Some Great Movements and Their Significance
By William M. Healey
WE are living in an age of great and wonderful developments; in a time when intensity of power is moving all things from above and beneath. Conditions exist in the political, financial, social, and religious worlds, so strange, so wonderful, that no human eye, unaided by divine revelation, can see what will be the end of these things. At the present time the political bodies of earth are assembled by representatives in The Hague, Holland, for the avowed purpose of bringing universal peace on earth. Who, from a standpoint of man's vision, can foretell the result? Such a condition of peace is most desirable for all, and by the fact of the assembling of this congress, it appears to be sought by an overwhelming majority of earthly powers. Shall we rejoice in a pleasing prospect of peace? God has not left His children in darkness; He has spoken to them, and told them the truth of the outcome of all these things. Micah 4:2, 3 reads, "And many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more." Notice "many nations" say this. And the first verse of this chapter says they say it "in the last days." In the third chapter of Joel, verses 9-13, the Lord speaks of this same time (see verse 13), the reaping-time, when "the harvest is ripe." And He says, "Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears." Thus the Lord tells us to expect, and prepare for, just the opposite of what "many nations" say they are going to bring to us. What Followed the First Peace Congress.
Our first peace congress of "many nations" was called and convened at the request of the Czar of Russia, who seemed especially desirous to promote some system to bring peace to the world. That congress was immediately followed by the czar and his government being engaged in one of the most bloody wars of the world's history. Man's efforts fail, but the word of the Lord standeth true. There is a general movement to ferret out and put away the theft and bribery which has so long been common among the officials of almost every department of civil government. This is deceptive and will not produce the desired end. This we know, for God has said, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3:13. The Christian church has partaken of this same spirit of striving to bring about a different condition of things. This has led to the great movement of uniting all orthodox Christian churches into one great combine, a vast federation, that their powers shall be more effective for carrying out their will and purposes. What shall we expect when so many millions of the great and influential men of earth unite their strength for one end? From a human point of view it may seem that much good will follow. It is true God desires His people to be one, to "be of one mind." Let the believer in God's word pause and consider what this movement professes to be, and then what God has said concerning it. This movement does not aim at obtaining a united faith. The Baptist and the Presbyterian are expected to continue their faith and practises as before, and so with all others. They are not organizing for the purpose of putting away differences. But there are certain points upon which there is a general agreement, and to enforce these is the object of the federation. These leading points are "Marriage and Divorce," and "Sabbath Desecration." Both of these institutions were ordained of God before sin had entered the world, hence belong to a state of purity, and against these Satan has aimed his worst darts of delusion and perversion, until sin has nearly overwhelmed and destroyed the true spirit and observance of these institutions among mankind. There is need of reform. Will it come thru this vast aggregation of power? Were this a move to seek for light and truth, that all might "see eye to eye" with the Lord, that all errors might be put away, and all unite upon His pure word, it would be different. The federation is not to seek power from God to change the hearts of men, but it is to unite their own power to bring it to bear with greater force on human authority in earthly governments that by and thru these powers laws may be made to compel others to do their way. This is emphatically true on the two leading propositions—marriage and Sabbath observance. As marriage is a civil contract, it may properly be regulated by civil laws. But the Sabbath is in no sense an institution to be regulated by civil laws; it is purely a matter of faith, and hence is between the individual and God. If the so-called reform on this were to be brought about by changing the hearts of men, there would be no need of the combine, as it gives no more men for the work. But by this union they can pledge more votes to move the politician's heart. Not Enforcing the True Sabbath.
While it would be wrong to attempt to enforce the true Sabbath upon any, these efforts do not have even that excuse of enforcing the Sabbath of the Lord on man. On the contrary, they are trying to enforce the sabbath of man upon the Lord and His people. God's Sabbath is the seventh day, while the purpose of this movement is to enforce the first day, resting wholly upon human authority. In 2 Tim. 4:1-3, the Lord by His servant Paul speaks of His coming and charges to "preach the word," saying in verse 3, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers." In James 5:3, we read of the wicked in the "last days" that they have "heaped treasure together." This has been fulfilled in the great trusts and combines in the business world. But here it is said the professed people of God are to "heap" their teachers together. This is fulfilled in this great religious trust, this vast confederacy to carry out, like the business trust, by force, their wishes. The commercial trust says, Do our way, or we will break up your business. This religious trust will say to the candidate for office, Give us what we want, or we will defeat your election. The Confederacy Foretold.
There is a prophecy that covers this work at this time, in Isa. 8:9-17. "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us. For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread." Verses 9-13. In verse 16 the Lord commands, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." The seal of God's law is in the Sabbath commandment. It shows from whom the law comes, the Creator of heaven and earth, and thus establishes His power and right to give the law. The substitution of the first day does not point to the Creator, and never had any place in the law of God. Thus the Lord has warned against a confederacy that is not restoring the seal to His law among the disciples, that has a "heap" of teachers of which He says in 2 Tim. 4:4, "And they shall turn away7their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." May the Lord reach down in love and tender mercy, saving all who are willing to walk with Him, forsaking this great delusion and snare, this false hope, this error of mind if not of heart, of so many for whom Christ died.