WHAT ELIJAH’S MANTLE MAY SIGNIFY

“We answer; we believe that the peoples of earth, the public in general, are to be judged by the truth. The people are represented by waters. It would seem that in some way the people are to be judged and tested; and that a division of public sentiment is to be caused, in connection with the truth. Waters are to be separated from waters, people from people, and the truth being received by some and rejected by others. Elijah wrapped his mantle together and smote the waters; and they were divided. Elijah’s mantle was the outward indication, or sign of God’s power with him, and represented God’s power and blessing with the church. The mantle was in Elijah’s hand when he smote the waters with it. So the church, it would seem, will use what is in their hand, the power and authority of the truth, the power of God, in smiting the waters – peoples.

It could very well prove possible that events may unfold even as we imagine, that Satan operating as an angel of light with all power signs and lying wonders at his disposal will be feverously about engaged in performing miraculous wonders all throughout Christendom in order to deceive. “Our Lord’s own words indicate that when matters come to this condition, where Satan will cast out Satan and heal disease, it is a marked evidence that his throne is tottering to its fall–that, so to speak, this is the last extremity of the adversary’s efforts to deceive.” (R 2669:6)

We believe that the test which shall result in the division of the people will be between those who side with the Church and their denunciation of the miraculous wonders then taking place, who attribute these to the devil rather than to the Lord, and those who believe to the contrary. Now of course we can see why it is that some would be so admittedly opposed to such a suggestion for did not some likewise once say that it was the power of Beelzebub acting through the man Christ Jesus who performed the miracles he did?

 “… We are keeping watch to see in what way God will exercise some very wonderful power causing some division as respects the truth. We are merely thinking aloud with you. We are looking for some very pronounced division on the subject of the truth, something that will eventually lead up to a great hatred. You remember that in our Lord’s ministry he presented certain truths that caused the scribes and Pharisees to hate him. It was their hatred that led up to his arrest and crucifixion. The hate was there. They said, ‘We must kill him.’

It appears the same situation shall arise once again; this time with respects to the last members of the Church this side of the Vail, they will be found espousing certain truths which in the eyes of orthodoxy are deemed heresy specifically their declaration that the miracles preformed throughout Christendom are of the devil. Thus it will be deemed expedient that such heretics be silenced, imprisoned, killed as they will be accused of being dissenters, opponents of the Lord and of the truth.  

“We shall not do anything foolish; we shall not go out on the streets to stir up trouble. We are to exercise the spirit of a sound mind – gentleness, meekness, patience, brotherly- kindness and love. We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves’ (Gal 5:22, 23 Matt 10:16). All these instructions we must never forget. But when we see any trouble coming upon us when we are doing what is right, when we are obeying the Lord, then we are able to take it as from him. If we do not manifest the Master’s spirit, if we speak proudly or boastfully to people, then we shall have it to regret that we did not follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

There is a distinction between declaring the truth on a subject with the intent to aid, instruct and to inform as opposed to the thought of declaring truth boastfully, proudly in order to elevate oneself at the expense of the ridicule and ignorance of others.

“We are being more and more impressed with the closing features of the Elijah and the Elisha type. More and more we are impressed that Elijah’s smiting of the river Jordan, the waters thereof being thus divided, pictures a mighty work yet to be accomplished, and apparently in the very near future. What will be the antitype of the folding up of Elijah’s mantle, symbolizing his power, and how long it may require to thus concentrate the forces for the smiting, we do not know. We must wait, watch, and do our pans. Then how long it will require to accomplish the smiting of the waters is also an uncertainty; and how quickly the people will be divided by the truth is also an uncertainty.” (R 5845, 46)

“It will be after the smiting of Jordan – after the division of the people by the message of the truth and the mantle of Elijah’s power – that the separation of the church into two classes will take place, thereafter, the Elijah class, the Little Flock class, will be clearly manifested, separate and distinct from the Great Company class.

The division, be it remembered, will be caused by the fiery chariot – some very severe, trying ordeal, which the elect class will promptly accept and enter into; the Elisha class holding back from the persecution, but not drawing back to sin or repudiation of the Lord. It will be but a little later on that the whirlwind (probably anarchy) will bring about the ‘change’ (the translation) of the Elijah class.’

 “The garnering of the wheat continues; but apparently the consuming (burning) of the tares will correspond very closely with the division of Jordan … The smiting of the waters will reveal the truth in respect to who the real Church of Christ is, that is who the true followers of Christ are and who are merely imitations (tares). The Lord will make this distinction quite clear soon.

“Indeed I will make those of the SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN (the apostate church, the professing or nominal church), who say they are JEWS (Christians, Israelite’s Indeed), and are not, but lie (i.e. deceive themselves)—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” (Rev 3:9)

Amongst the tares are many of whom who are relatively good, moral and upstanding individuals, who although professed believers in Christ have never fully consecrated themselves to the Lord. Yes many of them are consecrated, consecrated to good works, to their church, to this ministry or that ministry, but to the Lord, no. Unfortunately as the Lord so warned the tares would eventually outgrow the wheat and take control of the church (the professing church). In so doing they would begin to dictate doctrine, to make the determination as to what is and what is not acceptable to orthodoxy. The standard for discipleship would be lowered to accommodate all, instead of a life of sacrifice and conformity to Christ all that would now be required to enter the church and to secure ones heavenly inheritance would be a mere profession of faith in Christ. These have deceived themselves into believing that they are the Church (the true Church).

And then of course there are the true hypocrites, those who merely wear the badge of Christianity so far as it is to their advantage.

As stated the smiting of the waters will reveal the truth as to whom the true followers of Christ (the Wheat) are and who the nominal (in name only) Christians (tares) are. When this time comes all the honest- minded of the tare class will no longer be deceived, and henceforth will cease all pretense of claiming themselves the Church of Christ – thus they will be burned (destroyed, cease to be) tares, imitators, but will continue on as noble- minded worldly people and as such will have a share in the general blessings of the ‘sweet by and by’ under the kingdom (the earthly phase of the kingdom) for which we still pray. (Just because they come to the realization that they are not the Church does not mean that they are no longer believers, believers in the salvation secured to all thorough Christ).” (R 5950, R 5951 edited).

We believe that in the end orthodoxy, infuriated by the claims of those who continue to insist that the miracles then being performed are the works of the devil and his cohorts will in hatred incite the masses to turn upon these individuals. This will bring severe persecutions (the “chariot of fire”) upon the more prominent and outspoken of this class the results of which will lead to a division with some drawing back in fear of these persecutions, thus the Elijah class, the Little Flock, will be clearly manifested and separated from the Elisha class, the Great Company, and soon after will be taken up in the whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:11)

We will continue with our next post.