VIII.-The Future Religion-Worship of Satan
All government in the world has heretofore been of God. In the remarkable clash of opinions today, and wild projects for the improvement of the world, there has arisen a company of men more dangerous from their audacity than their number, who call themselves Nihilists in Russia, and in other places, Anarchists. The etymology of both names indicates the principles held—no government of any kind, no law, no worship, no God—nothing—nihil! Or, anarchy—without a chief, but with all that this chiefless lawlessness involves mankind to be left to their own ungoverned impulses. And from this low-level swamp into which all evil will drain, the anarchists are deluded enough to expect that good will arise to humanity. Alas! for the neglected light of the Bible! Had they known the Scriptures they might have seen that in the varied demonstration of principles which God has wrought out on the platform of this world, man has already been tried on the very ground of no government; for that was the condition of the world before the deluge. There is no record, no trace of any government until then. Man, now that he had listened to Satan and rejected God, was allowed to display what he would come to without law and without interference. And what was the result? “The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold I will destroy them from the earth” (Genesis 6:5, 11, 12, 135And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:11‑13)). That was the development of fallen human nature left to itself.
How little do men reflect or even know, that for 1,600 years man has been tried on the very principles which anarchists now advocate; and that the awful product was a chaos of iniquity—corruption on the one hand, and violence on the other, such as brought down the vengeance of the Almighty upon the whole race, Noah (the “just man and perfect,” Genesis 6:99These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9)) and his family being alone saved. Is it not strange that the Flood, the greatest event which the world has witnessed (except the visit and murder of the Son of God), is totally ignored, and its moral significance unknown or despised? But there is a will in this ignorance. Men do not wish to be reminded of the judgment of God, either past or future. Hence they ignore that the earth has already once been swept by judgment, and is now reserved to a more awful visitation. Meanwhile the fact of the deluge remains a testimony—(1) That the world has not continued from its creation as it now is. (2) That the race has already been visited with appalling judgment for wickedness. (3) That man left to himself, so far from developing in the direction of goodness and happiness, sinks lower and lower into filthy corruption and frightful violence. THAT IS THE LESSON OF THE DELUGE. “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-73Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3‑7)).
Government, prior to the deluge, had not, so to speak, been invented. For example, Cain slew Abel, but there was no judiciary to deal with the crime. God personally intervened in this particular case; but there was no general administration of justice. Lamech openly avows that he had slain a man because of injury (Genesis 4), but there is no allusion to the existence of any law to appeal to, or any government to protect. The primitive private war, the shootings and stabbings, which we read of in America, the unauthorized killing of negroes for alleged crimes, but without process of law—these are, in their measure, a reversion to the state of unregulated society before the flood. But what in that respect is now exceptional, was then general— “the earth was filled with violence. “
In the commencement of the new world, however, a change was made in various matters, and amongst them the principle of government is for the first time found— “whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed” (Genesis 9:66Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. (Genesis 9:6)). Here is the germ of government divinely instituted for the restraint of human evil. The punishment of crime in man is solemnly and expressly placed in the hands of his fellow men, and henceforth the magistrate “beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God.” The abolition of capital punishment therefore is the rejection of a divine institution designed for the repression of evil. The full doctrine on the subject is given in the Epistle to the Romans, where the apostle Paul states “that there is no authority except from God: and those that exist are set up by God” (chap. 13:1).
The “divine right of kings” is a faulty expression. The authority of kings is indeed divine, but so also is every authority in the world, whether it be that of a king, or the president of a republic; whether it be that of a governor, a judge, or a magistrate—down even to a policeman or a taxgatherer; and, in other spheres, an officer of an army or a ship, or a foreman of laborers, a husband, a father, or a schoolmaster. All existent authority in the world is divine; and government in the present fallen state of man is a divine blessing. Man may abuse the authority entrusted to him, and for that will give account in the judgment. But the authority which he either uses or abuses is placed in his hand from above; and as long as it exists, cannot be disobeyed with impunity. The dogma that “power proceeds from the people,” is a fallacy. Historically, it has not been the fact. Under a democratic government it may appear to be so, simply because God may permit that form of administering His power; but in the history of mankind, democracy has been exceptional, and the prevailing governments of Christendom, excepting America and France, are even now, either of a mixed nature, or, as in Russia, autocratic. The case of Russia itself refutes the axiom. The population is over 125 millions; power is not with the people there, much less does it proceed from them; indeed, they are engaged in a frantic struggle to clutch it. British India contains one-seventh of the population of the globe. Does power inhere in its people? On the contrary, its millions have been controlled to the present time by a handful of Englishmen.
It is well to understand thus, the true nature of present government, in order to appreciate the change which there will be in the closing period of the present age. There will not then be government of divine origin as now; neither will there be the negation of government as desired by anarchists, except perhaps briefly during the tumult out of which arises the Roman beast (Revelation 13:11And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)). Government there will be, but its dreadful character is that it will be energized by Satan. The Roman Empire has been; then there is a period of non-existence; but in its final form it comes up out of “the abyss” —is of Satanic origin. The prophet in this enlightens us as to the true origin of the beast, although instrumentally and proximately it arises from amongst the mass of the nations in a state of confusion; for the beast is seen “rising up out of the sea” (Revelation 13:11And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)). Now, “waters,” as a prophetic symbol, is interpreted in 17:15 to mean “peoples and multitudes, and nations and tongues.” By analogy, then, “the sea” would mean the same in a state of agitation and commotion—possibly anarchy.
