| Highlights of Dawn | August 1969 |
The Coming Universal Religion
“Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” —Zephaniah 3:9
THE religious outlook in the world today is just as chaotic as the political and national. Fifteen years ago there were signs of religious revival, but that now has given place to a dwindling interest in religion, and a waning of religious influence in the affairs of the world. It was hoped by millions that Vatican Council II would engender a renewed interest in religion, particularly from the standpoint of increasing co-operation among the various denominational churches; and hope was expressed that even the Catholics, Protestants, and Jews would find a way to merge their efforts and thus become more effective in a world which is becoming increasingly godless.
The ecumenical spirit has prevailed to some extent. There have been many instances in which Catholics, Protestants, and Jews have shared the same platform in conducting unity meetings. There have been mergers of various Protestant churches, and additional mergers are in the making. Whatever credit might he due Vatican Council II for encouraging this ecumenical spirit will be something for historians to evaluate, but one thing now seems evident, which is that long pent-up feelings within the Catholic Church of dissatisfaction with various features of Catholic Church laws have surfaced as a result of Vatican II, and this has led to a grave crisis within what has been claimed for centuries as being the one true church.
Priests and nuns by the thousand are leaving their posts of duty, many of them withdrawing entirely from the Catholic Church. There is a continual controversy going on within the church between the liberals and conservatives. The liberals press for more and more changes, and the conservatives protest that since the Catholic Church is the one and only true church, and is governed by an infallible pope, changes should not be made.
The pope sides with the conservatives, and the situation has become so serious that at Eastertime he said in two of his speeches that there is now a schism within the church comparable to the one which shook the church at the time of the Reformation. The Christian Century, a noted liberal. Protestant Magazine, reports the view of “a Catholic friend in high standing” that this division would come into full bloom this October at the Synod of Bishops meetings to be held in Rome at that time. The Christian Century said:
“It was his [the ‘friend’s’] judgment that Pope Paul VI would seek to use the synod to restore the authority of the papacy to its pre-Johannine (before John XXIII, that is) position and to retreat still further into the arsenal of infallibility. Our friend said sadly that the schism which is coming is therefore of the pope’s own making and that almost nothing can be done to prevent it.”
The “Unknown God”
A general review of religious convictions and practices as we see them in the world today, and as they have existed throughout the ages, helps us to understand Paul’s feelings when he stood on Mars’ hill and preached to the Athenian philosophers. He said, “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”—Acts 17:22,23
The Athenians are to be commended for the open manner in which they confessed their belief in a God whom they did not know. Actually, regardless of the many religious distortions Satan has foisted upon peoples’ minds in all ages, deep down in their hearts they have longed to know and come under the care of a God who has been unknown to them—a God of compassion and love. Most of the millions who have tried to worship the grotesque god of torment have probably often wished for a kindlier God whom they could serve, and the praises of whom they could sound forth to the people.
Dr. Einstein and other scientists bow in reverence before a God of superior intelligence and power; but from the material things of the universe alone, cannot visualize him as being motivated by love, although they probably all hope that he is. It is only in the Bible, the infallible Word of God, that we find all God’s attributes manifested, including love, and these are revealed in the wonderful divine plan which the Bible outlines for human recovery from sin and death.
So far as we know, among the wooden, stone, and metal idols throughout the heathen world today, there is none ascribed to “the unknown god,” as was the case in ancient Athens. But we can be safe in saying that in the hearts of untold millions there is an image of a God whom the people would like to believe exists, a God who is loving and kind, and able to take hold of the confused affairs of the world today, and bring order out of chaos, peace out of turmoil and war, understanding and co-operation out of the bitter strife of words and conflict of ideologies.
It is this “unknown God” whom the people are thinking about when they raise the oft repeated question, “Where is God in the suffering world of today?” They know that Mohammed cannot do anything about world suffering. They know that neither Buddha nor any other heathen god can help. Nor have the Catholic and Protestant gods, throughout the centuries of their existence, had a cure for world tensions, except more war. So the rank and file of the people do not expect much from these sources. They are not too concerned as to whether their bishops, priests, or ministers are liberal or conservative.
But there is that God who, throughout the ages, has been unknown to the people, the true and living God. He has provided a remedy for the worlds ills, and that remedy will soon be applied. This is the remedy mentioned in our text. It is the turning of a pure message to the people to enable them to know the true God, and unitedly to serve him, that is, “with one consent.”
