Your ShelfYour Projects

Signs of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 7.

DECLARATION OF THE “HOLY WAR”
Earlier text: DECLARATION OF THE “HOLY WAR”

The Judgment in Session

By John W. McCord

The Judge, the Advocate, and Those on Trial — What Is the Standard in That Court? — The Climax at His Coming — The Judgment of the Wicked, and the Millennium
By JOHN W. McCORD
From the prophecies of the book of Daniel, we learn that the Investigative Judgment began in 1844 A. D.; and from that time to this, it has been court week in heaven. The reality of this tribunal cannot be questioned; for the same procedure that is observed in an earthly court, is also observed in the court above. This similarity is so striking that one is likely to conclude that the courts on earth have been fashioned after the one in heaven.

The Judge and the Advocate

The most important personage in jurisprudence is the judge; and after the judge, the lawyers come next in authority.
In the court above, our heavenly Father is the Judge, and our Saviour is the Advocate. And blessed above measure are all those who “have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2: 1.

The Angels and the Books in the Judgment

The bright beings who stand before the judgment throne are angels, “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Dan. 7: 10; Rev. 5: 11. The apostle Paul also mentions the angels as “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” Heb. 1: 14.
The angels minister to God’s people in various ways; and as each saint has a guardian angel, these sinless beings learn to understand their charges even better than the saints understand themselves.
One of the duties of the angels is to keep a faithful record of the lives of God’s people; and in the Judgment, these records form the evidence in each case. Eccl. 5: 6; Matt. 12: 36, 37.
In an earthly court, legal authorities are frequently quoted; and books are also used in the court above. When the prophet Daniel had a vision of the heavenly assize, he saw that “the Judgment was set, and the books were opened.” One of these books is the book of life (Rev. 3: 5), and the other is the book of remembrance. Mal. 3: 16. In the book of life the names of God’s people are recorded, and the book of remembrance contains an accurate history of the lives of the saints.
Boswell is generally recognized as the prince of biographers, and his life of Johnson is considered by many as a masterpiece. What Boswell did for Johnson, the angels have been doing for all. Yet Boswell was not half so well acquainted with Johnson, as the angels are with us. These angelic biographies are called in the Bible the “book of remembrance.”
Precisely what method the angels employ to accomplish this work, we cannot tell; but we are confident that if fallible man could invent the airship, wireless telegraphy, and the phonograph, these great beings are well able to perform any work committed to them in connection with the Judgment.
While we cannot compare fallen man with loyal angels, there is doubtless as great a chasm between the lowest angel and the greatest man as between the greatest man and the aborigine. For this reason, the greatest inventor is only a child paddling on the shores of an ocean of thought, the depths of which the angels have traversed for ages.

The Standard of the Judgment

Thus far we have briefly considered the different exalted personages who participate in the work of the Judgment. We have seen the Father on the throne as Judge; the Saviour as Lord Advocate; the angels as witnesses; and the books containing the names and the deeds of those on trial.
Next we will consider the standard of the Judgment. Most people will readily admit that unconfessed sin is the only thing that can bring condemnation upon sinners in the Judgment. But what is sin? The Bible declares that “sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3: 4. It follows, therefore, that the law which defines sin must be the standard of the Judgment.
The apostle James designates this law as the royal law, and identifies it as the Decalogue by pointing to the sixth and seventh commandments. He concludes his argument with this admonition: “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2: 8-12.
The Decalogue is the law of liberty, but no one is at liberty to transgress it. The Decalogue is the law of the Judgment; and measured by its sacred precepts, we will stand or fall.
The Judgment scene is now before us in all its parts and personages. We will next consider the trial of the prisoners. Many believe that the prisoners themselves will appear in person; but this is entirely unnecessary, as the books reveal the history of each life perfectly, and the angels are present to witness to their writings. Rev. 20: 12.

