1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

every way to keep it from the people, and would to-day, as inpast ages, burn every Bible if it could.Its civil power has long been wasting or consuming, butecclesiastically it still lives and must yet, with Protestantism andthe kingdoms of earth, play an important part in the opposing ofthe establishment of the real Kingdom of God: But it shall bedestroyed, and Paul tells us it will be during the presence of theLord-- "Whom the Lord shall...destroy by the Epiphania [lightrevealing] of the parousia [presence] of himself."B.--Your view then is that Papacy will be destroyed by theincrease of light and truth during the presence of the Lord--"theday of the Lord" in which we are now living.A.--Yes; Papacy has been losing its power gradually: TheSpanish Inquisition--the last of its kind was abolished in 1870.We understand from Scripture that the Lord is now presentgathering or separating from the nominal mass of Christians, theBride--some from the sleeping and some from the livinggeneration of the church. These will soon all be associated withhim in kingdom work, the first part of which will be theoverthrow of all injustice, oppression, and error andconsequently the overthrow of all the systems and institutionswhich uphold these.The setting up of this kingdom will of course, involve theoverthrow of all the kingdoms of earth, as they are all--even thebest of them--founded on injustice and unequal rights and theoppression of many and favor of the few--as we read: "It shallbreak in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shallstand forever.This will involve the various sectarian churches (Babylon) forall are bound and committed to the support of these kingdomsupon which they lean; and which they have claimed to be--"Christian governments" and have recognized as of divineappointment, instead of as Beastly governments permitted ofGod only until Christ's time for taking his great power andexercising the control of earth--the fifth universal Empire. (Dan.7:17,18,23,27.)The marshalling of the Lord's army, is even now (in hispresence) in progress. The light shining from his presence is notonly preparing the living of the "little flock" for joint heirship inthe kingdom, but it is awakening and gathering other classestotally different in character, hopes and aims--the Lord's greatarmy for the destruction of wrong and oppression, viz: TheCommunists, Nihilists, etc., now organizing for the overthrow ofdespotism. Light--knowledge --is the agency used to enlistthese, and it will continue to shine out until every dark andwicked system is shown in its true light. Thus will mankind beprepared for the reign of righteousness when "a king (Christ)