The assumption held by many for decades is that Christ's call to Laodicea to repent is addressed to individuals alone, whose problems are confined to miscellaneous personal failings. We don't deny that the call includes individuals; the point is that it embraces much more.
It has become obvious that His call is to "the angel of the church" in the true Biblical sense of a body. Immediately therefore the question arises, Is it possible for an organized body to repent? Does increasingly complex organization get in the way of the Holy Spirit's true work on earth? Must the "body" on earth become more disjointed and uncoordinated, like a quadriplegic patient whose spasms and jerks are uncontrollable by the head? We believe that the Bible has an answer that is clearly understandable in the light of history.
The essential quality of repentance remains the same in all ages and in all circumstances. People, not machines, not organizations, repent. But the repentance called for from Laodicea is unique in circumstances, depth, and extent. The church is not a machine, nor is its organization impersonal. The church is a body, and its organization is its vital functioning capacity. The individuals comprising this body can repent as a body.
As we have seen, metanoia (Greek for repentance) is literally perceptive "afterthought." It cannot be complete until the close of history, nor can it be complete until corporate guilt is discerned. So long as a "tomorrow" may provide further reflection on the meaning of our "mind" today, or so long as another's sins may yet disclose to us our own deeper guilt, our repentance must be incomplete.
But it will grow. Ellen' G. White offers this perceptive insight into the ever-deepening experience that repentance is:
At every advance step in Christian experience our repentance will deepen. It is to those whom the Lord has forgiven, to those whom lie acknowledges as His people, that He says, '"['hen shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight.' Again He. says, 'I will establish My covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that 1 am the Lord; that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Cod.' Then our lips will not be opened in self-glorification. We shall know that our sufficiency is in Christ alone. (Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 160, 161.)
A Bright Future for God's Work
A most beautiful experience is on the "program" of coming events, an experience unique, in history. Zechariah, Christ-centered prophet of last-day events, tells us that there will come to the denominated church and its leadership a heart-response to Calvary that will completely transform, the church. Speaking of the final events, the prophet says:
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one is in bitterness for his firstborn … In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 12:10-13:1.)
Who are "the inhabitants of Jerusalem"? Clearly, the members of Christ's church. Jerusalem is a "city," a symbol of the nation of Abraham's descendants, the organized body of God's people. In Zechariah's day, "Jerusalem" was the word that denominated as distinct before the world that particular group of people who were called to represent the Lord to the nations of the world. Jerusalem was a corporate, denominated, organized body of professed worshippers. She had just completed seventy years of disintegration and exile as punishment for centuries of rebellion and apostasy. Now the prophet, has been called to predict her reconstitution and reinstatement as the denominated people who will again represent Jehovah Co the nations of earth. "The spirit of grace and supplications" is not to be poured out on scattered individual descendants of Abraham invisibly connected by mutual faith, but on the inhabitants of the "city," a visible body of God's denominated people on earth. in the setting of Zechariah's prophecy, it is implied that no descendant of Abraham choosing to dwell outside "Jerusalem" will share in the outpouring of the "spirit of grace and supplications." And we do know that those Jews were "lost" to history who chose to remain in the nations where they were scattered, refusing to move back to the ancestral nation in Palestine.
Who are "the house of David"? Obviously not Christ Himself, for "the house of David" share with "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" the guilt of "piercing" Christ. As it was the "house of David" that was anciently the government of the denominated people of God, it seems reasonable to conclude that the term refers to the leadership of the last-day church or "the angel of the church." "The house of David" are "the king and his nobles," to borrow Jonah's terminology regarding the city of Nineveh. They are "the men of Judah" whom Daniel speaks of in distinction to "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (Daniel 10:7), Judah being the reigning tribe of the nation. "The house of David" includes all levels of leadership in the organized remnant church. Every community served by a congregation is a microcosm of the world, and the church there is its "Jerusalem." To the world itself, the world church is its "Jerusalem," its world leadership, "the house of David" designated to receive "the spirit of grace and supplications."
Does it seem fantastic that such a "spirit" shall be poured out on a body of leadership congested by organizational complexity? The more complex the church becomes, the more involved its multitudinous departments, the greater is the danger of the collective self of its large organization choking the simple, direct promptings of the Holy Spirit. Each individual catching a vision is tempted to feel that "his hands are tied"-what can he do? The great organizational monolith, permeated with pride and lukewarmness, seems to move only at an agonizing snail pace. Aside from this "spirit of grace and supplications," the nearer we come to the end of time, the bigger the church becomes, the more complex and congested are its movement, the more remote appears the prospect of accomplishing its worldwide task.
