It was generally supposed that the election of Pope John XXIII on October 28, 1958 was merely a delaying action. People thought that because of his advanced age the new Pontiff would be merely a "caretaker" Pope who would hold the post, do little, and leave decisions for another Pope shortly. This proved, however, to be a mistake; for Pope John has become in a short space of time one of the most popular popes in the Roman Church's history. He is an innovater, and an ingenious leader who dares to depart from custom. He seems to be a man very suited to this time when great things are in the making-ecclesiastically, scientifically, militarily, within nations and in the international arena. There are portents on all sides of inevitable great changes in store for the world. Changes of great magnitude and of unheard-of natures in the making.
What many Christians forget is that God is moving behind the scenes, and is working to bring about the literal and absolute fulfillment of all His will. We are living in the most unusual epoch of the Church's history; we are at the end of an age. The political heads and the religious leaders are practicing for the final stages. Each will fill his own place and all work together to bring about God's purposes for this world. His firm decree has gone forth that Christ shall reign and trample His enemies under His feet (Psalm 2). At present He sits at God's right hand until the appointed moment (Psalm 110). Men have forgotten that God's wrath hangs over this world for having cast His Son out of it; His judgment has lingered long, while His grace has acted to save all who receive the Lord Jesus as Savior; but the day of righteous judgment is at hand.
One of the recent events that marks the way is the papal encyclical entitled, "Pacem in Terris," or "Peace on Earth." It was dated April 10, 1963. It is highly significant for its content and for its form of address. It is not only addressed to the Roman Church in the customary way, but "to all men of goodwill, on establishing universal peace in truth, justice, charity
and liberty." It is thus addressed to "all men" in such a way that it has brought forth praise from nearly all quarters—even from the communist presses. It was lauded by the United States government (a new departure), by Protestant and Jewish leaders; and of course it had the usual Catholic approval.
Its content is based on the principles which are acknowledged in the world. Much is built on the "nature of man," and appeals flow there from. Its whole premise is faulty, for universal peace cannot be secured by "men of good-will" working on a humanistic foundation. Even the flood did not change the evil nature of man; for when it was over God said, "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen. 8:2121And the Lord smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)). God's covenant to not again bring such a deluge on the earth was based on the fragrance of Noah's burnt offering sacrifice, rather than by any change wrought in man's heart by witnessing the power of God's judgment for wickedness. Noah's offering spoke to God of what the coming sacrifice of Christ would furnish to Him as a basis for blessing men.
It is amazing that the Pope said:
"Every human being has the right to honor God according to the dictates of an upright conscience, and therefore the right to worship God privately and publicly."
This certainly has not always been the attitude of Roman Pontiffs, as Church history attests; and we hope that this will be followed in all places. Nevertheless, there is fundamental error in the statement; for man has no right to worship God in a way that seems right in his own eyes. God will only be approached according to His holy Word, and that approach is through the death—the sacrificial death—of the Lord Jesus Christ. Man has no right to worship God after the dictates of his own conscience, nor will God accept it.
The papal encyclical expresses the desire for the one world government which friends of communism have advocated. There is much in it that would fit in perfectly with the National and World Councils of Churches—everything and everybody to get together and live in peace and harmony. According to this theory, all that is required is for "men of good-will" to destroy their weapons and beat their swords into plowshares; but that time has not come, and it will not come until God's
Christ first treads all His enemies under His feet and reigns triumphantly. First will come what is being practiced now—"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears." Joel 3:9, 109Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. (Joel 3:9‑10). Armaments are not yet to be destroyed. How can there be good will among men and nations while the Christ of God is rejected and the Prince of Peace is despised?
The very foundation of the United Nations is at variance with the Word of God. There, nations which professedly honor God compromise their position and exclude prayer to God to please open and avowed atheists. It is just the latest effort of men to have peace on earth with God shut out. It is a story as old as Cain who murdered his righteous brother, went out from the presence of God, and built a city to enjoy the world apart from his Creator. Wars and conflicts have been the usual course, and no League of Nations, World Court, regional federations, "balance of power" (or balance of horror) grouping of nations has ever yet prevented war. The United Nations has had what it calls successes, but in the end it may prove to have been the greatest disappointment of all. It is doomed to failure—"Associate yourselves... and ye shall be broken in pieces.... Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught." Isa. 8:9, 109Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:9‑10).
