“Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by My name; and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.”
In this vision the prophet sees a flying roll. This roll is said to be the curse which goeth forth over the face of the whole earth. As it goeth forth as a curse, like a two-edged sword it cuts off the thief on the one side and the false swearer on the other side of it. It will enter into the house of the thief, and that house will be utterly consumed, with the timbers thereof.
In seeking the explanation of this symbol, we have but to inquire what it is that cuts off the thief and false swearer.
A thief is one who without consent deprives another of that which rightly belongs to him. All will readily recognize that the person who violates the eighth commandment is guilty of theft. But let us inquire: Is not that person who bears false witness against his neighbor, thus depriving him of his good name, a thief? Is he who disregards the sixth commandment, and takes the life of his neighbor, not guilty of theft? Is not the man who covets his neighbor’s goods a thief in the eyes of God’s law, for he is a thief at heart? Is not the son or daughter who does not render to father and mother the honor which is their due, a thief? Is not that person who has some other god beside the Lord, or who would set up an image before God, thereby depriving God of the reverence and obedience which is due to His name, a thief? Is not that person a thief who steals God’s time, appropriating, to accomplish his own selfish purposes, the day which God has set apart for Himself? Thus we see that the expression, “Every one that stealeth,” includes all who willfully violate any one of the commandments of God. Then the flying roll will cut off on the one side all the open transgressors of God’s law.
Who are the false swearers? Verse four states that they swear falsely by His name. This proves that they are professors of His name, or are professed children of God. This class includes the unfaithful Christians who vow unto the Lord, and do not perform their vows. These are all guilty of sins of omission, and they will all be cut off by the flying roll, on the other side of it. Thus we see that these two classes include every sinner. But what is it that cuts off the sinner? Surely, it is the very law which he has transgressed. Then the flying roll is the law of God. But it is not the law of God as it goes forth in precepts to teach man the right way. It is that law as it goes forth in its executive aspect to deal out the consequences and penalty of transgression to the sinner.
Some may object to calling the law of God a curse, since it was ordained to give life. It must be remembered that in this vision the law was viewed in the light of its effect on the sinner, and that effect is to produce death with all its contingent calamities. For that which was ordained unto life the sinner finds to be unto death, because of sin, which is the transgression of the law. Sin would have no strength to slay the sinner, were it not for the law, “for the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” That the law, which when obeyed will give life, becomes a curse in its penal phase to the transgressor, is clearly shown in Gal. 3:10-13. “For as many [who are sinners and not justified by faith] as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith; but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” Christ hath redeemed us from the curse, or penalty, of the law, being made a curse for us, as it is written, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Then Christ on the cross, or tree, bore death, the penalty of the law, for us, so that by faith in Him we might escape meeting the law as a curse.
Going back to the creation and fall of man, we find that God said: “In the day thou eatest thereof [disobey] thou shalt surely die,” and when man did sin, God pronounced sentence upon him, saying, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” And “Cursed be the ground for thy sake.” Thus we see that by sin Adam and his possession passed under the curse.
In Isaiah 24 we have the entire and complete desolation of the earth brought to view, and the reason therefor is given in verses 5 and 6, which read: “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth.”
Did not Adam transgress the law? Have not men ever since been guilty of disobedience? But the curse did not at Adam’s fall, nor has it since, wholly devoured the earth. From this fact it is evident that at the time spoken of by Isaiah, the people must in some way more fully do these things than they have ever before been done.
When sin first entered, the curse would have devoured the earth had it not been for the plan of salvation, which was then introduced and stayed the curse during the probationary period. The everlasting covenant, broken by Adam, was renewed in Jesus; and an enmity in the presence of the Spirit of God was placed in man against the wicked one.
But we learn that the world is to accept a false christ who shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect. By this step they reject the true Christ, break the everlasting covenant beyond the possibility of renewal, and grieve away the Holy Spirit. Then will the curse sweep the earth with the besom of destruction. But there will be a class who will escape all this; for in verses 13–16 the prophet saw some who were left, even like the gleaning of grapes. And “they shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the valleys, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous.”
A Message of Warning.
God will not permit all this to come upon the children of men without a warning. The one which immediately precedes this destruction is found in Rev. 14:6–12:—
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 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.”
These messages go to the world in the hour of judgment. They proclaim the fallen condition of Babylon, or the state of religious confusion that prevails; and call upon all to worship the true God, and to avoid the worship of the beast. This call divides the inhabitants of earth into two classes; those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark; and those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and receive the seal of God.
The seven last plagues are poured out as these messages close; each one of which falls upon the men who refused to heed these messages. After these seven vials of the wrath of God are poured out upon the earth, Jesus comes, seated upon the white cloud, upon His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. The harvest of the earth is reaped. The saints are caught up in the clouds to meet Christ in the air; while the thief and the false swearer are cut off on this side and on that side.
Thus the flying roll is the law of God as it goes forth under the third angel’s message, accompanied by the seven last plagues, in which is filled up the wrath of God; and which enters into the house (the world) of the thief and consumes it.