The time for the fulfillment of this wonderful promise, as indicated by the word “then,” is immediately after the whole symbolic “earth” has been devoured by “the fire of God’s zeal,” as prophesied in the preceding verse. This verse reads, “Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy [zeal].”—Zeph. 3:8
The God-fearing people of all ages have been encouraged to “wait” on the Lord. In every generation there have been those who have wondered why God continued to permit evil. To Habakkuk the Lord said, “The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; … it will not tarry.” (Hab. 2:3) Paul quotes from this prophecy, and applies it to the second coming of Christ.—Heb. 10:37
There is, therefore, no mistaking the time of its application. It is at the end of the age, in the time of our Lord’s second presence. First the vision speaks, giving the Lord’s people an understanding of the times in which they are living—among other things, the meaning of the great “time of trouble” now upon the world—and also the assurance that the waiting time is almost over; that the time is at hand when the Lord will put down iniquity and exalt righteousness in the earth.
Indeed, because the vision has spoken, we now see that the nations are already being gathered; that the “fire of God’s zeal” is already upon them; and that when this aspect of divine intervention shall have accomplished its purpose, the “pure language” will be turned to the people. Then the unknown God will be revealed to them, and with hearts rejoicing they will unitedly serve him, their songs of praise filling the earth with his glory.
Characteristics of the True God
Paul explained to the Athenians some of the characteristics of “the unknown God.” He “made the world and all things therein.” He dwells “not in temples made with hands,” Paul said, evidently basing this remark on the fact that towering above him as he spoke was a magnificent heathen temple of worship. It was a polite way of telling the Athenians that “the unknown God” did not need such a temple.
The “unknown God,” Paul further explained, “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitations that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from everyone of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being.”—Acts 17:24,26-28
Paul further explained that since we are the offspring of God, his creation, “we ought not to think that the Godhead [Deity, RSV] is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (vs. 29) How wonderfully Paul thus contrasts the true God with all the gods of the heathen, and then reveals the quality of mercy exercised by him in whom “we live, and move, and have our being.” Referring to the period of the world’s ignorance of the “unknown God,” Paul explained, “The times of this ignorance God winked at”; that is, he will not hold their ignorant worship of false gods against them.
“Now [God] commandeth all men everywhere to repent,” Paul continues, “because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30,31) The command to repentance has gone out to the world through the Gospel, and while it has not been limited to any one nation or race, but has been universal in its application to all people, the number who have thus far heard the message in an understandable manner has been very small. It would seem that for those who have not heard, God is still “winking” at their ignorance as he continues to prepare for their future blessing.
That blessing will be brought to the people through enlightenment. Notice how Paul contrasts the “times of this ignorance” with the fact that God has appointed a future judgment day. Paul knew this to be in harmony with the divine plan, for the Prophet Isaiah had written, “When thy judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isa. 26:9) Again we read, “He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”—Ps. 96:13
Paul explains that this future work of enlightenment and judgment will be in the hands of Jesus, and that God has given assurance of this fact to all men in that he has raised Jesus from the dead. An outline of the qualifications of this future Judge of mankind is presented to us by the Prophet Isaiah, who identifies him as “a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch” which was to grow out of his roots. Isaiah writes:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [reverence] of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”—Isa. 11:2-4
The earth will then be filled with a knowledge of the Lord because he will then have turned to them that pure message of our text—filled with knowledge as the “waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9) This message, or language, will sweep away the refuge of lies, misrepresentations, and distortions which have confused the minds of the fallen and dying race—and will enlighten them concerning the true and living God.
Then the people will serve the true God with “one consent”; that is, all in the same way. They will not be forced to do so, but they will have learned to love their Creator because they will have been taught concerning his wisdom, justice, love, and power. They will learn how his love was manifested and his justice satisfied through his beloved Son who “gave himself a ransom for all.” They will see his wisdom in the permission of evil, and in his loving plan for the recovery of the fallen race from sin and death. They will see his power manifested in the resurrection.
Then, as the Revelator assures us, “there shall be no more death.” (Rev. 21:4) The people, raised from the dead, will have been convinced that God told the truth when he said, “Thou shalt surely die.” They will then know that death, rather than torment, is the wages of sin. (Rom. 6:23) And they will rejoice also to learn that by accepting the provision of life made for them through the redemptive work of Christ, and obeying the laws of his kingdom, they may live forever.
It will then be true of the obedient that there is no more death, because the people will have the opportunity of partaking of the tree of life and the water of life which will then flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Rev. 22:1-3,17) The leaves of that symbolic tree of life will be for the healing of the people.
Then there will indeed be a world-wide, universal religion—the true religion, revealing the glory of God and enlightening the people concerning his divine will for them. The laws of God will not only then be learned, but applied—written in the hearts of the people, the Lord assures us. (Jer. 31:31-34) No one will then need to say to his neighbor, “Know the Lord,” for all shall know him from the least to the greatest. So we are not dismayed at the disintegration of man-made religion, but rejoice that the true knowledge of God will become universal. What a glorious prospect!