Guilty or Not Guilty

It is quite an ordeal even to listen to the trial of another, much more to be on trial one’s self. If the case is important, and it has captured the popular imagination, then every step in such a trial is of interest. But the supreme moment arrives when the jury files in to render its verdict. Then every face is serious, and the eyes of all are fixed upon the jury. What could exceed in dramatic effect the painful hush that prevails in the court room as the foreman stands up to render the verdict?
A similar scene is now being enacted in heaven, only immeasurably more glorious and solemn. What pen could picture the scene in heaven when the first name was called in 1844! It was probably the name of Abel, the first martyr of Jesus Christ. The book of life revealed his name, and the book of remembrance unveiled his sins and his good deeds. It was seen that Abel was confessing his sins at the altar when Cain, his brother, slew him. Then the Saviour confessed the name of Abel before His Father and the holy angels, and unspeakable joy filled the heavens as the Father proclaimed the salvation of Abel.
Presently the names of Peter and Judas were called. The books revealed the time and the place Peter denied his Lord, and when poor Judas betrayed Him. It was found that Peter repented of his sin, but Judas, filled with remorse, went out and hanged himself. Then the name of Peter was retained in the book of life, and the name of Judas blotted out. The sins of Peter are blotted out of the book of remembrance, and his good deeds retained; while the sins of Judas are retained, and his good deeds blotted out. Rev. 3: 5; Acts 3: 19, 20; Eze. 33: 12, 13.

Whose Name Next?

When the judgment of the righteous dead is finished, then the judgment of the righteous living will begin. When this change will take place we cannot tell, for this knowledge does not belong to humanity; but we do know that the judgment of all the righteous will be over before the Lord appears in glory.
While the coming of the Lord is near, the calling of our names in the Judgment is nearer still. Before the Lord can come, the seven last plagues must be poured out upon the impenitent. Before the plagues can be poured out, probation must close, and the door of mercy be shut fast forever. Before probation closes, the judgment of all the righteous must have taken place. Rev. 22: 11, 12; 15: 8.
What does this mean to the people of God to-day?—It means that the coming of the Lord is near; that the seven last plagues are nearer; that the close of probation is nearer still; and that the calling of our names in the Judgment is the nearest of all.

Jesus Meets His Saints

When the Saviour appears as King of kings, all who have been accounted worthy in the Judgment shall go forth to meet Him, clad in immortal beauty. Then the angels “shall gather together His elect,” and shall bear them into the presence of Jesus in the air. 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17.
But the language of heaven alone would suffice to describe the rapture of that first meeting. Adam will be there; the redeemed of all the ages will be there; friends whom death had parted, will then meet in glad reunion; but best of all, Jesus will be there, the one who “loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Rev. 1: 5. With Jesus in the center, the glittering cavalcade will sweep majestically upward, past suns and constellations, safe into the city of God.

The Judgment of the Wicked

Then the millennium will begin, and the saints will sit upon thrones of Judgment. Rev. 20: 4. With Jesus in command, they will investigate the record of the wicked, and will measure out the degree of punishment in each case, “according to their works.” 1 Cor. 6: 1-3.
When the millennial reign is over, the holy city will descend to this earth, and the wicked will be raised to receive their punishment. Rev. 21: 2. Then with Satan at their head, the wicked will surround the beloved city to capture it; and fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them. Rev. 20: 7-9.
When the Judgment has finished its work, the wicked will have been destroyed; sin will have disappeared, and the earth itself will have become new. Rev. 21: 1. When this has been accomplished, there will be only one thing left as a reminder of the past. That will be the mark of the nails in the Saviour’s hands and feet, and the mark of the spear in His side. These sacred tokens of man’s redemption will be treasured by the universe forever, and their “bright beams will be the hiding of His power.”

