Smyrna times., 1890-10-29

devil that deceived them was cast into a
lake Ofburning fire and birthstone, where
the beast and false prophet are, and
shall be tormented day and night for
ever and ever.-Rev. Xxx, 1-1O.
Among the New Testament signs of
His second coming, which were named
by Christ, are those: And then if any
man shall say to you, LO, here is
Christ: or, 10, He is there; believe
him not, for false Christs and false
prophets shall rise and shall show signs
and wonders to seduce, if it were possi-
sible, even the elect. But in those
days, after that tribulation, the sun
shall be darkened and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars of
heaven shall fall, and the powers that
are in heaven shall be shaken. And
then they shall see the Son of man
coming through the clouds with great
power and glory. And then shall He
send His angels and shall gather to-
gether His elect from the four winds,
from the uttermOst part of the earth to
the uttermOst part of heaven" "And
there shall be signs in the sun and in
the moon and in the stars and upon
the earth distress of nations with per
plexity; the sea and the waves roar
ing mems hearts failing them for fear
and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth"
In the Old Testament Daniel proph-
eces Of the great change:
And at that time shall Michael stand
up, the great prince which staudeth for
the children Of thy people; and there
shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation
even to that same time; and at that
time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be written in the
book
And many Of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life and some everlasting
shame and contempt.
Then |, Daniel, looked, and, behold,
there stood other two, the one on this
side of the bank of the river and the
other ON that side of the bank of the
river
And one said to the man clothed in
linen, which was upon the waters of
the river, How long shall it be to the
end of these wonders?
And I heard the man clothed in
linen, which was upon the waters of
. Ia rir-a h.,
hand and his left hand unto heaven,
and swore by him that liveth forever
that it shall be for time, times, and "a
half; and when he shall have accom-
plished to scatter the power Of the
holy people, all these things shall be
finished
And l heard, but l understood not
then said l, 0 my Lord, what shall be
the end of these things?
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel
for the words are closed up and sealed
to the end.
Many shall be purified and made
white and tried but the wicked shall
do wickedly and none of the wicked
shall understand; but the wise shall
understand.
And from the time that the daily sac
riice shall be taken away, and the
abOmination that maketh desolate set
up, there shall be a thousand three
hundred and ninety days.
Blessed is he that wateth, and COM
eth to the thousand three hundred and
thirty days.
But go thou thy way till the end be
for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy
lot at the end of the days.-Dan. tx,
1-13.
The people who see in the signs of
the times indications of the near ap-
proach of the fulflment of these proph.
ecies represent all the evangelical de-
nominations. 1t cannot be said that
their numbers are large enough yet to
constitute a recognized faction in the
churches. In fact, the awakening of
interest in the subject has but just de-
veloped to the point Of the first steps
being taken toward the organized
spread of premillennial views in the
Baptist denomination. One of the
leaders in the movement is the Rev
DR.. A. J. Gordon of Boston, one Of the
foremost Baptists in the country. In
discussing the subject DR.. Gordon
writes to the Sun:
We hold, according to the well nigh
unanimous sanction of the doctrine of
the Church of the first three centuries,
that the millennium will be ushered in
by the personal and visible reappear-
ing of Jesus Christ upon earth. This
temperance will introduce the victor
iOus reign of the Saviour, the putting
down of all hostile powers, and the
subjection of the whole world to Him.
The millennium, in other words, is the
triumphant kingdom of God on earth.
That kingdom, now spiritually present
is subject to constant trial, persecution,
and temporary defeat. When Christ,
''the King of Kings" shall come visi-
bly, in glory he will put down all rule
and authority, and the prayer of the
Church constantly offered through ages
will at last be answered. "Thy king
dom come, Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven" The constituency
of the millennium we hold to be Christ
and all the body of His saints raised
up from their graves. Then the glOri-
fed Christ and the glOriied Church,
will reign over the nations and coop
crate for their complete and final sub.
lection to God.
As to the neaTness Of the millennium
the Scriptures point out two signs by
which the near coming of Christ, the
end of the present age, aud the setting
up of the kingdom of God are to be
anticipated. These two signs are the
world wide proclamation of the Cos
pei, and the regatheriug of the Jews in
their own land. Since both these signs
are distinctly visible now, many all
over the earth are beginning to lift up
their heads and rejoice. believing that
the redemption is drawing nigh
To the question regarding distinct
Baptist movement for promoting the
premillennial view of Christ's advent,
/ will say the movement is rather for
promoting biblical study, distinct evan
gelical preaching and aggressive mis-
sionary effort, together with "a more
diligent attention to .he prophetic
teachings of the Old aud New Testa-
ments. More than hundred Baptist
pastors holding the premillennial view