—departed from
her husband and became a harlot. Isaiah 1: 21. She committed fornication,
became a ''great whore.'' Christ could not acknowledge her in this condition
as his wife; hence, this is expressed
by "apostasia"—separation. Thus we learn what Paul meant when
he said the falling away (departure—apostasia— separation) shall first
come before the end. It came, and Israel's apostasy was a type of it.
It is said in Revelation 17 that
the great whore committed fornication'' with the kings of the earth."
"With whom the kings of the earth committed fornication."
This was fulfilled in all the kings of the nations giving their support to
the Catholic sect. This they did for one thousand years, in the darkest days
of the world's history, when superstition, and sin abounded. The kings and rulers of the different nations compelled their
subjects to submit to the doctrines of popery. They also enforced their laws
against all who would not adopt the religion of the Catholic sect, and
put them to death. Thus they committed fornication with the great whore.
But in order to fulfill the words of God, these very kings and rulers
afterwards turned against Rome, and enforced their laws against her. This
sheared her of all her temporal power, and stripped her naked; and fulfilled
Revelation 17:16, where the very kings who gave their power and strength to
the beast "shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and
naked." Amen.
We will now return to 2nd Thessalonians
again. Identical with this falling away—apostasy—a man of sin, the
son of perdition, would be revealed; "who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth
in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Verse 3, 4. This
man of sin refers to the pope of Rome, who fulfils every specification of the
prophecy. Some latter-day teachers suppose this refers to a supposed
antichrist, who they expect will make his appearance in the near future, just
prior to Christ's second advent. They expect this antichrist to appear in the
form of some great personage. All this is blindness and error. The spirit of
antichrist was already working in Paul's day; for he says the ''mystery of
iniquity doth already work." John says, "Even now are there many
antichrists.'' The spirit of antichrist began working at a very early date;
and step by step it gained in power until about 270 A. D., when man was
exalted way above what God ordained in his Word, and this soon ripened into
the awful beast power of popery. The pope was exalted to be the head of the
so-called church.
But before we can get a full
understanding of this man power and exaltation, it will be necessary to first
understand the simplicity and purity of the early church government. The
whole ministry of the church of God is classified by the apostle Paul as
follows:
"And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive." Ephesians 4:11-14.
"And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues." 1st Corinthians 12:28.
The ministers classified in these
two scriptures are identical. They are properly divided into two classes;
traveling and local. Traveling preachers plant churches and water the same;
while the local, shepherd and feed the flocks. All these gifts were necessary
to the perfect government of the early church, and are just as necessary
to-day. Whatever was essential then is essential now. As before stated, the
early ministry were properly divided into two classes, local and traveling.
The term elder applies in Scripture to both the traveling and local
ministry. First to the traveling. ''The elders which are among you I exhort,
who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a
partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." 1st Peter 5:1. "The
elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not
I only, but also all they that have known the truth.'' 2nd John 1. ''The
elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth." 3rd John
1. Second to the local. ''And when they had preached the gospel to that city,
and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and
Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to
continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into
the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church,
and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they
believed." Acts 14:21-23. "To Titus, mine own son after the common
faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
our Savior. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in
order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had
appointed thee.'' Titus 4: 4, 5. They ordained elders in every church—in
every city. These were the local ministers who cared for and fed the flock.
But Paul and John were both traveling preachers. They were apostles, and each
testified to being an elder. If Paul and John were elders, then all God's
preachers are elders, all on one common plane—on one level—all elders. But
some may object that elder only means older one; therefore it is a class of officers selected from
among the older ones to form a sort of sanhedrin. No such thought is conveyed
in the New Testament Scriptures. While the word literally rendered is older
one, in the New Testament it is used in an official sense, not in its literal
sense, and applies to the sacred calling and office of a minister. In Moses'
church under the Old Testament, not all the older men of Israel were termed
''the elders of the people,'' but there was selected a large number of men
(seventy) of sound wisdom and judgment who sat as a sanhedrin. These were the
elders of Israel. Under the New Testament, the term elder, as before observed, applies to all the
ministry, but they must be men and women of sound judgment and wisdom, and
fully anointed by divine power to be "able ministers of the New
Testament.'' The traveling preachers are classified
as apostles and evangelists.
But who were the apostles? God
gave ''some apostles,'' ''first apostles.'' The first twelve ministers chosen by
Jesus Christ to be the first propagators of his kingdom among the lost sheep
of the house of Israel, were called apostles. ''And when it was day he called
unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named
apostles.'' Luke 6:13. These twelve were to be eye-witnesses of his personal
work on earth, and also of his resurrection from the dead. When one was
chosen to take the place of Judas, he had to be one who had accompanied Jesus
Christ in his personal ministry, and had been a witness of his resurrection.
''For it is written in the book of
Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his
bishopric let another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied with
us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from
the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must
one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they
appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men,
show whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this
ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he
might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell
upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.'' Acts 1: 20-26.
Through their labors, inspiration, and writings, the New Testament has come
to us. Therefore these twelve form a perpetual foundation in the church.
Revelation 21:14; Ephesians 2: 20. Such a thing as a succession of the number
twelve is simply Mormon fiction, invented by Joseph Smith, who was filled
with ''visions of his own head."
Jesus Christ was called an apostle
in that he was sent forth from God to accomplish the redemption of man.
Hebrews 3:1, 2. Paul and Barnabas were called apostles because they were the
first to plant the Christian faith among the Gentile nations. "But the
Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief
men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and
expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet
against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy,
and with the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both
together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude
both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews
stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the
brethren. Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which
gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to
be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: and part
held with the Jews, and part with the apostles." Acts 13: 50-52; 14:1-4.
"Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their
clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out.'' Acts 14:14.
James the Lord's brother was
called an apostle. "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see
Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none,
save James the Lord's brother." Galatians 1:18, 19. Silvanus and Timotheus
were apostles. "Paul and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the
Thessalonians which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace
be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we
might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ." 1st
Thessalonians 1:1; 2: 6. Apollos was an apostle. "And these things,
brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for
your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is
written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For I think
that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death:
for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men."
1st Corinthians 4: 6, 9. Here we have clear proof of at least twenty who were
called apostles in the early church. However it is evident from a careful
reading of the New Testament that there were many more in whom the gift of apostleship
was manifested.
From the testimony of Scripture it
is clear that an apostle was a planter. The word is defined by Webster:
"One who first plants the Christian faith." We will select the
apostle Paul as an example. He says, in his epistle to the Corinthians,
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.'' 1st
Corinthians 3: 6. By this he means that he was the instrument God used to
plant the Corinthian church.
This is proved in Acts 18:1,4-11:
"After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth. And
he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the
Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And
when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said
unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I
will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence, and entered into a certain
man's house, named Justus, one that worshiped God, whose house joined hard to
the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the
Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and
were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision,
Be not afraid, but speak, and hold
not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee:
for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six
months, teaching the word of God among them."
This made him their apostle. He
says, "If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you:
for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord." 1st Corinthians
9:2. "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye
not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through
the gospel." 1st Corinthians 4:15.
Through Paul's labors the
Corinthian church was established. Hence, he says, "I planted" you;
and if not an apostle unto others, "I am to you," for I have begotten
you through the gospel, and the seal of mine apostleship ''are ye in the
Lord.'' He further testifies to them,'' Truly the signs of an apostle were
wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty
deeds." 2nd Corinthians 12:12.
From the foregoing we learn that
apostles in the early church were not a separate class of officers, who stood
above the rest, but were gifted men and women. Apostleship was not an office
of itself, but was a gift of the Spirit in the ministry— men who were
specially endued with the various gifts of the Spirit, which qualified them
to enter new fields of labor and plant the truth, plant churches. This meant
more than simply getting a company of believers raised up. They were gifted
so that they could confirm and establish such assemblies in faith, truth, and
holiness, and lead them into the various gifts necessary to make their local
work effectual. Such were termed apostles. Paul had a general'' care of all
the churches.'' That is, he felt the responsibility of the work in general.
But were there to be elders in the
church in these last days qualified with the gifts to do the work of
apostles? Yes. "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and
prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." Revelation 18: 20. Down in
this evening time when Babylon falls there were to be apostles who would
rejoice over her downfall. The other traveling elders were
termed evangelists. "And some evangelists." Ephesians 4:11.
Philip was called "the evangelist." Acts 21: 8. Paul exhorted
Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist." 2nd Timothy 4:2. The
real work of evangelists is seen in 1st Corinthians 3: 6: "I have
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.'' Their work was usually
to labor among churches already established, to stir up the revival spirit
among them, and water the saints—refresh them. But in the church of God,
while these gifts were given to profit withal, there was nothing legalistic,
like in sectism to-day. An apostle could "do the work of an evangelist."
Both Apollos and Timothy were apostles, but they did some evangelizing, too.
Such sometimes went into new fields and planted churches, as Philip the
evangelist at Samaria, and the apostles came and established them, as Peter
and John did. Acts 8.
This gives us a brief idea of the
work of the traveling elders. The apostles entered new fields and preached
the gospel, God working with them confirming the word with signs following.
Under their labors churches were planted. The Lord held them responsible for
the welfare of those assemblies, until the local officers were raised up, and
everything ''set in order.'' Sometimes it was necessary for the apostle to
remain in such fields of labor for years, until everything was fully set in
order. For a minister to plant a church, and then run off and leave it
without a spiritual father's care, and proper shepherding, is working
contrary to God's plan. Such work brings disaster. A careful reading of
the Acts will show that the apostles remained at Jerusalem for a long period
of time. Paul abode for a number of years at some places in order to
establish the work; at other points he left workers, as Titus in Crete. See
Titus 1: 4,5.
The evangelists were traveling
ministers, who edified the body, and labored to get men saved. The local
elders are termed pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4:11.
There was a plurality of elders ordained in every local assembly. "And
when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting,
they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." Acts 14: 23.
"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order
the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had
appointed thee." Titus 1: 5. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and
called the elders of the church.'' Acts 20:17. "And when we were come to
Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went
in with us unto James; and all the elders were present." Acts 21: 17,
18.
You will notice that the word is
plural. In every church they ordained "elders." The last
two texts clearly show a plurality of them in the church at Jerusalem, and
also at Ephesus. They were the overseers of the assemblies. Their
work is clearly set forth in the following texts: "And from Miletus he
sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. Take heed therefore
unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over-the which the Holy Ghost hath
made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his
own blood.'' Acts 20:17, 28. ''The elders which are among you I exhort, who
am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a
partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is
among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords
over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." 1st Peter 5:1-3.
Their work was feeding the church;
ministering to them the word of life; taking the oversight; caring for, and
protecting the little ones from the impositions of the devil through heresy
or false teachers.
"Wherefore comfort yourselves
together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you,
brethren, to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord,
and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's
sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn
them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient
toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever
follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." 1st
Thessalonians 5:11-15. "Remember them which have the rule over you, who
have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end
of their conversation." Hebrews 13: 7. "Obey them that have the
rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they
that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for
that is unprofitable for you.'' Hebrews 13:17.
These texts clearly set forth the
responsible work of the local elders. Comments can not make them clearer.