Too Much of Science; Too Little of God

By S. B. Horton

Shall the State Teach Religion?—If So, What Religion Shall It Be?—Can State and Church Adhere to the Same Exalted Standards?
By S. B. HORTON
In a recent speech, Vice President Marshall protested against “too much science in the so-called educational system, and too little God Almighty.” The Record, of Fort Worth, Texas, speaking of the criticism of a local minister against its comment upon the vice president’s speech, gives some very wholesome counsel to those in America who claim that there should be an organic relationship between the church and the state. The article is quoted very fully, for it is quite apropos:

Apart from Civil Government

“We frankly avow sympathy with Dr. Caldwell’s concern about the secularization toward which not only the school but all things seem to be tending, but we insist that this is a concern which the church must exercise in ways entirely apart from legislation or administration or other function of civil government. Dr. Caldwell ventures the opinion that the Record’s writer ‘will tell you that no country is safe that isn’t founded on faith in God; that history is our witness that the first step of dissolution of nations is loss of faith and loss of morals.’ That depends upon what is meant by ‘country.’ If the people, we say Yes; if the government, we say No. The distinction between the government and the people must be clearly maintained, or we will fall into errors, if not into awful tyrannies, as aforetime under church administration of civil affairs.”

Not Through the Government, but Through the Church

“‘Loss of faith and loss of morals,’ we verily believe, will undo nations by undoing the people who make the nations; but the remedy is to reach the people, not through the government, but through the church. We have faith in the church—faith that it can accomplish its purpose without the aid of government. On the other hand, we fear government when it exercises any other than civil functions. We fear it especially when it undertakes to teach religion or to exercise religious authority; for there are so many kinds of religion—so many kinds of Christianity—that we are unwilling to have any majority of men to exercise any power over any man’s religious view or practice. We cannot forget history. We cannot ignore the tendency of zealots to proscribe. We have witnessed it, and have felt it, even in this day and in this land of freedom.”

A Dangerous Doctrine

“‘The state and the church will be separate as a man and a woman are separate, but they will be one as a husband and wife are one, for the benefit of each other and all dependent upon them,’ says Dr. Caldwell.
“That is dangerous doctrine, doctor. What church do you mean? The Christian church? Then shall it be Catholic or Protestant? If Protestant, shall it be Presbyterian or Baptist? Woodrow Wilson’s or Tom Marshall’s? Or shall it be Evangelical or Episcopalian? And shall it be divinely Christian, like yours and ours, or humanly Christian, like former President Taft’s Unitarian Church? And who shall order that it shall be Christian? The Jews believe in Tom Marshall’s God Almighty. Shall the ‘church’ of your ideal marriage with the state be the church of the Hebrew God and the gentile God, or the church of only the gentile’s Christ?”

Sound Statesmanship and Good Farming by Atheists

“The state is a process of civil order, as farming is a process of natural science and art. We do not believe that religion is any more a part of civil government than it is a part of agriculture, though our own view is that the order of government and the order of nature both declare God. Still, sound statesmanship and good farming are possible by atheists.
“The church is wife to all persons who will accept her teachings; but her relation is to individuals, and not in any wise to organized society.
“As to education, let the church educate whom she can and will. The state, though, must educate those who refuse to believe as well as those who do believe. As to the Bible, it may be properly used in the state’s schools as literature, for it is the noblest single book of literature in all the world; but to use it as literature only is to refrain from representing it as inspired, and to disregard its inspiration is to ignore its religious value.”

The Higher Standard of the Church

“At the same time that Dr. Caldwell was preaching, another Christian minister was preaching a sermon which will serve to illustrate our view. Dr. John A. Rice reported the resolutions adopted by the Methodist General Conference announcing reforms for which the church must stand. Among them is this: ‘For the protection of the family, by the single standard of purity, uniform divorce laws, proper regulation of marriage, and proper housing.’”
“Now the Christian church generally recognizes only moral unworthiness as cause for divorce. Most of the states of the Union recognize many other causes for divorce. The church may properly plead, through the people, for its view of divorce. It cannot enforce its views through the state, for the majority of the people, as indicated by their laws, have another view of the social and domestic welfare. The church holds marriage to be a social and spiritual union which only ministers may perform; the state holds marriage to be a social and civil union which any magistrate may perform. The church, as the wife of the state, would attempt to exercise the dominant influence in such a question as this; the state would resist, and there would arise the irrepressible conflict.
“The church’s laws are from God, and are immutable; the state’s laws are from the people, and are subject to the people’s amendment or nullification.”

