Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-12-25

first be preached to all the world for q
witness. Then shall the and come.
They claim this to refer to the gospel
converting the world before the and OF
| the gospel age. We pre-millennial be-
| levers claim, that witnessing to the
world does not mean, converting the
world, that the object of the present
witnessing II 'To take out people for
His name, viz: The Church who at
Christ's coming are united to Him and
receive His uame." REV. ): 20 2d
text-"Sit thou on my right hand, until
make thy enemies thy footstool." The
thought generally gathered from this
Scripture is that in Heaven, God has a
throne on which He sits continually,
and that when Christ sat down on the
right hand OF the Majesty on High" He
sat down also upon this same throne.
This is misconception. The throne oil
God as referred to is not an ivory or
golden seat, but refers to His holding
supreme authority and membership, for
Heaven is my throne and earth is my
footstool," and Paul says, God hath
highly exalted Him Christi and given
Him name above every name, etc.
He hath given Him authority above ev-
erv other, next to the Father. IT Christ
sits upon material throne until His
enemies are made His foOtstool, tall sub
duedD, then OF course He coud not
come until the millennium was fully
inaugurated. But if it means the ex-
alting to power, it would not interfere
with His coming and subduing. all
things unto himself.
SAVING THE WORLD.
Right hand signifies the chief place
position of excellence or favor. And
the words OF Jesus to Plate agree with
this thought: thereafter We shall see
the Son Of Man sitting on the right hand
power, and coming i'll the clouds OF
heaven" Mark, IA: 81. He will be on
the right hand when coming and remain
at the right hand during the millennial
age. These two last named views de-
mand thorough examination. There
are able arguments possible on both
sides; yet both are not true. We pro-
pose, therefore, to take a glance at the
plan of God for saving the world, be-
leving that in so doing we shall find the
relation and bearing Of both the first
and the second cOmingS, and know
where to locate #. First, then: Has
God a plan? All must agree that lie
has; although, almost all are inclined to
think and talk of His dealings Us though
He were dealing by rule of chance,
and governed entirely by circumstance.
No; lie that could condemn man for
building a tower without first counting
the cost, shall lie build and people Il
universe without counting the cost?
No, brethren, 'known unto the Lord
are all His ways from the beginning.
God has plan, Il purpose, and we know
that AL His purposes shall he accom-
plished." But how shall We find that
plan? 1t is revealed to us in Ills world.
SEARCH the Scripture a. Paul says,
"Compare Scripture with Scripture,
for
God is His own interpreter,
And lie will make il plain.
We are too much inclined To ask what
does my church say about any question,
instead OF, "What saith the Scriptures"
Too much theology studied and the bl-
Bile not enough. With the thought,
then, that The testimonies of the Lord
are sure making wise the simple, and
"That all Scripture given by inspiration
of God is profitable that the the man OF
God may be thoroughly furnished let
us study. THE speaker here called
attention to chart or diagram illus
trating the various dispcnsations and
ages-"The world that was" the aye
ending with the flood, "Thc present evil
world" the age commencing at the
flood and ending with the coming OF
Christ Il second timc-and lastly,
THE woBLD To COME,
the aye commencing with the second
coming of Christ, this being the endless
age, or "World without end This
arrangement the speaker claimed not To
be fancy and conjecture, but OF Scrip
tural authority. Peter mentions all OF
them. Pet. ;: Il, !, -. Paul speaks OF
"the present evil world, and Of the
world to come" Jesus also dlstln-
guished between these. The devil Ii
the prince OF this world" and promised
reward to Ills faithful followers, not III
the world above, but lin the world to
come &c, DC,
While Christ has all power in heaven
and earth, for wise purposes, lie has
not made Use Of it, permitting evil to
reign and measurably control the world,
and permitting the devil to be "prnce of
this world" or epoch. But the time is
coming when He shall take to Himself
His great power and reign, cNaltlng Ills
Church, giving her power over the ma
tons" So that instead OF As now, being
"snbect to the powers that he" she
shall "rule the nations" But when will
He thus assume cantrol? When the
Gospel church, Ills body" Ecclesia, is
complete. Evil now being permitted,
for the trial of your faith, the perfect
ing of the saints. This time Is syn
chronous with.the sounding ofthe seven
trumpets, Rev. II 10. Here the mys-
terry lchurch) OF God is finished-and
"the kingdoms of our Lord and his an
nointcd (church). Now, we inquire, Is
this transfer OF authority
FROM SATAN TO CHRIST.
caused 10y the conversion OF the nations
to Christ through preaching the Gospel?
We answer no: at this time the nations
are not converted. See eighteenth verse:
wrath is come" If converted, they
would not he thus hostile, neither
would Gods wrath come upon them.
On the contrary, God teaches IN many
Scriptures that a great time OF trouble
will come upon the nations. Come,
behold the desolations which the Lord
hath made in the earth; He maketh
wars to cease unto the ends Of the
earth" This is the way God tells us He
will make wars to cease. The next
clause informs us then He Twill be
exalted among the heather and i'll all
the earth" This chastisement of ma
tons will he designed for their good,
and is necessary To them as chastise-
ment to the children OF God, now, and
it will have this effect, for when the
judgments OF the Lord are abroad in the
Al. Il