Another work of these elders is seen in James 5:14,15: "Is any sick among
you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed
sins, they shall be forgiven him." "And I will give you
pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and
understanding." Jeremiah 3:15. "And I will set up shepherds over
them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,
neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.'' Jeremiah 23: 4. We will here
insert a quotation from the early writings on this point:
"Let the presbyters (elders)
be compassionate and merciful to all, bringing back those that wander,
visiting all the sick, and not neglecting the widow, the orphan, or the poor,
but always providing for that which is becoming in the sight of God and of
man; abstaining from all wrath, respect of persons, and unjust judgment; keeping far off from all covetousness, not quickly crediting
an evil report against any one. not severe in judgment." Epistle of
Polycarp, Chapter VI.
While a quotation from history,
this clearly sets forth the work of the New Testament elders. Any one can at
a glance see the need of such work in every assembly. Feeding and caring for
the flock does not simply include preaching the word; but visiting the
brethren, praying with them, calling upon the sick, and poor, and ministering
to them. How simple the plan of apostolic government, and yet how well
arranged by the infinite wisdom of him who worketh "all in all." As
before observed, Paul divides these elders into two classes, pastors and
teachers. Not two classes of officers. There was but one "office of a
bishop." 1st Timothy 3: 1, 2. There was but the one office for the local
elders—bishops—that of overseers. But their gifts were not all the same.
"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially they who labor in the word and doctrine."1st Timothy 5:17.
The reader can easily observe that
Paul speaks of some elders who labored in word and doctrine, others who did
not. Some who were public preachers—pastors—others who were not preachers,
yet were men of faith, good judgment and wisdom; men able in private to teach
and instruct in the ways of salvation. The latter are the teachers. This
distinction is made in Romans 12: 6-8: "Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our
ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." The
qualifications of Bible elders—bishops—are found in the following texts:
"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order
the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had
appointed thee: if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as
the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no
striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of
good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he
hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and
deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped,
who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy
lucre's sake.'' Titus 1: 5-11. ''A bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach,
not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre: but patient, not a
brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his
children in subjection with all gravity; (for if a man know not how to rule
his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) not a novice,
lest being lifted up with pride befall into the condemnation of the
devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he
fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."1st Timothy 3:2-7.
Among the early ministers were a
class of men with the gift of prophecy. They were known as
prophets. "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain
prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and
Lucius of Gyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the
tetrarch, and Saul." Acts 13:1. The work of the prophets and their
office is clearly seen in the following scriptures: "And in these days
came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them
named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth
throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius
Caesar.'' Acts 11:27, 28. "And as we tarried there many days, there came
down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto
us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus
saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth
this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." Acts
21:10,11.
It has been thought by some that
there is no need of prophets under the new covenant. But the above texts
prove that there were prophets in the church before the apostasy, and God has
them in his church to-day. These may be among the traveling ministry, or
among the local. There were a number of prophets in the church at Antioch.
Prophets also traveled, as Agabus. Philip the evangelist "had four
daughters which did prophesy." The work of a prophet was foretelling
events. Agabus signified by the Spirit that there would be a dearth
throughout the whole land, and we are told, "It came to pass in the
days of Claudius Caesar." Agabus was a true prophet of God. It was he
who also foretold what would befall the apostle Paul at Jerusalem. But the
work of the prophets signified more than foretelling future events.
"Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge.'' 1st Corinthians 13: 2. Here we see that there
was a special gift of prophecy, which unraveled deep mysteries, and gave
knowledge. Such were enabled to interpret prophecy by the Spirit of God.
Since we have returned in these last days to the mount of holiness and truth,
the spirit of prophecy is again manifest among his ministry. We sit with awe
and listen to God's prophets as they unravel the mysteries of prophecy and
revelation.
Having briefly considered both the
traveling and local ministry who were termed elders, we will now
consider another class of officers called deacons. "Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not
greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office
of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not
slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of
one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have
used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and
great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." 1st Timothy 3:
8-13.
''The office of a deacon.'' This
language implies that there was a class of officers in the early church by
that name. Deacon is from "diakonos," which signifies a
minister or servant. Its literal meaning would cover all those who minister
the word, and such as minister in temporal affairs. It would apply to those
who serve in the gospel, or those who serve in temporal things; i.
e., dealing out food to the hungry, and looking after the temporal needs
of the church. A servant— diakonos—minister— one who ministers. When it
comes to the real office of a deacon, it is evident that it applies to the
latter. Our reasons for believing so are these: All those who are ministers
of the word, both traveling and local, are officially
called "elders." But the office of a deacon is a separate
office from that of elders. Therefore, those who minister in the temporal
affairs of the church, are officially termed deacons. Some of these
officially appointed deacons may minister the word, as did Stephen at
Jerusalem.
"And in those days, when the
number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the
Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the
daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples
unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God,
and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of
honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over
this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the
ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
Antioch; whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed they
laid their hands on them.'' Acts 6:1-6.
These are generally referred to as
deacons. When the church at Jerusalem was scattered on account of the
persecution, then Philip, one of the seven, started into the ministry, and
was successful as an evangelist.
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Popery-Part 2
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The Humble Equality Of The Apostolic Ministry.
Jesus set the standard of humble
equality. "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren." Matthew 23:8. "Neither be ye
called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest
among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Matthew
23:10-12. "And there was also a strife among them, which of them should
be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles
exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are
called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among
you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not
he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." Luke
22: 24-27.
Oh, what humbleness is here
taught! Ye are brethren. No one among you is higher than another, or can
possibly have from me any jurisdiction over the rest. Ye are, in this
respect, perfectly equal. He showed them how the Gentiles exalted some above
others, but said, "It shall not be so among you."
I will here insert a few extracts
from history. "The church was in the beginning a community of brethren.
All its members were taught of God and each possessed the liberty of drawing
for himself from the divine fountain of life. The epistles, which then
settled the great questions of doctrine, did not bear the pompous title of any
single man or ruler. We find from the Holy Scriptures that they began simply
with these words: 'The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto
the brethren.' Acts 15: 23. But the writings of these very apostles forewarn
us that from the midst of these brethren, there shall arise a power which
shall overthrow this simple and primitive order."—D'Aubigne's history of
the Reformation, Book 1, Chapter 1.
"The doctrine of 'the
church,' and of 'the necessity for its visible unity,' which had gained footing
as early as the third century, favored the pretensions of Rome. The great
bond which originally bound together the members of the church was a living
faith in the heart, by which all were joined to Christ as their own head. But
various causes ere long conspired to originate and develop the idea of the
necessity for some exterior fellowship. Men, accustomed to the associations
and political forms of an earthly country, carried their views and habits
into the spiritual and everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. The invisible and
spiritual church was identical with the visible and outward community. But
soon a great distinction appeared—the form and vital principle parted
asunder. The semblance of identical and external organization was gradually
substituted in place of the internal and spiritual unity which is the very
essence of a religion proceeding from God. Men suffered the precious perfume
of faith to escape while they bowed themselves before the empty vase that
held it. Faith in the heart no longer knit together in one the members of the
church. Then it united by means of bishops, archbishops, popes, miters,
ceremonies, and canons. The living church retiring by degrees to the lonely
sanctuary of a few solitary souls—an exterior church was substituted in
place of it, and installed in all its forms as of divine institution.... In
the beginning of the gospel, whosoever had received the Spirit of Jesus
Christ was esteemed a member of the church. Now the order was inverted, and
no one unless a member of the church was counted to have received the
Spirit of Jesus Christ.''
"It is a noteworthy fact,
when the founder of Christianity left the world, he made no provision for any
quarterly, or annual, or periodical assembly of his apostles, his
ministers, or his followers; he appointed no time nor place for them to
congregate, to report, confer, or legislate; he gave to no one authority to
convoke such an assembly; and he gave his disciples no reason to suppose that
five thousand Christians assembled had greater authority than two or three
who had met in his name, in whose midst he promised to be. And so far from
empowering his followers to combine and legislate for themselves or their
associates, he expressly defined their duties to be, not the contriving and
imposing of new precepts upon the church, but rather the making of disciples among all nations, 'teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you.'
"The apostles and early
church seemed to understand their duties, and carefully refrained from
meddling with such affairs, or setting up courts or ecclesiastical
judicatures, and even when consulted by the Gentile converts who were
afflicted by intrusion of proselyting Jews, they only rehearsed a few
'necessary things,' for their observance; things that had been regarded as
obligatory from the times of Noah down; and declined to undertake anything
analogous to the ecclesiastical legislation of the present day. And so the
apostles parted, and went forth, probably never expecting to meet again until
‘the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering unto him.' The
servants of God were attending to their proper work of preaching the gospel,
feeding the flock, and saving men; and it was not until religious apostasy
and imperial power and patronage combined to corrupt and impair the
integrity of the church, that the work of calling councils, and legislating
for the church of God commenced."—Who Made the New Testament? page 3, 4.
Here we see according to the
testimony of history the equality of the early ministry and the humbleness of
the same. If there was such a thing in the early church as one class of
preachers being above the rest, and exercising lordship over them, such
arrangement was in direct opposition to the teaching of Christ, for he
positively taught them that "it shall not be so among you," but
"all ye are brethren." But the early church started in with an
equality of the ministry. The above quotations from history clearly set forth
the standard. All the preachers were officially
called "elders," all on the same plane. "The elders
which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be
revealed: ... neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples
to the flock." 1st Peter 5:1,3.
I will here give extracts from
Adam Clark's comments on this text: "In this text, the
term presbuteros (elders or presbyters) is the name of an office. They
were as pastors or shepherds of the flock of God, the Christian people among
whom they lived. They were the same as bishops ... and teachers.
That these were the same as bishops the next verse proves. 'Who also am an
elder'— presbuteros. One on a level with yourselves.''
"Neither as being lords over
God's heritage." According to him there are to be no lords over God's
heritage; the bishops and presbyters, who are appointed by the head of
the church (Christ), are to feed the flock, to guide, and to defend it; not
to fleece and waste it; and they are to look for their reward in another
world, and the approbation of God in their consciences. And in humility,
self-abasement, self-renunciation, and heavenly-mindedness, they are to be
ensamples—types—to the flock, molds of a heavenly form, into which the spirit
and lives of the flock may be cast, that they may come out after a perfect
pattern. We need not ask, Does the church that arrogates to itself the
exclusive title of Catholic, and do its supreme pastors, who affect to be the
successors of Peter, and the vicars of Jesus Christ, act in this way? They
are in every sense, the reverse of this. But we may ask, Do the other
churches (meaning the Protestant sects), which profess to be reformed from
the abominations of the above, keep the advice of the apostle in their eye?
Have they pastors according to God's own heart, who feed them with knowledge
and understanding? Do they not feed themselves instead of the flock? are they
not lords over the heritage of Christ, ruling with a high
ecclesiastico-secular hand ?
The above cuts a clear line of
distinction between the modern hierarchies of Babylon and the ancient humble
ministry, and equality in the early church. The apostle Peter placed himself
on a common level with the local presbyters, and also states that he was a
fellow presbyter. In the New Testament bishop and elder are
terms used interchangeably and apply to the same class of officers—the
ministers.