An Organic Separation

“Thus in the nature of the authority which stands back of divine law and the authority which stands back of civil law, there is an organic separation which utterly forbids even the figurative union which Dr. Caldwell suggests.
“Finally, civil government in the American view means complete freedom of religious opinion; and that is impossible in a government which proscribes directly or indirectly any religious faith or lack of faith, or which sets up any standard of conduct derived from inspiration, for the simple reason that there are many people who do not believe in inspiration or revelation.
“We fear that ministers of the gospel who look to the state for aid in promoting the work of the Almighty, are lacking in faith in the Almighty’s power, or are impatient of the accomplishment of His high purpose, which we believe He will accomplish in His own good time without the assistance of princes, potentates, or democracies.”

The Distinction to Be Recognized

That there was to be a recognized distinction between civil government and religion is evident from the language of the Saviour, who said, “Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12: 17. This language is mandatory, and provides for the complete separation of church and state. And in our judgment, the mandate to keep them forever separate is of as much importance as the mandate in regard to the marriage relation, which directs, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Wherever man has deviated from these two precautionary commands, trouble, perplexity, and apostasy has invariably followed. God has decreed that church and state shall be separated. He has also decreed that husband and wife shall be joined together. There is no more logic in asking for a union of what God has separated, than there is in asking for a separation between those whom God has joined together.

Renovation of the Earth

By John Norton Loughborough

To Be Dissolved by Fires of the Last Day—But Will Not Be Destroyed—Restored to Original Perfection, It Becomes Our Eternal Abode
By JOHN N. LOUGHBOROUGH
I FIND in my scrapbook an article with the above title, showing the elements that may be used in the renovation of the earth. The name of the author is not given; but the article was credited, where I found it, “Lectures on Prophecy.” I pass it on. It may be of interest to readers of the Signs of the Times.
“Very fearful, indeed, is the scene which Peter (2 Peter 3:10) brings before us. But then, I beg you to examine, and see it is not a universal destruction of which he speaks. Its purport is the destruction of the ungodly, the sweeping away of the banded enemies of God, the uprooting of all His foes, the breaking in pieces of all combinations against Him. And after this is accomplished, the earth is to be put on a new plane of beauty, in which not one discordant element shall again appear .
This destruction was once accomplished by a Flood. It will be again by fire. In the Flood, the apostle says, the earth ‘perished.’ Moses says it was ‘destroyed.’ How did it perish? How was it destroyed?—Simply in reference to its state for a time as a habitable globe. No other destruction was wrought by the Flood. None other will be by the fire.

The Earth to Be Purified

“The earth is to be purified from the banded enemies of our Lord and His Christ. Its imprisoned fires are to be let loose. Earthquakes shall rend it. Volcanic eruptions shall change it. ‘The heavens [that is, the atmosphere] shall pass away with a great noise,’ is very descriptive, but it does not at all convey the idea of a universal destruction. The apostle’s description very strikingly reminds one of the terrors attending the eruptions of the great volcanoes. ‘One cannot,’ says Bishop Berkeley, ‘form a juster idea of the noise emitted by the mountain [Vesuvius], than by imagining a mixed sound made up of the raging of a tempest, the murmur of a troubled sea, and the roaring of thunder and artillery, confused together. Though we heard this at the distance of twelve miles, yet it was very terrible.’ Dick says, ‘In 1744 the flames of Cotopaxi rose three thousand feet above the brink of the crater, and its roarings were heard at the distance of six hundred miles.’ ‘Here is an account of an eruption of Kilauea, Hawaii: ‘The lava rolled on sometimes sluggishly and sometimes violently. It swept away forests in its course, at times parting and inclosing islets of earth and shrubbery, and at other times undermining and tearing away masses of rock and vegetation on its surface. Finally it plunged into the sea with loud intonations. This burning lava, on meeting the waters, was shivered like melting glass into millions of particles, which were thrown up in clouds that darkened the sky, and fell like a storm of hail over the surrounding country. Vast columns of steam and vapors rolled off before the wind, whirling in ceaseless agitation, and the reflected glare of the lavas formed a fiery firmament overhead. For three weeks this terrific river disgorged itself into the sea, without abatement.’—Dana’s Geology, United States Exploring Expedition, page 190.
The New Heavens and the New Earth Appear
The New Heavens and the New Earth Appear
“The intense heat of this fountain and stream of lava caused an influx of air from every quarter. This created terrific whirlwinds, which constantly stalking about, like so many sentinels, bade defiance to the daring visitor.’—American Journal of Science, September, 1852, page 258.
“Now, you have but to enlarge this scene. You have but to suppose the imprisoned fires that glow beneath the surface of the earth, to be let loose, in order to realize the terrific reality of the event sketched by Peter. And so perfect is the preparation for this, that Mr. Lyell says: ‘When we consider the combustible nature of the elements of the earth, so far as they are known to us, the facility with which their compounds may be decomposed and enter into new combinations, the quality of heat they evolve during these processes; when we recollect that water itself is composed of two gases, which by their union produce intense heat,—we may be allowed to share the astonishment of Pliny that a single day should pass without a general conflagration.’—‘Principles of Geology,’ volume 2, page 451.

