Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 69

20. What relation does the Church of Rome sustain to other apostate churches?

"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, _THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS_ AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Rev. 17:5.

NOTES.-In the creed of Pope Pius IV, an authoritative statement of Roman Catholic belief, is found this statement: "I acknowledge the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church for _the mother and mistress of all churches_."-_Article 10._ When the professed Protestant churches repudiate the fundamental principle of Protestantism by setting aside the authority of G.o.d's Word, and accepting tradition and human speculation in its place, they adopt the fundamental principle of modern Babylon, and may be regarded as the daughters of Babylon. Their fall is then included in the fall of Babylon, and calls for a proclamation of the fall of modern Babylon.

Many representatives of modern Protestantism have, in one way or another, rejected many fundamental doctrines of the Bible, such as,-

The fall of man.

The Bible doctrine of sin.

The infallibility of the Scriptures.

The sufficiency of the Scriptures as a rule of faith and practise.

The Deity of Christ, and His consequent heads.h.i.+p over the church.

The miraculous conception and the virgin birth of our Lord.

The resurrection of Christ from the grave.

The vicarious, expiatory, and propitiatory atonement of Christ.

Salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Regeneration by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The efficacy of the all-prevailing name of Christ in prayer.

The ministration and guardians.h.i.+p of holy angels.

Miracles as the direct manifestation and interposition of G.o.d's power.

Although many leaders of modern Protestantism known as higher critics have not formally adopted the creed of the Church of Rome, and have not become an organic part of that body, yet they belong to the same cla.s.s in rejecting the authority of G.o.d's Word, and accepting in its place the product of their own reasonings. There is just as much apostasy in the one case as in the other, and both must therefore be included in Babylon, and both will go down in the fall of Babylon. The warning message applies with equal force to both cla.s.ses.

21. To what extent is the apostasy, or fall, of modern Babylon, the mother, and of her daughters, to be carried?

"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." Rev.

18:1-3.

NOTE.-In its largest sense, Babylon includes all false religions-all apostasy. The gospel message announcing her final overthrow should be a cause of rejoicing to every lover of truth and righteousness.

22. What final call to come out of Babylon is to go forth?

"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 G.o.d hath remembered her iniquities." Verses 4, 5.

23. How complete is to be the fall of modern Babylon?

"And _a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all_.... And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." Verses 21-24.

24. What song of triumph follows the overthrow of Babylon?

"Alleluia: for the Lord G.o.d omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him." Rev. 19:6, 7.

The Closing Gospel Message. A Warning Against False Wors.h.i.+p

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

The Third Angel. "If any man wors.h.i.+p the beast and his image, ... the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d." Rev. 14:9, 10.

1. What indicates that the messages of the judgment-hour and the fall of Babylon are two parts of a threefold message?

"And _the third angel followed them_, saying with a loud voice." Rev.

14:9, first clause.

2. What apostasy from the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d is named in this message?

"If any man _wors.h.i.+p the beast and his image, and receive his mark_ in his forehead, or in his hand." Same verse, last part.

3. What is to be the fate of those who, instead of wors.h.i.+ping G.o.d, engage in this false wors.h.i.+p?

"_The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d, 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 wors.h.i.+p the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Verses 10, 11. See Isa. 33:13-17; 34:1-10; 1 Cor. 3:13; Heb. 12:29.

4. How are those described who heed this warning?

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of G.o.d, and the faith of Jesus." Verse 12.

5. What description is given of the beast against whose wors.h.i.+p this closing warning message is given?

"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." Rev. 13:1, 2.

NOTE.-In this composite beast from the sea are combined the symbols of the seventh chapter of Daniel, representing Greece, Medo-Persia, and Babylon. The blasphemous words spoken by it, its persecution of the saints, and the time allotted to it (verses 5-7) show that this beast, under one of its seven-headed manifestations, is identical with the little horn of the vision of the seventh chapter of Daniel, modern Babylon, the Papacy. See reading on "The Kingdom and Work of Antichrist," page 218. The false wors.h.i.+p here mentioned, the wors.h.i.+p of the beast, is the rendering of that homage to the Papacy which is due to G.o.d alone.

The system of religion enforced by the Papacy is the paganism of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, indicated by the composite character of the beast (verse 2), disguised under the forms and names of Christianity. The Pontifex Maximus of the ancient pagan religions was continued in the Pope, who is the head of the Roman priesthood, and who, in the exercise of his priestly functions, took away the mediation of Christ, and subst.i.tuted a system of human mediation in its place, thus fulfilling the prophecy recorded in the eighth chapter of Daniel. See reading on "The Vicar of Christ," page 224.

6. What challenge is made by those who wors.h.i.+p the beast?

"And they wors.h.i.+ped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they wors.h.i.+ped the beast, saying, _Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?_" Verse 4.

7. Whose sovereignty is thus challenged?

"Forasmuch as _there is none like unto Thee, O Lord_; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might." Jer. 10:6. See also Ps. 71:19; 86:8; 89:6, 8.

8. What specifications of "the man of sin" are thus fully met?

"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 G.o.d, or that is wors.h.i.+ped; so that he as G.o.d sitteth in the temple of G.o.d, showing himself that he is G.o.d_." 2 Thess. 2:3, 4. See pages 218-220.

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

Noah Preaching. "By faith Noah, being warned of G.o.d ... prepared an ark."

Heb. 11:7.