Babylon Still

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 13, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 40.

But the evil principle still continues. This potently evil wine the nations have quaffed. This perversion of vision the nations have inherited. As Nebuchadnezzar saw only Babylon, so with the earth-worshipers; each sees his own kingdom.

The patriots of Medo-Persia felt that that empire was allied with the gods, and would stand forever. So thought the Grecian; so thought the Roman.

The loyal Chinese believes the “Celestial” empire is heaven-born and must stand forever. The devotee of the “Sunrise Island Empire” believes that it is Japan forever. So also the devotee of Europe’s great northern empire; he believes that the Russian bear will prowl and growl till all the world shall own his sway.

The Briton believes in “rule Britannia,” and that for aye. His idea of ardent patriotism is, England always, whatever her moral right. And in England’s oldest child, the great, wealthy, strong, virile Columbia, it is a popular toast, “Our country; may she always be right; but right or wrong, always our country.” The ultra patriots of every nation would heartily drink to the same toast.

But all this is modernized Babylonian worship of the golden image, the exaltation of the human, the losing sight of the divine.

All the governments of earth, founded because of the selfishness of man, are more and more constant developments and crystallizations of that selfishness as the nation ages. That selfishness may be checked by the interfusion of some truly religious movement from without, but only checked. Sooner or later the selfishness which in the beginning restrained men becomes a tyranny, and the end is destruction.

Reader, why not take God’s view of earthly powers, and build your hope within and upon the everlasting kingdom?