Babylon's Doom continued
We continue with what the prophet Isaiah had to say in respects to the daughter of Babylon in Isa 47:
"Therefore, hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures; that dwells carelessly; that says in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children and widowhood [compare Rev. 18:8]: in their full measure shall they come upon thee despite of the multitude of thy sorceries, despite of the very great abundance of thy enchantments; for thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, none sees me. Thy [worldly] wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee: and thou has said in thy heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore, shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it rises: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not [previously] know." Compare Isa 47:9 and Rev. 18:7.
Such being the solemn declarations against Babylon, well will it be for all who heed the warning voice and the instruction of the Lord to his people yet within her borders; for "Thus saith the Lord” ...Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense... Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed...We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her...for her judgment reaches unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies... My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord." Jer. 51:1, 6, 8, 9, 45. Compare Rev. 17:3-6; 18:1-5.
For those who would obey this command to come out of Babylon, there is but one place of refuge; and that is, not in a new sect (denomination) and bondage, but in "The secret place of the Most High"--the place or condition of entire consecration, typified by the Most Holy of the Tabernacle and Temple. (Psa. 91) "He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." And such may truly say in the midst of all the calamities of this evil day, "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress, my God: in him will I trust."
To come out of Babylon cannot mean a physical emigration from the midst of the nations of Christendom; for not only Christendom, but all the earth, is to be devoured with the fire [the fiery trouble] of the Lord's anger, though the fiercest of his wrath will be against the enlightened nations of Christendom, who knew, or at least had abundant opportunity to know, the Lord's will.
And what is the Lord’s will in this matter?
“Come out of her my people” Rev 18:4. One’s compliance alone will distinguish who are and who are not the Lord’s true people.
The idea of the command is a separation from all the binding yokes of Christendom--to have no part nor lot in her civil, social or religious organizations; and this, both from principle and from a wise and divinely directed policy.
On principle, as soon as the increased light of harvest truth illuminates our minds and makes manifest the deformities of error, we must be loyal to the former and discard the latter by withdrawing all our influence and support from it. This implies the withdrawal from the various religious organizations, whose doctrines misrepresent and make void the Word of God; and it places us in the attitude of aliens toward all existing civil powers; NOT opposing aliens, however, but peaceable and law-abiding aliens, who render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's; aliens whose citizenship is in heaven, and not upon earth; and whose influence is always favorable to righteousness, justice, mercy and peace.
Principle in some cases, and policy in others, would separate us from the various social arrangements among men. On principle, it would set free any who are entangled with the oaths and obligations of the various secret societies; for ye who were in darkness are now light in the Lord, and should walk as children of light, having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reproving them. Eph. 5:6-17
But as we come closer and closer to the great crisis of this "evil day" it will doubtless be manifest to those who view the situation from the standpoint of "the sure word of prophecy," that, even if there be cases where principle is not involved, it will be the part of wisdom to withdraw from the various social and financial bondage's which must inevitably succumb to the ravages of world-wide revolution and anarchy. In that time (and, bear in mind, it will probably be within the next few years) financial institutions, including insurance companies and beneficial societies, will go down; and "treasures" in them will prove utterly worthless.
These caves and rocks of the mountains will not furnish the desired protection from the wrath of this "evil day," when the great waves of popular discontent are lashing and foaming against the mountains (kingdoms--Rev. 6:15-17; Psa. 46:3); and the time will come when men "shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be as though it were unclean [margin]: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They shall not [with their wealth] be able to satisfy their souls, neither [to] fill their bowels: because it was the stumbling block of their iniquity." (Ezek. 7:19; Compare also verses 12-18, 21, 25-27.) Thus, will the Lord make a man's life more precious than fine gold, even the golden wedge of Ophir. Isa. 13:12
But those who have made the Most High their refuge need not fear the approach of such times. He shall cover them with his feathers, and under his wings shall they trust; yea, he will show them his salvation. As the wildest confusion approaches (especially during the “hour of temptation”), they may comfort their hearts with the blessed assurance that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"; and say, "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed [though the present social order be entirely overthrown]; and though the mountains [kingdoms] be carried into the midst of the sea [overwhelmed in anarchy]; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." God will be in the midst of his faithful saints, who make him their refuge, and they shall not be moved. God will help Zion early in the Millennial morning; she shall be "accounted worthy to escape all those things coming upon the world." Psa. 46; Luke 21:36 (D42-46)
We continue with what the prophet Isaiah had to say in respects to the daughter of Babylon in Isa 47:
"Therefore, hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures; that dwells carelessly; that says in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children and widowhood [compare Rev. 18:8]: in their full measure shall they come upon thee despite of the multitude of thy sorceries, despite of the very great abundance of thy enchantments; for thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, none sees me. Thy [worldly] wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee: and thou has said in thy heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore, shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it rises: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not [previously] know." Compare Isa 47:9 and Rev. 18:7.
