Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-07


While our message for today is meat
in due season" to the Household of
Faith and every way most important
to be understood, 1t Is, nevertheless,
a subject difficult to treat without CIV
ing offense, without being misunder-
stood, without seeming harsh. Bear
with me, then, while expressing what I
believe to be the Divine Message. In just
as kindly manner as know how.
There was no Mystic Babylon in the
days of Jesus and the Apostles The
expressions therefore in Revelation,
bearing upon Mystic Babylon, were
prophetic of Systems and conditions
which have since arisen In the Church.
The word Babylon has double sig
nificance-the Gate Of God-also Con-
fusion.
BabyIon's Golden Cup.
Under the figure Of woman clothed
In purple and scarlet the Mother Sys-
TEN of Babylon, centuries ago, made
all nations drunk with her wine," the
doctrines which she had In her gold
en- cup" Rev. xvii. 1-6) The golden
cup represents the Bible, 1t was
misused when the wine of false doc
trine was put into it-when the Bible
was claimed as authority for the erro-
neous teachings of the Dark Ages.
The intoxicating wine which made the
nations drunk, and led them to sup
port the woman" and to call them
selves Christian nations, Papacy still
holds in her hand, and still offers to all
who will receive 1t. But the nations
are gradually SOLDERING up, and becom-
ing less and less inclined to take more
of the wine.
The thought is that a commingled
wine-a stupefying potion-was put
into the wine in the cup; such doc
trines as that Gods Kingdom had been
set up. and that the Pope reigns as
Christ's Nicegerent. Other poisonous
elements had threatened the people
with Purgatorial torture, or eternal
torment,
The Protestant denominations were
all born under those intoxicating in
fuences. While they separated from
the Mother system, and denounced her,
yet they hold doctrinally to many of
the intoxicating errors of her cup"
Consequently they, too, claim that
MessIah's Kingdom. is set up and is
reigning. They join In giving the ma
lions the same dope the Mother gave
them, telling them they are Christian
nations. though they are building great
guns and dreadnoughts to blow each
other off the face of the earth.
Water here symbolizes revenues,
from outside peoples and kingdoms. So
in Revelation we read that the woman
with the golden cup "sitteth upon many
waters;" "and the waters which thou
sawest are peoples and multitudes, and
nations, and tongues Rev. xvii, 1, 49,
The "Euphrates" TO Be Dried Up.
In book OF Revelation not merely
is the name Babylon used, but the
symbolical description includes the
name OF the Euphratps, and we
read of the great River Euphrates that
THE water thereof was dried up" If
we are correct in interpreting these
waters to signify revenues, what
would be signified by the drying up of
the River? 1t would imply cessation
of the revenues of Babylon-millions
coming every year from rich and poor
of all nations for her support. 1t is in
full accord with this Divine prediction
of what is to come that we hear cry
ings arising from all denominations,
Catholic and Protestant, that the wa
ters," the revenues, are being dried up.
History tells that the great City of
Babylon was captured by Cyrus and
his army after a considerable siege.
His soldiers digged fresh channel for
the river and turned Its course aside.
Thus was the River Euphrates dried
up, and the army of Cyrus entered
Babylon, suddenly, in the night. While
these things were transporting, the
princes Of Babylon, corresponding to
the notables of Christendom, were hold
ing high carnival. rejoicing in security.
1t was at this moment Of exuberance
that in the banquet hall of Belshazzar
a hand appeared and wrote: "Nene,
Meme, Tekel, Uphaysin." "Mene"-the
days of your rule are numbered and
finished. "Tekel'-Thou art weighed
in the balances and found wantingl
"Upharsin"-thy Kingdom is divided
and given to the Medes and Persians
The strong symbohsms used in respect
to Mystic Babylon correspond so well
with the prophetic language used re-
spectng literal Babylon that we are
warranted in understanding literal
Babylon to have been. prototype Of
Mystic Babylon, and her fall prefigr
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