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"There appeared a great
wonder in heaven;
a woman..."
The position of The Mother Church as to Mary Baker Eddy's place in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is clearly set forth in the following paragraphs. These conclusions are not new; they are confirmed by our Leader's writings, and the steadily unfolding fruitage of Christian Science bears witness to their truth. 1. Mrs. Eddy as the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, understood herself to be the one chosen of God to bring the promised Comforter to the world, and, therefore, the revelator of Christ, Truth, in this age. 2. Mrs. Eddy regarded portions of Revelation (that is, Chapter 12) as pointing to her as the one who fulfilled prophecy by giving the full and final revelation of Truth; her work thus being complementary to that of Christ Jesus. 3. As Christ Jesus exemplified the fatherhood of God, she (Mrs. Eddy) revealed God's motherhood; she represents in this age the spiritual idea of God typified by the woman in the Apocalypse. (See Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 565:13-22.) 4. Mrs. Eddy considered herself to be the "God-appointed" and "God-anointed" messenger to this age, the woman chosen by God to discover the Science of Christian healing and to interpret it to mankind; she is so closely related to Christian Science that a true sense of her is essential to the understanding of Christian Science; in other words, the revelator cannot be separated from the revelation. 5. This recognition of her true status enabled her to withstand the opposition directed against her by "the dragon" (malicious animal magnetism); she was touchingly grateful to those who saw her as the woman of prophecy and who therefore trusted, obeyed, and supported her in her mission. 6. This same recognition is equally vital to our movement, for demonstration is the result of vision; the collecting of this indisputable evidence of our Leader's own view of herself and of her mission marks a great step forward; wisely utilized, this evidence will stimulate and stabilize the growth of Christian Scientists today and in succeeding generations; it will establish unity in the field with regard to the vital question of our Leader's relation to Scriptural prophecy. As we record these important facts, we remind Christian Scientists of our Leader's words (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 308), "The Scriptures and Christian Science reveal 'the way,' and personal revelators will take their proper place in history, but will not be deified." The
Christian Science Board of Directors The Christian Science Board of Directors The Christian Science Journal, July, 1943; December, 1962 Christian Science Sentinel, June 5, 1943; November 17, 1962
The following excerpts are from an editorial written by an early Christian Science teacher, Judge Septimus J. Hanna, CSD: "A second coming is as clearly prophesied as was the first coming. The Old Testament writers foretold it, Jesus plainly prophesied it, and the apostles reiterated these prophecies. The only question among believers in the Bible has been as to the time and manner of the coming. In respect to this there has been, and yet is, much disputation, speculation, and controversy.
"A
personal coming is generally believed in,
and the only personality that will at
present meet the general expectancy of
Christendom is the identical personality
of Jesus as he appeared nineteen hundred
years ago. "...Only, as yet, a comparatively small part of mankind are ready to accept the larger coming comprehended in a re-establishment of the religious regime which Jesus inaugurated. This small part of mankind are satisfied that the second coming has commenced and is now manifesting itself in the works which Jesus taught should be evidence of the fact that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. ...Christian Scientists believe in a personal second coming.
"...Christian
Scientists see in the non-acceptance of
[Mary Baker Eddy and Christian
Science] an almost literal repetition
of early history. They see a blindness to
the signs of the times which compares well
with the ancient blindness. "...The great majority are indifferent to, and incredulous of, the tokens of the second coming [i.e., the 'signs and wonders of healing']. That thousands are being awakened and are actually accepting the tokens is, nevertheless, indubitable proof that convincing circumstances are constantly taking place. "...That would not be a complete second coming which did not express the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In other words, there must be a personalized and individualized expression of the male and female of God's creation before there can be a full revelation of God to mankind... "By common belief of all Christians, Christ Jesus represented the spiritual type or malehood of God. Is it not reasonable to assume that a full or completed revelation includes God's spiritual type of female-hood? If God is male only, it seems that he would embrace within himself but a half of Being or Individuality; and it would be impossible to reconcile such a conception with his own declaration in Genesis that out of his self-hood he created 'male and female.' "Christian Scientists believe in a full Godhead; and thus believing they believe also in a full manifestation of that Godhead to humanity. Therefore they see in Genesis a prophecy of the second coming in female form. In Revelation they see the finality of prophecy. To their understanding the Woman of the Apocalypse stands in type for the female of God's creation spoken of in Genesis..." (Quoted in "The Destiny of The Mother Church" by Bliss Knapp, pp. 271-297) We believe Mary Baker Eddy represents the Second Coming of Christ. |