Such being the solemn declarations against Babylon, well will it be for all who heed the warning voice and the instruction of the Lord to his people yet within her borders; for "Thus saith the Lord” ...Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense... Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed...We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her...for her judgment reaches unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies... My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord." Jer. 51:1, 6, 8, 9, 45. Compare Rev. 17:3-6; 18:1-5.
For those who would obey this command to come out of Babylon, there is but one place of refuge; and that is, not in a new sect (denomination) and bondage, but in "The secret place of the Most High"--the place or condition of entire consecration, typified by the Most Holy of the Tabernacle and Temple. (Psa. 91) "He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." And such may truly say in the midst of all the calamities of this evil day, "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress, my God: in him will I trust."
To come out of Babylon cannot mean a physical emigration from the midst of the nations of Christendom; for not only Christendom, but all the earth, is to be devoured with the fire [the fiery trouble] of the Lord's anger, though the fiercest of his wrath will be against the enlightened nations of Christendom, who knew, or at least had abundant opportunity to know, the Lord's will.
And what is the Lord’s will in this matter?
“Come out of her my people” Rev 18:4. One’s compliance alone will distinguish who are and who are not the Lord’s true people.
The idea of the command is a separation from all the binding yokes of Christendom--to have no part nor lot in her civil, social or religious organizations; and this, both from principle and from a wise and divinely directed policy.
On principle, as soon as the increased light of harvest truth illuminates our minds and makes manifest the deformities of error, we must be loyal to the former and discard the latter by withdrawing all our influence and support from it. This implies the withdrawal from the various religious organizations, whose doctrines misrepresent and make void the Word of God; and it places us in the attitude of aliens toward all existing civil powers; NOT opposing aliens, however, but peaceable and law-abiding aliens, who render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's; aliens whose citizenship is in heaven, and not upon earth; and whose influence is always favorable to righteousness, justice, mercy and peace.
Principle in some cases, and policy in others, would separate us from the various social arrangements among men. On principle, it would set free any who are entangled with the oaths and obligations of the various secret societies; for ye who were in darkness are now light in the Lord, and should walk as children of light, having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reproving them. Eph. 5:6-17
But as we come closer and closer to the great crisis of this "evil day" it will doubtless be manifest to those who view the situation from the standpoint of "the sure word of prophecy," that, even if there be cases where principle is not involved, it will be the part of wisdom to withdraw from the various social and financial bondage's which must inevitably succumb to the ravages of world-wide revolution and anarchy. In that time (and, bear in mind, it will probably be within the next few years) financial institutions, including insurance companies and beneficial societies, will go down; and "treasures" in them will prove utterly worthless.
These caves and rocks of the mountains will not furnish the desired protection from the wrath of this "evil day," when the great waves of popular discontent are lashing and foaming against the mountains (kingdoms--Rev. 6:15-17; Psa. 46:3); and the time will come when men "shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be as though it were unclean [margin]: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They shall not [with their wealth] be able to satisfy their souls, neither [to] fill their bowels: because it was the stumbling block of their iniquity." (Ezek. 7:19; Compare also verses 12-18, 21, 25-27.) Thus, will the Lord make a man's life more precious than fine gold, even the golden wedge of Ophir. Isa. 13:12
But those who have made the Most High their refuge need not fear the approach of such times. He shall cover them with his feathers, and under his wings shall they trust; yea, he will show them his salvation. As the wildest confusion approaches (especially during the “hour of temptation”), they may comfort their hearts with the blessed assurance that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"; and say, "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed [though the present social order be entirely overthrown]; and though the mountains [kingdoms] be carried into the midst of the sea [overwhelmed in anarchy]; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." God will be in the midst of his faithful saints, who make him their refuge, and they shall not be moved. God will help Zion early in the Millennial morning; she shall be "accounted worthy to escape all those things coming upon the world." Psa. 46; Luke 21:36 (D42-46)
