Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER XXXIII.

ARMAGEDDON—BEFORE, AND AFTER THE MILLENNIUM: THE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION BEFORE, THE LITERAL APPLICATION AFTER THE MILLENNIUM.

Under the word "Armageddon," in "The Index to the Writings of Mrs. E. G. White," p. 115, we are directed to G.C., pp. 663, 664, 671, 672. The "General Index" of "The Great Controversy" also directs to pages 663, 664 for reference to "the last great battle" and "those engaged in it." These pages in "The Great Controversy" describe the massing of Satan's mighty army to attack the New Jerusalem after the millennium. To apply "Armageddon" also to the attack on the holy city after the millennium, as indicated in "The Index to the Writings of Mrs. E. G. White" and the "General Index" of "The Great Controversy," is in harmony with the Word of God. As shown in my "What is Armageddon?" and "Armageddon—the Time of Spiritual Israel's Deliverance," the Spirit of Prophecy teaches that "Armageddon" is the finale of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, before, and after the millennium. The Spirit of Prophecy makes not the slightest reference to a Palestinian "Armageddon," for such teaching, as we have shown, is opposed to the truth of the Third Angel's Message. By the teaching of a Palestinian "Armageddon" Satan seeks to blind many to God's last-day message.

As shown in my "What is Armageddon?" pp. 37-44, etc., the Spirit of Prophecy employs the words "battle," "controversy," "conflict" and "struggle" as synonyms for "war." The words "war" or "battle" mentioned in Rev. 12:7, 17; 13:4, 7; 16:14; 17:14; 19:11; 20:8 are from the same Greek word, and some translators keep to the one designation from the time this "war" is mentioned in Rev. 12:7. The "war," or "battle," mentioned from Rev. 12:7 to Rev. 20:8, refers to the same great "controversy," "conflict," or "struggle" between Christ and Satan. "The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we are now entering—a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah. . . .

The agencies which will unite [or gather] against truth and righteousness in this contest are now actively at work." G.C. 582. "There was war in heaven. Angels engaged in the battle; Satan wished to conquer the Son of God." E.W. 146. Notice in the next extract that "conflict" is employed instead of "war." "The great conflict that Satan created in the heavenly courts is soon, very soon, to be forever decided. Soon the inhabitants of the earth will have taken sides, either for or against the government of heaven." 7T. 141. "We are to . . . understand the progress of events in the marshalling of the nations for the final conflict of the great controversy." 8T. 307. "Already the inhabitants of the earth are marshalling under the leading of the prince of darkness, and this is but the beginning of the end." 8T. 49. "The Sabbath question is to be the issue in the great final conflict ["war," or "battle"] in which all the world will act a part." 6T. 352. See "What is Armageddon?" for further extracts from the Spirit of Prophecy concerning "the marshalling of the nations for the final conflict of the great controversy"—the spiritual "war," or "battle, between the forces of good and evil. The "war," or "battle," which the Revelator describes from its commencement in heaven (Rev. 12:7) until its close (Rev. 20:8), is "the war" between Christ and Satan depicted in "The Conflict of the Ages" series of the Spirit of Prophecy. The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teach that the "battle" (Rev. 20:8) after the millennium is the same "battle," or "war" (Rev. 12:17; 16:14; 17:14; 19:11-21) as before the millennium. Before the millennium, Satan attacks Christ in His church, the spiritual Jerusalem; after the millennium, Satan attacks Christ and His church within the literal Jerusalem: before the millennium, the "war" is a spiritual uniting to attack the spiritual centre; after the millennium, it will be a literal gathering and a literal attack upon the literal centre—the holy city. Before, and after the millennium, it is the same "war," "battle," or "controversy" between Christ and Satan.

JERUSALEM, THE STORM CENTRE OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

In the book of Revelation, the storm centre of the ages is the city of Jerusalem, the name of which means "foundations of peace"; Jerusalem, the city of "the Prince of Peace." To correctly understand the Revelation, Jerusalem must be interpreted as the centre of the battle between good and evil. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was the literal centre of national Israel, and many of Israel's national enemies came against Jerusalem—the city of "peace." Though foes were without, peace reigned within the city when Israel was faithful. In this we see typified the church as a whole, and also each individual. Through their allegiance to the God of Israel, the church and individual Christians become the centre of attack by foes who are stirred to "war" against the Holy Son of God within. But, while spiritual enemies gather outside the walls of "the holy city" (Rev. 11:2, etc.), the heart is at peace with God. At the end of the millennium, when the law of the spiritual interpretation of the things of Israel does not operate, the things pertaining to Christ and His people will apply literally. Then, Jerusalem will still be the centre within which "the Prince of Peace” reigns, but enemies, bent on "war," will literally gather outside.

