And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.—“How true it is, that the most execrable of society seek and wear the garb of Christian profession and ceremonialism, in some of the various quarters (sects) of Babylon. Of all the defaulters, and deceivers of men and of women, how many are professedly members of Christ's Church! and how many even use their profession as a cloak under which to forward evil schemes! It is well known that a majority of even the most brutal criminals executed die in the Roman Catholic communion. Babylon has contained both the best and the worst, both the cream and the dregs, of the population of the civilized world.” (C. 162.) A parliamentary report of the status of society in England and Wales in 1873 showed that there were then no Jewish criminals, 1 of every 20,000 infidels was a criminal, 1 of every 666 Dissenters was a criminal, 1 of every 72 Church of England, and 1 of every 40 Roman Catholics. (C. 163.) “The great system in which the ‘fowl of heaven’ delight to roost, and which they have grievously befouled (Luke 13:18, 19), and which has in fact become ‘a cage of every unclean and hateful bird,’ is to be hewn down, and shall deceive the world no longer.”—C. 187; Isa. 34:11; Jer. 50:39; Zeph. 2:14.
18:3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.—“The stimulating power is not the spirit of a sound mind, but the delusion of a false doctrine; as the Prophet declares, they are ‘drunken,’ but not with wine. (Isa. 29:9-13.) The people in general have lost their taste and appreciation for the water of life, the Truth; and false teachers warn them against it as poison. The wine of false doctrines now being manufactured at all the Theological Seminaries is the wine of evolution and higher criticism, which does not satisfy the thirst, but increases the confusion of mind. Even Babylon's notables are dissatisfied, famished.—See Amos 8:11.”—Z. '01-349.
And the kings of the earth.—The governments of Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, England, Russia, Spain, Portugal, etc.
Have committed fornication with her.—Joined themselves to the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Greek Catholic Churches.
And the merchants of the earth.—Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Presiding Elders, Reverends, etc.—Rev. 18:11, 15; Isa. 47:15; 23:8; Ezek. 27:36.
Are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.—Supplied partly in cash and partly in left-overs from church fairs, suppers, etc.
18:4. And I heard another voice from heaven.—The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, the corporate body which Pastor Russell personally organized to conduct the Harvest work (Rev. 8:3; 14:18). This voice has been exerted continuously since 1884. “Our thought is that it is the Lord who calls His people out of Babylon; the call to to be recognized especially as a Voice from Heaven. Apparently, the Voice is Present Truth.”—Z. '14-180.
Saying, Come out of her.—“This call applies not only to those in Babylon the Great, but to those in other denominations—mother and daughters. Be not of those who cannot see the errors of Babylon and who, consequently, are not of the called ones. The object of the call to come out is not for people merely to withdraw from a nominal church. No one is called out of Babylon until he sees her true condition. This call to associate with Christ, with Messiah, is given by the Lord through the Prophet when He says, ‘Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a Covenant with Me by sacrifice.’ (Psa. 50:5.) They were to be gathered, not to the Roman or other systems, but to the Lord, to become one with Him.” (Z. '12-277.) “The Lord's call out of Babylon is not in audible one—He merely calls us by the principles of righteousness. He lifts the curtain before the eyes of understanding of His consecrated ones and thus lets them see some of the errors, some of the falsities in which they and others of Babylon are involved—dishonoring the holy name—blaspheming the holy name by misrepresentation of the Divine character and Plan. This is and should be call enough for those who are of the Lord's Spirit, for those who love the Lord and the honor of His name more than they love houses or lands or parents or children or any other creature or thing—yea, more than they love their own lives. Such are sure to respond and to come out of Babylon; others who remain, in spite of seeing the [pg 277] light, fail to be overcomers of the highest class—fail therefore to be in the elect Bride class, and must be counted in with the Great Company, which will come through great tribulation, and will get out of Babylon only when she has been cast as a great millstone into the midst of the sea—in the time of anarchous trouble with which this Age will close.” (Z. '06-343.)
“Baptists think their preachers have no authority. But the Baptists cannot do anything without the consent of the preachers. The preachers hold a power that God did not repose there. God never authorized any men to go and ordain another man to preach the Gospel. God does the ordaining; and it is for the church to decide, according to its best judgment, whom the Lord ordains or calls as a pastor. The people in the Methodist church have almost no liberty, except the privilege of giving money. The bishops control the presiding elders, and under them the presiding elders control the preachers; and so it is all the way down to the class leaders. They have their head or chief amongst them. They have a human head. The General Conference is the highest authority. So the Presbyterian church has a head in the way of a General Assembly which has the deciding of matters.
“On one occasion I was called upon by a minister of the Reformed church. He wanted to know how I managed my church. I said to him, ‘Brother ——, I have no church.’ He said, ‘You know what I mean.’ I answered, ‘I want you to know what I mean, too. We claim that there is only one Church. If you belong to that Church, you belong to our Church.’ He looked at me in surprise. Then he said, ‘You have an organization; how many members are there?’ I replied, ‘I cannot tell; we do not keep any membership rolls.’ ‘You do not keep any list of the membership?’ ‘No. We do not keep any list; their names are written in Heaven.’ He asked, ‘How do you have your election?’ I said, ‘We announce an election; and any or all of God's people, who are consecrated and are accustomed to meet with this company, or congregation, may have the privilege of expressing their judgment of who would be the Lord's preference for elders and deacons of the congregation.’ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘that is simplicity itself.’ I then added, ‘We pay no salaries; there is nothing to make people quarrel. We never take up a collection.’ ‘How do you get the money?’ he asked. I replied, ‘Now, Dr. ——, if I tell you what is the simplest truth you will hardly be able to believe it. When people get interested in this way, they find no basket placed under their nose. But they see there are expenses. They [pg 278] say to themselves, “This hall costs something, and I see that free lunch is served between meetings, for those living at some distance. How can I get a little money into this thing?” ’ He looked at me as if he thought, ‘What do you take me for—a greenhorn?’ I said, ‘Now, Dr. ——, I am telling you the plain truth. They do ask me this very question, “How can I get a little money into this cause?” ’ ” (Pastor Russell Question Meeting. Gen. 19:15, 22; Isa. 48:20; 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45; Matt. 24:16.)