The Slumbering Forces Break Out

“As yet He who formed these elements, restrains them. He will do so until His designs are accomplished. They are powerless against Him. When the appointed time has come, those restraints will be removed. He who kindled those fires, will summon them to their work. He will let loose the imprisoned elements. The instrumentalities that have slumbered so long will come forth to their mission.
“When this is done, the new heavens and the new earth appear, and a new order of things is set up. And so Paul teaches when he says: ‘Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: they shall perish; but Thou remainest.’ But how perish? The next verse answers: ‘And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.’ Heb. 1:10–12. Aye, that is it—‘changed.’ The curse shall be lifted. The blight of sin shall rest upon the works of God no more.

Restored to Original Beauty

“Now all creation is subject to unholy uses. The sun shines on the evil, as well as on the good. The moon and the stars look down on wrong and oppression and crime. The sighing of the prisoner, the down-trodden, and the oppressed, goes forth on every breeze. The earth nourishes those who defy its Maker and theirs. The rains fall on the lands of those who are rebels against God, and tyrants over man. All the courses of nature minister to those who harden themselves in opposition to His will; and the very air that bears life and blessings upon its wings, is returned in cursings to Him who bade it blow. The earth was made teeming with wondrous beauty. Now thorns, thistles, and noisome weeds infest it. Tempests sweep across it, earthquakes rend its bosom, pestilence and disease go forth through every land, and decay and death reign everywhere with resistless sway; but in all these respects it shall be changed. From all these evils it shall be cleansed. It shall be restored in beauty equal to that which first adorned it.”

The Divine Plan for Giving

By Henry S. Shaw

The Part Reserved by the Lord for Himself—Both Tithes and Offerings
By HENRY S. SHAW
This is the first of four short articles by Elder Shaw on the subject of the support of the gospel work. Each article will present some independent thought, and it will be shown that if the Bible system is followed we need not resort to any of the questionable methods of raising money for the church. God has a well-defined plan, and His plans are always the best.
Editor.
THE subject of tithes is not a new one, nor is the principle obsolete to-day. Abraham paid tithes in the days of the Melchizedek priesthood. See Genesis 14.

JACOB UNDERSTOOD IT

Jacob understood the tithing principle. When he was fleeing from the face of his angry brother, he made a new consecration to the Lord, and promised that if the Lord would feed him, and clothe him, and prosper him on his way, till he could return home, he would serve Him, and the Lord should be his God, and “I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.” Gen. 28: 20-22. He had been acquainted with the subject of tithes; but like many to-day, he had grown careless in the service of the Lord. Now he was ready to fulfill his obligations to God. He said, “I will surely give the tenth unto Thee”—not a tenth.
The tenth was understood by the patriarchs to belong to the Lord, and not to be appropriated for common purposes as might please the individual.

ALL THE TITHE OF THE LAND

Two centuries or more later, the Lord said: “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord, . . . And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27: 30-32.
The prophet Malachi, in the last book of the Old Testament, says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house.” Mal. 3: 10.
When Christ was on the earth, He indorsed the tithing principle; and rebuking the Pharisees for their lack of judgment and the love of God, He said: “Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Luke 11: 42. You should have done these,—and the other too, not doing a part of your duty and leaving the other undone.

