267. The Two Millstones, One of Which Was Thrown Into the Sea

“Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘Thus with violence the great city of Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.’” Rev. 18:21.

You need two millstones to grind corn into flour, and the stones must be touching, for something to be milled.

It is exactly the same in the spiritual realm. Nothing is accomplished unless we touch the seam of His garment. The one Stone, which was rejected by men, is Jesus Christ who is the Word of God. The other stone is the preaching of the Word. Therefore let the one who speaks in the church speak as the oracles of God!

When these two stones touch, they will produce spiritual nourishment.

For centuries now the millstone has been grinding away in churches, prayer houses, and meeting halls. Some of what has been ground has perhaps become nourishment for someone—when the preacher has dared to allow his millstone to make contact with the Great Millstone, Jesus Christ. But most of the time the millstone just goes around and around quite far away from the true millstone so nothing is ground. You simply hear the sound of the mill turning, which you have to pay well to hear, judging by the demands for tithes and offerings that accompany it. Yet what is accomplished? Are the listeners being convicted, chastened, and exhorted so they become better people? Or does the whirring of the mill leave the miser just as miserly and the proud just as proud? Does respect of persons remain just as great? Does ungodliness continue to grow and the scoffer become increasingly bold? If this is the case, the mill is working in vain, together with those who keep it running—it is all a complete waste of effort.

The one millstone, Christ, has its foundations in Zion (Heb. 12:24), but when the other one is located far out in the world’s darkness, a whole army of wickedness can easily pass between the two millstones. There is plenty of room for theaters and taverns, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the much acclaimed play, “God’s Green Pastures” [a Norwegian play, popular at the time] is performed there one day. People are happy to watch nice plays, but when things go too far, then they cry out: “Oh, no!” Where then is the preacher’s authority? The ungodly speak so powerfully it stings, while crippled preachers just stand there gaping, speechless! The love of money and other idolatries have robbed them of their power, and their well-paid millstone continually moves further out into the darkness, further away from the other millstone, the Word of God.

Yet the day will come when a mighty angel will pick up their millstone and throw it into the sea, the sea of humanity! Finally people will see for themselves that what has been spoken to them is only the words of man, not the Word of God. The other millstone, however, will remain in its place, in Zion.