Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-01-18
Christ is Coming and Will Reign on
Earth.

Christ Is Coming and Will Reign on
Earth.
Ed. INDEX: We very often these times see
predictions that Christ is soon to come to the
earth again, some say within the next or 8
years. These predictions create alarm in the
minds of many. because they fear that Christ
at his second advent will turn this earth into a
great bonfire. Now because there is 30 much
misunderstanding about the second coming of
Christ is my reason for writing on this subject.
and hope to give some light that will ease the
minds of those that are troubled on that ac-
count. Not that am any wiser than the av-
erage of mankind; but because l have been
carefully studying the scriptures for num-
Der of years by the aid of some of the ablest
bible scholars in the world. AS to how well 1
have been educated in bible truth, your read
ers will have to judge.
Will show that the literal earth will never
be destroyed. That Christ is soon to come, and
point out the many signs now in sight and the
signs soon to appear of his coming and how
and where he will first come and what He
is coming for and how the wise may know and
obey his proclamation of the new age and ito
stand before the son of man."
Now we will first show that the earth will
never be destroyed. The only scriptures that
seem to carry that idea is to be found in II Pc
ter iii-7-10. in verses 56. Peter, in speaking of
the deluge gives us key to a right under
standing of the heavens and earth whose
destruction he had predicted for he says, 1.-THE
heavens were of old and the earth standing
out of the water and in the W ater whereby the
world that then was being overlooked with
water perished." When he says the world
perished,' he does not mean that the literal
earth ceased to be. He simply meant that the
food had destroyed Noahs contemporaries.
He then contrasts the world that there was
with the heavens and earth of his day and says
But the heaven and the earth which are now
by the same word are kept in store against
the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly
men. CD This is also figureative, forthe liter
al heavens and earth in Peters day were pre-
cisely the same as those when Noah was pre-
pairing the ark and also the same as now. The
phrase heaven and earth, is the political con-
dition of human affairs existing on earth at
the period referred too. So that Peter speak
ing of the destruction of the heavens and
earth of his day had direct reference to the
overthrow of the Jewish state by the Romans
for his epistle was written A. d. 66-about the
commencement of the Jewish war; but it is
also a type of how Christ will overthrow all
horted his brethren to "be mindful of the
words which were spoken before by the holy
prophets, wy. This is important to keep in
mind. and after describing the abolition of the
then existing heavens and earth says, Never
the-less we according to his promise look for
new heavens and a new earth wherein dwell
eth righteousness" v19. Therefore the new
heavens and earth that Peter looked for and is
what God had nFOmGad fhrOnOh 20
ISAIAH, 'Behold create new heavens and q
new earth and the former shall not be remem-
bered nor come into mind. Qsaxv 10 Hav-
ing given the promise, the prophet proceeds in
the next verse to explain its meaning thus.
But be We glad and rejoice for even in that
which create, for behold create Jerusalem
a rejoicing and her people joy, " 1S). See
ing that the new heavens and new earth here
predicted are to consist of state of things in
and around Jerusalem and is fgureative of
Christ's political kingdom and rule in the age
to come. When these things come to pass,
God will have ne need to turn this globe into
great flame. Were this to be the case, neith-
er Jerusalem nor her people would be left to-
create a rejoicing" and "a joy" AS this
is hgureative heavens andearth, so there is pro-
vided 1gureative SUMMON and stars. AS the
sun and moon were made to rule the night and
day, (Gen.i 16) the heavens and the luminants
they contain are used for the ruling powers
among mankind the sun IS used for kings and
civil government, the moon for queens and
the stars for princes, governors and lower
grades Of rulers. These lumInants bear the
same relation to the earth that political and
ecclesiastical rulers do to the rank and file of
mankind hence the subjects, or people ruled
over are styled the "earth, the "earth feared"
Psalms xxxvi 81 LET the earth be glad" Psa.
xcvi III "Is this the man that made the earth
to tremble,' lisa. xiv 16). The Jewish nation
is represented as having sun and moon Of
their own. Her sun is gone down while it
was yet day." (Jer. XIV 81. The setting of the
Israelitish sun was the overthrow of the
throne of David, five centuries before the ma
ton itself was removed and scattered by the
Romans, the withdrawing of the Jewish moon
was the abolishing of the priesthood and the
ritual. The prophet in speaking of the re-
storing of the kingdom to Israel, says: 'Thy
sun shall no more go down, nor thy moon with
draw itself, for the Lord (Jesus) shall be thine
everlasting light and the days OF thy morning
shall be ended and shall inherit the land for
ever lisa. TX 30-21. The light, or sun of the
new political heavens has not yet arisen. He
is called 1.-THE Son of righteousness" (Mal.iv p.
This name is given to Jesus, 1.-THE Lord our
righteousness,' CJer. Xxx iii 81. Who is to sit on
the throne of David, luke 81 as the future
king over all the earth. (Zich. xiv also Rev.
XII 15). When the Son of righteousness shall
have arisen he viii be accompanied with other
symbolic satellites that "shall shine forth as
the sun in the kingdom of their father" Matt
xiii, 49,. The prophet in addressing Israel,
says. "Ye shall not be ashamed nor confound-
ed world without end, lisa. xiv III, and in the
next verse says, 'God himself that formed the
earth and made il, he hath established it, he
created it not in vain, he formed 1t to be in
habited." Now then if God was 10 destroy
this earth at the second coming of Christ, then
the world come to an end, and would have
been created IN vain; but He formed il to be
Inhabited, so it fs reasonable to conclude that
this earth is destined to be the abode of such
portion the human race as will be pleasing to
God. On account of his disobedience the first
man, Adam, forfeited the dominion him. The
very fact that a redeemer styled the last Adj
am Il Cor. XIV 45) has been provided to repair
the evil efforts of the first Adam So that the
last Adam Christi will become the possessor
of the whole earth land they that dwell there
in, tPsa. xiv !, Chron ii s, Dan. vii I3-IA: ard
that all the children of God VINO are STYLED
joint heirs with Christ tRom. viii IL have BEEN
made heirs to the earth for il Is declared that
those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit
the EARTH" tPsa- xxxvii 81. Jesus says, "bIess-