CHRIST AND THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD

In the seventh chapter of Hebrews, the apostle Paul refers to the priesthood of Melchizedek, with which the Hebrews were familiar, and in which they believed; and while this chapter was written to establish the priesthood of Christ in the minds of the Hebrews, and not primarily as a discussion of the tithing question, yet his reasoning recognizes that Abraham lived under the Melchizedek priesthood, and that he helped to support it with the tithe. When Abram was returning from his expedition to rescue Lot, Melchizedek, priest of the most high God, met him, and blessed him; and Abram “gave him tithes of all” (Gen. 14: 17-20)—“a tenth part of all” (Heb. 7: 2).
Abram gave “tithes of all” before he returned the spoils to the king of Sodom; recognizing that, all this property having fallen into his hands, he became responsible for the tenth, which belonged to the Lord. The remaining nine tenths he could give back to the king if he chose, or any part of it; but the tithe he turned over to the Lord. It was a principle well understood by Abram, and not some sudden impulse, that prompted him to single out a tenth for this particular occasion. He gave to the Lord “tithes of all.”
Paul reasons with the Hebrews, that Christ has been made a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, who received tithes from Abram. The principle of tithing was recognized in the Melchizedek priesthood; and since Christ was made a “priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,” is it not reasonable that the doctrine of the tithe is still recognized in the priesthood of Christ?

THEY PUT NO DIFFERENCE

“Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned Mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, . . . and I am profaned among them.” Eze. 22: 26.
In Ezekiel’s day, the people had been led into such a state of darkness that they were not able to discern the difference between sacred things, which God had set apart for a special purpose, and the things that were only common. The sacred and the common were alike to them. “They have put no difference,” says the prophet, “between the holy and profane.” Even the priests who taught the people, seemed to see no difference between God’s holy things, and the common things, which are called profane.
In all of God’s dealing with mankind, from creation till now, He has prescribed certain requirements, by the observance of which man is to recognize the sovereignty of his Creator and Benefactor. This principle of recognition may be illustrated by various examples, where certain things have been made sacred by the Lord’s special appointment. One of these things is the tithe. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27: 30.
The tithe, then, is sacred. It is not common. It “is the Lord’s.” It is “holy unto the Lord.”

The Personage Called Satan

By M. G. Huffman

Is He a Real Being?—Whence Did He Come?—What Will Be His Final Doom?
By M. G. HUFFMAN
We read the following admonition: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5: 6-8.
I am sure the majority even of professed Christians have but a vague idea of this personage called Satan, the devil,—who he once was; the position he occupied; what his name, “Lucifer,” signified; what his character is at the present time; what caused his fall from the place he once held in heaven down to the place he now occupies; and what his final destiny will be. Hence my only reason for writing this article is, to give a description of the great enemy of all righteousness. But in order to do this intelligently, I must appeal to the guidebook, the Bible; for it is the only source whence we can obtain a correct knowledge of the subject under consideration.

“Satan Came Also”

My text says that Satan is an adversary, and that as a roaring lion, he walks about, “seeking whom he may devour.” In the book of Job we have the following: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Job 1: 6, 7.
From the two scriptures just quoted, we learn that we have in this wicked world a real, living devil, who is doing all he can for the overthrow of God’s children. And this wily foe is vigilant to capture those who are fighting under the banner of King Emmanuel. Hence it behooves each of us to heed the admonition given of God, to be sober and vigilant, and thus avoid being decoyed to everlasting destruction.

Not as God Made Them

In creating the universe, God made the whole system of created things good and upright, and imbued all His intelligent creatures with power to serve their Creator from the principle of love, with no tendency to evil; and it was in God’s eternal purpose that all created things should remain perfect to all eternity, as He first made them.
But there came a great change, and we do not see things in this world as God made them. Instead of a beautiful world, with pure and holy beings upon it, we see the hideous effects of sin everywhere we look. We see tears flowing freely. We hear sorrowful sighs. We see individuals bewailing the loss of loved ones torn from their embrace by the great enemy death. Where shall we look for the origin of evil? Whence has all this train of misery and woe come into our world?