Enemies of the people of God who literally gathered around and attacked ancient Israel's literal city of "peace" are brought into the spiritual imagery of the Revelation as types of the enemies who spiritually gather around to attack the spiritual city of spiritual Israel. The Revelation carries this representation through until the end of the millennium then, all the literal enemies of ancient Israel and all the enemies of the church will literally gather around the literal city in which reigns the visible Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Destroyer of the evil which makes "war" on Him, and on His people.

In the prophecy of Joel, as in other prophecies of the Bible, Jerusalem is the centre—literal Jerusalem in the days of literal Israel; spiritual Jerusalem in the days of spiritual Israel; and the literal New Jerusalem at the end of the millennium. In Joel 2:32, deliverance from the foes without the city is vouchsafed to "the remnant" within Jerusalem. This was literally true in the history of national Israel (see 2 Kings 18:17-37; 19:1-37; Isa. 37:32-36, etc.) when they were faithful to God; it is spiritually fulfilled now, in the days of spiritual Israel; and will again be literally true at the end of the millennium. The triple application of these prophetic descriptions concerning Israel becomes very clear to the searcher for truth.

BEFORE AND AFTER THE MILLENNIUM.

All the proper names, places and designations of the Revelation are employed in a symbolical sense until the Revelator's description of the holy city—New Jerusalem—at the end of the millennium. Thus the Lord shows the principle to be employed in "rightly dividing" the Apocalypse and other parts of the Holy Scriptures. The millennium is the dividing line between the application of the spiritual and the application of the literal, just as the cross terminated the literal, national, typical system and introduced the period of the antitypical, spiritual church application. The Revelation clearly reveals this triple application of the things of Israel, which comprehends:—(1) The literal, national dispensation of ancient Israel; (2) The spiritual, or "church," dispensation of spiritual Israel, during which the terminology of national Israel is spiritually employed; (3) The literal and visible things of the eternal kingdom. This principle of "rightly dividing" is clearly seen even on the surface of the structure of the Revelation.

The Apocalypse, which is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" in His work, past, present and future, is a revelation of the whole Bible, and shows the true interpretation of all that pertains to Israel—past, present and future. The prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, Joel, etc., should be interpreted in harmony with the principle of the triple application of the things of Israel so clearly revealed in the Revelation.

The Spirit of Prophecy declares that the "symbols and figures" of the Revelation "mean so much to us"—spiritual Israel, the church. The Spirit of Prophecy also declares that an understanding of the Revelation requires "close, prayerful study." A prayerful study of the description of the final conflict in Rev. 16:12-16 reveals that it concerns spiritual Israel and her enemies.

A thorough study shows the connection between Rev. 16:12-16; 19:11-21; Isa. 34; 63:1-6; Ezek. 38; 39; Zech. 12; 14; Joel 3, etc. In his commentary on Revelation, Scott says: "The coincidence between this prophecy (Rev. 16:12-16), and those above referred to [Ezek. 38, 39; Joel 3; Zech. 14; Isa. 34, etc.] as unfulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament, is worthy of special notice by all who would patiently investigate the true meaning of them, and not run away with hasty and crude and partial, though plausible, interpretations, grounded on incidental resemblances."

The same principle must be followed when interpreting each of the above passages of Scripture, for the Word of God is a united, harmonious whole. If Ezek. 38, 39 picture a literal gathering of nations from the "four quarters" (compare Rev. 20:8 and Ezek. 38:6, and notice the word "quarters") to attack literal Israel in Palestine, then a literal gathering of nations would be pictured in Rev. 16:12-16. But this interpretation would violate the law followed throughout the Apocalypse, which reveals that the places and designations mentioned in the Revelation are symbolically employed until after the millennium. If Ezek. 38, 39 and Rev. 16:12-16 predicted a literal gathering of nations around literal Jerusalem, then Zech. 14 must also refer to such. But that interpretation would be out of harmony with the Spirit of Prophecy, which applies these verses in Zech. 14 in relation to the spiritual gathering of the enemies of spiritual Israel in "the final conflict" over the enforcement of Sunday laws. Joel 2:32 predicts the "deliverance" which will come to "the remnant" "in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem." This prophecy is applied by the Spirit of Prophecy in connection with spiritual Israel in spiritual Jerusalem. Joel 3 is the continuation of the same prophecy: the gathering of the nations around Jerusalem and the "deliverance" of Israel "in Jerusalem" can refer only to a spiritual gathering before the millennium, and to a literal gathering of the enemies of Israel around the literal New Jerusalem after the millennium. This is precisely the way Joel 3 is interpreted in the Spirit of Prophecy. To ensure perfect harmony in our interpretation of the Word of God, all these prophecies concerning Israel, who, in the New Testament, is clearly declared to be the church, must be interpreted spiritually before the millennium, and literally after the millennium. "Christ the Revelator" (see G.C. 342) has revealed the principle by which all other parts of the Scriptures relating to Israel are to be interpreted.