How strong already is the tendency to this state of politics is plainly to be seen. Anarchy is now openly professed. A few years back, to say that any given course tended to anarchy or even socialism was to condemn it; but anarchism is now a force to be reckoned with, and so indeed are milder forms of dangerous opinion, whose inevitable goal is the upsetting of authorized government. Out of the midst of such a state of the world, Satanic influence will raise up a mighty head of the Roman Empire, who will receive universal acceptance and homage. Thus is “the beast” to come up out of the abyss. The source of power or government in that day will not be as now, divine, but it will be “the dragon” that will give to the beast “his power, and his throne, and great authority.” This is necessary to be explained in order to understand the nature of “the great tribulation.”
Considering that the revival of the Roman Empire was prophesied of nineteen centuries ago, it is not a little remarkable that, quite apart from prophecy, the idea of that restoration is now beginning to occupy men's thoughts as a measure of practical politics. Two principal movements of our day occasion many anxieties to statesmen and to all who look below the surface of daily events. One is the enormous increase of armaments, so great—and still multiplying—that the wisest wonder where it all leads to. The other is, accretion of power in the hands of the people, along with the fostering of such wild 'schemes of socialism and anarchy, as threaten the very existence of society. “A future Roman Empire: a possible result and solution of some modern political and economic problems,” is the title of a most thoughtful and interesting book by Mr. G. E. Tamer (London: Elliot Stock). The title itself indicates the aim of the work. The author says, “In a former treatise on some conspicuous developments of the times—'State-provided Education,' ‘Combinations in Restraint of Trade,' and ‘The Gradual Transfer of Political Power to the Largest Class'—I attempted to show that their mutual action, proceeding unchecked on present lines, would result in producing a state of things in the form of a universal anarchy that humanly speaking could only be effectually dealt with by a Roman Emperor” (p. 2). Referring to the loss to the world through the dissolution of the ancient Roman Empire, Mr. Tarner remarks, “The Roman policy, which, while welding together for imperial purposes the diversified components of the empire... produced such a general confidence, and consequent material prosperity, throughout its various provinces, as to result in long periods of profound internal peace and general tranquility—the Pax Romana” (p. 11).
Mr. Tarner quotes Merivale to the effect that, “The wars of the ‘kites and crows' were succeeded by a period of internal tranquility, more extensive, more durable, and more profound than any other in human annals. The Pax Romana stands out a unique phenomenon in history” (p. 16). Mr. Tarner graphically depicts the advantages which might be expected from a re-constitution of the mighty Roman Empire: “And so once more the ‘Pax Romana' might be brought within the possibility of realization. The practical immunity from war, otherwise than from without the empire (the knowledge of its enormous resources reducing such probability to a minimum) would naturally permit, and, in fact, necessitate, a large individual disarmament by the states comprising it; but still providing for the protection of their several colonies against external aggression and internal disorder: thus to a great extent meeting the aspirations of the peace party without falling into a ‘peace-at-any-price' policy, and practically solving the disarmament question.” His book affords the remarkable coincidence that that which the word of God has through centuries declared will ultimately come (though then through evil agency) is now actually proposed as a definite political measure. The re-establishment of the Roman Empire as prophesied in holy writ is certain to take place; but equally certain is it, that that event will occur in the manner and time which scripture indicates, and not as a philosophical proposal for improvement, as so lucidly and thoughtfully projected by Mr. Tamer.
But let us turn again to scripture for light on this important subject. In the 13th chapter of Revelation there are three distinct personages who act as one. They are indeed a Satanic anti-trinity. A distinguished writer has remarked that from what the Bible tells us of Satan, he appears to have no originating power: he can only imitate. God sets up a church; Satan has his false church. God has His Christ, Satan his antichrist. And here in this chapter of the Revelation, there is a Satanic anti-trinity, consisting of Satan himself, the Roman prince (eighth head of the beast), and another beast, which has “two horns like a lamb” (imitation of Christ), but “he spake as a dragon” (ver. 11). Satan's grand aim is to get himself acknowledged in the place of God. He is the rival as well as antagonist of God, and seeks to use man as the instrument of his exaltation.
With these remarks as a clue, the reader will probably be assisted to grasp the significance of this solemn and important thirteenth chapter of the Revelation, which for convenience of reference follows here (Darby's translation)—
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, and upon its heads names of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like to a leopardess, and its feet as of a bear, and its mouth as a lion's mouth; and the dragon gave to it his power, and his throne, and great authority. And one of his heads [was] as slain to death; and his wound of death had been healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast. And they did homage to the dragon, because he gave the authority to the beast: and they did homage to the beast, saying, Who [is] like to the beast? and who can make war with it? And there was given to it a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to it authority to pursue its career forty-two months. And it opened its mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and those who have their tabernacle in the heaven. And there was given to it to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to it authority over every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation. And all that dwell on the earth shall do it homage, [every one] whose name had not been written from I the] founding of [the] world in the book of life of the slain Lamb. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone [leads] into captivity, he goes into captivity: if anyone shall kill with [the] sword, he must with [the] sword be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.
“And I saw another beast rising out of the earth; and it had two horns like to a lamb, and spake as a dragon. And it exercises all the authority of the first beast before it, and causes the earth and those that dwell in it to do homage to the first beast, whose wound of death was healed. And it works great signs, that it should cause even fire to come down from heaven to the earth before men. And it deceives those that dwell upon the earth by reason of the signs which it was given to it to work before the beast, saying to those that dwell upon the earth to make an image to the beast, which has the wound of the sword, and lived. And it was given to it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should also speak, and should cause that as many as should not do homage to the image of the beast should be killed. And it causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bondmen, that they should give them a mark upon their right hand or upon their forehead: and that no one should be able to buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of its name. Here is wisdom. He that has understanding let him count the number of the beast: for it is a man's number; and its number [is] Six hundred [and] sixty-six.”
[E. J. T. ]
(Continued from page 245)
(To be continued)