In the Holy Scriptures there are revealed two churches-the true and the counterfeit which are diametrically opposed to each other. God gives the title "synagogue of Satan" (Revelation 3:9) to the false or apostate church. It is Satan's masterpiece of counterfeiting the true church. He has a wonderful organization and a large membership.
Satan's counterfeit religious system, which he uses to deceive the whole world, lacks nothing to make it complete and like the genuine. His ministers "are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
It is by the mingling of false teachings with truth that this counterfeit church has been promoted. God's true church, in contrast, will not seek that which does not bear His mark and superscription. Christ Himself declared that worship which mingles the human with the divine is worthless, and foretold the fate of the counterfeit religious system of doctrines and institutions. "In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. ... Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." (Matthew 15:9,13)
Since man-made worship is vain or worthless, because it is counterfeit, we must have some standard by which to test doctrines and determine what is truth. This test is given in the Holy Bible: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)
It is quite natural for men to desire to belong to the true church. But with the multiplicity of sects, with their conflicting creeds and doctrines, it may seem difficult to determine which is the true one. It is not very difficult after all. God's word declares that the two outstanding characteristics of the true church in the last days, marks which distinguish her from all others, are "keeping the commandments of God and having the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 12:17; 19:10)
As foretold in prophecy, Satan's rage against Christ, whom he failed to hold in the tomb, is hurled against His followers, whom he has persecuted bitterly down through the centuries to the remnant living in the time of Christ's return (Revelation 12:1-17). The final outburst of Satanic wrath will be against the individuals "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 12:17) But though Satan wars against those who obey the law of God, we are not left in doubt as to the result of the issue. The Lord will vindicate His law, and at His coming He will utter these words: " Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12)
Thus God has a true church in the world, and Satan also has his, and there is constant war between them. Our position in this conflict depends on our attitude toward God and the truth, that He has revealed to men, for all other worship is "vain" and will be " rooted up. " According to the standard set up by God, the true church makes the "commandments of God" and "the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12; Isaiah 8:20) the very foundation of its teachings. Because the false church is a close counterfeit of the true, we would not expect to find the false system repudiating the whole law of God. Satan's system deals in "the knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:17). It rejects a part of the Ten Commandments, substituting for a command of God a precept of man. It is this perversion of worship that has given rise to numerous sects and creeds. Our individual attitude to the law of God determines the church to which we belong.
The wrath of "the dragon," Satan, is said to be directed against "the woman." (Revelation 12:1-3,17) A woman is thus used in symbolic prophecy to represent a church. In the Revelation we have the true and the false church each symbolized by a woman. John saw "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." This glorious woman is the true church of Christ. "I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." (Jeremiah 6:2) "I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one, husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:2) Her child is the Lord Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem and "caught up unto God" after His death and resurrection. (Acts 1:9-11) The sun with which the woman is clothed represents the full light of truth shining from the Bible after the first advent of Christ. The moon represents the gospel light of truth as reflected by the symbolic, sacrificial service of the Old Testament, which pointed to Christ and was thus illuminated with borrowed meaning, just as the lunar orb shines with borrowed light from the solar body.
In Revelation 17 is God's picture of the false church. The symbol used for it is also a woman, a lewd and fallen one. It is pictured thus: "There came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters." (Revelation 17:1) So clearly does God prophetically portray this apostate religious power which would bring multitudes to ruin, that no room is left for doubt as to the identity of the false system of worship to which He refers.
The church referred to in the prophecy would hold universal sway, for she is "the great whore that sits upon many waters." (Revelation 17:1) We have the following definition of the waters as a prophetic symbol: "The waters which thou saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." (Revelation 17:15) This shows that many nations would be under the domination of this apostate religious power. History attests to the fulfillment of this prophetic utterance, as seen in the position occupied for centuries by the Roman Catholic Church, when kings and their subjects alike bowed to her commands.
