THE TESTIMONY OF PROPHECY TO THE APOSTASY.
"What is prophecy but history reversed?" Nothing. Prophecy is a record
of things before they transpire. History is a record of them after
they have occurred; and of the two prophecy is more to be trusted for
its accuracy than history: for the reason that it has for its source
the unerring inspiration of Almighty God; while history--except in the
case of inspired historians--is colored by the favor or prejudice of
the writer, depends for its exactness upon the point of view from which
he looks upon the events; and is likely to be marred in a thousand
ways by the influences surrounding him--party considerations, national
interest or prejudice; supposed influence upon present conditions and
future prospects--all these things may interfere with history; but
prophecy is free from such influences. Historians are self-constituted,
or appointed by men; but prophets are chosen of God. Selected by divine
wisdom, and illuminated by that spirit which shows things that are to
come, [1] prophets have revealed to them so much of the future as God
would have men to know, and the inspired writers record it for the
enlightenment or warning of mankind, without the coloring or distortion
so liable to mar the work of the historian. Thus Moses recorded what
the history of Israel would be on condition of their obedience to God;
and what it would be if they were disobedient. Israel was disobedient,
and historians have exhausted their art in attempts to tell of their
disobedience and suffering; but neither in vividness nor accuracy do
the the histories compare with the prophecy. [2] So with the prophecy
of Daniel in respect to the rise and succession of the great political
powers that should dominate the earth, and the final triumph of the
Kingdom of God. [3] So with well nigh all of the prophecies.
With these observations upon the trustworthiness of prophecy it is
my purpose to show that prophecy no less than the facts of history,
sustains the conclusion arrived at in the foregoing chapters on the
apostasy from the Christian religion, and the destruction of the
Christian Church.
Paul warned the church at Ephesus that after his departing grievous
wolves would enter in among them, not sparing the flock; and "also of
your own selves," said he, "shall men arise, speaking perverse things
to draw away disciples after them." [4] "Preach the word," said the
same apostle in writing to Timothy, "be instant in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, 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 teachers to themselves having itching
ears; and they shall turn their ears from the truth and be turned to
fables." [5] The prophet Peter also warned the church of the rise of
false teachers, who privily would bring in damnable heresies; deny the
Lord who bought them; bring upon themselves swift destruction, speak
evil of the way of truth and through covetousness, with feigned words
would make merchandise of the saints. [6]
Referring again to Paul's prophecies we have him foretelling the rise
of anti-Christ before the glorious coming of the Messiah to judgment.
He plainly foresaw the "falling away"--the long night of spiritual
darkness and apostasy that would brood over the world before the coming
of the Son of God, in the glory of his Father, to reward the righteous,
to condemn the wicked. He said of this apostasy: "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. [7] Let no man deceive you by any means, for
that day shall not come except there be 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, showing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things?
And now ye knew what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked
be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth,
and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; 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
believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." [8]
The reader with the facts of history before him, cannot see more
clearly the "falling away," the rise of that corrupt ecclesiastical
power which opposed and exalted itself above all that was called God;
lorded it over God's heritage; shrouded itself in mystery; placed its
foot on the neck of kings; forbade marriage; transgressed the laws;
changed the ordinances, and broke the everlasting covenant--I say the
reader with the facts of history before him can not see these things
more clearly than Paul foresaw and predicted them in this remarkable
prophecy.
But not to the prophets of the New Testament alone was the great
apostasy revealed. Isaiah as well as Paul and with equal clearness
foresaw and predicted it. In a prophecy, which beyond all question
relates to conditions that can only exist in the last days, he writes:
"Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and
turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the
servant, so with the master; as with the maid, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the
borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to
him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the
Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the
world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do
languish. The earth is also defiled under the inhabitants thereof."
Why? _"Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances,
broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath a curse devoured
the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the
inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men are left."_ [9]
Of this prophecy it is to be observed that the defilement of the earth,
and the wretched condition of the inhabitants thereof described in
the opening sentences, and in the remaining verses of the chapter,
not quoted, are the result of transgressing the law, changing the
ordinances and breaking the "everlasting covenant." The prophet cannot
have reference to transgressing the law, and changing the ordinances
of the Mosaic covenant, for the Mosaic Law was not an everlasting
covenant, [10] but merely a temporary law "added to the Gospel because
of transgression." It was a law of carnal commandments to act as a
school master to bring the people to Christ; and when Christ came was
laid aside, having fulfilled its purpose. [11] It was not, therefore,
an everlasting covenant, and hence was not the thing the prophet Isaiah
had in mind in his great prophecy. On the other hand, Paul refers to
the blood of Christ as "the blood of the everlasting covenant," [12]
hence it is the covenant sealed by that blood to which Isaiah must have
had reference--the Gospel; and the transgression of its laws, the
changing of its ordinances, the breaking of that covenant was to result
in making desolate the earth and the inhabitants thereof.
As additional evidence that it was not the transgression of the Mosaic
Law, nor transgression against any former dispensation of the Gospel,
that the prophecy refers to, the reader's attention is called to the
fact that the disasters of the great apostasy find their culmination
in the burning of the inhabitants of the earth, from which but few
men shall be left. That is a calamity that has not yet overtaken
men. It is a judgment that will fall upon them in the future. Yet a
few shall escape. As the prophet in another place in this remarkable
chapter says--referring to the general desolation of the earth and its
inhabitants--"When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the
people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the
gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their
voices, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry
aloud from the sea." [13] From which it is to be understood that there
will be a few even in those disastrous times, whose righteousness will
call down the favor of God. And though the earth shall reel to and fro
like a drunkard, and the transgressions thereof shall be heavy upon
it; though the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on
high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth; though as prisoners
they shall be gathered into the pit, and will not be visited for many
days; though the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, yet
shall the Lord of Hosts reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and
before his ancients gloriously. [14]
My direct argument for the apostasy is completed. The facts of history
have testified to the destruction of the church, to the apostasy from
the Christian religion; and prophecy with a voice no less certain has
testified to the same things.
Footnotes
1. St. John xvi: 13.
2. Deut. xxviii.
3. Daniel ii.
4. Acts xx: 27-30.
5. II Tim. iv: 1-4.
6. II Peter ii: 1-3.
7. That is, he would not have them believe that the day of Messiah's
glorious coming was at hand.
8. II Thess. 1-12.
9. Isaiah xxiv.
10. Gal. iii.
11. Heb. xiii: 20.
12. Isa. xxiv: 13, 14.
13. Isaiah xxiv: 20-23.
14. Isaiah xxiv: 20-23.