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Messages From |
GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE OUT...
> 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; that is, in popery and Protestant sectism. During this time the holy city (church) was trodden under foot; was, covered up under the ecclesiastical rubbish of men, just as Jerusalem Noms 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, 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. "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 tile 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." Jer. 50:4,5. "My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord." Jer. 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 (2 Chron. 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. The return of Israel from their captivity in Babylon to 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. " Isa. 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." Isa. 35: 8-10, LXX. On the pure way of holiness thousands are today 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." Isa. 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.', Joel 3 :14, 1 6, 17. 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 Ezekiel as follows: " 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 tire 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 malice 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. " Ezek. 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." 2 Tim. 3: 1 5. This is a perfect picture of fallen Babylon today. Sectism is filled with men and women who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, people who have only a mere form 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 in consequence 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 tile 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. " 2 Cor. 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. 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." Jer. 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. " Jer. 51: 45. " 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. " Rev. 14: 8-11. "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." Rev. 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 to 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, ŇFlee 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." "lf 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. Thousands of others, however, who seemed to be pillars, have heard that voice hut would not obey. The result is, God has had to sacrifice them in order to get a pure church. They chose to cling with the ruins of Babylon rather than to 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. Beloved friend, this work is of God. To oppose it is to throw open your soul to deceptive spirits and to 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 scriptures describe 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." Isa. 13:19=22. "And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. " Jer. 51: 37.
All this was a type. That very condition of literal Babylon is the condition of spiritual Babylon today, 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" (Rev. 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 refuse to 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 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. " Verses 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." Isa. 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." Jer. 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." Jer. 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." Jer. 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 which is said to be filled with blood, is " the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6: 17). God's holy messengers are blowing the trumpet in Zion, and this calls together the elect from the four winds—Babylon confusion (Joel 2: 1; Matt. 24: 30-33; Zech. 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." Matt. 24:28.
This no doubt reached a fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews composed the carcass; the Roman hosts, the eagles that 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 that it 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 boasts of prey. The lesson or application of this figure is highly spiritual.
"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." Jer. 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." Ezek. 39: 4. " And thou son of main, 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, 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. " Ezek. 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 Rev. 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 today.
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 tile 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 earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. " Isa. 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 clay 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; namely, " 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.
THE EVENING LIGHT...
In the history of the church the Christian era is divided into four distinct epochs: 1. The morning light age—the primitive church in all her glory. 2. The papal age—the reign of night, or dark superstition, known as the Dark Ages. 3. The Protestant age, or the reign of sectism; the period when God's church was in a scattered condition—the "cloudy day." 4. The evening light age, which restores primitive Christianity in all its beauty and glory, and presents to the world the redeemed church of God, gathered out of all confusion and sin into the one body and fold of Christ.
"It shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light." Zech. 14: 7. This refers to the evening of the gospel day. We are now living in that very period. It was foretold that in this evening of time all the clouds that have hung in the spiritual sky for centuries should pass away and that the church should come to the summit of Zion transplendent with the same brilliant light that adorned her in the morning of this dispensation. "At evening time, it shall be light."
The evening light restores tile whole truth. True holiness and unity inseparable and eternal principles, again adorn the church of God. A self sacrificing ministry are heralding the pure gospel to the nations of earth. This epoch of the church will continue till Jesus comes. Tens of thousands have already been gathered out of sect confusion, and are rejoicing in the heights of Zion. Thousands more have been saved from sin and vice, and are now happy in a Savior's love. The gifts of the Spirit are again manifest in the church, as in days of yore; and thousands have been healed of all manner of sicknesses and diseases. Blind eyes are being opened, the deaf are made to hear, the lame to walk, the dumb to speak; and the dead have been raised to life in answer to prayer. And we shall see greater manifestations of God's power, as we " follow on to know the Lord. "
A PURE CHURCH RESTORED...
Of the primitive church in its normal state, at the time when it was the ideal for all future ages, it is declared that "of the rest durst no man join himself to them" (Acts 5: 13). " They were all filled with the Holy Ghost.... And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.... And great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:31-33. This was declared of the visible body of believers. They presented to the world a clean, separate, distinct church, or people. They were pure from sin and sinners. The spirit of discernment in the apostles, and the mighty power and glory of God that rested upon them, made it impossible for hypocrites and sinners to profess among them. "Of the rest durst no man join himself to them."
But step by step the church drifted from this high plane and soon the great apostasy came. Then the priests "put no difference between the holy and profane," "showed no difference between the unclean and the clean" (Ezek. 22: 26). Thus a mixed condition came in. Especially has this been true during the Protestant era—saints and sinners, true believers and hypocrites, the humble and the proud, all classes and kinds have been yoked up together, and all labeled " Christians."
But, dear reader, better days have come. The prophet foretold a time when the people of God would "return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not" (Mat. 3: 18). We are living in that time. We have returned to the primitive plane, and by the Word and Spirit of God we are able to discern between the righteous and the wicked. Sectarians cry, "You can't have a pure church; there must be mixture." Here is God's answer to them: "If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth. " Jer. 15: 19. God does not approve of a mixture of saints and "sinners in the congregation of the righteous" (Psa. 1: 5). "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." Joel 3: l7. This is the church. The Lord calls it "my holy mountain." Under the metaphor of Jerusalem, the redeemed church in the evening time " shall be holy "—so much so that " no strangers [sinners] shall pass through her any more. "
May God raise up many thousand witnesses to go forth with the righteous indignation of Josiah and the thunderbolts of heaven's truth, and take away the high places of pride and idolatry, and abolish the abomination of sectism out of the hearts of the people. Amen.
