THE SPIRIT OF GOD:–
ITS – OFFICES AND MANIFESTATIONS, TO THE END OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE.
BY ELD. J. H.
WAGGONER. 1877
CHAPTER V.
THE LAW AND THE TESTIMONY
Continued…
And this connection of the law and the Spirit
is recognized by another prophet who thus speaks of the desolation of
Jerusalem:—
“Her king and her princes are among the
Gentiles; the law is no more; her
prophets also find no vision from the
Lord.” Lam. 2:9.
By the same prophet the Lord has threatened
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to destroy Jerusalem and to burn her gates if
her children profane the Sabbath. Jer. 17:19-27. And accordingly when the law
was no more among them, when it ceased to be respected, her prophets found no
visions from the Lord. This was always received as evidence that the Lord had
forsaken them, for he always gave answers to his people by his Spirit when they
drew near to him. Saul knew that the Lord had departed from him when he could
get no answer “by the hand of prophets.” Another prophet thus speaks of
Jerusalem’s destruction:
“Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor
shall be upon rumor; then shall they seek a
vision of the prophet; but the law
shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.” Ezek. 7:26.
Thus again it is shown that when the priests
and the people depart from the law, they shall seek in vain for a vision from
the prophets. This is a position which was always deeply deplored by holy men
of God, because it was regarded as an evidence of the displeasure of God.
Therefore it was written by the prophet:—
“Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye
shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not
divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark
over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded; yea,
they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.” Micah 3:6, 7.
And again the deplorable condition of Israel
was thus described:—
“Now for a long season Israel hath been without
the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.” 2 Chron. 15:3.
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Against all this it cannot justly be claimed
that this was true in Old Testament times, but is not applicable in the gospel
age; that in the darkness of past ages it was necessary that the Lord should
constantly remind them of their duties, their failures, and their danger, by
the hand of seers and prophets, but in the light of the gospel dispensation it
is not necessary. For the declension of piety hardly ever was greater among the
Jews than it has been among professed Christians. For centuries the gospel was
almost hid from the face of the earth. Since the Reformation there has been
less “unity of faith” with the followers of Christ than among the people of God
in any other age of the world; and in no other age have the gifts of the
Spirit, which were given to perfect union of faith among Christians, been so
generally repudiated So greatly does this diversity prevail that unbelievers
are bewildered, and they think the gospel has no power to unite believers in
faith and spirit. The world is led to conclude that the prayer of the Saviour
for the union of his followers, such as exists between the Father and the Son,
and the exhortation of the apostle to be perfectly united in mind and judgment,
and to speak the same thing with one accord, are impossible of accomplishment.
The gospel is derided as an impracticable theory, not suited to the present
condition of mankind. And all because Christians reject or neglect the means
whereby God designed that this “unity of the faith,” of heart and mind and judgment,
should be accomplished. Spiritual pride takes the place of meekness and
self-denial; worldliness is substituted for cross-bearing; “science falsely so
called,” is expected to do more
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for the church than the interposition of divine
providence; and direct answers to prayer are neither sought for nor expected.
If it were designed that there should be more
manifestations of the Spirit’s power in the former dispensation than in the
present; if it were God’s plan to light up the darkness of that age by the
gifts of his Spirit, and to withdraw them from his people in this, in what
sense, and with what propriety, is this called “the dispensation of the Spirit”
in contrast with that? Both promises and facts show that the glory of this age
was to consist in the outpouring of the Spirit “on all flesh,” that is, on all
the church, “even as many as the Lord our God shall call;” while this heavenly
illumination was confined to a few in the ages past. Alas for the day when the
Holy Spirit is grieved, restrained, and rejected; when human wisdom exalts
itself in the churches above the light and power of the Spirit of God.
We say that both the promises and the facts are
in favor of the idea that God intended to bestow the largest measure of his
Spirit in this age. The promise was that that which was shed on the apostles on
the day of Pentecost was to be poured out on all flesh, or on all the called of
God. The facts on this subject are two-fold: 1. The Spirit was poured out and
its gifts were distributed in all the churches where the gospel in its purity
and power was accepted; 2. The evidence stands on record that the Spirit and the law of God stand together
in this dispensation as they did in the past, and in that connection the gifts
of the Spirit are recognized even unto the end of the world. “Here is the
patience of the saints; here are
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they that keep the commandments of God, and the
faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.
Examining the context we find that this
declaration, which is located in time by the adverb, here, is made after the
proclamation is made, “The hour of His Judgment is come,” and just before the
Son of man appears on the white cloud to reap the harvest of the earth. This
proves that the text applies near to the end of time: near the close of the
dispensation.
The faith of Jesus is united with the
commandments of God—not substituted for them. The faith of Jesus is a
comprehensive phrase, and must include the whole gospel system in its duties
and promises. For there can be no duty nor benefit in the gospel which is not
embraced in “the faith of Jesus.” And therefore “the commandments of God,” in
distinction from the faith of Jesus, must refer to God’s moral law, which is
the basis of the gospel, and without which the gospel were a nullity. “By the
law is the knowledge of sin;” but the gospel is the remedy for sin.
In point of time the following text is parallel
with the one quoted, Rev. 14:12; and it is explicit in its testimony on the
connection of the law of God with the gifts of the Spirit:—
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and
went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17.
As “the remnant” of the seed of the woman—the
church—can be no other than the last part
or last age of the church, this text also must be fulfilled near the close of
the dispensation.
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The circumstances of the people of God are the
same in the two texts. In Rev. 13:11-17, they are revealed under persecutions
because they will not worship the beast, nor his image, nor receive his mark.
In chapter 14:9-12 they who do thus worship the beast are threatened with
terrible plagues. They who do not worship the beast—who escape the plagues—are
found keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Of them it is
said, “Here is the patience of the saints.” Now as “tribulation worketh patience,”
Rom. 5:1-3, we have in this text reference to the persecutions of chap.
13:11-17, or the war which is made against the remnant of chapter 12:17, who
“keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
We give again the explanation of the position
of “the remnant” as found in the following text:—
“I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is
the Spirit of prophecy.” Rev. 19:10.
According to the Scriptures the remnant of the
seed of the woman—the last state or last part of the church of Christ—keep the
commandments of God, and have the Spirit of prophecy; that is, the gifts of the
Spirit are restored to them before the Lord Jesus comes to reap the harvest and
gather his saints to himself. And this is confirmed by the words of Paul to
those who are looking for this second coming of the Lord as follows:— “Even as
the testimony of Christ was confirmed in
you; so that ye come behind in no
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gift;
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:6, 7.
Here we may safely rest the argument that in
the last days of this dispensation, when the true church is waiting for the
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the testimony of Jesus—the Spirit of
prophecy—will be confirmed in the believers, so that they shall possess its
gifts and powers. But there is more evidence in the Scriptures to be presented
on this subject, equally decisive with that which is here offered.
To be continued…..
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