Bishop. (1) "In the
primitive church, a spiritual overseer; an elder or presbyter; one who has
the pastoral care of a church. "—Webster. (2) " The same persons
are called elders and presbyters, and overseers and bishops."—Scott,
Commentary. (3) "Till the churches were multiplied (and apostatized),
the bishops and presbyters were the same."— Ib. (4) "Both
the Greek and Latin Fathers do, with one consent, declare that bishops were
called presbyters, and presbyters bishops in apostolic times, the name being
then common."—Whitbey. (5) "It appears that those who are called
elders in this place (Titus 1:5) are the same as those termed bishops in
verse 7. We have many proofs that bishops and elders were of the same order
in the apostolic church, though afterward they became distinct."—Adam
Clark.
To the above we heartily say,
Amen. Bishop and elder were the same till the mystery of iniquity began to
work. The traveling preachers were bishops. "For it is written in the
book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein:
and his bishopric let another take." Acts 1:20. Bishopric is the
office of a bishop. Judas then was a bishop, but by transgression fell. So
Matthias was chosen to take his bishopric—his office of bishop. This proves
beyond question that all the twelve were properly called bishops. This
included Peter and John, who also were called elders. 1st Peter 5:1; 2nd John
1; 3rd John 1. So the terms bishop and elder are used
interchangeably, and apply to all the traveling ministers. All the local
preachers were bishops. "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus
Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the
bishops and deacons." Philippians 1:1.
Thus when Paul wrote to the church
at Philippi, he addressed all the saints, "with the bishops and
deacons." He did not say with the bishops, elders, and deacons; but
recognized only two classes of officers—bishops and deacons. A plurality of
elders were ordained in "every church." Acts 14:23. Therefore Paul
terms these elders, bishops. Bishop and elder then is the same in Scripture.
But two classes of officers in the church at Philippi: bishops—the ministers
of the word of truth, and overseers of the flock; and deacons—the ministers
of the temporal affairs of the church. I emphasize! Anything more than this
is apostasy.
On this text Adam Clark
remarks: "Bishops— the overseers of the church of God, and those
who ministered to the poor and preached occasionally. There has been a great
deal of paper wasted in the inquiry, 'Who are meant by bishops here? as no
place could have more than one bishop.' ... This is the extravagance of
trifle. I believe no such officer is meant as we now term bishop."
This is clear, Adam Clark readily
admits that New Testament bishops were only overseers—common preachers. He
further states that it is "a waste of paper" to try to prove that
only one bishop can be in an assembly. It is "the extravagance of
trifle.'' He understood that the modern office of bishop was unknown in the
apostolic church. These are his words: "No such officer is meant as we
now term bishop." Amen.
The very language of Titus 1: 4-7
proves that elders and bishops were the same. "To Titus, mine own son
after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou
shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in
every city, as I had appointed thee: if any be blameless, the husband of one
wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop
must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to
filthy lucre." Language could not be plainer. Paul left Titus in Crete
to ordain elders in every city. He says, "If any be blameless,"
"for a bishop must be blameless." When Paul sent to Ephesus, he
did not call the bishop and his presbytery, but simply called "the
elders of the church." Acts 20:17. All the ministers in that assembly
were simply elders, made overseers by the Holy Ghost. Acts
20:17. When the apostles set churches in order, they did not ordain one
bishop, and his presbytery, but simply ''ordained elders in every church.''
Acts 14: 23. Paul did not instruct Titus to ordain one bishop and a
presbytery of elders for his sanhedrin in every city in Crete; but he left him
to simply "ordain elders in every city."
At Philippi there was no such
thing as a single bishop, and a lower class, called elders, and a still lower
class called deacons; but there were only two classes of officers, bishops
and deacons. Philippians 1: 1. Did the church at Antioch send Paul and
Barnabas to Jerusalem to consult the bishop, apostles, and elders about
circumcision? No; they simply sent them "to Jerusalem unto the apostles
and elders about this question." Acts 15:2. Nothing is said of the bishop.
When they reached Jerusalem "they were received of the church and of the
apostles and elders.'' Verse 4. The bishop was left out. Why? They did not
have such a high officer over them. That church was pure from the mystery of
iniquity. "But," says one, "James was a bishop." James
was an apostle, (Galatians 1:19); hence, no more a bishop than Peter or any
other of the apostles. Who came together to consider the matter? The bishop
(James), and the apostles, and elders? No; it does not read that way.'' And
the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter."
Acts 15: 6.
No mention is made of a bishop
presiding in this apostolic assembly. Only apostles and elders. As before
proved, all the apostles were bishops, and all the elders were bishops. The
apostles were the traveling elders or bishops, while the others were the
local elders or bishops. Peter and James spoke in this assembly, as they were
looked upon by the church as '' pillars.'' Galatians 2: 9. But James was only
a common apostle or elder in the church at Jerusalem, on an equal plane with
the rest. He probably was a senior elder as is inferred from Acts 21:18.
"But," says one,
"was not the angel of the church at Ephesus, a bishop over the
rest?" Revelation 2:1. No; for had they had an officer above the common
elders, called the bishop, when Paul called them together, as recorded in
Acts 20:17, he would have mentioned the bishop. But he simply called
"the elders.” They were all elders—overseers. No doubt there was one who
was a senior elder, or one among the elders who especially ministered the
Word, and took the special care of the church upon himself or herself. There
was not a bishop above the rest, for they were all on the same level—all
elders. Acts 20:17, 28. This humble equality of the early ministry lasted but
a very short time. Paul says, in A. D. 54, that the mystery of iniquity,
which was to finally ripen into the man of sin, was already at work. 2nd
Thessalonians 2:7. The spirit of it was then seen in some. In John's time it
was being publicly manifested.
In the third epistle of John it is
evident that three elders of a church are spoken of, Gaius, Demetrius, and
Diotrephes. The first two he commended. They were straight, humble men. But
Diotrephes "loved to have the preeminence among them."
Here was an elder who loved preeminence above the rest. He, no doubt, wanted
to be a bishop, higher than the common presbyters. He did not want to receive
the apostle John (verse 9) for, no doubt, he knew John was against any such
actions. But John comforted Gaius by stating that when "I come I will
remember his deeds." verse 10. Here is the first mention in
Scripture of one man seeking preeminence above the other elders in the
local assembly, seeking a position over the others. This was A. D. 90. But
just as soon as we pass beyond the sacred writings, in the second century, we
find man exalted to a higher office; a bishop over the common presbyters or
elders. This was apostasy already at work.
I will here quote from the Church
Fathers to show that in their early day, they had already exalted one man
above the rest. Instead of elders and deacons, as the New Testament reads, it
was one bishop, elders, and deacons. Three classes of officers instead of
two. One over the rest. "Wherefore it is fitting that ye should run
together in accordance with the will of your bishop, which thing also ye do.
For your justly renowned presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to
the bishop as the strings are to the harp."—Ignatius to the Ephesians,
Chapter IV.
"Since, then, I have had the
privilege of seeing you, through Damas your most worthy bishop, and through
your worthy presbyters Bassus and Apollonius, and through my fellow servant
the deacon. Sotio."—Ignatius to the Magnesians, Chapter II. "There
is but one altar for the whole church, and one bishop with the presbytery and
deacons."— Ignatius to the Philadelphians, Chapter IV. "Give heed
to the bishop, and to the presbytery, and deacons."—Chapter VII. "The bishop, and the
presbyters, and the deacons."—Ignatius to Polycarp, Chapter VI.
The above quotations from
Ignatius, who wrote in the first part of the second century, show that at
that early date the humble equality of the apostolic order was already
inverted, and a third office created, by exalting one man as bishop in each
local congregation over the common elders or presbyters. How different the
above quotations read from the sacred Scriptures! At Philippi Paul
addressed the bishops and deacons. But Ignatius teaches that at the time
of his writing there ''is one bishop, with the presbyters and
deacons."
When Paul sent to Ephesus and
called together the local preachers, he called the "elders of the
church"; but when Ignatius wrote, he would have had to call the bishop,
and elders. When Paul left Titus in Crete, he was to ordain elders in every
city; but when Ignatius wrote he would have had to ordain "a bishop and
elders." Ah, beloved reader, this is the mystery of iniquity. It was the
first big step toward the man of sin. As soon as they created this third
office, and set up one bishop in each assembly over the elders and deacons,
the next step was to confer great honors upon him; exalt him high above all
others. Ignatius in the latter part of his ministry was drunk on this spirit.
I will again quote: "As
therefore the Lord does nothing without the Father, ... so do ye, neither
presbyter, nor deacon, nor layman, do anything without the
bishop."—Ignatius to the Magnesians, Chapter VII. "In like manner,
let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, and the
bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the presbyters as
the sanhedrin of God, and assembly of the apostles. Apart from these there is
no church."—Ignatius to the Trallians, Chapter III.
"And do ye also reverence
your bishop as Christ himself. ... For what is the bishop but one who beyond
all others possesses all power and authority, so far as it is possible for
man to possess it, who according to his ability has been made an imitator of the
Christ of God? And what is the presbytery but a sacred assembly, the
counselors and assessors of the bishop?"—Chapter VII.
Reverence the bishop "as
Jesus Christ," and "do nothing," without him, is getting him
pretty high. It is certainly conferring great honors upon him. But such was
the spirit then at work. In the early church, the presbytery was an assembly
of ministers. If a number of local preachers assembled, they constituted a
presbytery. Or a gathering of both traveling and local elders, as at Jerusalem
(Acts 15), was properly termed a presbytery. But when Ignatius wrote, they
were common elders who served as counselors and assessors of the bishop. Oh,
how changed! Humble equality was lost sight of.
"Let governors be obedient to
Caesar; soldiers, to those that command them; deacons, to the presbyters, as
to high priests; the presbyters, and deacons, and the rest of the clergy
together with all the people, and the soldiers, and the governors, and Caesar
himself, to the bishop."—Ignatius to the Philadelphians, Chapter IV. If
this was not making great strides toward popery, I can not understand
language. The bishop was exalted above all "the clergy," and above
Caesar himself, and this in the second century. Such was the teaching of
Ignatius. Surely the great apostasy came early. The people of God's holiness
possessed it but "a little while." Of course, in reality, the
bishop had not yet reached such a high place, but they were working hard to
get him there, and Ignatius' writings show that he believed such was his
place.
Again we quote: "See that ye
follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery
as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution
of God. Let no man do anything connected with the church without the bishop.
Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist which is administered either by the
bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall
appear, there let the multitude of the people also be; even as, wherever
Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic church. It is not lawful without
the bishop, either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast, but whatever he
shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God."—Ignatius to the
Smyrnaeans, Chapter VIII.
"He who honors the bishop has
been honored by God; he who does anything without the knowledge of the
bishop, does in reality serve the devil.'' Nor is there any one in the church
greater than the bishop.'' "He who honors the bishop shall be honored by
God." "Let the laity be subject to the deacons; the deacons to the
presbyters; the presbyters to the bishops. "—Chapter IX.
"If he reckon himself greater
than the bishop, he is ruined. But it becomes both men and women who marry,
to form their union with the approval of the bishop."— Ignatius to
Polycarp, Chapter 5. Thus we have given a few quotations from the early
writings to show how early the humble equality of the apostolic government
was overthrown, and man exalted. This kept working more and more. The bishop
was lifted up higher and higher, until about the third century. Then a higher
office was created.