Why the Organization is Needed
Zechariah's prophecy calls for denominational repentance as the only possible remedy. The world needs a "Jerusalem" as a "witness to all nations." Without "Jerusalem" the task cannot be done. The history of the failure of old Jerusalem proves that without "the spirit of grace and of supplications," denominational organization inevitably becomes proud and misrepresentative of its divine mission. Zechariah says that the sense of contrition that a correct view of Calvary imparts ("they shall look on Me whom they [not the Jews and Romans of a past millenium] have pierced") will provide the ultimate solution to the problem of human "sin and uncleanness."
What is "the spirit of grace and supplications" poured out on the church and its leadership? Two distinct elements make up this phenomenal experience: "the spirit of grace," an appreciation of God's grace, a view of His character of love completely devastating and annihilating to human self-sufficiency and pride; and "the spirit of supplications," prayers arising from broken, contrite hearts. The difference in essential quality between these prayers and formal ordinary petitions is very great. Sinners will immediately detect the genuineness of these "supplications" because they will come from hearts transformed by corporate repentance. When prayer comes from a heart broken in contrition, "then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee" (Psalm 51:13).
The spirit of worship and service pervading every congregation will be immediately recognized. In close context to Zechariah's prophecy of chapter 10, we find another prophecy showing what could be the soul-winning results of such denominational repentance:
People from around the world will come on pilgrimages and pour into Jerusalem from many foreign cities to attend these celebrations. People will write their friends in other cities [denominations] and say, "Let's go to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us, and be merciful to us. I'm going! Please come with me. Let's go now!" (Zechariah 8:20, 21, Living Prophecies, paraphrased by Kenneth N. Taylor.)
The Cross and Denominational Repentance
How will this precious "spirit of grace and supplications" be poured out? What can we possibly do to hasten the fulfillment of this prophecy? Must we go into our graves as have previous generations and leave this marvelous experience to await some future generation? If we refuse the experience of repentance Christ calls for, yes. If we hold to "business-as-usual" pride and dignity, yes. If we permit past patterns of denominational reaction to continue, yes.
The answer to the question "how?" is the cross. "They shall look on Me whom they have pierced," the Lord says. Here is the full recognition of corporate guilt; and the "spirit" bestowed follows the full, frank experience of corporate repentance. All human sin centers in the murder of the Son of God. So long as this is not perceived, the "spirit of grace and supplications" is unwelcome to the proud heart and, therefore, not receivable. We remain like little children contentedly unaware of our true spiritual condition. A knowledge of the full truth brings deep sorrow for sin, not a self-centered fear of punishment, but a Christ-centered sympathy for Him in His sufferings.
This transfer of concern from self to Christ is the most miraculous aspect of this amazing development among God's people. "They shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn [that dies]" (Zechariah 12:10). To shift the focus of concern in the hearts of God's people from anxiety regarding their own eternal salvation to such sympathy for Christ-this is absolutely astounding. Were there no power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the miracle, we might in our human judgment estimate that many decades would be necessary to effect such a change in human nature.
Zechariah goes on to describe how this heart sympathy for Christ will move the people. Taylor seems to have caught the idea;
The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem at that time will be even greater than the grievous mourning for the godly king Josiah, who was killed in the valley of Megiddo. All of Israel will weep in profound sorrow. The whole nation will be bowed down with universal grief-king, prophet, priest, and people. Each family will go into private mourning, husband and wife apart, to face their sorrow alone. (Zechariah 12:11-14, Living Prophecies)
Such "repentance" can be nothing less than receiving the "mind of Christ." The last church is composed of individuals who, like everyone else in human history, were born with a "reprobate mind," the natural unregenerate heart of the sinner. But for them the transformation of "mind" will be complete. The more fully the "mind of Christ" is received, the deeper becomes their sense of contrition. The after-perception of the enlightened mind views sin without illusion.
Nevertheless, deep repentance is the very opposite of despair or gloominess. Only when one can view his sinful state with the repentance of such enlightened "after-perception" can he begin to appreciate the "good news" Christ proclaims. Those who fear repentance lest it induce gloom or sadness misunderstand the "mind of Christ" and close their eyes to the healing power of the Holy Spirit. The cheerfulness of the world is superficial and quickly turns to despair under severe trial. "Not as the world giveth" is the joy of Christ which is consistent with the fact that He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." As the remnant church ministers amidst the tragic disintegration of human life that more and more characterizes these last days, she needs that deep unfailing "joy of the Lord" that can come only from a deep experience of repentance and contrition. We cannot truly "believe the good news" as Jesus wants us to until we truly "repent" as He calls us to do.
