p. 3 | The Shibboleth of Apostasy by George B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 18, 1916

The Shibboleth of Apostasy

By George B. Thompson

THE shibboleth of rebellion and apostasy is not infrequently that of “Liberty.” Gamaliel referred once upon a time to a certain Judas of Galilee, who, after inciting an insurrection, came to grief. Josephus says that he “prevailed with his countrymen to revolt, and said they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans, and would, after God, submit to mortal men as their lords.”—“Wars of the Jews,” book 2, chap. 8, sec. 1. Dr. Adam Clarke says this Judas made an insurrection against the census caused to be made by Quirinus, governor of Syria, “calling the people to liberty with all the fanatical boldness kindled by the old theocratic spirit.”—Comments on Acts 5:36.

His watchword was “Liberty.” Some were in bondage. They were recognizing “mortal men as their lords,” and he stood forth as the great apostle of liberty, to call them from bondage and slavery to freedom from the imposed yoke. “Follow me and you will have deliverance from the tyranny which has been enthroned.” But his mission of liberty failed, and those who followed him were “scattered, and brought to naught.”

This illustration is that of an effort to secure freedom from the supposed domination by the secular power. His shibboleth may or may not have been used in a righteous and just cause.

Back many centuries before the days of Judas of Galilee stands another example of much greater importance. I refer to Lucifer, who is now the devil. He was then in heaven. He had been appointed to a high and holy office. His position was near the throne; he was its lightbearer and attendant. He was the third from the head, the Father and his Son alone being above him in position. But Lucifer did not like the idea of being the third from the top, he wanted to be first, to be at the top; and because he was not first was clear evidence to his mind that there was a tyranny set up, and a despot on the throne of universal sovereignty. He pointed to the fact that God had placed his Son at the head of affairs in heaven as evidence that something was the matter. He did not believe in anybody’s being at the “head.” Doubtless he might have viewed things differently, though, had he been placed at the head.

He began his rebellion and apostasy as some men do now, by railing at the administration. He appointed himself the apostle of liberty. He talked about religious liberty. “Liberty” was his shibboleth.

“The only course remaining for him [Lucifer] and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accorded them.”—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” p. 41.

“The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and honor. If this prince of angels could but attain to his true, exalted position, great good would accrue to the entire host of heaven; for it was his object to secure freedom for all. But now even the liberty which they had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute ruler had been appointed them, and to his authority all must pay homage.”—Id., p. 37.

Lucifer did not believe in any one’s being at the head. To his mind this was tyranny. I do not suppose he wrote tracts and circulated them, or began the publication of a paper, but he did a similar baneful work; he “whispered his disaffection” and “began to insinuate doubts,” and succeeded in thus blinding and deceiving one third of the angelic host.

“Satan resolved to make an effort to overthrow the government of God, and to set up a kingdom of his own. He began his work just as men who ought to know better are doing today. He complained of the supposed defects in the management of heavenly things, and sought to fill the minds of angels with his disaffection. Because he was not supreme, he sowed seeds of doubt and unbelief. Because he was not as God, he strove to instil into the minds of the angels his own envy and dissatisfaction. Thus the seeds of alienation were planted, afterward to be drawn out and presented before the heavenly courts as originating, not with Satan, but with the angels. So the deceiver would show that the angels thought as he did.”

“It was most difficult to make the deceiving power of Satan apparent. His power to deceive increased with practice. If he could not defend himself, he must accuse, in order to appear just and righteous, and to make God appear arbitrary and exacting. In secret he whispered his disaffection to the angels. There was at first no pronounced feeling against God; but the seed had been sown, and the love and confidence of the angels was marred. The sweet communion between them and their God was broken. Every move was watched; every action was viewed in the light in which Satan had made them see things.

“That which Satan had instilled into the minds of the angels—a word here and a word there—opened the way for a long list of suppositions. In his artful way he drew expressions of doubt from them. Then, when he was interviewed, he accused those whom he had educated. He laid all the disaffection on the ones he had led. As one in holy office, he manifested an overbearing desire for justice, but it was a counterfeit of justice, which was entirely contrary to God’s love and compassion and mercy.”—Mrs. E. G. White, in Review and Herald, Sept. 7, 1897.

He “whispered his disaffection.” He went around among the angelic host “whispering.” He pointed out in a quiet whisper what he thought was wrong in the management and organization of heaven—the very arrangement God himself had ordained. And these insinuations are bearing fruit today in hearts and minds controlled by Lucifer. Inasmuch as one who had been a high and holy angel talked about the “arbitrary and exacting” character of God who ruled heaven by order and system, and sowed seeds of doubt and distrust, it is little wonder today to find those who denounce organization in the church, and denounce those who are put in places of trust as domineering because they believe in order. It is one of Satan’s most effectual means of sowing the seeds of alienation and distrust and of marring love and confidence between brethren.

While doing this did Lucifer claim to be a rebel, an apostate angel? O, no! he claimed he had not changed a whit. He claimed to believe now just what he always believed. He was after liberty for the angels. A “headship” had been established, and a monarchy set up. “He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.”—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” p. 37. “While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft

caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty, and to preserve harmony and peace.”—Id., page 38.

“His [Lucifer’s] power to deceive was very great, and by disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood he had gained an advantage. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character, or see to what his work was leading.”—“The Great Controversy,” p. 497. This shibboleth of liberty was simply a mask behind which grinned the face of apostasy.

The rebellion in heaven was so cunning and well disguised that it deceived one third of the keen minds of the angelic host. It is well to remember that, because a thing may be called a despotism is no sign that it is a despotism, or because men may set themselves forth as apostles of liberty is no sign that what they offer is really liberty.

In the church it would not be strange to witness apostasies clothed in a garb similar to the one in heaven, which was so strong in its deceptive power, covered as it was with a cloak of loyalty and righteousness. Study of the rebellion in heaven will enable one the more readily to detect similar movements on earth.

G. B. T.