Following that date we have a
class of officers called archbishops—bishops over other bishops. Sometimes
one bishop would rule over the bishops of a score of churches. This was
forming the man of sin. In the church of God there is but one chief shepherd,
one chief bishop—Christ. But at this date there was an exalting of
man to this lofty position. This kept on working and fomenting, exalting man
higher and higher until finally the pope was elected head of the
church—so-called. Instead of Christ working all in all, in all the members,
man power ruled the church.
This exaltation of man was the
work of darkness, and the pope himself, "the son of perdition." It
is said he "opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is
called God, or that is worshiped.'' This certainly was fulfilled in
popery. It is said the pope claimed power to remit the blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost. This is something that neither Christ nor the Father claimed to
do.
The pope was exalted above every
object of adoration. God and Christ were secondary. The pope became the
source from whence emanated every institution relative to divine worship, all
the doctrines of religion, and all rites and ceremonies. He held the highest
authority and place in the church. He acted as God, taking upon himself God's
titles and attributes, and arrogated to himself the authority which belongs
to the Most High. He set himself up as the universal head of the church. He claimed
infallibility, power to damn and to save. Such titles were conferred upon
him, as, "Vicegerent of the Son of God," "Most Holy Pope,''
etc. 2nd Thessalonians 2:9, 10 describes this awful reign of deception and
darkness which continued over one thousand years. This period is described by
the prophets by such terms as ''night,'' a time of " no light,"
"a day of darkness," etc. It is known in history as "the dark
ages." Popery was foretold in the prophecy of Daniel.
''Daniel spake and said, I saw in
my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the
great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from
another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the
wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made
stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold
another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side,
and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they
said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo
another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of
a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful
and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it
devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it:
and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten
horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by
the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a
mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7: 2-8.
This vision troubled Daniel so he
asked an angel its meaning. The reply was, "These great beasts, which
are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth." Verse 17.
These were Babylon, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman. The first like a lion
represented Babylon. At first the lion had eagle's wings, denoting the rapidity with which Babylon extended its conquests under
Nebuchadnezzar. After a time the wings were plucked, and a man's heart was
given to it. It no longer flew like an eagle upon its prey. The boldness and
spirit of the lion was gone. A man's heart, weak, timorous, and faint, had
taken its place. This was the case during the closing years of its history,
when it became enfeebled and effeminate through wealth and luxury.
The second beast like a bear,
represented the Medo-Persian kingdom. This kingdom was composed of two
nationalities. The beast raised itself on one side. This was fulfilled in the
Persian division which came up last attaining the higher eminence, for it
became the controlling power in the kingdom. The three ribs in its mouth may
signify the three provinces—Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt, which were especially
ground down and oppressed by this power. By the overthrow of these
provinces, a stimulus was given the Medes and Persians to undertake further
conquests. Thus they said, "Arise, devour much flesh."
The third beast like a leopard,
signified the Grecian empire. The four wings upon its back, like the two
wings of the first beast, denote rapidity of conquest. The conquests of
Grecia under Alexander have no parallel in historic annals for suddenness and
rapidity. The four heads of this beast represent the four divisions into
which Grecia was split. The Grecian empire maintained its unity little longer
than the life of Alexander. Within fifteen years after his brilliant career
ended, the kingdom was divided among his four leading generals.
Concerning the fourth kingdom,
Daniel wanted a more explicit explanation. ''Then I would know the truth of the
fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful,
whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in
pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; and of the ten horns that were
in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even
of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose
look was more stout than his fellows." Daniel 7:19, 20. "Thus he
said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be
diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread
it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are
ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall
be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.'' Daniel 7:23,24.
This was Rome. She was the fourth
universal kingdom which reigned over the world. She devoured, broke in
pieces, and crushed the nations with her iron rule. The ten horns are ten
kings. These were the ten divided kingdoms which grew out of the Roman
empire. Next came up a little horn. This was popery. Popery grew
out of heathen Rome. Three of the ten were plucked up by this one. These
were, Heruli, Vandals, Ostrogoths.
"And he shall speak great
words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
until a time and times and the dividing of time.'' Daniel 7:25. All this was
fulfilled under the reign of popery. Speaking words against the Most High was
fulfilled in the great assumptions of the pope. Wearing out the saints was
fulfilled in the long period of martyrdom when millions were slaughtered
because they would not accept the doctrines of the papacy. Changing times and
laws had a fulfillment when the papists discarded the LXX, the old apostolic
Bible, and substituted in its stead the corrupt Hebrew version. The original
Septuagint Bible makes the world almost two thousand years older than the modern
version does.
This horn—power—grew up out of
paganism. Though clothed in a Christian garb, it was the same persecuting
power. Where heathen Rome slaughtered her thousands, Christian (?) Rome
slaughtered her millions. The reign of this power is limited to "a time
and times and the dividing of time." This is the exact time the woman
was to continue in the wilderness. Revelation 12:14. These must be the same.
Popery must be the very wilderness into which the church went. A time
signifies a year. See Daniel 4:16-23. Three and one-half times signify three
and one half years, or forty-two months. Counting thirty days to the month
according to the Jewish calendar we have 1,260 days, or years. This measures
from 270 A. D. to 1530 A. D., when popery fell.
We will now turn back to
Revelation 12. It will be remembered that after Christianity conquered the
"dragon," (paganism) the woman (church) went into the wilderness.
This, as before observed, signifies the great apostasy.
"And the serpent cast out of
his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be
carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth
opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his
mouth." Revelation 12:15,16. As the old dragon was disappearing he cast
a flood after the woman to carry her away. This doubtless was fulfilled in
the Arian heresy which arose. It came upon the church like a flood, and it
seemed for a time like it would sweep the whole church into utter darkness.
At one time the Arians outnumbered the orthodox.
This heresy was but the dregs of
paganism. It is said that "the earth helped the woman, and swallowed up
the flood." This language was, no doubt, borrowed from the Old Testament
account of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as given in Numbers 16. The earth opened
and swallowed them, and they went down quickly into the pit. The language in
Revelation signifies a sudden disappearance of this heresy, and truly it was
so. It disappeared as quickly as it arose. The dragon being unsuccessful in
this, undertakes another scheme.
''And the dragon was wroth with
the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation
12:17. The dragon being conquered, cast down, and bound by Christianity, was
wroth at the woman, or church. Hence, he makes war with the remnant of her
seed. But this he could not do himself. His power was broken. He accomplished
this through his son "the beast," A son was born unto this
dragon, and he is called the beast. Through this beast, war was
made against the remnant of the seed of the woman. This refers to the few who
stood true to God during the dark ages.
"And I stood upon the sand of
the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten
horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of
blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet
were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the
dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."
Revelation 13:1,2. It will be seen that the beast resembles his parent, the
dragon. The dragon had seven heads (12:3), so had the beast. The dragon had
ten horns, so had the beast. But there was a difference. The dragon had his
crowns upon his heads, while the beast had his crowns upon his horns. This
beast is popery. Popery is a child of pagan Rome, the dragon. During the
reign of the empire, the seven heads, or forms of government, were the ruling
powers; hence, the crowns were upon his heads. But when popery arose the ten
kingdoms were the ruling power—the crowns were upon his Horns.
This beast is identical with that
of Revelation 17:3, and the little horn of Daniel 7. This beast was ''like a
leopard.'' A leopard is a spotted animal, a type of sin. This shows that this
power was very sinful, and such was popery. His feet were as the feet of a
bear. This signifies its crushing power. Its mouth as the mouth of a lion, signifies the devouring nature of the papacy. But
where did popery get her power? "And the dragon gave him his power, and
his seat, and great authority.'' The ten kingdoms of Rome gave ''their power
and strength unto the beast.'' Revelation 17:13. Instead of popery receiving
her power from above, she received it from paganism. The seat of pagan
government—Rome—became the seat of papal rule.
"So he carried me away in the
spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored
beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
Verse 3. The solution of this has already been given in our exegesis of
Revelation 17:10, 11. The Roman empire had seven heads or forms of
government. The sixth of these was the imperial. It was the form of
government under the heathen Caesars. The time came when the hordes of
savages from the North swept over the empire, and the imperial government was
overthrown A. D. 425. It was wounded to death. This lasted about fifty-one
years, during which time the patriciate ruled the empire. After this the
imperial power revived in the form of popery, but this time in Christian
garb. The wound was healed. Imperial Rome was the same under priestcraft and
popery, that it was under the Caesars. Under the Caesars it was clothed in
heathen garb; under priestcraft, in Christian garb. Thus the beast (popery)
constituted the eighth head of Rome and yet was one of the seven. All the
world wondered after the beast. Popery swayed universal dominion.
"And they worshiped the
dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying,
Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" Verse 4.
This was fulfilled by the continuance of the pagan worship in the papal age.
The high priest of the Roman pagans was called their pontiff. It was
customary among the pagan Romans to deify their great men after their death,
and make images to them and worship them. So also was it customary among the
papists to make saints of their great men after their death by canonizing
them, and their saints are the same to them as the gods of the pagans were
to them. They pray to them like the heathen did to their gods. They make
images to them and bow to them as the pagans did to their gods. They sprinkle
their holy water as the pagans sprinkled their holy water. They advocate
celibacy similar to the doctrines of paganism concerning celibacy. In many
other ways they have practiced the heathen worship. Thus they have caused the
people to worship the dragon.
"And there was given unto him
a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him
to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy
against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell
in heaven." Verse 5,6.
This was fulfilled in popery by
the blasphemous claims of the pope, who claims various prerogatives of God.
These we have already considered. This beast was to continue forty and two
months. If we reduce these forty-two months to days, by multiplying by
thirty, the number of days in a month, we have 1,260 days for the length of
the reign of this beast. Each of these days, as in the case of the woman in
the wilderness, signifies a year. We have therefore 1,260 years for the
length of the reign of popery. This exactly agrees to the length of time the woman was to remain in the wilderness. Revelation 12:
6. If we reckon the rise of this beast at A. D. 270, the end of his reign
falls at 1530. This is the date acknowledged by all historians to be the
dividing line between the Catholic and Protestant ages. At this time the
church began her return from the wilderness of apostasy, and truth began to
arise in the earth, and the people to turn their attention again unto God to
find salvation in his Son. At this date, all must admit, popery began to
crumble.
''And it was given unto him to
make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over
all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:7, 8. This
was fulfilled in the great persecutions of the Christians under the reign of
popery. Papal Rome glutted herself on the blood that heathen Rome only
tasted. It is hardly necessary to refer to the bloody reign of the dark ages,
for most all are well acquainted with the facts. I would simply refer the
reader to such histories as Fox's Book of Martyrs, Christian Heroes and Martyrs,
Martyr's Mirror, etc. All people worshiped popery except those whose names
were in the book of life. These were the ones who suffered martyrdom at her
cruel hands.
"And there was given me a
reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the
temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court
which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given
unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and
two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall
prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the
God of the earth." Revelation 11:1-4.
This temple, as clearly seen in
previous chapters, is the church of God. Those that worship in this temple
are God's people. The altar is Christ. Hebrews 13:10. The measuring reed is
the Word of God. The holy city also signifies the church. Almost the same
language is found in Luke 21: 24, where the literal city Jerusalem is
referred to. It is said that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of
the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Here in
Revelation 11: 2 it says, "And the holy city shall they [the Gentiles]
tread under foot forty and two months." The former was to have a literal
fulfillment, the latter a spiritual fulfillment.
