No. 7. The Spirit Which Should and Will Accompany Their Proclamation.
As presented throughout these articles, the three angels bearing messages to the inhabitants of earth, are symbols of the special work of God for this time, which of necessity, and as has always been the case, is carried on through the coöperation of human agencies. This union of the human and divine in the work of God is that which constitutes the "mystery of God," or the "mystery of the gospel." Manifestation of this mysterious and to the human mind incomprehensible union is seen in the work of God in all ages. At times the human predominates; at other times the divine is strikingly manifest; but through all the work God, in infinite mercy, has borne with man's perversity, endeavoring to draw him to himself by his love.
The perfection of this union is presented in the person and life of Christ, who, though human, and subject to all the infirmities of the flesh, was yet the very Son of God. This partaking of the human nature by the divine Son of God, which constitutes the "mystery of the gospel," is in reality the ground of our hope, that we through him may be raised from the human to partake of the divine nature and become like God in character. "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:14-16.
By beholding the character and glory (oneness with the Father, see John 17:22) of this high priest, Paul says we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Cor. 3:18).
This union of the human and the divine in Christ is significant, and is emblematical of a corresponding union of the two elements in the work of God in all ages of the world. God works, but he works through human instrumentalities. Christ through the Holy Spirit supplies the divine element, and such human agencies as will yield themselves to coöperate with the divine, constitute the human element. The presence of this element explains the many seeming imperfections in the work of God, but, as suggested above, "the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" is, that the human shall, by union with the divine, become transformed until it shall reflect the perfect image of the divine nature as manifest in Christ.
We learn of this presence of Christ in the work everywhere and always. It was Christ who, by his Spirit, was with Noah, preaching to the antediluvians. "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." Gen. 6:3. Peter tells us that this was the Spirit of Christ that strove with the people "when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing." Read 1 Peter 3:18-20.
It was Christ who really led and instructed the people of God, through Moses, in the wilderness; for, speaking of Christ, Stephen says: "This is He, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him [Moses] in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received the lively oracles to give unto us" (Acts 7:38); and Paul says of the people at that time that they "did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ." 1 Cor. 10:4.
THREE MESSAGES.
"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven." "And there followed another angel . . . And the third angel followed them." Rev. 14:6, 8, 9.
NOTES UPON THE ILLUSTRATION.
1. The first message begins previous to 1844, announcing the hour of judgment, but continues to the coming of Christ, proclaiming the gospel and the worship of the true God (the commandments) as the basis of the following messages. 2. Simultaneously with the opening of the first message, and as a special feature of its introduction, it is joined by the message of the angel of chapter 10, which continues to 1844 and ceases. 3. Subsequent to 1844 the truths of the first message became more fully understood and preached, though generally rejected, and as a consequence it is joined by the second message, proclaiming the fall of Babylon, which also continues to the end. 4. Later the two are joined by the third, warning against the worship of "the beast" and his image and the reception of his mark, and also continues to the end. 5. Just before the end of gospel work the three are joined by the message of chapter 18, announcing the complete fall of Babylon, and calling upon God's people to come out of her because of her sins. 6. This in effect produces a loud, earnest, and extended giving of all three messages combined, resulting in the lighting of the earth with all truth, and the development of a company keeping all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and fully prepared to meet Christ when he appears in the clouds of heaven.
It is Christ also who speaks through all the prophets: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, or Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21); and Peter says that this Holy Spirit was "the Spirit of Christ which was in them." 1 Peter 1:11.
Christ also promised that he would, by this same Spirit, be with his people to the end. "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." John 14:18. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Verses 16, 17. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Verse 26.
A marked fulfillment of this promise was experienced by the apostles in the opening of their work upon the day of Pentecost, and during all their succeeding labor; and John, near the close of the first century, when the vision containing these messages was given him, writes of it: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." Rev. 1:1. This same angel, as related in the last chapter, when John was about to fall down and worship him (probably supposing him to be Christ), says: "See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow servant, and [the fellow servant] of thy brethren the prophets, and [the fellow servant] of them which keep the sayings of this book" (Rev. 22:9), proving that the self-same Spirit which has ever been the divinely appointed means of communication between God and his people, continues his work down through the Christian dispensation to the close of time, for the benefit of those who "read" and "keep" the things written in this book. Thus we see that the "Holy Spirit," the "Spirit of Christ," that "one and the selfsame Spirit," as Paul calls it, has, through all the history of the work of God in the earth, from the fall in Eden to the close of human probation, been the medium of union between the divine and the human—has, in fact, constituted the divine element.
At times of apostasy and departure from the truth, this element has in a measure disappeared from the work, as evidenced by a lack of the exercise of spiritual gifts, such as prophecy, the gift of tongues, healing of the sick, etc.; while at all times of special revival of the work, and returning to the truth, these gifts have been more or less prominent.
As the opening of the work in this dispensation was marked by a great outpouring of the Spirit, as witnessed by the exercise of all these gifts, it is but reasonable that in the closing of the work, the same Spirit and power will be manifest. Intimation of these two seasons of spiritual refreshing is given by James, when he says: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." James 5:7. The interval between the "early" and "latter" rains implies a season of spiritual dearth and departure from the truth, fitly representing the long period of papal apostasy; but as these messages sound forth to the world, calling attention to the worship of the true God and the everlasting gospel, the Spirit of God witnesses to the uplifting of the down-trodden truth by the restoration of229the gifts of the Spirit among the believers in proportion to their faith and love.
It is the exaltation of the gospel and the commandments of God, accompanied by the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit, which especially arouses Satan to persecute those who engage in the work. Paul states the exact truth when, after speaking of the persecutions which he endured, he says: "Yea, and all that will live godly [according to the law of God] in Christ Jesus [according to the gospel] shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12. In Rev. 12:17 we are given the definite reason for Satan's wrath against the people of God in the closing work: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman [the true church], and went to make war with the remnant [the last] of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Here evidently the same company is referred to as in the expression following the third message, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Those then who "keep . . . the faith of Jesus," "have the testimony of Jesus Christ." In Rev. 19:10 is plainly stated that the "testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." We have here, then, further proof that the gifts of the Spirit will be in exercise in this closing work. Paul says the object of the gifts is "the perfecting of the saints," and that they are to continue "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:12, 13. He also gives us to understand that the gift of prophecy is the best of all the gifts, because of its purpose and use (read 1 Cor. 14), and David says that "no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11). Then surely the exercise of the best gift may be expected in connection with the work which develops such a people as do these messages.
