The Voice of the Majority
By C. B. Stephenson
“Error is no less error because it is in the majority. Truth is no less truth though it be in the minority.” Dare to stand for the right
IN the affairs of this world, the voice of the majority is usually considered final and right; but not so with things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven. Invariably those who most nearly represent the principles of heaven are in the minority—a minority which, however, ultimately wins. In the administration of the affairs of His government on earth, God rules according to righteousness, and not by majority. Error is no less error because it is in the majority. Truth is no less truth though it be in the minority. God is always on the side of truth, whether it is professed by one or by many. Opposition to righteousness does not affect God’s relation to it. We should do right because it is right, and not for the sake of reward. To the Christian, the test in matters of faith is not, How many concur in the measure? but, Is it in harmony with the word of God? We should be willing to take our stand with Christ, to be alone or with the multitude, as the case may be. True, we are encouraged by the number who believe the truth, but we must not be discouraged if no one believes it. Truth is truth, though it be rejected by all men. The truthfulness of the word of God does not depend in any sense upon its acceptance or rejection. It is in itself the very essence of truth, and cannot be changed. "Thy word is truth." In the history of the church, there have been times when only a few men were loyal to God and His word—such men as Noah, Abraham, and Daniel. Consider the prophet Daniel as he stands alone against the mighty power of the unchangeable law of the Medes and the Persians, how for his loyalty he was condemned to die in the lions’ den. God sent an angel from the courts above, in which Daniel was innocent, to stop the lions’ mouths, and to protect His loyal, faithful servant on earth. One angel, sent from the great kingdom above, was a majority with Daniel on earth, over the most powerful kingdom in the world. Daniel was saved and delivered because he was right, innocent before God; and the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians was defeated and humiliated because they were wrong. God was glorified in His servant who remained loyal to Him in this life-and-death crisis. As a result, the God of heaven was recognized by the nations as the God of gods. THERE awaits the people of God and the world, at the present time, a crisis which is without parallel in the annals of history. This crisis involves more than one or two individuals and a few kingdoms; it will affect every soul in the world for weal or woe. In this crisis, there not only will be involved national differences and aspirations, but the very law of the God of heaven will be brought into the controversy; and the people who believe the law, and maintain that it should be observed by all Christians, will be considered out of harmony with that which pertains to the best interest of the world, and for their loyalty they will be condemned to die as the prophet Daniel was. "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Rev. 13:15. Notwithstanding this terrible sentence, God’s people will be faithful and true to the law of God, and will triumph gloriously over the beast and his image, and stand on the sea of glass before the throne of God. This body of Christians is spoken of as the "remnant" church, or as a "little flock," composed of the few who walk the straight and narrow way. The majority of people will choose the broad way, the way of many, and go down at last to destruction. Earth’s few are its best. Opposition to the promulgation of the gospel of Jesus Christ only serves to strengthen it. The power of the majority is absolutely unable to crush the minority. In fact, the usual order of things is reversed; the power is with the minority rather than the majority. To illustrate: The Roman kingdom, in order to silence God’s prophet, banished John the beloved to the isle of Patmos, to pass the remainder of his life in solitude. No doubt Rome felt a relief that the prophet whose message constantly reproved the wickedness of kings, would no longer be heard. But instead of suppressing the kingdom of God on earth, this persecution served to extend the work of God. Perhaps no place on earth was so near heaven as was the isle of Patmos on that Sabbath day. The Lord Himself came down and met His prophet, giving the church additional light and instruction. The entire history of the church in the Christian dispensation was revealed to John, to be delivered to the churches. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain." God has often used one man to interpret these revelations to the multitudes, as was the case of John the Baptist. In every reform movement, the leaders have been in the minority; but the principle in the parable of the mustard seed obtained, and these heavenly movements grew to be the greatest questions in the world. Delivering God’s Ultimatum
GOD’S last warning message, calling attention to the coming of Christ and the end of the world, has been sounding in the land for three quarters of a century. It began in a small way, and has gone forward in increasing proportions, until mission stations are located in every country, and the message is taught in about a hundred languages. The keynote of this proclamation is, "Prepare to meet thy God." While the nations are, at the present time, delivering ultimatums one to another, the ambassadors of the kingdom of God are also delivering God’s ultimatum to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Soon probation will close, and Jesus will return to this earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords. He will at that time call forth from the graves all who have died in the faith, and take them to the promised land, that glorious heavenly country where "affliction shall not rise up the second time." This great event is right upon us. Are we ready for it?