Jerusalem was a type of the
church. Its desolating and treading down by the Gentile nations was, and is,
a clear type of the great apostasy, which has defiled and trodden under foot
the spiritual Jerusalem, the sanctuary of God. The time limit of
this downtrodden condition of the church is "forty and two months."
This is the same period already considered in the many time prophecies which
measure the reign of popery. During this same period God says that his two
witnesses shall prophesy, clothed in sackcloth. In verse 4 these are called
the two candlesticks and two olive trees, standing before the God of the
earth.
This gives us the key to the
prophecy. Zechariah speaks of these in the following words: "And the
angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened
out of his sleep, and said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have
looked and behold a candlestick all of gold with a bowl upon the top of it,
and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are
upon the top thereof: and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of
the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake
to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the
angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what
these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying,
This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by
power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Then answered I,
and said unto him, What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of
the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and
said unto him, What be these two olive-branches which through the two golden
pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said,
Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These
are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.''
Zechariah 4:1-6, 11-14.
Zechariah was one of the prophets
who prophesied unto Zerubbabel and the Jews at Jerusalem to build the house
of God. These two olive-trees, he informs us, ''are the two anointed ones
that stand by the Lord of the whole earth;" and they are interpreted by
the angel to be the Word of the Lord, by the Spirit of
the Lord, unto Zerubbabel. Verse 6. From this we clearly see that these two
witnesses, two anointed ones, two olive-trees, signify
the Word and Spirit of God. These are the two prophets
which have been given unto the church as the vicars of Christ in the world
through which God has governed the church in all ages. They governed
victoriously before A. D. 270, which is properly termed the morning light
age.
"Then came up the beast, with
a man at the head of it claiming to be the vicar of Christ. A contest between
the true vicars, the Word and the Spirit, and the false vicar, the pope,
followed, which continued 1,260 days. These 1,260 days signify the same 1,260
years of the papal age which lie between 270 and 1530. In this age the Word
and Spirit of God never surrendered their vicarship, but there were always
found true witnesses of Christ, who were determined to be governed by the
Word and Spirit of God, like the saints in the morning light. These the pope
was constantly causing to be put to death. This is doubtless what is
signified by the sackcloth with which these two prophets were dressed during
that age, sackcloth being an emblem of melancholy, distress, and
mourning."
Turning back to Revelation 13:10
we read: ''He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that
killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience
and the faith of the saints.'' Ah! the patience and faith of the saints
during that long, bloody night of papal darkness, was that the very beast
power which was leading them into captivity, and killing them with the sword,
would sometime itself go into captivity, and be killed with the sword. Thank
God, their prayers were answered, and their hopes realized. In the sixteenth
century, God began to raise up reformers, such as Huss, Melanchthon, and
Luther, who hurled the awful thunderbolts of heaven against the beast power
of popery. Truth so long crushed began to arise and triumph in the earth. The
reformation spread rapidly in every direction. Watch-fires were kindled
throughout all Germany and almost all Europe. Thousands threw off the galling
yoke of popery and came out into clearer light. God's kingdom, which was to
conquer every opposing power, conquered popery.
The reformation spread so rapidly
and its power became so great, that it cast its influence upon the rulers of
nations, who turned Protestant. The very rulers and kings of nations who had
so long upheld the Catholic sect, and given it their support, now turned
against her, and gave their support to Protestantism. The sword was turned
against the beast. There were thirty years of bloody war in Germany. But
finally the papal power was broken. It was sheared of all its temporal power.
That beast which had ruled the earth for 1,260 long years was left bleeding
and wounded; and is becoming weaker ever since. Thus the prayers of those
millions who were slain during its long reign were answered: and the words of
God in Revelation 17:16 were fulfilled, where he says that the very kings and
rulers who supported the great whore, these shall hate her, and shall make
her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Daniel foretold the downfall of
popery in the following words: "But the judgment shall sit, and they
shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the
end." Daniel 7: 26. This judgment began in the reformation of the
sixteenth century, and to-day is being executed with divine authority. The
result is the beast power is diminishing and will continue so "till the
end."
Right here we will sum up all the
texts which measure the reign of Catholicism.
"And he shall speak great
words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25. "And
one said to the - man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the
river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man
clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his
right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth
forever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall
have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things
shall be finished." Daniel 12: 6, 7. "And to the woman were given
two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her
place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from
the face of the serpent.'' Revelation 12:14. "And there was given unto
him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto
him to continue forty and two months." Revelation 13: 5. "But the
court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is
given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and
two months.'' Revelation 11:2. "And I will give power unto my two
witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore
days, clothed in sackcloth." Revelation 11:3. "And the woman fled
into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should
feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. "Revelation
12:6.
As before observed, a time
signifies a year. Daniel 4:25, 32. Three times and a half signify so many
years. Counting twelve months to the year, they equal forty-two months, and
calculating thirty days to the month according to the Jewish calendar we have
1,260 days. So all the above texts measure the reign of popery.
The entire reign of popery was
foretold in prophecy as a long dark night which was to follow the clear
morning of the gospel day. "The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of
Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman
said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye:
return, come.'' Isaiah 21:11, 12.
''And it shall come to pass in
that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon,
and I will darken the earth in the clear day: and I will turn your feasts
into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up
sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as
the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a
famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the
Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the
east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not
find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for
thirst." Amos 8: 9-13. "Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets
that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he
that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it
shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down
over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers
be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their
lips; for there is no answer of God.'' Micah 3 : 5-7. While this latter text
had a direct fulfillment in Israel is night, it was fulfilled in the great
apostasy; for the former was a type of the latter. We will next consider the
rise and fall of the second form of apostasy.
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Part 2
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PROTESTANTISM.
The Lutheran reformation was soon
followed by apostasy. At this time Zwingli was effecting a reformation in
Switzerland, and Calvin was also effecting a work. Menno Simons also came out
of popery about this time. The result was several sects were organized, and
this marks the rise of Protestant sectism. The oldest of these is the
Lutheran, whose creed— the Augsburg Confession— was formed in A. D. 1530. As
before observed, this marks the end of the papal reign, as portrayed in
prophecy and Revelation.
Turning again to the thirteenth
chapter of Revelation, we find a description of the ruling power in
Protestantism. "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the
earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And
he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the
earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly
wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come
down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that
dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in
the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they
should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did
live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the
image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their
right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he
that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here
is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for
it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and
six." Revelation 13:11-18.
This second beast represents
Protestantism. It looks more natural than the first, in that it has but two
horns. These are England and Germany, the two political powers that have
always stood in defense of Protestantism. By these two powers Protestantism
arose. It is reasonable, that if the ten horns of the first beast represent
ten temporal powers which supported it, the two horns of the second beast
represent two temporal powers which have always supported it. England and
Germany have done this, and they are two of the original ten. His two horns
like a lamb signify the tolerance and mildness of these nations, as well
as Protestantism as a whole. Though this beast was lamblike, it spake as a
dragon. The dragon power was even traceable down through the Protestant age.
This two-horned beast was to
exercise all the power of the first beast before him. As we have seen, popery
exercised a universal influence, swayed universal dominion. Therefore to
exercise the same power of the first beast, Protestantism must exercise a
universal influence. This it surely has done. Protestantism is the universal
religion of the world, just as popery once was. This second beast was to
cause the people ''to worship the first beast.'' This has been accomplished
by Protestantism perpetuating the doctrines and services of popery. All her
creeds are shaded more or less with the doctrines and idolatries of Roman
Catholicism. Among other things, the rite of sprinkling, which Rome
substituted for baptism, has been copied by most of the Protestant sects;
baby sprinkling; all outside the pales of the church are lost; infant
damnation, unless baptized; baptism for the forgiveness of past sins;
confirmation; taking members into an exterior institution, etc., etc. Many
other things might be mentioned which have been copied from Rome by
Protestants, and by causing the people to worship as the papists worshiped,
they are causing them to worship the first beast.
This second beast was to do great
wonders: even to bring down fire from heaven, and by means of this gain the
confidence of the people, and influence them to make an image to the first
beast. Many hundreds of these images have been made in the Protestant age.
They are the Protestant ecclesiastical organizations, the sect institution.
Every one of these is but an image of the papal sect, modeled after it. We
can understand this prophecy better if we understand the ancient image
worship of the pagans. They made images of their gods and bowed to them
and worshiped them. The image was supposed to resemble the god. This same image-worship
was continued among the Roman Catholics, who called their gods saints.
Protestantism continues the same worship in essence by making images to the
papacy and causing the people to worship them. This is another way that
Protestantism causes the people to worship the first beast. These sect images
of popery are the only gods that many people of to-day worship.
The following is a clear solution
of the prophecy. When the Lutheran reformation started it was a spiritual
work. The heavenly fire fell in some places, and God honored the work. The
same with Zwingli's work in Switzerland. But when the followers of Luther and
Zwingli saw that God was specially favoring them, they at once organized and
the result was two sects—two images of the papal beast. As soon as they made
the image they lost their spiritual power, and are to-day but formal bubbles
sailing along on the agitated sea of sect confusion. Just so with the
Wesleyan reform. For about fifty years the world shook under the labors of
Charles and John Wesley. Watch-fires were kindled throughout Europe and
America, and torrents of Holy Spirit fire fell from heaven. No other fire
comes from heaven. After a great body was thus called out, they became
deceived because God was especially favoring them, and organized into a sect,
which was making an image to the old papal beast, or sect. As soon as they
did this, they lost their spirituality, and are to-day a dead, formal body.
The very doctrine of sanctification, which was the hub of the M. E. wheel,
the very doctrine Wesley started his reform with, is to-day rejected by a
large number of the Methodist divines (?).
A number of years ago B. T.
Roberts and several other Methodist ministers began preaching holiness, and
the result was an excommunication. These preachers then began to shout, ''
We're free, we're free!'' But not willing to give up the name Methodist, they
organized and called their image, Free Methodist. These people now, are as
dead spiritually as their mother. Their work is accompanied by much noise,
but no power of God. So it has been throughout the entire Protestant age. Men
would receive some new light and truth, and start a spiritual work. The fire
would fall from heaven, and God would bless their labors. But just as soon as
they would receive a following, the next step was to organize a society.
All these societies are but images
to popery. As soon as these images were formed, the next step was to mark
their subjects. The poor blind Adventists suppose that this mark is keeping
Sunday. But this is folly and ignorance. This mark signifies the instilling
of the doctrines of the various sects into the minds of their adherents;
their peculiar sectarian education and learning. The mark in the right hand
may signify the right hand of fellowship which takes them into the
God-dishonoring institutions. It is further said that "no man might buy
or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number
of his name.'' Jesus said to his ministers, "Freely ye have received,
freely give." Paul says he made the gospel of Christ "without
charge." God's ministers receive the everlasting gospel which they
preach from the Lord. They receive it free. The anointing teaches them. They
are "taught of God.'' Hence, they give it out free. But in sect Babylon
the ministers make merchandise of the gospel, and of the people. They
traffic; that is, "buy and sell" What they preach costs them
considerable. They must take a certain course in order to get the theology
they preach to the people. So after they obtain it they hire out and sell it
for so much a year. They ''can never have enough; ... all look to their own
way, every one for his gain from his quarter.'' Isaiah 56:9-11.
