The End of the Great Controversy by C. M. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 3, 1912

The End of the Great Controversy

By C. M. S.

THERE is a striking significance in the fact that those who are redeemed out of this world will sing the song of victory over Satan and his hosts in the presence of God and around the throne of God. The rebellion in heaven was directed against the government of God, whose center is the throne of God, and therefore against the law of God, which is the basis of God's government. The rebellion in this world was also against the government of God because it was against the law of God, the basis of his government. There is a divine fitness, therefore, in having men and women who are redeemed out of this rebellious world, who have achieved the victory over him who is the chief of rebels against God, sing the song of loyalty to God and of victory over God's chief enemy in the immediate presence of God and around the throne of God before the assembled millions of loyal angels. That will be the crowning day of the great victory; and happy beyond words to express will be those who have a part in the singing of that song.

But they whose feet stand upon that sea of glass and whose feet tread upon the ashes of sin in this world when Christ returns with his chosen will be they whose feet have trodden upon sin itself in this present life. So if we hope to have a part in that song of victory around the throne of God, and to have the experience of treading upon the ashes of sin when the universe is finally rid of sin, we must have now, and from now on, the experience of putting sin daily and hourly under our feet. The first three verses of Malachi are not a call to repentance; they are a statement of an accomplished work. The message has been given, the line has been drawn, and the two classes have ranged themselves on either side of it according to their choice. The wicked have heard the message and rejected it, and their lives have gone out in the darkness of eternal night; the other class have heard the message and accepted it, and their lives go on and on forever.

Our divine Lord says, " For judgment came I into this world." John 9:39. And when he speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit, he says:—

" And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged." John 16:8-11.

Inspiration caused Paul to write of the universal judgment pending (Rom. 3:19), and caused even proud Felix to tremble at the thought of that tribunal when " we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God." It is a part of the program in the closing of the conflict in the universe of God between the rule of love and the rule of doubt, suspicion, and hate. Every one, from the least to the greatest, has a case pending there; and the decision of the case determines whether he will be a victor, or whether he will be ashes under the feet of those who are victors.

There is no question as to how the conflict will be decided. The question for us to consider with the utmost care is this: When it is decided, which side will it find me on? The day is coming, it is near at hand, when God and those who are his will look upon the finish of the tragedy of sin and upon a completed redemption, upon a universe clean throughout, where the ugly visage of sin will nevermore be seen. As surely as God is, so surely will that be. Now where are we going to spend eternity, — under the feet of the saints, or among the saints in the presence of God, helping him to work out his beneficent design concerning his creatures? To help us decide that question, all that is good in God's universe is pitted against all that is bad.

It is in no sense a haphazard campaign on either side; and as the campaign draws near its close, we see all the elements of darkness and deceit and doubt and immorality lining up like trained soldiers in the final onslaught upon the forces of truth and righteousness. Not only has Satan marshaled all the forces of doubt, infidelity, and wickedness in general, but he has planned to carry the campaign into the church, and fight religion in the uniform of religion and in the very buildings dedicated to religion. In the persons of doubt-disseminating clergymen, he stands in many of the pulpits of the Christian world, and sows broadcast the baneful seeds of skepticism, where they find lodgment and often fruitful soil in the minds and hearts of young and old.

Now God has sent the gospel into the world in order that man might choose for himself whether he would serve God or whether he would serve the enemies of God. The kingdom of righteousness can be maintained only upon the principle of the complete liberty of the individual to choose his master. God wants only willing service; any other brings him no honor; and if made a part of his program, there would be planted in the hearts of his subjects a seed of rebellion to plague his kingdom throughout eternity.

Because of that fact, God has given no countenance to the idea of forcing men to be religious or to act as if they were. Force in religion is a travesty on religion, and in the last analysis is an insult to God. When men attempt to accomplish God's design for him by forcing other men to do as they do, they virtually declare themselves more potent than God himself in bringing about the establishment of God's kingdom among men. The policy of heaven is, " Choose you this day whom ye will serve;" and the promise is, " If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." There is no promise nor place in the economy of God's government for any service but willing service, nor for any other attitude toward him than whole-souled obedience.

Forced obedience brings no reward, either to the one who obeys in that manner or to the one who compels him thus to obey. Compulsion in religion helps no one, but hinders every one; and there is no " Well done " promised for any one who submits to compulsion in that matter, nor for any one who does the compelling. God recognizes no service as service save only the service of choice.

Right upon that principle is the great issue of all issues in this world joined. The kingdom of righteousness and the kingdom of iniquity stand face to face, in battle array, upon that principle. It is the question of questions, not for this world only, but for the entire universe of God. It has been the conflict of the ages; and when it is settled, all other controversies will be settled in that settlement; for out of that controversy all other controversies have grown, all sin has sprung, and in the conception of that controversy all the sorrow and misery and woe and death in this world were conceived. Force in religion is Satan's caricature of God's government.

