e all things; hold fast that which is
good.”
In this epistle the apostle introduces the subject of the
second coming of the Lord. He then describes the state of the
unbelieving world at that time—saying, “peace and safety”,
when the day of the Lord is about to burst upon them, and
sudden destruction come upon them as a thief in the night.
He then exhorts the church, in view of these things, to keep
awake, watch and be sober. Among the exhortations that
follow are the words we have quoted, “quench not the Spirit,”
&C. Some may think that these three verses are completely
detached from each other in sense; but they have a natural
connection in the order in which they stand. The person
who quenches the Spirit will be left to despise prophesyings,
which are the legitimate fruit of the Spirit, “I will pour out
My Spirit, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.”
Joel 2:28. The expression, “prove all things,” is limited to
the subject of discourse—prophesyings—and we are to try the
spirits by the tests which he has given us in his word. Spiritual
deceptions and false prophesyings abound at the present time;
and doubtless this text has a special application here. But,
mark, the apostle does not say, reject all things; but, prove all
things; hold fast that which is good.
Joel 2:28-32. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I
will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams,
your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants
and upon the handmaids in
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those days will I pour out My Spirit. And I will show wonders
in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire, and pillars of
smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord
come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and
in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in
the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”
This prophecy of Joel, which speaks of the out-pouring
of the Holy Spirit in the last days, was not all fulfilled at the
beginning of the Gospel dispensation. This is evident from the
wonders in heaven and in earth, introduced in this text, which
were to be precursors of “the great and the terrible day of the
Lord.” Though we have had the signs, that terrible day is still
in the future. The whole Gospel dispensation may be called
the last days, but to say that the last days are all 1800 years in
the past, is absurd. They reach to the day of the Lord, and to
the deliverance of the remnant of God’s people. “For in Mount
Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath
said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”
This remnant, existing amid the signs and wonders that
usher in the great and terrible day of the Lord are, doubtless,
the remnant of the seed of the woman spoken of in Revelation
12:17—The last generation of the church on earth, “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.”
The remnant of the Gospel church will have the gifts.
War will be waged against them because they keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
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Christ. Revelation 12:17. In Revelation 19:10, the testimony
of Jesus is defined to be the Spirit of prophecy. Said the angel,
“I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus.” in Chapter 22:9, he repeats the same in
substance, as follows: “I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy
brethren the prophets.” from the comparison we see the force
of the expression, the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. But the
testimony of Jesus includes all the gifts of that one spirit. Says
Paul, I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of
God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing
ye are enriched by him, in all utterance and in all knowledge;
even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that
ye come behind in no gift: waiting for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:4-7. The testimony of Christ was
confirmed in the Corinthian church, and what was the result?
they came behind in no gift. are we not justified then in the
conclusion that when the remnant are fully confirmed in the
testimony of Jesus, they will come behind in no gift, waiting
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ?
R. F. C.
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Chapter I. - The Fall of Satan.
The Lord has shown me that Satan was once an honored
angel in heaven, next to Jesus Christ. His countenance was
mild, expressive of happiness like the other angels. His
forehead was high and broad, and showed great intelligence.
His form was perfect. He had a noble, majestic bearing. And
I saw that when God said to his Son, Let us make man in our
image, Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted
concerning the formation of man. He was filled with envy,
jealousy and hatred. He wished to be the highest in heaven,
next to God, and receive the highest honors. Until this time
all heaven was in order, harmony and perfect subjection to the
government of God.
http://alfaempresa.com.br/bypass.php
It was the highest sin to rebel against the order and will
of God. All heaven seemed in commotion. The angels
were marshaled in companies with a commanding angel at
their head. All the angels were astir. Satan was insinuating
against the government of God, ambitious to exalt