It Is (Re)-Written: Protestant ep 1/7

BLUEPRINT FOR REVOLUTION

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” - (Isaiah 9:2)

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History is riddled with wars and revolutions. So many are these events for which one may fail not to find some professor somewhere to label as a turning point in human history. Yet, the greatest revolution that ever occurred, for the most part, goes unnoticed and largely misunderstood. To some the greatest revolution was the French revolution, or the American revolution. To many it is the industrial or scientific revolution. History however stands as a witness to all these events, and having lived through them all and understanding the issues at stake through these ages, the testimony of history is hereby the most valuable. And her testimony is this, that all these revolutions would not be possible without the greatest revolution of all time.

During the American civil war, the Union army (composed of the northern anti-slavery states) had been handed defeat after defeat by the (Southern pro-slavery) Confederate army. Again the armies took to the field. Should Gettysburg fall to the confederates, the way would be open to Washington and possibly New York. President Abraham Lincoln's administration prepared to vacate Washington just as the battle commenced. At a terribly great cost, the Union army won the battle. In honor of the dead, the President arrived there to dedicate the field in thanksgiving for the victory. During his speech, he called the American system of government “a government of the people, by the people and for the people”. These words were not however original to him, they were first written by John Wycliffe, the 14th century morning star of the Reformation. Wycliffe had said that the Bible is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

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The Scriptures, A System of Government

We begun with quoting from Isaiah who wrote that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. What light could this possibly be? Well the Psalmist had long before Isaiah declared:

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)

The light is the Word of God that illuminates those in darkness. It is through this light that God governs His creatures. Without a doubt we know “Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way” (Psalms 25:8) and that He will not expect from us beyond or below the very standard He holds His intelligent creatures to, for this alone is upright. Then, we can safely conclude that the government God desires us to live under is indeed the government He lives under. That the very laws He prescribes to us are the same He abides by.

“The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, the expression of divine love and wisdom…God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature” (Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets pg 52.3)

We have to ask, is God governed by someone? Nay. He governs Himself. It follows then that God’s system of government is a system of self-government. This is therefore what the morning star of the Reformation meant. The Bible is a government of, by, and for the people. The actual definition of a republic. Saith the learned Alonzo Jones,

“A republic is a government of the people" -- the people compose the government. The people are governed by "the people" -- by themselves. They are governed by the people, "for the people" -- they are governed by themselves, for themselves. Such a government is but self-government; each citizen governs himself, by himself, -- by his own powers of self-restraint, -- and he does this for himself, for his own good, for his own best interests.” (ATJ, Two Republics, pg 17)

I bring in the finest theologian in Christian history, the evangelist Paul to clear the vision of those yet still to see the point, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) In other words, if a person possesses the Spirit of God not only will that fact be evidenced by the fruit thereof but also you would be free, free from the law of your members, free from your carnal habits, free to govern yourself as God governs Himself.

I am of the opinion that Abe Lincoln knew all these things, that America, the lamb-like beast of Bible prophecy most closely resembled in government the very system of the Lamb Jesus Christ. A true republic.

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Conclusion

It was therefore important that the word of God, which contains the thoughts of God be at the center of the greatest

revolution. In our time travels we see Martin Luther in the cloister, it is late in the night and his fellow monks are all dead asleep. He lies on the floor, weeping for his sins and desperately seeking forgiveness and deliverance. God is about to raise a mighty protest, but against what was God protesting? We look at that next time.