When we see how closely the encyclical parallels the hopes of men in general, and approaches to church federation aspirations, we need not be surprised to read in the New York Times:
"Protestant, Greek Orthodox and Jewish leaders were lavish in their comment on the document itself and on the Pope for having issued it.... Dr. Lewis Webster Jones, president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, called the encyclical 'a masterpiece.' "
According to the same report, J. Irwin Miller, president of the National Council of Churches said:
"We are gratified at the growing area of agreement among leaders and peoples of the Judeo-Christian heritage, and of other religious faiths on basic matters affecting the peace of the world and the well-being of God's whole family " N. Y. Times, April 12, 1963.
The National Council of Churches found the papal letter contained "remarkable similarities" between their thinking and that of the Roman Church. Others expressed satisfaction at his call for "a strengthened world order through a strengthened United Nations." The whole thing is from man, appeals to man, is for man, and will end in the confusion of man.
Pope John XXIII has created many "firsts" in papal history. He was the first to receive a Shinto high priest from Japan. Not long ago he received Mr. Nikita Khrushchev's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Aleksei Adzhubei, in a private audience. The avowed atheist is the editor of the Communist party's official newspaper, Isvestia. There are indications that the adamant stand against communism which was first taken by Pope Pius XII is being given up by John XXIII. He has made a number of conciliatory gestures in their direction and on a reciprocal basis seems to be reaping some profit. Time magazine for February 22, 1963 says:
"Last week the Pope produced in Rome a living gain from his policy of easing tensions: Ukranian Archbishop Josyf Slipyi of Lvov, [was] freed after 18 years of Soviet confinement.... The Vatican regards Slipyi's release as only the beginning. 'This was a simple act of personal respect by the Russian government for Pope John,' says one Vatican official. `It also gives us hope that other negotiations will work out.' "
There are other favors the Pope would like and may get. One is to have Josef Cardinal Mindszenty out of political asylum in the U.S. legation in Budapest. Archbishop Josef Beran was arrested in Prague in 1950, and his present whereabouts is unknown. A line or two from U. S. News and World Report, March 18, 1963 issue would be apropos:
"There had been other signs of easier relations between the Vatican and the Kremlin. Russian Orthodox priests were permitted by the Kremlin to attend the Ecumenical Council in Rome last autumn." p. 21.
Augustin Cardinal Bea came to the United States at the crucial time and, besides sounding his notes for religious ecumenical advances, he commented on his Church's relaxing mood toward communism. He said before he left Rome that the U.S. was angry and he was afraid they would soon be angrier, according to Time for April 5, 1963. Thus an effort is being made to influence the United States to accept Rome's changed attitude toward communism, which was scarcely necessary from the ecumenicalists' viewpoint here.
Inherent in the suggestions of an enforced world order for mankind is the suggestion for a one-church world. And this is coming according to the "scripture of truth." We are not in darkness, nor are we uninformed about the future. God has treated us as friends and has unfolded to us what He is about to do. This great day of grace is going to culminate in man's wickedness rising to its absolute peak—a great religious confederation on earth without Christ, which God names "Babylon the Great." It is in the preliminary stages of its making; the coming of the Lord to take all true believers to Himself in the Father's house is the next event; then that nauseous, hateful thing will come into full bloom, only to be spewed out of Christ's mouth and later destroyed by human agency under the leadership of the Roman beast (Rev. 17) in a sudden effort to get rid of even the name of God. It will be suddenly destroyed by the atheistic forces that are growing apace side-by-side with ecumenicalism. Two great antagonistic forces—lifeless profession with increased stress being placed on ritualism on the one hand, and godless, ruthless, atheistic forces on the other.
Dear reader, if you are one of Christ's blood-bought sheep, "let us not sleep as do others." May God give each of us a deeper realization that we are AT THE END, and may the blessed prospect of soon being with Christ cheer our hearts, while we walk in more genuine separation from the world and in faithfulness to Christ. Heed not the false leaders who say that true, practical Christianity in separation from evil is not for our day, but was suited to "Bible days." Never was there a time when simple, loving devotedness of heart to Christ was more called for.