Repentance for the individual is the perceptive afterthought that views personal character in the light of Calvary. What was previously unconscious becomes open to perception and understanding. The deep-seated sin of the soul, the corruption of the. motives, all are viewed in the light that streams from the cross. As taught in the New Testament, repentance and faith are interwoven with the experience of appreciation of the atonement.
Repentance for the church body is the perceptive afterthought that views denominational history from the perspective of Calvary. What was previously unconscious within history becomes open. Movements and developments that were mysterious at the time are seen in their larger, truer significance. As with individual repentance, an experience of corporate repentance is possible only when the meaning of faith is clearly appreciated .
Pentecost forever defines the glorious reality of repentance. No one could fully grasp what repentance meant until after the cross. Mincing no words, Peter laid the full guilt of Christ's murder on his hearers: "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). The result of this bold proclamation was an experience that was phenomenal, a human response never before (and seldom since) seen: "When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (verse 37). The events of verses 41 through 47 are glorious. Having experienced the depths of contrition, the early church was prepared to experience the heights of joyful, ministering love.
The "Why" of Apostolic Success
This syndrome of "ye crucified Christ/therefore repent ye" was the basis for the success of the early church. "Christ crucified" became the central appeal of all the apostles' ministry. Their hearers had no illusions about where the guilt lay. The Book of Acts would have been impossible unless every converted member of the early church realized his full share of the corporate guilt of that generation (as of all previous generations) in the murder of the Son of God, and likewise shared in the joyful experience of appropriate repentance.
From Acts 10 onwards we read of how others beside Jews partook of the same glorious experience. Yet the Gentiles had no personal share in the events of Calvary. The apostles are said to have marvelled that the Gentiles should experience the same phenomenal response to the cross that the believing Jews did, and thus receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-47). Peter and his followers evidently did not expect this response, because Peter was careful in his sermon in Cornelius's home to tell the Gentiles that it was the Jews who "slew and hanged [Christ] on a tree." He said nothing about the Gentiles being guilty. The phenomenal reception of the Holy Spirit was due to the believing Jews's phenomenal repentance for the sin of the ages-crucifying the Son of God. How could the "innocent" Gentiles share in this experience?
The Holy Spirit sent His words closer home than Peter expected. His contrite hearers identified themselves with the Jews and recognized themselves as fully sharing in the guilt. Only thus could they have shared the depths of repentance which made possible their reception of the power of the Holy spirit. In other words, they experienced corporate repentance.
Nothing in Scripture indicates that the reception of the Holy Spirit in the last days will be any different.
Everywhere Paul went among Jews and Gentiles, he "determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). He brought His hearers to the scene of the crucifixion. He reminded his Galatian converts that "Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you" (Galatians 3:1). He made them attend the proceedings that Friday.
Would You Have Done Better?
Let us try to picture ourselves as one of the crowd that gathered before Pilate that Friday morning. The strange Prisoner stands bound. It is popular to join in condemning Him. Not a voice is raised in His defense.
Suppose you are connected with Pilate's government, or are in the employ of Caiphas, the High Priest. Would you have the courage to stand up alone before that crowd and say, "We are making a terrible mistake here.' This man is not guilty of these charges. He is indeed what He claims to be-He is the divine Son of God! I appeal to you, Pilate and Caiphas, don't condemn this Man"? While it is true that Pilate's wife sent him a private note making such an appeal, based on her dream, not one person dared to make a public appeal in Christ's behalf.
Suppose your job depended on the favor of these rulers. Suppose your own close circle of friends have already joined the mockery and abuse of Jesus-would you (or I) have the nerve to face them and rebuke them for what they do?
Realizing how easily your defense of Jesus might put you on the cross, too, would you (or I) have dared to speak out?
"The whole world stands charged today with the deliberate rejection and murder of the Son of God." "Upon all rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God."
When this universal guilt is clearly sensed by human hearts, and God's forgiveness truly appreciated, Pentecost will be repeated. We dare not say that the church as a body cannot know this repentance, lest when we survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, we pour contempt on His loving sacrifice by implying that it was in vain.