1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

east." "The doctrine of ‘the Divine right ofkings,' taught or supported by almost every sect,is the foundation of the old civil system, and haslong given authority, dignity and stability to thekingdoms of Europe; and the doctrine of theDivine appointment and authority of the clergyhas hindered God's children from progressing inDivine things and bound them by the chains ofsuperstition and ignorance to the veneration andadoration of fallible fellow-beings, and to theirdoctrines, traditions and interpretations of God'sWord. It in this entire order of things that is tofall and pass away in the battle of this greatday— the order of things which for centuries hasheld the people docile under the ruling powers,civil, social and religious. All this has been byGod's permission (not by his appointment andapproval, as they claim). But though an evil initself, it has served a good, temporary purpose inpreventing anarchy, which is immeasurablyworse, because men were not prepared to dobetter for themselves, and because the time forChrist's Millennial Kingdom had not yet come.Hence God permitted the various delusions togain credence in order to hold men in check until‘The Time of the End'— the end of ‘The Timesof the Gentiles' (which expired October 1,1914)."— D35.Revelation 17:6.And I saw the woman drunken with the bloodof the saints.— " ‘But the blood of Protestants isnot called the blood of saints, no more than theblood of thieves, man-killers, and othermalefactors, for the shedding of which, by theorder of justice, no commonwealth shall answer.'"-Rhemish (Catholic) translation, footnote.(B320.) "‘She wore out the saints of the mosthigh God,' and ‘was drunken with the blood ofthe saints.'— Rev. 18:24."— Z.'04-236; Rev.16:6.And with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.—Most of these martyrs will doubtless be honoredby a place in the Great Company. (See Rev. 7:9.)This Scripture was fulfilled in the Dark Ages,but we are still in the Dark Ages, and will be