But all sects have their peculiar
mark or doctrine with which they mark their subjects. They have erected
preacher factories for the express purpose of marking their ministers with
their particular mark. For example, A Methodist seminary will never send out
Lutheran preachers. They all have the Methodist mark, hence preach Methodist doctrine.
A Presbyterian seminary never sends out Baptist ministers, or ministers who
preach Baptist doctrine. Ah! they received another mark. A man must have the
doctrines of Babylon and belong to some of the various Protestant sects, or
he will not be allowed to preach in their houses.
A few years ago, a brother in the
ministry went into a certain town to find a place to conduct a
series of holiness meetings. He was directed by a Presbyterian lady to their
pastor, who, she said, was a believer in the doctrine of holiness. When he
called on the minister and made known his errand, the first question asked
him was this, "Are you a member of the Presbyterian church?" The
brother answered in the negative. He did not have the name of the beast. The
next question that greeted him was this, "Do you believe the Westminster
confession of faith to be orthodox?'' He answered,'' No, sir.'' He did not
have the mark of the beast. The last question asked was, "Do
you belong to any of the various orthodox Protestant denominations." The
brother said,'' No.'' He did not have the number of his name. The
answer was,'' You can not have our house.'' This will fully explain to the
reader what is meant by not allowing any one to buy and sell—preach the
gospel—only those who have the name, mark, and number of the name of the
beast. This has a real fulfillment in Protestantism to-day.
There is one more point I will
explain here. The second beast represents Protestantism as a whole, or the
religion of Protestantism, while the image represents the sectarian
institutions, the sect organizations. The number, six hundred sixty-six,
which was to make up this second beast, signifies a great multiplicity of
sects which make up Protestantism. Protestantism when weighed in the balance
is found sadly wanting. Her very foundation is sectish strife and division.
The New Testament teaches one faith, one baptism, one body—church—one fold,
one heart and soul, one mind—no division. "Now I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and
that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 1st Corinthians
1:10. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity!" Psalms 133:1. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place." Acts 2:1. "And
when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they had assembled together;
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God
with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and
of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he
possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave
the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace
was upon them all." Acts 4: 31-33.
"And by the hands of the
apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were
all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join
himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more
added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) insomuch that they
brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches,
that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of
them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto
Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean
spirits: and they were healed every one." Acts 5: 12-16.
This blessed power and unity of
apostolic days, is a complete stranger to Protestantism. They are scattered
in six hundred sects, adhere to so many different faiths, and belong to as
many separate bodies. In a small town in our land, a dozen or more steeples
will be seen, and on Lord's day morning the people will congregate in a dozen
separate places, and profess to worship God. Oh, what a picture modern
so-called Christianity presents to the poor sinner! In the early church in a
town the children of God were found "all of one accord in one
place." They dwelt together in unity. The result was, the world
believed, "and the Lord added to the church daily, such as were being
saved." But Protestant sectism, presents a divided religion, and the
result is skepticism and infidelity.
The following scriptures describe
the condition of Protestantism. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the
hearts of the simple." Romans 16:17,18. "But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you,
who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall
follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall
be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and
their damnation slumbereth not." 2nd Peter 2:1-3. "And makest men
as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over
them? They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net,
and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore
they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by
them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. Shall they therefore empty
their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?" Habakkuk
1:14-17.
False prophets scatter and divide
the people of God by leading them into their "damnable heresies"—
sects. They, with good words and fair speeches, deceive the people, and make
merchandise of them. There are multitudes of these cold professors who will
not endure sound doctrine, but heap up to themselves these teachers, who turn
away their ears from the truth unto fables. The more people these crafty
preachers can gather into their drag, the more they rejoice, supposing gain
is godliness. They sacrifice to their drag (sect) more than they do to God.
Thus they slay the nations. Woe, unto you, sectarian preachers, blind guides,
hypocrites! ye compass land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he is
made, he is twofold more the child of hell than when you found him. You are
the very ones who are making divisions contrary to the doctrine of Christ,
and we are commanded to avoid you. You oppose the truth, and will not obey
it, and hinder those who would. Though you are like unto whited sepulchers,
which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, within you are full of uncleanness,
hypocrisy and iniquity. For a pretense you make long prayers: therefore you
shall receive the greater damnation.
The pulpits of Protestantism are
filled with a hireling ministry, a lazy, worthless set of preachers, who love
greetings in the markets, and the highest seats of honor; men who love the
praise of men more than the praise of God; men filled with pride and
formality.
Not long since I attended a
meeting in an M. E. house, and the minister's subject was, "A dead
church." Among other things he admitted that there was too much ice in
the pulpits. This expresses the true condition of sectism. Too much ice in
the pulpits. A name to live, but are dead. A form of godliness, but denying
the power thereof. Protestantism has scattered God's people to the four
winds.
"Son of man, prophesy against
the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God
unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed
themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat and ye
clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the
flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that
which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have
ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which
was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were
scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the
beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all
the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all
the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye
shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, saith the Lord God, surely
because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of
the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds
search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my
flock.'' Ezekiel 34:2-8.
"Woe be unto the pastors that
destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus
saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have
scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold,
I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.'' Jeremiah
23:1,2. "For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the
Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be
scattered." Jeremiah 10:21. "Thy princes are rebellious, and
companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards:
they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto
them.'' Isaiah 1: 23. "The heads thereof judge for reward, and the
priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet
will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil
can come upon us.'' Micah 3:11. “His watchmen are blind: they are
all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they can not bark; sleeping, lying
down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have
enough, and they are shepherds that can not understand: they all look to
their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." Isaiah
56:10,11.
These scriptures clearly set forth
the true condition of Protestantism. The shepherds, by leading the people
into their various sects have scattered God's flock, and driven them away.
God has but one flock, one sheepfold, into which he saves all his people.
This is the church, the church of God. For example: I hold a meeting in
a certain town, and under the clear preaching of the gospel, one hundred
people become converted, or obtain salvation. Through spiritual birth
they become members of the church of God. They are full members in good
standing, for God set them in the body (church) as it pleased him. 1st
Corinthians 12:18; Acts 2: 47. Their names are placed in the class book—the
Lamb's book of life in heaven. The New Testament is their discipline and rule
of faith and practice. Their hearts are knit together in love.
These all assemble with one accord
in one place to worship God. All their meetings are salvation and holiness
meetings. God will call some in the assembly to the work of feeding the
flock—elders. He will qualify others for deacons. When such have proved themselves
and their call is manifest, we recognize the same by dedicating thereto by
the laying on of hands. Here then is a fully organized body of believers in a
town—a congregation of one hundred church-members, yet they belong to nothing
but Christ. They belong to no other body but the body of Christ, to which
body the whole family in heaven and in earth belongs. They have entered no
other door, but Christ, the door of the church. They are all of one heart and
of one soul. Such is the New Testament church.
Now suppose for want of better
light, a Baptist minister persuades twenty to join his sect; a Quaker
minister persuades twenty to join with him; and twenty others join the
Lutheran; twenty, the Free Methodist; and twenty, the Dunkards. What have
these preachers done? They each have the audacity to report to their several
conferences that they organized a church of twenty members; but the fact is,
they have disorganized the church of God, and scattered God's flock. Now,
instead of meeting in one house to worship, as formerly, they meet in five
different places; instead of one faith they now represent five different
faiths. Woe, be to the pastors of Babylon who thus scatter God's flock. Mark
them, says the apostle Paul.
After they thus lead the people of
God into the various sects, they then begin to fleece them for their money.
They make merchandise of the people. They "teach for hire," and
"divine for money." They "love gifts, and follow after
rewards." These "greedy dogs" can never have enough, but
expect a fat salary, and look every one for his gain from his quarter. Such
is the awful fallen condition of Protestantism to-day. With a hireling
ministry at the head, and sectish strife and division for a foundation; with pride for their god, and only a lifeless
form for religion, Protestantism is to-day a beast power which is doomed for
the burning flame.
We will make a few comparisons
between the church of God and Protestant sectism. (1) The former was of divine
origin (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:19-22), the latter are man-made and of
human origin. (2) The former composes but one body, (Romans 12:4, 5;
Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:24), while the latter is composed of many
separate bodies. (3) All Christians belong to the church of God, while no sect
contains all Christians. (4) The very moment a man is born of God he is a
member of the church of God, but salvation makes no one a member of any sect.
(5) The church of God is a spiritual institution, a "spiritual
house," while no sect is spiritual, for men can not manufacture
spiritual things. (6) God takes the members into his church, while the
preacher takes you into the sect. (7) God's church unites, while sects
divide. Jesus says, "He that gathereth not with me, scattereth
abroad."
Turning again to the eleventh
chapter of Revelation we find mention of the two prophets, the Word and
Spirit of God, the true vicars of Christ, during the Protestant age.
"And when they shall have
finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit
shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And
their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And
they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be
put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,
and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two
prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an
half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their
feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." Verse 7-11.
We see in this prophecy "that
the beast finally succeeded in slaying the two prophets which he had been
fighting for 1,260 years. After this they lay dead three days and a half.
"This was fulfilled when
those children of God who had been standing out against popery in the papal age
united with Protestantism. Protestantism accepts the human vicar as well as
Romanism. They bitterly oppose the governing of the church by the Word and
Spirit of God. They set up human vicars who are their lawmakers and
governors. Their vicar is not always a single individual; but whether it be
one individual, or a legislative body, it is a human vicar just the same; and
when all God's people throughout the world accepted human vicars in the light
that Protestantism put it, the two prophets, the Word and the Spirit of God,
were virtually slain.
"The three days and a half
during which they were to lie dead, signify three and one-half centuries, or
350 years. The term day when applied to the papal age signifies a year: but
when applied to the Protestant age it signifies a century. There is reason
for this. The events of each century of the Protestant age naturally divide
them into separate periods. This division of the centuries in the Protestant
age is so marked that historians have adopted it. The following quotation
from D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, Book XI, Chapter IX, is a fair sample of the use historians have made of this figure.
"It has been said that the
three last centuries, the sixteenth, the seventeenth, and the eighteenth, may
be conceived as an immense battle of three days' duration. We willingly adopt
this beautiful comparison.... The first day was the battle of God; the
second, the battle of the priest; the third, the battle of reason. What will
be the fourth? In our opinion, the confused strife, the deadly contest of all
these powers together is to end in the victory of Him to whom triumph
belongs.'
"It is because the centuries
of the Protestant age are thus naturally divided into separate periods that
God in his Word makes use of a day to signify a century. Counting therefore,
a day for a hundred years, the three days and a half during which the two
prophets were to lie dead will signify 350 years. During this period the
people were to make merry because the two prophets did not torment them. Ah,
the Protestant people have been fulfilling this to the letter in their
shameful socials and revelings.
