way out of the fogs of sectarianism, they show unmistakably that back of and underlying all these efforts is a mighty force slowly but surely gathering power that (so far as God’s true people are concerned) shall in time rise to break once for all the rigorous reign of human ecclesiasticism and reestablish in power and glory the simple, primitive theocracy, where Christ shall be exalted as the true and only ruler of his people.

Ecclesiasticism, however, dies hard.  In fact, it is scarcely correct to say that it will die at all.  The churches of men are largely made up of worldly-minded professors who know not the birth and life of the Spirit.  To such the church will never appear as anything different from an institution organized and governed after the pattern of the kingdoms of this world.  According to the prophecy, God’s true saints will die to ecclesiasticism by forsaking the sect system, but the rule of human churchly power will go right on until the end of time.  Furthermore, we may expect the contrast and the conflict between these two forces to become more pronounced as the years go by.  While the Revelation represents the call of God’s people out of Babylon as the movement that again brings into prominence the “bride,” the true church (chap. 19:1-9), it also reveals the fact that there will be another great movement in opposition to the truth.

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (chap. 16:13, 14).  The nature and purpose of this gathering is described in another place.  “Satan ... shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:  the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:  and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (chap. 20:7-9).

Let this be a solemn warning to all, that God’s people may discern between the false and the true.  The movement that brings together in one the real saints of the Lord is effected by the Spirit of God, while “unclean spirits” operating in the apostate powers of the ecclesiastical world will effect a totally different union.  The distinction is clear in the prophecy and must therefore become true in fact.