Chapter XVI - The Apocalypse
Spiritual guidance
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As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly
As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly
through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides
of human fear, – as they were led through the
wilderness, walking wearily through the great
desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised
joy, – so shall the spiritual idea guide all right desires
in their passage from sense to Soul, from a material sense
of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for
them who love God. Stately Science pauses not, but
moves before them, a pillar of cloud by day and of fire
by night, leading to divine heights.
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If we remember the beautiful description which Sir
If we remember the beautiful description which Sir
Walter Scott puts into the mouth of Rebecca the Jewess
in the story of Ivanhoe, –
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When Israel, of the Lord beloved,
When Israel, of the Lord beloved,
Out of the land of bondage came,
Her fathers' God before her moved,
An awful guide, in smoke and flame, –
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we may also offer the prayer which concludes the same
we may also offer the prayer which concludes the same
hymn, –
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And oh, when stoops on Judah's path
And oh, when stoops on Judah's path
In shade and storm the frequent night,
Be Thou, longsuffering, slow to wrath,
A burning and a shining light!
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Revelation xii. 7, 8. And there was war in heaven:
Revelation xii. 7, 8. And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the
dragon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not; neither
was their place found any more in heaven.
Angelic offices
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The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine
The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine
messages, different offices. Michael's charac-
teristic is spiritual strength. He leads the
hosts of heaven against the power of sin, Satan, and
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fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task
fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task
of imparting a sense of the ever-presence of ministering
Love. These angels deliver us from the depths. Truth
and Love come nearer in the hour of woe, when strong
faith or spiritual strength wrestles and prevails through
the understanding of God. The Gabriel of His presence
has no contests. To infinite, ever-present Love, all is
Love, and there is no error, no sin, sickness, nor death.
Against Love, the dragon warreth not long, for he is
killed by the divine Principle. Truth and Love prevail
against the dragon because the dragon cannot war with
them. Thus endeth the conflict between the flesh and
Spirit.
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Revelation xii. 9. And the great dragon was cast out,
Revelation xii. 9. And the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiv-
eth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
Dragon cast down to earth
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That false claim – that ancient belief, that old serpent
That false claim – that ancient belief, that old serpent
whose name is devil (evil), claiming that there is intelli-
gence in matter either to benefit or to injure
men – is pure delusion, the red dragon; and
it is cast out by Christ, Truth, the spiritual
idea, and so proved to be powerless. The words "cast
unto the earth" show the dragon to be nothingness, dust
to dust; and therefore, in his pretence of being a talker,
he must be a lie from the beginning. His angels, or mes-
sages, are cast out with their author. The beast and the
false prophets are lust and hypocrisy. These wolves in
sheep's clothing are detected and killed by innocence, the
Lamb of Love.
Warfare with error
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Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf.
Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf.