The Final Religious Controversy
THE prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation present the governing powers of earth under the symbols of beasts. Many of these beasts, as is well known by those who have studied the prophecies, represent oppressive religious powers. Nothing could be clearer than the prediction made in the book of Revelation that a church power exercising the cruelest oppressions will be one of the things to appear at the close of time. This oppressive power will exercise world dominion, for the text says: “All the world wondered after the beast. . . . And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with Him? . . . And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13: 3, 4, 7, 8. The ecclesiastical character of this beast power is shown in the statement that he made war with the saints. His dominance over the peoples of earth is shown in such expressions as, “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Numerous similar prophecies make it clear, beyond a peradventure, that God has foretold a religious controversy that will be characterized by cruel persecution, as the closing act in the great drama of sin. Among the important things for men to study in this time, no one thing should engage our attention more fully than the developments in the world which show the centering of power in the hands of the church; and this centralization of power, while it will be headed by the papacy, will be supported by apostatized Protestantism throughout the world. The new church power will be a combination of all these religious elements in their manifestation of intolerance and oppression. Let us carefully study and watch these things, and let us be sure that we stand among those who have their names “written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” For the prophecy is that all others will go down in the destruction that is impending as the result of this final and awful apostasy.