The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-06-10
EscHAToL0GY.


paper read by Rev T. A Goodwin, d 7. before the
fvsreeliesI Association Of Ministers OF lndianapo-
The time has fully come for thorough re-
examination and restatement Of the whole class
OF doemas that are embraced uader the general
names. sschatoloey. Il may cost the loss OF
many favorirs sermon. and many q book may
have TO Be releeated to the upper shelf, to be
preserved only rs a relic. but it must be done.
for the whole system. which 10 so interlocksd
together that the abandonment of one doctrine
makes necessary the abandonment Of all. ID
sadly out of harmony with modern thought
But this abandonment need create no alarm nor
cause any regrets. for it viii tend 20 the fur
therance OF the gospel and the upbuilding Of
Christ's kingdom. Nor will il be any
thing new More than once the
church has been compelled TO adapt
her teachings to the new thought which the
progress of mere human learning has evolved.
The story OF Calico is familiar one, and We
wonder that there was such stupidity in the
church resist simple truth as that for
which he was prosecuted. But We need not 60
back of this century. not back Of tho
recollections Of some present 10 find the same
sans doematic arrogance in brushing them
away by Thus satin the Lord. IL IL much
less .ban hundred years since good men were
ostracised enthusiastically for denying the
church's Interpretations OF tho Bible statement
of the beginning OF things. Yet. as in the teach
inas of the stars. the voices from the
rocks have compelled such an abandonment
of the Interpretation OF the Bible that nowhere.
except in the Noun ains of Hepsldam. do We
hear that White river and Pogues run are just
where and what they were when the fiat OF ON
nipotencs appointed their courses; and yet the
authority of the Bible on all things was never
more reverenced than now. Men study the
roc ks and the stars and accept their teachings,
and yet believe the Bible, simply saying that
the Bible is right. but the human Interpretation
has been wrong.
When Dr. Hutton. of Edinburg less than
hundred years ago. announced that he found no
traces of beginning and no prospect of an end.
he shocked the religious world. and he
was at once classed with the French
infdel who had pittsd science against
the Bible. only because Bible scholars claimed
that their Interpretation of its teachings were
infslibls. But DR.. Hutton persisted, and Bible
scholars betook themselves to the examination
OF the rocks, and TO q REORGANIZATION Of the
work, and the result has been an entire absn-
Comment Of the dogma OF the church as it was
hundred years ago. in relation to the beginning
of things, while yet deyoutly believing the sub
| =.
God" Now. the rocks and the stars. all things
above, and beneath. and around us, as clearly
antsRonize the popular notion OF an end az they
do the once popular notion OF the beginning; or,
in the language of DR.. Hutton. they show mo
prospect Of end,' and this is the conclusion
of the scientific world whether Christian
or in6del. Why. then, should not
the church ~ honestly and sincerely
trine. TO make the books Of nature and the
book Of revelation harmonic The disagree
ment is in the Interpretation. One or the other
must be wrong. We either misread the rocks.
or We misinterpret the word. possibly both. On
what authority does any one teach that there 10
to DO a sudden closing up OF terrestrial affairs
-au end OF the worldf Let Us examine this
question with purpose TO neither build up nor
10 destroy theory. but to arrive at the truth.
and think that it will appear not only that the
Scriptures, which are relied upon rs teaching
this doctrine may have another interp rotation,
but that fair Scripture exegesis demands another
Interpretation. TIC necessary limit Of this pa
per will not allow an examination of all the
Scriptures which are supposed to bear upon this
question, hence I shall confine myself
wholly tn that around which all others revolve,
the conversation of Christ with his disciples on
the Mount of olives as they sat over against the
temple IL Is an unvarying law OF Scripture
exeeesis that TO understand any passage it must
not only DO taken in its connection. but the
mode Of thought. the social and political sur
roundings and the religious education Of the
words Of Christ 10 Ncodemus are without
meaning unless we remember that Nicodemus
was teacher In Israel. and at the same time an
honest inquirer after truth. Tie miracle at
Cana, the conversation with the woman at the
well, the parable OF the wise and the foolish
virgins. the mock trial of Jesus-indeed. every
event in the life of Christ, loses ITS significance
unless viewed in the light of their social and DO
litical, and religious environments. By this
light. let US examine this Scripture.
AT off hat hroa
of the evaneelists record the conversation
only one mentions that part OF IL which is sup
posed to refer TO the ending of the world, and
that John, who was one Of the company. makes
no mention of any part of the conversation at
all Is not this strange IL a new revelation 80
irnportansss this was then and there enunciat-
: edi / say new revelation, for it appears no.
where in the Old Testament Let IA note next
had. few hours before called the Saviors at
teuton To the magni6csncs of the tenn pie, and
He at once predicted its utter destruction in the
near future And who were these disciplesl
Illiterate men from tho humber walks of life,
who had been following him moro than three
years. with no idea of the spiritual chsrac-
ter of his mission. but entertaining thu
opinions Of the Jewish people. that some
one was TO be the nations deliverer
from the Roman yoke, aud they accepted Him
as that driverer with ambitious hopes and aspi-
rations for first honors in the new kingdom.
They had no other thought. Now. as they sat
on the mount overlooking the temple they ask
one question in three parts: When shall these
things be; what shall be the sign of Thy coming
and the end of the worlds They evidently
grouped them all In one event how absurd it
is TO suppose that those men, with their views
of Chris,'s, mission had any aiusion to what is
known in modern thought az the second CON-
ing of Christi It would have been impossible
for them to conceive of such . thing. Even
after the crucfxion and the repeated inter
views for forty DAYS they had not given up this
nof. .aofs IL Et nod
They had hut one thought, aud that was deliv-
erance from Roman bondage This meant con-
querng armies. and they asked what sign would
forebode the overthrow of that power, which
bad so long oppressed them. and the answer of
Christ 10 consistent with no other view of their
question. Besides. they say not a single word
aoont the end OF the world. They ask only
about the end of sou aionos--the end of the age,
for which We have English phrase so nearly ex-
prsssive of the idea az our provlnc,aism these
times" so that their question. pharaphrased.
would read: When shall the temple
be destroyed. and what shall fore
bode Thy coming with a couuuerne army
and the termination OF these times OF oppres-
sicn7 That the Savior so understood them IL
evident from his answer, and that Paul and Pc
ter and Jude understood his answer a. referring
To some near event 10 also evident. The style Of
bis answer also confirms this interpretation
He uses strong. feurative language, such a.
Isaiah had used hundreds OF years before to
describe similar event Predicting the over
throw of Baoylon, Isaiah had said: 'Hark ye.
I