Now, with that religion of choice goes naturally the keeping of the law of God. The Saviour, who is the very embodiment of that religion, says of himself, " I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." There is willing and glad choice; and the thing chosen is God's will, his law. Because that is a fact, Satan has aimed at that law his most powerful weapons. The conflict between light and darkness will be fought out right there, and they who will align themselves with God and his law, and will stand loyally for the principle of religion by choice, will be as much the objects of attack as is the law of God itself. Ever since Cain killed Abel, the forces of oppression have been tremendously busy. We see this manifest all through the varied experiences of the children of God in the old dispensation. Satan brought that spirit into the very house of Judah itself in the days when our Lord was here in person upon the earth, and Jesus went down in death under the application of that principle of force in religion; and that spirit which hounded him to his death has been following his followers from that day unto this, and will follow them to the end of the controversy.

Witness that spirit in the days of Nero and Decius; then witness it coming into the church itself when apostasy was in full flower, and when paganism baptized with " holy water " had taken the place of a Christian church baptized with the Holy Spirit.

In view of the fact that that principle of oppression in religious things has been manifested in every age of this world, it ought not to surprise us if it is found working in our day. It ought not to surprise us if we find it not only working, but working over a wider field and under more perfect organization than at any other time in the history of the world. We do find it, and we find it thus working. A system has been perfected which ramifies every continent, and every nation that has an organized government, save Abyssinia and Tibet. A plan is being perfected by which all the mission territory of the world will be districted, and each denomination will be given a portion and be prevented from entering the portion allotted to any other denomination. Such an arrangement adhered to would make it impossible for any denomination to give a world-wide message, no matter how much time were given in which to do it. But God has entrusted a world-wide message to his people, to be given to every race upon the earth, — a time message, a message proclaiming the coming of the day of the Lord. Only one denomination in all the world professes to be giving that message or to know anything about such a message.

So this systematic division of the mission world is a direct blow not only at that particular denomination, but at the message which it is seeking to give to all the world. It can be nothing else than a plan of the adversary to hinder the proclamation of that world-wide message, thus holding back the coming of the great day of God, which event waits upon the proclamation of that message.

That plan of operation not only aims at the holding back of this message of the third angel, but it aims to bring under one control all the religions of Christendom, so that the time may the more speedily come when the unchaste " woman " of the apocalypse can say, " I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shalt in no wise see mourning." The Catholic Church, with its all-absorbing purpose to " make America Catholic " and through America's influence to bring all the world to the feet of the pope-king, is working to that end with marvelous zeal; and every other church which refuses to keep the commandments of God and turns against those who do, is helping toward that consummation — is opposing the real work of God for this particular age, and is helping forward the hindering work of God's adversary.

Now, the time is not far distant when that beast power will both " speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed." There is force in religion again, compulsion of conscience, a force and a compulsion that design to bring all religions in some measure under one control, and make death the penalty for all who will not acquiesce. That is the final challenge of the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. In that challenge Satan

hurls defiance at God and his throne and all who will be his. But Heaven meets the challenge: " If any man worshipeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger." Rev. 14:9, 10. That brings to view the culmination of a world-wide work on the part of the agencies of both powers. The gospel of the kingdom, the third angel's message, will then have gone into all the world for a witness unto all the nations, to bring out of them the trophies of God's grace; and the advocates of religion by force will have so perfected their organization in all the world that they will have received " authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him [the beast], every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain." Rev. 13:7, 8. This decree is just as wide in its scope as the decree concerning the work of God for the last days—every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

That brings us to the culmination of the conflict. The two parties meet face to face, and the leader of each decrees death to the followers of the other. It must be so. Universe signifies all under one; and all can not be under one so long as there are two opposing forces. Thus the most important question in this world to-day for each one is that concerning where he is going to stand in that day, whether with God or with his enemies. Those who stand with God will not be standing idle. The wise man says: " The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that is wise winneth souls." And through the prophet Daniel we have this admonition: " They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." In God's estimation, a man who stands faithful to him in such a time is more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir. It will be to the eternal glory of God that he was able to bring men and women out of such conditions and make them worthy of dwelling with him and sharing with him the eternal inheritance.

The day of our deliverance is near; " but ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." " Let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation." 1 Thess. 5:4, 8. Therefore, ye who are children of the light, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," and " be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand." It is a wonderful privilege to live in the age when the long conflict between light and darkness is to terminate. That is the conflict now in process of culmination, and they who rightly relate themselves to it will have the blessed privilege of sitting down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and our Redeemer in that kingdom which will have no end, and where nothing that can give pain or sorrow can ever come. C. M. S.