River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-10

all classes of PEG
pie everywhere.
Pastor Russell's text today was, DE
clare We among the nations, and pub
fish; set up a Standard say, Babylon
is taken Jeremiah 500. He said:
While our message for today Is
meat in due season" to the Household
of Faith, and in every way important
to be understood, it is nevertheless a
subject difficult to treat without giving
offense. without seeming harsh. Bear
with me- then. while expressing what |
believe to be the Divine Message in
as kindly a manner as l know how.
The Scriptures which may quote in
support of my presentation seem harsh
almost to cruelty; but l assure you, my
hearers, that | am not responsible for
the language of the Bible. My respon-
sibility is to speak the Word of the
Lord. In doing this shall endeavor to
present the Lords words in as kindly a
manner as possible, and SO far as pos
sible explain some of the harsher ex-
pressions; but ] must not shun to de-
clare the whole counsel Of God-and as
fully as | believe He would now have
His people understand it.
In the days Of Jesus and His Apos-
ties there was no Mystic Babylon
Therefore the expressions in the Reve
! lation of st. John bearing upon Mystic
Babylon were prophetic of the systems
and conditions which have since risen
in the Church. The word Babylon has
a double significance. 1t is derived
from the word Babel, and reminds us
of the time when the sons of Noah
lost faith in the Divine providential
care and in the rainbow promise. and
endeavOred to erect a structure for
their own preservation-the Tower of
Babel This attempt led to the con
fusion of tongues.
Similarly, following the days Of the
Apostles and of the persecution Of the
early Church. an attempt was made to
erect great religious system for the
protection of the Church. not waiting
for the fulfilment Of the Divine prom
ise that in due time Messiah would
come and establish His Kingdom for
the blessing of the world.
The religious Tower Of BabeP' was,
primarily, Papacy. So far as it went,
it was a wonderful structure. but it
never accomplished the designs of its
founders. 1t never mastered and estab-
lished the Church far above the power
and influence of the civil governments
and earthly monarchs.
1t was when the Tower of Babel rose
to a considerable height in dignity and
grandeur that the Lord manifested His
Power amongst the workmen and con-
founded their speech. Disconnected,
the people ceased the further building
of the Tower, and each set up for him.
self. This corresponds we'll with the
Protestant Reformation Movement and
the various denominations into which
those once Catholic became divided.
Babylon and Its Wall.
Another thought connected with our
subject is that the literal city of Baby
lon was a prototype. a prophetic figure
of Mystic Babylon. The name Baby
lon signifies THE Gate of God"-the
gateway by which access to God Is to
be attained This in effect was the
claim made by Papacy. and the claim
which she still makes-that she is a
great City, a great Kingdom; that she
has q great wall of Divine salvation
and protection round about her-a
great wall built of superstition and
ignorance, say her enemies.
In the Revelation Jesus prophetically
pictured the greatness of this City, this
spiritual Empire. 1t is essentially
religious, although it includes the great
kingdoms of earth. which unitedly are
styled Christendom. This great ''city."
Babylon. is represented as being
divided into ten different wards. each
of which represents one of the king
doms of Christend0m. and which cor
respond to the ten horns of the SYM
boIic beast" Compare Rev. LIB; 1871.
AS this great city" or spiritual king
dom, thus includes the chief mon
arches of Europe. so under another
figure Babylon. Papacy. is represented
as woman. in whose forehead Is
found the name. Babylon the Great.
the Mother of HariotS. Thus is
shown in some manner the various
Protestant systems of Christendom
which separated from the Mother
Church" of Rome. but which are still
Der daughters. still related to her, par