The Church by C. S. Longacre

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 18, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 32.

The Church

By C. S. Longacre

VII. The True Church Preeminently a Witness in the Last Days

By C. S. Longacre

The last church which the Lord will call out of “Babylon the Great,” and out of the world, is preeminently set forth in the Scriptures as “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph. 5:27.

Three methods are mentioned in the Bible by which this “glorious church,” clothed with the gifts, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and “terrible as an army with banners,” is to be developed just before the Lord comes.

The first method given is that the Lord will “sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church.” Eph. 5:26, 27. This last church is to be “truly sanctified through the truth,” and is to be “made perfect in one,”—the same oneness that exists between the Father and the Son. As the angel pointed out the last church to John in holy vision on Patmos, he said: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12. “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Rev. 14:5. The reason why this church is without fault before God is because she does her whole duty, as the Scriptures say: “Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12:13. This church, then, will keep all of God’s commandments,—not nine only; “for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10. While this last church keeps the commandments of God perfectly, it also appropriates “the faith of Jesus,” for justification, “for the remission of sins that are past.” Thus the last church becomes preeminently a faithful witness to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but “the truth as it is in Jesus.”

The devil has been swinging the church into one or the other of two extremes; first, that of all works and no faith, then again all faith and no works. But the Apocalyptic picture of the last and true church is the happy medium which takes in both “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The second method used as a means of producing a pure church in the last days, is the sifting process which the Lord will employ. “Saith the Lord, For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.” But “all the sinners of My people shall die.” This is in the time of the restoration, as is shown by the following scripture: “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” Amos 9:9-11. After this shaking and sifting and separating of the chaff from the wheat in the church, so that the Lord’s garner will contain only pure wheat, “then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Mal. 3:18. Again it is shown how the Lord will prepare His true church so they “may abide the day of His coming”—“He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and shall purify” the ministers and purge the people. Mal. 3:2, 3. The Lord will sit and watch the purifying of His church in the furnace of affliction and tribulation, until He sees His own image reflected in His chosen ones, then they will be able to stand in His glorious presence at the last great day of consummation.

These will be translated. They are to be sealed with “the seal of the living God.” “These are they that have come out of great tribulation.” “It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” “These were redeemed from among men,” not “from the power of the grave.” These “had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark.” These had received the outpouring of “the latter rain,” and had “great power; and the earth was lightened with the glory of the ‘everlasting Gospel,’ which they preached ‘unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people.’”

The third method by which the Lord seeks to perfect His remnant church is by reproofs and warnings sent to them by the prophets; hence the admonition given by Paul: “Despise not prophesyings,” and “Quench not the Spirit.” 1 Thess. 5:19, 20, 23. The last church was to “come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and “the testimony of Christ” was to be confirmed in them. 1 Cor. 1:6, 7. It is explicitly stated that this applies to the remnant church (Rev. 12:17), where it says that Satan was wroth with the church, “and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Rev. 19:10. Thus, the Bible clearly teaches that the remnant church which keeps “the commandments of God,” is again to have the gift of prophecy restored to it.

On account of apostasy among the Jews before Christ’s first advent, they were left over four hundred years without a prophet. On account of apostasy in the Christian church, this gift was again withdrawn, but before Christ’s second advent a messenger is to be raised up again who is to prepare the way of the Lord, and “go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias . . . to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Prov. 29:18. “And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” Hosea 12:13. O, that the church of the living God might know that the day of their visitation has come. “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chron. 20:20.