In G.C., p. 266, we are given the interpretation of "the holy city" mentioned in Rev. 11:2: "The holy city (the true church) shall they tread under foot forty and two months. . . . The periods here mentioned—'forty and two months,' and 'a thousand and two hundred and three-score days'—are the same, alike representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer oppression from Rome." In other places, also, the Spirit of Prophecy interprets "the holy city," Jerusalem, as the symbol of "the true church," "the church of Christ." Therefore, as the Spirit of Prophecy applies literally (see G.C. 676, etc., etc.) the Revelator's description of "the holy city" in Rev. 21, 22 (which comes into the description of events to occur after the millennium), it is further evident that the Spirit of Prophecy teaches the triple application of the things of Israel: literal in the days of ancient Israel, spiritual in this "dispensation of the Holy Spirit." and literal again after the millennium.

Following this divinely-given principle of interpretation, we know that the words in Rev. 14:20, "And the winepress was trodden without the city," depict the slaughter of the wicked outside the spiritual city, the church, before the millennium, and the slaughter of the wicked outside the literal New Jerusalem after the millennium. Rev. 20:8, 9. In harmony with this Biblical principle of interpretation, the Spirit of Prophecy applies such prophecies as Zech. 14, Joel 3, etc., spiritually before the millennium, and literally after the millennium. Zech. 14 depicts a gathering of "all nations against Jerusalem to battle [historically, and partially fulfilled in the experience of rejected, literal Israel, in A.D. 70, when the Roman armies, made up of many nationalities, destroyed the nation and city of literal Israel].... Then shall the Lord go forth against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle [because of their sins, God could not protect national Israel, but deliverance is assured obedient, spiritual Israel] . . . and this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem." G.C., pp. 656, 657, applies these verses to the destruction of those who seek to destroy the remnant church, which is promised "deliverance" "in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem." Joel 2:32. The Spirit of Prophecy interprets "all the people" (v. 12), "all nations" (v. 2) who fight against Jerusalem to be the leaders of religion (see G.C. 654, 655, 656) assisted by the multitudes who endeavour to destroy the church. Notice the following extract from Early Writings, p. 289: "The wrath of God in the seven last plagues had been visited upon the inhabitants of the earth, causing them to gnaw their tongues [see Rev. 16:10, 11, and observe the reference to Zech. 14:12: `the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem ... their tongue shall consume away in their mouth'] for pain, and to curse God. The false shepherds had been the objects of Jehovah's wrath. Their eyes had consumed away in their holes, and their tongues in their mouths, while they stood upon their feet [referring to Zech. 14:12] . . . the wicked multitude turn their rage upon one another [this refers to Zech. 14:13]. The earth seemed to be deluged with blood [see Rev. 14:20], and dead bodies were from one end of it to the other."

These references from the Spirit of Prophecy show that prophecies of the gathering of "all nations" to fight against Israel and Jerusalem refer to a uniting of the forces of evil to attack spiritual Israel, the church„ in the last days. See my "What is Armageddon?" pp. 37-44, for proof that the Revelator's statement that the nations "gather" means they spiritually "unite." In the interpretation of Zech. 14 given above, the Spirit of Prophecy declares that those who fight "against Jerusalem" are "false shepherds" not military leaders. The place of contest is not around literal Jerusalem, but around spiritual Jerusalem, the church; and the "place" where they are "plagued" and destroyed is not Palestine, but "the earth," The great hosts destroyed are not military armies, but "the wicked multitude."" Thus the Spirit of Prophecy shows the true interpretation of those prophecies depicting the gathering of "nations" to Palestine, Jerusalem, and Mount Zion. Upon this principle of the spiritual application before the millennium, and the literal application after the millennium, God's servant bases her interpretations of Holy Writ, thus proving to be in harmony with all the inspired prophets of God.

ZECHARIAH 14 AND JOEL 3: THE SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT BEFORE, AND THE LITERAL FULFILMENT AFTER THE MILLENNIUM.

Commenting on Zech. 14:1, 2, Dr. Clarke says:—

"From this great Jewish tragedy (the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70] the prophet immediately passes to the utter destruction of the enemies of Christianity in the latter days."