Christ is today gathering his church out of all the sects back to Zion. They return on the highway of holiness; namely, he sanctifies and cleanses them from all sin and traditions, and thus prepares his church, so she may be presented to himself "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing," a holy church without blemish. True holiness adorned the church in primitive days. Had she but retained this glorious truth and experience, this globe today would be girdled with a belt of light and salvation. But instead, an apostasy came. The light of truth was soon extinguished by dark clouds of superstition and of false doctrines. Holiness is really the mainspring of all gospel truth. To retrograde from it would be to throw open the doors to every species of false doctrine and error.
It was in this manner that the way was paved for the great apostasy. At a very early date true holiness was lost sight of, and was hid from the genera] masses of the people. Had it ever been retained by the church, there would never have been an apostasy Mark you ! By retrograding from true holiness the church went into apostasy, and was defiled. By returning to the true standard of holiness the church is brought out of the apostasy, and cleansed. The fire of holiness and truth restores a pure church. The result is, " The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? " As the judgments of truth are executed and the fire of holiness accompanies the same, sinners and hypocrites are surprised and made afraid to profess among us. None can dwell in this devouring fire, only those who walk righteously. " Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." Psa. 1:5. "But who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Mal. 3:2-6. "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Verse 17.
While Mal. 3: 2, 3 was fulfilled when Christ came in his personal advent to this world, yet the same work he then effected, he is now effecting in this evening time; namely, purifying unto himself a holy church. These scriptures beautifully portray the present holiness work. Christ sits, a refining fire. He sits upon "the throne of his holiness." His throne is "like a fiery flame,, and his wheels as burning fire. " This throne of grace and holiness is "within us." Thus he suddenly comes to his temple. "Ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them." He purges and purifies his church; even as gold and silver, our hearts are purified by faith. The result of this cleansing is realized by the people of God offering unto the Lord" an offering in righteousness." Such offerings are "pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years [apostolic times] . "
Glory to God! we have reached its fulfillment. Since he is dwelling in his church thus cleansed, he executes judgment against all sin and corrupt religions, and is a swift witness against men who would dare to profess among us and be guilty of the things enumerated in verse 5. Thus sinners can not stand in the congregation of the righteous. As we return to the apostolic plane, we are enabled to "discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. " Thus "the righteous are taken from among tile vile"—a pure church is gathered and cleansed; and of them he says, " They shall be mine, when I make up my jewels. "
We cooperate with Christ in this great work. What his Word accepts we accept; what it rejects we reject. Thus the rebels are purged out from among us. "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God." Zech. 13:8, 9. That which cuts off two parts in all the land is the judgments written. God's ministers lay " judgment to the line, and righteousness to tile plummet." The whole truth which they preach is "sharper than a two-edged sword" and cuts off all who will not obey. The third part left is the remnant who walk in the light and obey the whole truth. These are refined by the fire.
"Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried." "Many must be tested [chosen out Greek], and thoroughly whitened, and tried with fire, and sanctified." Dan. 12:10, Septuagint. Here we see that at the end of the apostasy there was to be a great holiness reformation. This is the very work that is now cleansing and purifying tile sanctuary, or church. This same cleansing and redeeming of the church is seen in the first chapter of Isaiah. We will give it as rendered in the LXX:
"How has the faithful city Sion, once full of judgment, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers. Your silver is worthless, thy wine merchants mix the wine with water. Thy princes are rebellious, companions of thieves, loving, bribes, seeking after rewards; not pleading for orphans, and not heeding the cause of widows. Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Woe to the mighty men of Israel; for my wrath shall not cease against mine adversaries, and I will execute judgment on mine enemies. And I will bring my hand upon thee, and purge thee completely, and I will destroy the rebellious, and will take away from thee all transgressors. And I will establish thy judges as before and thy counselors as at the beginning: and afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother city Sion. For her captives shall be saved with judgment, and with mercy." Isa. 1: 21-27.
The faithful city Sion, once full of judgment, wherein righteousness lodged, refers to the pure church of God in her pristine glory. "She became a harlot." This refers to her apostatized condition. "Her merchants" refers to her ministers. It is said that "they mix the wine with water"; that is, they weaken the gospel and do not deal it out in its full strength. Oh, how truly is this fulfilled in Babylon! The pure unadultered truth is not heard there. Their ministers fear to preach it. They weaken it to suit their own theories and the crooked lives of their members. They "seek after rewards" preach for the people's money, rather than to benefit souls—a hireling ministry.
But, thank God, this was not always to continue. God declares that he will execute judgment upon all such. " And I will bring my hand upon thee [his people, his church] and purge thee completely, and I will destroy the rebellious. and will take away from thee all transgressors. " This very work is now going on, and is restoring a pure church. "And I will establish thy judges as before"; namely, establish his people and ministry in ' holiness (1 Thess. 3: 13), where they shall be full of judgment by the Spirit of the Lord, "to declare unto Jacob his transgressions, and unto Israel his sin " (Micah 3:8). "And thy counselors as at the beginning [apostolic days]." "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness. " " And afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother city Sion." This represents the glory of the church after being purified and cleansed in this evening time.
This same truth is brought out in other texts. We will here give Isa. 4: 3-5: " And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the m. midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense. " Zion and Jerusalem are metaphors, which signify the church. Here it is seen that after she is purged by the spirit of judgment and burning, the Word and Spirit, all that remain shall be called holy, and "upon all the glory shall be a defense"; namely, "the glory that thou gayest me I have given them, that they may be one as we are." Thank God for a redeemed church. [ End of Part 12 ]
