An Earnest Message — A Warning and a Protest
THE book of Revelation presents a message that is to be given with mighty power at the very close of time. This message is in the form of an intense warning and of a mighty protest. The message is in the following significant words: “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 for ever 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud; and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” Rev. 14:9-14. It will be observed that this warning is against a certain “beast” and his “image,” and the “mark” that this “beast” and “image” seek to enforce. For an understanding of the beast and his image and the mark, we must go to the preceding chapter, where the whole story is plainly told. Without any question, the beast represents a religious power; for he demands worship. The beast and the image unite their powers, and against this usurpation the great message of warning is given. In the first part of the fifteenth chapter of Revelation a company is brought to view who have “gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,” and this company are seen standing “on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” The nineteenth chapter of Revelation tells of this apostate beast, with his image and mark, meeting defeat in the lake of fire. Thus it is seen that the conflict between the beast and his image and his mark, on the one hand, and the message of the third angel on the other, forms the great climax to the book of Revelation. The work of this apostate power on the one hand, and the warning message of God against it on the other, is the one great thing that prepares the world for its final harvest at the second coming of Christ. Men may refuse to understand, from the word of God, what this beast power is; they may refuse to understand the meaning of the image; they may refuse to investigate and to know the meaning of the mark; but all of these things are made clear through the study of the prophecy. But regardless of understanding of these things, the great work goes on. The beast power rises in strength and authority day by day as the closing hours of time pass by, and the great message swells its notes of warning to meet the usurpation. This last warning message being in the form of a protest against an apostate power, evidently its developments will be at the same time and proportionate to the developments and usurpations of the great power against which the message is directed. Hence this great closing message, and the development of the beast against which it protests, is the one thing above everything else that students of prophecy will be watching. This is the climax of all prophecy. It is the center and heart of that portion of the prophecies of the book of Revelation that pertain to this time in which we are living. People fondly hope, and express the belief, that this world has gone by the time when church dominance and persecution can make themselves felt. They had thought the same thing in regard to war; but the European war should undeceive them, and ought to show them that God’s prophecies upon that subject are correct regardless of the views of men. And the world will also be undeceived in regard to this question of persecution and church domination. But as individuals, where will we stand? The dispelling of the deceptions will come too late for the great multitude to be benefited and receive eternal salvation. We should study the Bible to know the truth, and thus avoid being misled by mere human theories.