The prophets of God are teachers of purity, reprovers of sin, and faithful
in warning the people of coming dangers. The duties of those whom God
calls to speak in his great name are clearly expressed by the sacred
writers. We here quote from three of them:—
ISA. 58:1: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a
trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of
Jacob their sins.”
JOEL 2:1: “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.”
2 TIM. 4:1, 2: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long‐suffering and
doctrine.”
False prophets do not reprove the people for their sins, and do not warn
them of coming danger; but they proclaim peace to the sinner. Their
teachings lead from God and his word, and are such as please the
unconverted mind. The inspired writers have also spoken definitely of the
testimony and work of false prophets. We here give several for example:—
EZE. 13:9, 10: “And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see
vanity, and that divine lies. They shall not be in the assembly of
my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the
house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel;
and ye shall know that I am the Lord God. Because, even because
they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no
peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with
untempered mortar.”
JER. 6:13, 14: “For from the least of them even unto the greatest
of them, every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet
even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely. They have healed
also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying,
Peace, peace, when there is no peace.”
JER. 14:13, 14: “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets
say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have
famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the
Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I sent
them not, neither spake unto them.”
After stating the duty of the faithful servant of God to preach the word,
to reprove, to rebuke, and exhort with all long‐suffering and doctrine,
the apostle says:—
“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; and they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Tim. 4:3, 4.
That time has now fully come. The people choose pleasing fables, which do
not disturb them in their sins, rather than the reproving, searching
declarations of the word of God. They love to be deceived by the teachings
of false prophets, and “say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets,
Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy
deceits.” Isa. 30:10.
“Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord. Shall not my
soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible
thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and
the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have
it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jer. 5:29‐31.
The ears of the people are filled with the pleasing fables of the world’s
conversion, a good time coming, and that we are just entering the golden
age. The threatenings of God’s word on the proud, the haughty, the vain,
the rich, the sinners in Zion, and those out of Zion, are kept back by the
false teachers of these times. Many of them even dare to teach that the
moral code of the ten commandments is abrogated. And as the result of such
a course, and of such teaching, we see in the professed church of Jesus
Christ, that
Iniquity Abounds.
VERSE 12: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold.”
It is evident that both the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of
the love of many, are fulfilled in the professed church of Jesus Christ.
Men must first experience the love of God and of heavenly things before
that love can grow cold. Hence, common, unconverted sinners are not here
referred to as apostatizing. And, again, the prevalence of iniquity in the
unconverted world alone, would stimulate the church to greater diligence,
and more godliness, instead of being a cause of apostasy. Hence, the
iniquity here mentioned is in the very heart of the professed church,
diffusing its chilling influence through the whole body. As the result,
the love of many has grown cold. With this, agree the words of the
apostle:—
“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, truce‐breakers, 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.
Here is a catalogue of eighteen sins, all resting upon those having a form
of godliness. These are not infidels and common worldly sinners, for they
have not a form of godliness; but they are men and women professing to be
followers of Jesus Christ. And although they make a profession of piety as
high as heaven, these very sins lie at their doors. And by reason of their
example, and their chilling influence, many are led from the humble path
to heaven, and their love waxes cold.
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