The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-09-01

Peters statement. we are to expect
that the ecclesiastical heavens will pass
away with a great noise-a great COM
motion-before the social order is fully
reached by the consuming fire.
The same thought is brought to our
attention in Revelation. where wide
distinction is made between the
nominal church systems. called Baby
Ion, and the true Church, which is
admonished in advance to come out of
Babylon and to stand in personal rela-
tionship to God through Christ This
general call. which belongs to the end
of the Age, before the judgments come
upon Babylon, reads, Come out of
her, My people. that We be not par
takers of her sins, and that We receive
not of her plaques" The intimation is
that as soon as the Loyalty obedient
have been gathered out of Babylon
some drastic trouble will come upon
her.
We should not apply this term Bah
ylon'' to individuals. but to great sys-
TENS, outwardly having form of
godliness. but really disappearing
the Divine character, the Divine Plan,
the true teachings of the Bible. OF
course, the individuals identified with
the systems have more or less respon-
sibility, according to their official posi-
ton and their intelligence. In similar
proportion these individuals may have
fluctuations in conjunction with the
fall of Babylon We do not under
stand the term Babylon" to be ap
piled Scripturally to any sect or party.
but rather to refer to the general con
glomeration of systems and denomina,
TONS Likewise. when reading of the
utter destruction that is to come upon
Babylon, we are to differentiate be
tween the systems and the individuals
connected with those systems.
The judgments of the Lord are not
designed to crush or destroy humanity.
but to destroy utterly the systems of
error, bondage and superstition which
have fettered humanity and hindered
Them from fuller progress and develop
ment in the knowledge and favor Of
God With the fall of the great sys-
TENS Babylon. confusion) mems eyes
will begin to open; the blind will begin
to "see out of obscurity" isaiah 29:1Sl
AS result. the high praises Of God
will arise as sweet SAVIOR.
The fall OF Babylon is declared to
come speedily, suddenly-fguratively.
''in an hour" The descriptions of her
fall are various. In one place we read
that she shall be utterly burned with
fire. The same symbol of fire Is used
by ST. Peter in referring to the same
trouble and destruction In another
place we read that Babylon shall be
cast like great milestone into the sea
and be found no more at all.
LIVERY Eye Shall See Him."
Throughout this Gospel Age. the
Lords people have with the eye of
faith recognized Jesus as their Redeem
er and Deliverer. But comparatively
few have had such eyes of faith and
understanding. The majority, as the
Apostle declares. are blinded by Satan
and by error. and fail to get proper,
true view of Christ He says that
the god of this world" has blinded
the minds of all unbelievers. But the
gracious promise of the Lord is that
all the blinded eyes shall be opened.
The experiences of eighteen cen
turtles have done little toward opening
the eyes of the world; but the reveal
ton of Messiah in flaming fire will ap-
peal to them quickly They will see
Him thus-"Every eye shall see Him,
and those also who pierced Him"-the
Jews. lnstinctively they will fear 1t
may require considerable time for
them to become fully persuaded that
the One feared is their best Friend
who gave His life as their Redemption.
price. and whose judgments in the
earth are for the very purpose OF
breaking the bondage of fear, igno-
rance superstition. sin, selfishness and
injustice. and of allowing the whole
world to go free from a sin-slavery
which has long oppressed them.
In due time they will learn that the
fire of Gods anger does not barn
against the sinners for whom Christ
died, but merely against their sins. The
learning of this lesson will open their
eyes still more widely and enable them
to see something of the length, the
breadth, the height and the depth OF
Gods Love, of which the Apostle tells
-Ephesians 31419.
That the Jews will be in that trouble,
the Bible distinctly marks out 1t will
be 1.-THE time of Jacobs trouble, but he
shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah
3O:7) The Gospel Church having been
completed by that time and having
passed beyond the veil. Gods favor
will be restored to Natural Israel; and
the time for the special manifestation
of that favor will be in the dark hour
OF Jacobs trouble, when the Jews are
surrounded by enemies. In and through
that trouble the Lord will pour upon
them the spirit of grace and of sup
plication. and they win look upon Him
whom they pierced. (Zechariah l2:10J
They will discern that they made a
great and horrible mistake in cruelty
ing the Friend of Sinners, their long
promised Messiah. We are told that
they shall mourn because of Him, and
that then the spirit of prayer and sup
plication viii come to them and they
VIII see Jesus in His real character.
AT or about that same time Divine
FAVOR Will be manifested on Israeps
behalf, and the Lord will deliver them.
as in olden times. Their eyes of faith
and understanding will open more and
more widely. Eventually, according
to the Bible, they will become the lead
ers of mankind in returning to God.
who viii abundantly pardon their
iniquity and grant them a prominent
share in the blessings of His Kingdom
Sew Stripes" and MANY Stripes"
The great Messianic Kingdom will
not spare the rod, but will int1ict pun
ishments for the worlds correction in
righteousness. Some will suffer more
and some less, according to the Mas
ter's own statements. Those under
standing the principles Of righteous
ness and .wilfully violating them will
be beaten heavily, with many
stripes; while others, such as the
heather, for instance. who knew little.
will receive fewer stripes, proportion.
ate to their ignorance All the stripes.
however, will be reformatory, and with
view to helping and encouraging the
transgressors to abandon the ways of
iniquity and to walk in the paths of
righteousness.
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