She was foreseen by the prophet in the symbol of the vile and wicked woman who would "sit upon a scarlet-colored beast." A beast in symbolic prophecy represents a political power. (Daniel 7:17,23; 8:20,21) Through the mingling of pagan and Christian doctrines in the early centuries, and the union of church and state from the time of Constantine I to Justinian's reign, was brought about the pontifical eminence and regal authority of the false system that is portrayed in the prophecy.
She is described as one "with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication." (Revelation 17:2) These words refer to the illicit union between the kings of the earth and the formidable, corrupt, and apostate church. The condition that led to her fornication, or whoredom, was a betrayal of her sacred vow to be true to her real husband, Jesus Christ, who is "the Head of the church." (Ephesians 5:23)
It requires humility to be a follower of the meek and lowly One. (Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:26,27) But this church became weary of her self-denial, and went after other lovers, who would give her the material things of life: dress, tables of luxury, social standing, political eminence, and finally the highest position-that of a crowned queen with a royal throne. (Revelation 17:2,18; 18:3) Her course has been like that of Israel of old. For their [the Israelites'] mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink." (Hosea 2:5) "Shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou has played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to Me, says the Lord. Lift up your eyes unto the high places, and see where thou has not been lien with.
In the ways has thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou has polluted the land with thy whoredoms and thy wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou has a whore's forehead, thou refused to be ashamed." (Jeremiah 3: 1-3)
Thus the church would court the friendship of the world, dishonor her Lord, with a resulting spiritual declension and drought. The showers of the Holy Spirit could not be poured out during the Dark Ages because of unfaithfulness to the law and the word of God.
"And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy." (Revelation 17:3,18) According to this prophecy, the woman's mounting the beast indicates the pre-eminence which the apostate church would hold in civil affairs, as queen over the kings of the earth. The names of blasphemy referred to show the aspirations of the leader of the church in assuming the prerogatives of God.
Two ways of blaspheming, according to the Bible are these: (1) by claiming the power to forgive sins; and (2) by laying claim to be the Son of God. Christ was accused by the Pharisees of blasphemy when He forgave sin. "And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and- the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" (Luke 5:20,21) Christ would have been guilty of blasphemy in claiming to forgive sins, if He had been a mere man, for God has never given that exclusive right to any human being.
The Roman Catholic Church claims that the power of absolution is invested in her priests:
"Seek where you will, through heaven and earth, and you will find but one created being who can forgive the sinner, who can free him from the chains of hell, that extraordinary being is the priest, the [Roman] Catholic priest".[1] 'Who can forgive sins except God?' was the question which the Pharisees sneeringly asked. 'Who can forgive sins?' is the question which the Pharisees of the present day also ask, and I answer there is a man on earth that can forgive sins and that man is the [Roman] Catholic priest. Yes, beloved brethren, the priest not only declares that the sinner is forgiven, but he really forgives him. The priest raises his hand, he pronounces the word of absolution, and in an instant, quick as a flash of light, the chains of hell are burst asunder, and the sinner becomes a child of God. So great is the power of the priest that the judgments of heaven itself are subject to his decision."[1]
When the priest raises his hand over the penitent and pronounces the words of absolution, " I absolve thee," he is guilty of blasphemy.
Another Bible definition of blasphemy is seen in the case where the high priest asked Christ if He were the Son of God. "The high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said, "What need we any further witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy: what think you? And they all condemned Him to be guilty of death." (Mark 14:60-64)
Had Jesus not been the Son of God, as He said He was, the charge of blasphemy made against Him by the high priest would have been true. Who of the human family have claimed a right to the title, " Son of God," or "Another Christ"? A Romanist says:
'Thou art a priest forever,' says the ordaining bishop, 'set apart to offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins' (Hebrews 5). As he lays his hands on the bowed head before him, the eternal Spirit stamps the soul of the priest with His mysterious 'mark' or character.'
"The Jewish priests of the old law wore always on their foreheads a silver plate bearing the words: Sandum Domino-'Holy To the Lord'; the ministers of God's church carry graven on their souls the sign of ordination, which can never be effaced. In the eyes of God and His heavenly court he is no longer a man, a sinful child of Adam, but an alter Christus, 'another Christ.'