''Measuring this 350 years from
1530, the date when the two prophets were slain, they reach to 1880, at which
time, according to the prophecy, the Spirit of life from God was to enter
into the two prophets. So the reader can see that we are now living in the
age when the Word and Spirit of God were to resume their place as sole
governor of the church of God. The gathering together of God's people out of
all sects into one body, that has been taking place since 1880, is due to the
resurrection of the Word and Spirit of God."
The kingdom of God again triumphs
upon earth. It conquers every foe. We will next consider the
|
DOWNFALL
OF SPIRITUAL BABYLON.
In a previous chapter we have
observed that the Israelites were carried away captive into literal Babylon,
where they served within its gorgeous palaces and impregnable walls for
seventy years. During the time of their captivity, Jerusalem and
the sanctuary lay waste—a heap of ruins. After all this they
returned from the captivity, and rebuilt the house of God, and restored
Jerusalem to its former state.
After the children of Israel
forsook the city of Babylon its broad walls were thrown down, its gorgeous
palaces were left a heap of ruins. This place afterwards became a sort of
zoological garden; a habitation of all kinds of wild beasts and serpents. All
this was foretold by Jeremiah and other prophets.
"Yet ye have not hearkened
unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of
your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Because
ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of
the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my
servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants
thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy
them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual
desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice
of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the
sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land
shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the
king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy
years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that
nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans,
and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all
my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this
book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.'' Jeremiah 25:
7-13.
This speaks of the desolations of
Jerusalem and Judea while Israel was in captivity in Babylon seventy years.
But mark you, God afterwards punished the king of Babylon, and the land of
the Chaldeans, and made it a perpetual desolation.
The literal city of Babylon was a
clear type of the apostate church; a type of sectism as it exists in this
dispensation. As we have seen in Revelation 17:1-18, the Roman Catholic sect
is denominated, "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations
of the Earth." She is also termed "the great whore." But she
is also a "mother." Daughters have been born into her family. The
mother being a whore, full of fornication, her daughters are
called "harlots." Who are the daughters of the Roman church?
They of necessity must be the sects which came out of Rome.
All Protestant sectism can be
traced right back into the Catholic sect. She is the mother. She has many
daughters; many more grandchildren; and still many more great grandchildren,
etc. But they all belong to one family. Satan is the father of sectism, Rome
its mother. Since the mother's name is Babylon her children's names
are the same. So all the multiplicity of human sects from the mother down to
the very latest daughter born into the family is Mystery, Babylon, "that
great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.'' Revelation 17: 5,18.
Israel was a type of the church.
Her captivity of seventy years in literal Babylon was a striking figure of
the captivity of the church in spiritual Babylon, i. e., in popery and
Protestant sectism. During this time the holy city (church) has been trodden
under foot; has been covered up under the ecclesiastical rubbish of men, just
like Jerusalem was a heap of ruins and rubbish while the
children of Israel were in Babylon. But as seen in a previous chapter, the
children of Israel returned from their Babylonish captivity, and restored
Jerusalem and Zion, and built up the house of God again. They finally all
forsook Babylon. God delivered all his people out of the land of the
Chaldees. This the following scriptures plainly teach:
"And will send unto Babylon
fanners that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of
trouble they shall be against her round about. Flee out of the midst of
Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for
this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a
recompense. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all
the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the
nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take
balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon,
but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own
country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. The Lord hath brought forth our righteousness:
come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God." Jeremiah
51:2,6-10.
"In those days, and in that
time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the
children of Judah together going and weeping: they shall go, and seek
the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces
thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a
perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. Israel is a scattered sheep;
the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him;
and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore
thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king
of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation and he shall feed
on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and
Gilead." Jeremiah 50:4, 5, 17-19. "My people, go ye out of the
midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the
Lord." Jeremiah 51:45. Babylon had been a golden cup in the Lord's hand
in accomplishing his design in bringing evil upon Israel because of their
iniquities. God Almighty himself brought Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean
hosts to Jerusalem and through them he accomplished his will in destroying
the Jewish polity. 2nd Chronicles 36:17. God also used Nebuchadnezzar the
king of Babylon during the captivity in fulfilling his will in many ways. But
the time came when God set forth his hand, and gathered all the children of
Israel back to Zion and Jerusalem. They forsook Babylon and came weeping with
joy to Zion. This was literally fulfilled in Israel after the flesh. But the
return of Israel from their captivity in literal Babylon to literal Zion and
Jerusalem, was a precious type of the return of the church from their
captivity in spiritual sect Babylon to the new Jerusalem, the spiritual Zion,
and mount of holiness. Thank God this blessed gathering is now taking place.
"And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The
way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for
those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall
be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found
there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the Lord shall
return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads:
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.''
Isaiah 35: 8-10.
"There shall be there a pure
way, and it shall be called a holy way; and there shall not pass by there any
unclean person, neither shall there be there an unclean way; but the
dispersed shall walk on it, and they shall not go astray. And there shall be
no lion there, neither shall any evil beast go up upon it, nor at all be
found there; but the redeemed and gathered on the Lord's behalf, shall walk
in it, and shall return, and come to Sion with joy, and everlasting joy shall
be over their head; for on their heads shall be praise and exultation, and
joy shall take possession of them: sorrow and pain, and groaning have fled
away.'' Isaiah 35:8-10, LXX.
On the pure way of holiness
thousands are to-day returning to Zion—to the same Zion where the early
church stood. Forsaking the confusion of sect Babylon, the redeemed of the
Lord are returning to the same standard of unity, purity, and power that
adorned the apostolic church.
"Therefore the redeemed of
the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy
shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and
mourning shall flee away." Isaiah 51:11. "But upon mount Zion shall
be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall
possess their possessions." Obadiah 17. "Multitudes, multitudes in
the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of
decision. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from
Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be
the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall
ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then
shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any
more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop
down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of
Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of
the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim." Joel 3:14, 16-18.
These texts have a present
fulfillment. Under the present judgments of truth, multitudes are being
brought into the valley of decision, where they must decide either for, or
against God. Those who decide on the side of truth come to the mount of
holiness, the mount of deliverance; and in this holy mount the Lord has made a
feast of fat things, of wines on the lees.
This gathering of God's people out
of sect Babylon back to Zion, into one fold, was foretold by the prophets.
''Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will
require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the
flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will
deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. For
thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and
seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my
sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered
in the cloudy and dark day. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the
high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good
fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away,
and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was
sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with
judgment. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing;
and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be
showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:10-12,14,16, 26.
This very beautifully sets forth
the ''present truth.'' The preachers of Babylon have scattered God's flock;
but the time has arrived when the Lord is seeking out his sheep. He is
gathering them out of all places where they have been scattered, and is
bringing them to their own fold—a good fold.
''This know also, that in the last
days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high
minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2nd
Timothy 3:1-5.
This is a perfect picture of
fallen Babylon to-day. Sectism is filled with men and women who are lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God; people who only have a mere form of
godliness. What are God's people who are yet scattered there commanded to do?
What saith the Scripture? "From such withdraw thyself: from such turn
away.'' No honest soul can remain there after hearing this solemn command.
They must forsake the ruins and abide in Christ alone. Some precious souls
when they hear the voice from heaven to come out of sectism, refuse to obey,
and the result is they go into darkness.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what
concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the
temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye
shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2nd
Corinthians 6:14-18. Every sect institution yokes up believers with
unbelievers. They try to mix light with darkness. The command from heaven to
every child of God in there is, ‘’Come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the Lord."
The ministers of God in these last
days are "blowing the trumpet in Zion" and the call of God is
reaching the people of God in sectarian captivity, and Jesus says, ‘’My sheep
hear my voice, and they follow me.'' Thus God is gathering his people into a
perfect unity, and preparing the bride for the coming of the bridegroom. To
such as have their hearts wrapped up in friends who will not obey the truth,
God says, "Remember Lot's wife."
"Flee out of the midst of
Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for
this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a
recompense.'' Jeremiah 51: 6. "My people, go ye out of the midst of her,
and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord."
Jeremiah 51:45. "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is
fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed
them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his
image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture
into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they
have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 14: 8-11.
''And after these things I saw
another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened
with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and
the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and
the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants
of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I
heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye
be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her
sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine;
and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who
judgeth her.'' Revelation 18:1-5, 8.
All this is present truth. One
angel in these texts stands for the entire ministry of the time. These flying
messengers are God's holy ministers in these last days, who are trumpeting to
all nations the solemn warnings from heaven. This is a time of the Lord's
vengeance against all false religions of earth. He has set his hand to gather
out his people, and prepare his church, so that she may be presented holy,
without spot or wrinkle when he comes. This is not our word, and work, but
a voice from heaven says in solemn tones of warning, "Flee out
of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul." "Come out
of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive
not of her plagues." "If any man worship the beast [popery] and his
image [Protestantism], the same shall be tormented forever and ever."
Thousands have already heard that voice and obeyed. Halleluiah! Every child
of God will be gathered out before Jesus comes. But thousands of others who
seemed to be pillars, have heard that voice but would not obey. The result is
God has had to sacrifice them in order to get a pure church. They clung to
the ruins of Babylon, rather than be identified with the holy remnant. All
such have received of her plagues—"Death, mourning, famine.'' By
not obeying the truth, such lose all spiritual life, are cut off from union
with God, and help to compose the dead carcass of fallen sectism.
These generally turn very bitter
against the truth. ''They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as
lions' whelps. In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them
drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake,
saith the Lord." Jeremiah 51: 38, 39. They roar like lions against it,
and gnash upon us. In their heat, while they are the most bitter, God says,
he will make their feasts, will make them drunken, that they may rejoice;
viz., "send them strong delusions, that they may believe a lie: that
they all maybe damned." 2nd Thessalonians 2:11,12. How awfully true is
this at the present time. "We have often observed that at the very time
people begin to oppose this great work, they seem to get new inspiration, and
become exceedingly joyful. They seem to think they are feasting on heavenly things, while the truth is, they
are feasting on ''strong delusions.'' "It shall even be as when a hungry
man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty:
or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh,
and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude
of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. Stay yourselves, and
wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they
stagger, but not with strong drink, For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath
closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. ''
Isaiah 29: 8-10. This has a present fulfillment. This is the very condition
of thousands to-day who fight against mount Zion (God's pure church). God
pours upon them the spirit of deep sleep; he closes their eyes; he gives them
delusions. This is termed a "perpetual sleep"; one from which they
will never wake, until they lift up their eyes in hell. In this deep sleep
they are like a hungry man that ''dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he
awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and,
behold, he drinketh: but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint, and his soul
hath appetite.''
To illustrate what the prophet
foretold, a man is out on the desert away from food and water. He is starving
to death. He is dying. But in his miserable condition he falls asleep; and
while asleep he dreams he is back home; seated at a table spread with all the
dainties of life that his appetite craves. He dreams that he is drinking the
cool water from the flowing spring. He is having a feast. Oh, how he enjoys it!
But all at once he awakens, and his soul is faint. The whole has been a
dream. O beloved reader, such is the sad condition of thousands in Babylon
who will not obey the truth, but bitterly oppose it. They are
asleep. God has closed their eyes. They are under delusions. In that
very condition they imagine they are on the way to heaven. They seem to feast
on heavenly dainties. They seem to drink the sparkling waters of salvation.
They get happy and rejoice. Such may even die, shouting to their last breath.
