Foretold Through Prophets
This all-pervading spiritual decadence, in the churches of to-day, was clearly foreseen and declared by the inspired prophets of old. Verses eighteen and nineteen of Isaiah twenty-nine, and verses eighteen and onward of chapter thirty, show unmistakably that the prophetic announcements of these chapters will in an especial sense have their fulfilment in the latter days—in the days when the timeless kingdom of the “last Adam,” of the Christ, is about to supersede the reign of sin on the earth. To the professed ministers of the Word in these last days in which we live, the Lord says: “Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind; they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath He covered. And all vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I can not, for it is sealed; and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned. And the Lord saith, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto Me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear of Me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” Isa. 29:9-14, A.R.V. Again, in verses eight to thirteen of chapter thirty, the Lord further testifies respecting the “prophets” (religious teachers) and “seers” of our day: “Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever. For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophecy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits, get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely thereon; therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly in an instant.” We must not fail to observe that the nominal spiritual leaders of to-day are charged with treating the Word of God, especially the prophetic portions, as a SEALED book, a book that can not be understood. They express their fear of Jehovah not through His commandments, but in a “commandment of men which hath been taught them.” And, accordingly, as did the priests in the days of Christ, they make void the law of God, by their human traditions. Note further, that they are divinely charged with refusing to “hear the law of Jehovah.” They despise His Word, and trust in “perverseness;” that is, in perverting, distorting, or wresting the Word of God. Is it not true, dear reader, that a very large majority of religious ministers are to-day desperately attempting to argue themselves and the people into believing that the commandments of God are no longer operative, or binding upon the consciences of men? And even they themselves can not deny that they are doing this impossible thing for the very purpose of rendering null and void the claims of the fourth precept of the Decalogue, the commandment enforcing the observance of the Sabbath of the Lord. In the opening words of the third chapter of 2 Timothy, the inspired apostle Paul preannounces respecting the last days, “that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, . . . holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof.” To hold a form of godliness, is to profess godliness or religion. Now, concerning these professors, it is further stated in verse seven, that they are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The verity of this prediction is to-day overwhelmingly in evidence. Never before did the leaders of religion apply themselves to study, to the acquisition of knowledge, more ardently and assiduously than do those of our day. The world is flooded with religious journals, brochures, and books. The land is dotted with religious schools and theological seminaries. Can we conceive of a paradox more melancholy than this, that the ministers of the sanctuary are to-day EVER LEARNING, and yet not able to COME TO A KNOWLEDGE of THE TRUTH?