Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-07-08

S1ireiuia FREE gress.


"The end of the world Is iavosite
theme with large class Of ici ! us
teachers, and has been so from time i'm
memorial. Butnot alone have prophecies
and speculations on this startling snbie,t
been confined toreligionists. Every race
of people in every age has had its lurld
predictions by seers and oracles Of the
end of the word. There ;ee now living
many persons who remember the excite
ment and alarm which was produced
nearly 80 years ago by the preach:nss Of
William Miller. of New York, who de-
clared that the end of all flesh was near,
aud who set the day Of final consumma-
ton for date in October, 1914 Miller
published pamphlet entitled The Mid
night Cry. embelished with terrifying
pictures of the monstrops beasts which
are set forth in the ap0c.H. &c books of
the bible. Since the days OF Miller have
come many other interpreters %
prophecy, who. nothing daunted by tine
failure of all the predictions TINT had
gone before them. did not hesitate to APP
point dates for tie eonsummation Of the
end of the word. The last Of these IS
Professor Totem. of Yale Coll g, who
has recently laid before the public ms
explanation of the ancient prophecies,
and has set the year 1899 for the time OF
the end. The data which have been
relied on 10 furnish basis for the pre-
diction Of the final day are found in the
prophecies of Daniel and in the Apoca-
lvpse of St John. In both thoss books
are set forth in detail predictions OF
events which are to occur, and historic
panorama of numerous momentous hap
penings are unfolded to the view. For
each set of events a period of beginning
and a time of duration are set, aud at the
conclusion of the several series of hap
penings the final consummation IS to
come
The prophet Daniel, while the Jews
were in captivity in Babylon. received
many revelations which are claimed
to give accounts of what was to happen
down to the end of the world, the start
ing point being the command by Cyrus
for the rebuilding of the temple at Jeru-
salem. There are several periods which IN
tervene between that event and the final
contamination. Among these are ~
weeks supposed to end with the cruciiix-
ion Of Christ and the subsequent destruc-
ton of Jerusalem by the Romans. Then
there are periods Of 1850 days, 1890
days, 1900 days, and "a time, times anda
half time, which are also subdivisions OF
the grand duration preceding the end.
Very much the same periods Of time are
also specified in the Book of Revelation,
and students Of prophecy for a thousand
years have been endeavoring to harmon
lie these two sets of data and to explain
Just what is meant by the expressions
days" and times" used by the sacred
writers and to identify the principal
events that are to mark the close of
epochs. The books that have been writ
ten on these subjects would fill house,
and the various and conflicting conclu-
sions that have been worked out are al
most past computation. The result Is
that every date heretofore fixed for the
end of the world has disappointed all
who trusted in it, and our old planet,
SCARED and scanned with the effects of
innumerable physical commissions AMI
stained with the crimes of its Inhabitants
through all the hoary centuries of its
history, is stll rolling around on its path
through the heavens, its people phn.iug,
and reaping, and carrying on their affairs
as if no terrible prediction had ever been
made.-New Orleans Picayune