Rays of Living Light on the One Way of SalvationPenrose, Charles W. (Charles William)
Religion
Rays of Living Light on the One Way of Salvation
Penrose, Charles W. (Charles William)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
Here again the objection will be raised. "But that revelation was
the last communication from heaven, and its closing chapter forbids
any further revelation." That is also a popular error promulgated by
men professing to be ministers of Christ, and finding themselves
destitute of divine power and inspiration. Here is the passage they
quote: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book"
(Revelation 22:18). It is astonishing how plain and simple language
can be wrested from its evident meaning to suit the purposes of
sophistry. There is not a word in that text which conveys the
remotest intimation that revelation and prophecy were to cease, or
that God would no more speak to man. It is a prohibition against the
addition by man of anything to that which God reveals. The next
verse forbids the taking away of anything from the "book of this
prophecy." That is, the Book of Revelation. These commands have
reference to that one book, and that only. The compilers of the New
Testament have placed it last in the collection of scriptural books,
and the strained, unnatural and absurd application which has been
made of the words we have quoted have been attached to the whole
volume of the Bible. It is all wrong and ridiculous. The idea that
the Almighty placed a seal upon his own mouth when he simply forbade
men to add to what he said, is certainly most remarkable for sane
people to entertain. If that singular notion were correct, then both
the angel who gave the revelation, and John who received it,
violated the heavenly injunction, for we read that the angel gave to
John a mission in figurative manner, which he thus explained: "Thou
must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues,
and kings" (Revelation 10:11). It is well known that the epistles of
St. John were written after he received the revelation on Patmos.
While the true Church of Christ remained on earth the Spirit of
revelation and prophecy also remained. When that spirit departed
there was but a dead form left. Only by the restoration of divine
communication with man could the Church of Christ be re-established
on earth. Only by raising up a prophet to commence the latter-day
dispensation could our heavenly Father maintain his invariable
method from the beginning of the world. And instead of men,
professing to be his servants, opposing and fighting against divine
revelation, they ought to hail with gladness the re-opening of the
heavens and shout for joy that the rays of the Millennial morning
have burst upon the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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