Place "church" or "the remnant" instead of "Christianity" and this extract would be in harmony with the true interpretation of this prophecy in relation to the spiritual conflict of the last days.

The Spirit of Prophecy applies Zech. 14 and Joel 3 to the final conflict, showing that they have a spiritual application before the millennium, and a literal application after the millennium.

THE PROPHECY OF JOEL 3.

The prophecies depicting nations gathering to Palestine to attack Israel and Jerusalem are shown by the Spirit of Prophecy to apply spiritually before and literally after the millennium. This principle is adhered to throughout the Spirit of Prophecy, and is in harmony with the principle clearly shown in the book of Revelation.

ZECHARIAH 12 AND ARMAGEDDON.

Rev. 19:11-21 describes the coming of Christ, with ''the armies of heaven," to "make war" on "the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war on Him that sat on the horse, and against His army." 6T. p. 406 applies these verses in connection with "the battle of Armageddon." Rev. 19:11-21 contains direct references from Joel 3 and Ezek. 38; 39, and these in turn are linked with Zech. 14; 12:2-4, 8. 9, 11; Isa. 34; 63:1-6. Rev. 14:19-20, which is definitely connected with Rev. 19:15, states that "the winepress" will be "trodden without the city, and blood "will come out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles." "Armageddon," "the mountain of slaughter," will occur "without the city." Zech. 12 says that "all the people round about" will lay siege "both against Judah and against Jerusalem," and that God "will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness." Vs. 2-4. "I will seek to destroy all the nations that shall come against Jerusalem." V. 9. "In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon." V. 11.

Dr. Adam Clarke's comment on Zech. 12 is worthy of notice. At the head of the chapter he says:

"The first part of this chapter, with several in chapter XIV, relates to an invasion that shall be made on the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem in the latter ages of the world. . It also describes, in very magnificent terms, the signal interposition of God in their favour."

Concerning v. 2 he says:—The Babylonians, who captivated and ruined the Jews, shall in their turn be ruined."

"I incline to think that what is spoken in this chapter about the Jews and Jerusalem belongs to the 'glory of the latter times.' Shall be in the siege. This may refer to some war against the church of Christ, such as that mentioned in Rev. 20:9."

Verse 8 of Zech. 12 reads: "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day, shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them." Dr. Clarke comments:—

"So clear, full, and efficient shall be the salvation of believers under the gospel, that the feeblest among them shall be as strong, as full of courage, and as successful as David when he went against Goliath.... The family, the church of the true David, the Lord Jesus, shall be as the angel of the Lord; shall stand in the divine presence like Gabriel. . . . Thus the house of David, the true Christians, shall here walk with, after, and before God."

The time of severe test to the church (Rev. 3:10) is forecast in Zech. 12 and 14: but the believers of the Third Angel's Message will be strengthened by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and thus prepared for the final struggle when the whole world is against them. The servant of the Lord writes:—

"The power of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work, and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord." E.W., p. 279.

"And the people of God are thus prepared to stand in the hour of temptation, which they are soon to meet." E.W. 277.

Zech. 12:9 reads:—

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."

Dr. Clarke comments:—

"When this time shall arrive. all nations that will not receive the faith of our Lord Jesus [the Third Angel's Message] shall be destroyed, when the longsuffering of God shall no longer wait upon them."

Dr. Clarke's interpretation of this chapter—the spiritual application which he makes in relation to the church, the reference to the close of probation, and to the surrounding of the New Jerusalem at the end of the 1,000 years (Rev. 20:8, 9)—illustrates the interpretation given by many godly men concerning these predictions of Jerusalem being attacked by the nations.

In this same chapter (Zech. 12) we read concerning "the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon," which "becomes the poetic expression for the deepest and most despairing grief; as in the Apocalypse (Rev. 16:16) Armageddon, in continuance of the same imagery, is represented as the scene of terrible and final conflict." Smith's Bible Dictionary. Thus a study of Zech. 12 shows that this chapter is connected with the final conflict which rages around the remnant church—the spiritual Jerusalem—and culminates in the slaughter of Armageddon. God destroys the nations which are gathered around His spiritual city—the church. Dr. Clarke's coupling of Zech. 12 with Rev. 20:9 is correct, for an attack is made against the spiritual Jerusalem before the millennium, and an attack upon the literal New Jerusalem at the end of the millennium. The slaughter of the wicked, in both instances, is "without the city." "Jerusalem," in Zechariah's prediction, refers to the church before the millennium, and to the New Jerusalem after the millennium. The battle of Armageddon will be fought "without the city" both before and after the 1,000 years. "The siege both against Judah and Jerusalem" (Zech. 12:2), the gathering of the nations around Jerusalem (Zech, 12:2, 4, 9; Joel 3, etc.), the slaughter in "the valley of Megiddon" (Zech. 12:11) when "the Lord [shall] go forth, and fight against those nations" (Zech. 14:3) and shall destroy "all nations" which "gather . . . against Jerusalem to battle" (Zech. 14:2; 12:2; Joel 3, etc.) refer to the final conflict and the destruction of the enemies of the church.

THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL'S ENEMIES.

Terrible as the slaughter of the wicked will be in the first phase of Armageddon before the millennium, it will be vastly more terrible after the millennium, for then it will involve all the resurrected wicked from the days of Cain to the second advent. All the persecutors of the people of God will be there with hatred still in their hearts for God and His saints. Haughty Pharaoh will be there seeking to "pursue" spiritual Israel to death; the Edomites with their "perpetual" hatred of Israel will be there; the kings of Canaan who were destroyed at Megiddo will be there to again take part in a devil-controlled conflict; the proud Assyrians and the Babylonians from the region of the Euphrates will once more march towards the land of Israel; the Scythian kings (who anciently went by the name of Gog—see Pocket Commentary on Rev. 20:8), the unsaved Armenians (house of Togarmah), Gomer and all his bands, the Persians, Ethiopians, Libyans, the unregenerate of Sheba, Dedan, and "the merchants of Tarshish with the young lions thereof" will be there; "the beast," and "the false prophet" and all who have persecuted spiritual Israel will be there. But Immanuel—"God is with us"—will be there—personally, visibly—to deliver His people and to destroy their enemies. The same fratricidal bloodshed which occurred among the enemies of Israel gathered against spiritual Jerusalem, the church, before the millennium (see Zech. 14:13; Ezek. 38:21; Judg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:20; 2 Chron. 20:23; G.C. 657) will be repeated on a vaster scale around the literal New Jerusalem at the end of the millennium. The lost, realising that they have been "deceived" (Rev. 20:3, 8, 10; G.C. 663), turn upon those who have led them to their eternal doom, and there is colossal slaughter.

"Those who have united with him [Satan] see the total failure of his cause. He rushes into the midst of his subjects, and endeavours to inspire them with his own fury. and arouse them to instant battle. But of the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end. The wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires Satan; but they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot prevail against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them.... 'Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire' (Isa. 9:5)." G.C. 672.

Sin is selfishness and ends in mutual slaughter. A world in rebellion against God ends in man hating man; in neighbour slaying neighbour.

The fires of God fall upon the wicked as they are engaged in slaughtering each other. "And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone." Rev. 20:9. 10. "The day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4:1. "And never shalt . . . be any more." Ezek. 28:19. "The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean." G.C. 678.

THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE PREPARES FOR THE ETERNAL KINGDOM.

The prophets saw beyond the destruction of the unrighteous and the cleansing of the world at the end of the millennium to the establishment of the eternal kingdom. Only a kingdom built upon love can endure throughout the endless ages. To-day, the Third Angel's Message is calling out of spiritual Babylon a people who will obey God's commandment "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength . . . and . . . thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Mark 12:30, 31): a people who will share in the glories of the new world.

The Third Angel's Message calls for purity of heart and purity of doctrine. Only "the pure in heart . . . shall see God." Matt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14. Purity of heart seeks purity of doctrine; purity of doctrine upholds and develops purity of heart. "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth." I Pet. 1:22. God has ordained that by prayer and the study of His Word we shall be "changed ... from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18. "That perfection of character He [God] requires can be obtained only by becoming familiar with His Word." Counsels to Teachers," p. 454.

The Third Angel's Message is calling a people to come out of Babylon to "the faith of Jesus." "These are they which were not defiled with women" (Rev. 14:4)—not defiled with the teachings of apostate churches. The teachings of the Third Angel's Message are based upon definite principles which the Lord has clearly revealed in the Scriptures to instruct His children and to safeguard them from error. "None but those who have fortified their minds with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict." G.C. 593.

Light upon the Scriptures is to increase until the end (see Dan. 12:4; 8T. 322; A.A. 283; G.C. 312, 677, 678; 5T. 704, 706; Isa. 9:6, etc.) ; but truth will always be in harmony with the united testimony of the Scriptures—"the testimony of Jesus"—against which Satanic deceptions cannot prevail.

The Third Angel's Message calls spiritual Israel to "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth" (Rev. 14:4). Those who spiritually follow Him now will literally "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth" (C.O.L. 223; A.A. 591) throughout eternity.

"Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation world without end." Isa. 45:17. "Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen." Ephes. 3:21.