Satan the First Sinner

We are often met with this argument: “God made all things. Hence He must have made Satan. Therefore the Lord is indirectly responsible for the present state of things.” But a few Bible facts should suffice to drive such an idea from the mind. Certainly God did not purpose that sin should enter the universe, and death by sin. Evil originated with the rebellion of Lucifer, the light bearer. Sin was brought into heaven when he refused allegiance to the law of God. Hence Satan was the first lawbreaker, and therefore the first sinner.
But says one, Could not God have held Satan back, and thus kept him from sinning?—Yes; but if the Lord had done that, Satan would not have been a free moral being, but a mere machine. God created Lucifer, and gave him an exalted position, with power to render allegiance to the law of his Maker. Let us read a few scriptures that bring to view the character of Lucifer before he fell and became a devil. We read in Ezekiel the following description of him:

Had Been in the Garden of God

“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned; therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.” Eze. 28: 13-17.
By this scripture, we can readily see that Satan is not the hideous monster he is generally pictured. On the contrary, he was beautiful before his fall; and judging from the high and exalted position he held, he is exceptionally intellectual. Doubtless some may wonder, If there is such a being as here described, how and when did he become a devil, and by what process?

When He Became the Devil

A text in the first epistle of John may serve as a starting point in our investigation. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” 1 John 3: 8. And again we read what Jesus said upon one occasion: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” John 8: 44. Thus we see that there was some special time when Lucifer sinned and became a devil, for sin originated with him. We have already learned that he was perfect from the day that he was created till iniquity was found in him. In Isa. 14: 12 we learn that he was one of the morning stars. And God tells us through Job that Lucifer joined Christ in singing at the birth of this earth, while all the sons of God shouted for joy. Job 38: 1-7. Christ is the bright and morning star. Rev. 22: 16. Thus do we see that Lucifer stood next to the Son of God. But notwithstanding the high and exalted position he occupied, he was not satisfied. He purposed in his heart that he would be a rival of God, and he made the attempt. But, thank the Lord, he failed, and was cast out of heaven into the earth; hence the great controversy that began in heaven has been transferred to this earth, and is still on in this world.
We read in Isaiah: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14: 12-14.

He Seduced Our First Parents

Satan went to our first parents in the garden of Eden, and decoyed them into the transgression of God’s law. Thus sin was introduced into our world, and, as the result of sin, death. But we have the promise of God that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head; for we read: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Gen. 3: 15.
While it is true that Satan has been upon the heels of Christ and His followers ever since the gospel was introduced into our world as a remedy for sin, yet his defeat is certain, and our victory sure. In Paul’s letter to the Hebrews we read: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death; that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Heb. 2: 14, 15.

“Never Shalt Thou Be Any More”

Ezekiel says: “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. . . . Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” Eze. 28: 17-19.
One more text in regard to the destruction of Satan must suffice: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Mal. 4: 1. Thus we see that the time will come, and that soon, when sin and its author, with all its effects, will have been destroyed, and God will have again a clean universe, in which the loyal of His government shall live to all eternity. We need not bring a railing accusation against Satan, but like Christ, can say, “The Lord rebuke thee.”

May Be Rewarded “If You Will”

May God help us each to gird on the armor of light, and go forth to do what we can to rescue perishing souls from the hands of the enemy. You can be saved if you will. You can be ready to meet the Lord at His coming if you will. You can enter in through the pearly gates into the city if you will. You can join in singing the song of Moses and the Lamb if you will. You can eat of the fruit of the tree of life if you will. You can partake of the river of life, and drink to thirst no more, if you will. You can feel the arms of loved ones, torn from your embrace by the great enemy death, entwine around you once more if you will. Whether or not we accept of the plan of salvation, and thus become the subjects of God’s everlasting kingdom, depends upon the right action of the will.
Continue reading: Following God