They think they are sweeping through the gates. All looks bright. Angels
welcome them home. But all at once as the soul is forced out from behind the
clay covering, they awaken out of sleep, and to their awful agony and
surprise, they see that the whole has been a dream—a delusive dream, and
their poor soul empty and lost forever because they would not obey the truth.
Beloved friend, this work is of God. To oppose it, is to throw open your soul
to deceptive spirits, and drift into the very state and condition above
described.
As before stated, after the
children of Israel forsook literal Babylon, it underwent many great wars and
ravages and finally became a sort of zoological garden, a habitation of all
kinds of birds and beasts. The following scripture describes its condition:
"And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees'
excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never
be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation,
neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make
their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their
houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and
satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in
their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is
near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.'' Isaiah 13:19-22. ''And
Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment,
and an hissing, without an inhabitant." Jeremiah 51:37.
All this was a type. That very
condition of literal Babylon is the condition of spiritual Babylon to-day,
since God is delivering his people out of her. Just as that ancient city
fell, and became a dwelling place of dragons, doleful creatures, etc., so
sect "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the
habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird.'' Revelation 18:2. Sectarians may consider this
strong, but it is the eternal truth; and present facts as seen by the pure in
heart prove that the above is a perfect picture of the great babel of
sectism. All who cling to their false religions, and will not forsake their
sinful sects, are slain and cut off by the Word of God, and compose this
great spiritual carcass, preyed upon by evil spirits. Thousands who in the
past were bright lights, when they hear the voice from heaven to come out of
her, close their ears to the truth and go into darkness. These are cut off
and slain. Oh, what a slaughter is now going on! This awful work has been
foretold by the prophets of old.
''For my sword shall be bathed in
heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my
curse, to judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made
fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the
kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great
slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them,
and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood,
and their dust made fat with fatness. For it is the day of the Lord's
vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion." Isaiah
34: 5-8. "For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his
fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered
them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their
stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted
with their blood." Verse 2,3:
“For, behold, the Lord will come
with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with
fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will
the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many."
Isaiah 66:15, 16. "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord
deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."
Jeremiah 48:10. "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye
speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this
people wood, and it shall devour them.'' Jeremiah 5:14.
"Many pastors have destroyed
my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my
pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate, and being
desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man
layeth it to heart. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the
wilderness: for the sword of the Lord shall devour from the one end of the
land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace."
Jeremiah 12:10-12.
What an awful picture, yet how
true! The sword of the Lord which smites the nations, and devours from one
end of the land to the other, and is said to be filled with blood, is ''the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'' Ephesians 6: 17. God's holy
messengers are blowing the trumpet in Zion, which calls together the elect
from the four winds— Babylon confusion. Joel 2:1; Matthew 24: 30-33;
Zechariah 2: 6, 7. All who refuse to be gathered are slain by the sword of
the Lord. Those slain are said to be "many."
This great slaughter is also
called a "sacrifice," because many of them possessed noble
attributes, and were even mighty through God; but when the whole truth was
presented they would not get saved from the last spot of sin and sectism;
therefore God had to sacrifice them to evil spirits in order to get a pure
church. The rams, lambs, bullocks, etc., show that the parties were, in the
main, offerings to God on the altar of his grace. The thousands thus being
slain compose a carcass—a dead putrefying mess—of fallen religionists. Thus
saith the Lord: "For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles
be gathered together.'' Matthew 24:28.
This no doubt reached a
fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews composed the carcass;
the Roman hosts, the eagles, who gathered together to consume the carcass.
This looks very probable since the eagles were the very standards of the army
which did desolate the city. But it is clear to our mind that the text has a
twofold signification, and was to reach its true fulfillment just prior to
the end, as it is used in such close connection with the coming of the Son of
man. The word eagles is more correctly rendered "vultures" in the
new version. The basis of the language is a dead, putrefying body, the scent
of which attracts the vultures and other birds and beasts of prey. The lesson
or application of this figure is highly spiritual.
''For the indignation of the Lord
is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly
destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also
shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and
the mountains shall be melted with their blood." Isaiah 34:2, 3.
"And they shall be habitations of monsters, and a court for ostriches.
And devils shall meet with satyrs, . . . having found for themselves a place
of rest.'' Verse 13, 14, Septuagint Version. ''And the carcasses of this
people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of
the earth; and none shall fray them away. Jeremiah 7: 33. " Thou shalt
fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people
that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort,
and to the beasts of the field to be devoured." Ezekiel 39: 4. "And
thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God: Speak unto every feathered fowl,
and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather
yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a
great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and
drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the
princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of
them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink
blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty
men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 39:17-20.
The stink which comes out of the
carcasses (spiritual carcasses) of the thousands in Babylon who have been
slain by the sword of truth attracts myriads of "delusive spirits."
The condition of fallen sectism is surely a stench in the nostrils of God. It
is offensive to every sanctified soul. These spiritual carcasses shall be
inhabited by "monsters," "fowls," etc. In them "devils
have found for themselves a place of rest." This perfectly harmonizes
with the description given in Revelation 18:2. Different kinds of birds and
foul spirits being grouped together in these texts carry our minds back to
the ruins of ancient Babylon, which was a hold of all manner of birds and
beasts, and which clearly typified the swarm of unclean and deceptive spirits
which throng sectism to-day.
There is another solemn fact I
wish to call the reader's attention to before leaving this point. This
work gives us data to calculate our whereabouts on the stream of time.
"All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye,
when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet,
hear ye. For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I
will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a
cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For afore the harvest, when the bud is
perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off
the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. They
shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of
the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the
earth shall winter upon them." Isaiah 18:3-6.
This time has come. The
ensign—Christ—is lifted up— a token for the people to gather unto him. The
trumpet of truth is being blown. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound
an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble:
for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Ah, a sign that
the day of the Lord is nigh at hand. A clear heat is produced in the church,
his dwelling place. Judgment is executed, and a pruning time has come. Sprigs
and branches are cut off and taken away; viz., "Every branch that
beareth not fruit he taketh away." John 15: 2. These cut off branches
(dead professors) ''shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains,
and to the beasts of the earth." This is the very work described in the
many texts already cited. But when was it all to be accomplished? Just
"afore the harvest"—just before the end. Reader, we are living in
that very time.
"And I saw heaven opened, and
behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as
a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written,
that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in
blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and
clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite
the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the
wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his
vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather
yourselves together unto the supper of the great God." Revelation
19:11-17.
By turning to Revelation 6:1, 2
the reader will observe that about the same description of this white horse
and his rider is there given. At the opening of the first seal John ''saw,
and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow: and a crown was
given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.'' This
represents the kingdom of God as established by Christ in the beginning of
this age. ''White horse'' denotes its purity and holiness. Jesus Christ,
enthroned universal king, goes forth conquering the nations through his pure
apostolic ministry, "leading captivity captive." This represents
the triumphs of Christ's kingdom in the morning of the Christian era, while
Revelation 19 describes its triumphs in the evening of the same. Jesus Christ
is again riding forth in the greatness of his strength executing his
righteous judgments upon the works of darkness, and against all false
religions. The armies which follow him are his sanctified saints, who are
raised up in "heavenly places." These are clothed in fine
linen, which represents their righteousness. See Verse 8. Upon the bridles of
their horses is ''holiness unto the Lord.'' Zechariah 14: 20. The sharp sword
which smites the nations is the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12. Those who are
smitten are the ones who refuse to walk in the light of God, and reject and
oppose the straight Word. Next in order are seen the fowls of heaven—evil
spirits—gathering together to feast upon those who have been slain. The same
is called "the supper of the great God." The word
"supper" proves that it was to take place in the eve of time.
We have observed in a previous
chapter that the blessed union betwixt Christ and his church in the morning
of the gospel era was expressed by the term marriage. Also her
apostasy is expressed by separation. She became a harlot. Isaiah 1.
Christ could not acknowledge the apostate church as his wife. But, thank God,
as we forsake the ruins of apostasy, and return to Christ our living head,
our blessed union with him again in these last days is expressed by a
reuniting in marriage.
''Go and proclaim these words
toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord;
and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith
the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine
iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast
scattered thy ways of the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not
obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the
Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two
of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: and I will give you pastors
according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowledge and
understanding." Jeremiah 3:12-15.
This was literally fulfilled in
ancient Israel's return. The north country was Babylon. This describes their
return to Zion. But Israel was a type of the church, which now constitutes
''the true Israel of God.'' The text has a spiritual, as well as it had a
literal fulfillment. The proclamation is now sounding forth towards the north
country—cold formal regions of dead formality. There the people of God have
scattered their ways unto the strangers. In more than six hundred ways have
they been scattered among strangers— sinners. The time has now arrived when
the Lord is taking "one of a city, and two of a family," and
bringing them to Zion—the mount of holiness—his own church. Instead of them
supporting an empty worthless ministry as before, a ministry who fleeced them
for their salary, God now gives them pastors according to his heart, who feed
them knowledge and understanding. ''Return, ye backsliding children, and I
will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord
our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the
multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of
Israel." Jeremiah 3:22, 23. This very beautifully portrays our return to
Christ.
"And she shall follow after
her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but
shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first
husband; for then was it better with me than now.'' Hosea 2:7. "And it
shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi [my
husband, margin]; and shalt call me no more Baalim. For I will take away the
names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by
their name.'' Hoses 2:16, 17. As before stated, while these texts were
literally fulfilled in ancient Israel, they set forth present truth, since
Israel's apostasy and return was but a type of the apostasy and return
of the church. The Lord's people have played the harlot with "many
lovers." They have dishonored God by taking upon themselves their
various names; such as Lutheran, Wesleyan, Mennonite, etc., etc. But these
things never gave them perfect satisfaction. So they decide to return to
their first husband—Christ. As they thus return to the blessed marriage
state, they again say to Christ, "My husband." They forsake the
names of Baalim, and are no more known by those names. They hold to the name
of their husband only. Thank the dear Lord!
''And after these things I heard a
great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory,
and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: and true and righteous are his
judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth
with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever. And
the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God
that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the
throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him,
both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude,
and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,
saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and
rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his
wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which
are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These
are the true sayings of God.'' Revelation 19:1-9.
John saw and heard all this in
heaven, but it has a present fulfillment upon earth. This represents the
hosts who are now gathered out of the apostasy, their shouts and songs of
triumph. Such scenes are frequently witnessed in the camp of the saints. The
marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready,—ready to
be revealed at his coming, which is near, even at the door.
"And I saw as it were a sea
of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the
beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his
name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the
song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and
marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou
King of saints." Revelation 15: 2, 3. Here is brought to view the entire
church in this evening time. They stand on a sea of glass mingled with fire. This sea of glass signifies the pure Word and
holiness of God. All on this sea have "victory over the beast [popery],
and over his image [the sect institution], and over his mark [doctrines of
Babylon], and over the number of his name [all the sects in existence]."
God's church again triumphs. She comes off victorious. They sing the song of
Moses and the Lamb; that is, the song of deliverance and triumph. Glory to
our God, this is now realized in this soul of mine. Halleluiah!
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Friday, March 2, 2012
THE CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY PT3
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