'Did I meet an angel and a priest,' said St. Francis of Assisi, 'I would salute the priest before the angel.'
'Thou art a priest forever,' is written on his soul. Forever a priest of the Most High with power over the Almighty.
"Forever, whether a saint on earth or buried in sin, whether glorious in heaven or burning in hell, 'marked and sealed and as God's most precious treasure which no earthly hand touch."[2]
When holy orders are conferred upon the priest, and he assumes the title of alter Christus (another Christ), it is then that the guilt of blasphemy is registered against him and those who ordain him.
Thus this church, through her priesthood, fits into the prophetic picture. When a religious system elevates men to the position held by Christ, it is time for its adherents to search God's word earnestly and prayerfully. What intercedes the exaltation of the human is the discarding of Bible truth and the adoption of man-made doctrines. The great apostasy originally began with those "who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator." (Romans 1:25) The apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, foretold the coming of the antichrist whose aspirations would presume to transcend the realms of this earth to the supernatural. He spoke prophetically of one "who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. " (2 Thessalonians 2:4) How it must grieve Heaven to see a church making such a high profession and yet being averse to the teachings of the Divine Word!
Since dress plays an important part in the social circle of the world, the apostate church, courting the friendship of earthly potentates, exchanged the simple white linen of "the righteousness of Christ" (Revelation 19:8) for the gaudy, rich robes, of the world, thus enhancing her standing among the kings of the earth. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." (Revelation 17:4)
Purple, a token of royalty, (Daniel 5:7, margin; Matthew 27:28) shows that this apostate church would associate with the kings of the earth. At certain feasts of the church, the vestments which the priests wear are purple. Those who compose the college of cardinals dress in scarlet. Scarlet is also a symbol of sin, which is the transgression of God's law. "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18; 1 John 3:4)
She is described as being "decked with gold" margin, "gilded" having a beautiful outward appearance, while her interior is nothing but base metal. The characteristic of gold is to be seen in the true church of God. (Revelation 3:18) But here is a church gilded over. At heart it is base, vile, and corrupt. She is also "decked with ... precious stones and pearls," ornaments that are worn by those who love ostentation. "Love makes no parade, gives itself no airs." (1 Corinthians 13:5, Moffatt)
When a church or an individual bedecks and goes out to attract the attention of the world, it is a sure sign that the simplicity of the meek and lowly Christ has been lost. The less a person has on the inside, the more he puts on the outside. If this fallen church were to don the simple attire of the true body of Christ, she would no longer go arm in arm with the potentates of the earth. We never read of Jesus or the apostles courting the favor of the Caesars of Rome. The humble Galilean garb which they wore never would have commended them to a royal court.
Here, too, is a church whose language and customs are in keeping with court life. The diplomatic relationships which this church had during the Dark Ages, and which have recently been restored, cause its head, the pope, and his legates to feel perfectly at home as they negotiate with the civil rulers of earth. Christ and His followers were not politicians, and were they on earth, royal palaces would be strange places to them.
The examination of the "cup" which is in the hand of the woman next demands attention. This is the most significant detail of the prophetic symbol, for the Holy Word declares: "The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (Revelation 17:2) It is evident that all the glory and splendid appearance of the counterfeit church are but a lure to, attract men to taste the intoxicating and deadly potion found in this cup. Words cannot too strongly state the importance of every person's need of knowing exactly what is this wine in Babylon's cup, To the exposition of this part of the prophetic symbol the remainder of this book is devoted. As everything about the false church is a counterfeit of some feature of the true church, so the wine she offers is the substitute for the pure water of life flowing from the living fountain of the Sacred Word of God. In order to recognize the poison in the wine of her cup, we must make use of the test established by God: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (John 6:63; Jeremiah 2:13; Isaiah 8:20) Therefore let us compare the doctrines of the papal church, as taught in original sources, and in authorized Roman Catholic catechisms and doctrinal books, with the true teachings revealed by God in the Holy Scriptures.
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