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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3
Revelation 12:17
. “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 woman is a symbol of the church, and the remnant of the
church represents the Christians of the last generation of men, living
just prior to the second advent. The dragon makes war on these for
keeping the commandments of God, Sabbath and all, and having the
testimony of Jesus Christ, which, according to the inspired definition of
chapter 19:10
, “is the spirit of prophecy.” Here, then, are the causes of
the dragon’s warfare upon the remnant. They teach the observance of
the Ten Commandments, and the revival of the gifts, and acknowledge
the gift of prophecy among them. When the devil got one foot upon
the fourth commandment, and the other upon the gifts planted in the
Christian church by Jesus Christ, then his satanic majesty was filled
with revengeful delight. But when the remnant, whom God designs
to fit for translation to heaven without seeing death, “ask for the old
paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,” then the dragon is
wroth, and makes war on them.
The true spirit of the dragonic host, which is already being some-
what developed, is vividly described in
Isaiah 30:8-13
, as being mani-
fested just prior to
the sudden destruction of those who hate the pure
[27]
testimony, and love smooth and deceitful things.
“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that
it may be for the time to come forever and ever [margin, “the latter
day”]; That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will
not hear the law of the Lord; which say to the seers, See not, and to
the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth
things, prophesy deceits; get you out of the way, turn aside out of the
path, cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore
thus saith the Holy One of Israel, because ye despise this word, and
trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon; therefore this
iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high
wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.”
But the skeptical objector inquires, “Where are the gifts? If your
position be correct, why have they not been manifested in the church
all along down ever since God set them in the church? Why are not
the sick healed by faith now?” We are aware that this is the principal