Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-05-26

" VR - W. This Tuesday, the
fyTNy&?N last day of his public
WV teaching should have
been the fair citys
bridal day when she
should have been married to the Son of God.
But .'he who would have taken her to MS
heart as the hen gathers her chickens under
her wings saw the eagles already in the air,
flying past to rend her TO pieces.'-StaiKer.
All that could be done was done. The last
word was spoken. the last warning gwen anu
toward night Jesus left the temple, never 10
enter it again, and wendell his way with his
chosen disciples up the slope Of the Mount OIL
Olives on the way to Bethany and TO the
family which he loved.
1t was only left for him now, in the TWO
| days that remained, to give all the instruction.
possible to his disciples, to prepare theni ioi
what was coming. so that in the mldhisnt
| darkness and fearful struggle some heavenly
star of guidance should keep them from de-
spair, and when their old hopes Vanlsheu'
| like the baseless fabric of a dream the
| new kingdom should gradually shine out oi
| the mist, firm, and strong, and beautiful.
| Time.-Tuesday, April 4, A. ID. 50, towaru
| evening. (Old Ca1endarO
| Place.-The slope of the Mount OF olives on
| the way from the temple to Bethany, overlook
| ing the city of Jerusalem.
| To-day's lesson includes Luke q: 2o-So. me
| explanations follows:
| 20. when ye shall see Jerusalem comprised
| by armies" Jesus was probably sitting upon
| the exact spot where the famous Tenth Legion
| of the Roman soldiers who captured Jerusalem
| were encamped during the siege. The arst
| siege of Jerusalem was in A. ID. 90, under
| Cestius. Then the disciples could know
| that the desolation thereof is nigh
| 81 Let them which are in Judea flee 10
the mountains" These could escape with COM
| paratiye ease. Jesus practically forblus MS
disciples to Join in the terrible series of reVol's,
and fierce Instruction, and frantic but useless
| attacks upon the Romans, or the tanaticaA
disputes between the different factions OF the
| Jews. LET them which are in the midst Oh
| it (the city, depart out" 1T is neeolui u
| consider how the beeaguering of the city py
| the Roman armies could be a sign to the Cnris-
| tians to depart out seeing that the besiegins
| army hemmed them in so that there was NO
| escape"
D. ''These be the days of vengeance, Of the
divine punishment account of their sins.
Josephus declares that 1.-The misfortuhes y.
, | all men, from the beginning OF the world, II
| they be compared to those of the Jews, are
| not so terrible as theirs were. nor did any
age ever produce generation more ruitiui
of wickedness from the beginning or the
world" "All things which are written.
The language refers to Old Testament proph-
ecies such as Leviticus 20: 14:2i; Deuter-
D onomy %: Is. etc.; %: 1928; Daniel % 70, q;
Zechariah Il; u: 2.-Abbott. E&.fr
g. but woe unto them etc, whose suner-
ngs will be aggravated by the distress.
| "(;reat distress and wrath upon this
neonle" The horrors of war and sedtion, OF
| famine and pestileEce, were such as exceeqSo
| all example or conception. The city was
: denseiy crowded by the multitudes which had
come up to the passover Pestilence ensueu'
e | violence and cruelty were perpetrated WITH
4 | out conjunction remorse, and barbarities
enacted which cannot be described Mothers
| ,ha frOn
g husbands and children, and one actually kllieu,
, roasted and devoured her infant son. Com
= mare Leviticus %: 20; Deuteronomy Is: 56, Si.)
% The besieged devoured even the filth OF the
streets.
re 81 LED away captive into all nations"
l. | fact which has continued till this day. There
\, | are about 5, 900 900 Jews in the world, some
what more than the number in Palestine at
the time Of Christ. According to the last re-
= uort of the English Society for Propagating
the Gospel among the Jews. there are Sooo.-
"a 600 Jews in Russia, 1,644,OOO in Austria, oo2oou
~ i'm Germany los, 900 in Turkey, 900 in France
and 81, goo in Gerat Britain. In New York city
1t | there are 25O 900. Jerusalem shall be trod-
70 den down of the Gentiles. AN sorts OF Gen-
tiles-Romans, Saracens, Persians. Franks
"a Noresmen, Turks-have 'trodden down Jeru-
salem since then"-Cambridge Bible. Until
the times OF the Gentiles be fulfilled. by
the times-''seasons" or opportunities" OF the
Gentiles-is meant the period allotted foi
" their full evangelization Romans IL: 20
25.-"There shall be signs in the sun and In
the moon" These verses seem to have looh
, | beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to the
IL Anal coming of the Son of Man. though ap
b. | plcable to both events. The same conditions
will prevail; the same warfare and disturb
ance always arise when truth is making IL
way against error. The sea and the waves
roaring" express wildly the wild commotion
among the people political and social agita
lions.
2T. Then shall they see the Son of Mai
coming" All these things must necessarily
precede the coming Of the Son of Man. Tn
commotion in the clouds and darkness are tn
sign that the light is working. The socia
upheavals proofs that truth and the gospe
are living powers and are doing their work
"In a cloud" amid all this commotion and up
heaval with power and great glory. Oni
= power could emerge from these connections
Only power divine can bring the kingdom o
God and its coming will be the most glorious
bright, beautiful event that ever shone upo
this earth.
2S. Then look up, take courage. do NJ
despair when you see these troubles and con
motions. but see in them the sign and proc
that your redemption draweth Nigh" you
deliverance from evil. the success of you
work, the uplifting OF the truth. the gospc
80 80. 1.-THE fig tree and all the trees: whe
they now shoot forth" when the buds bur
their environment you know TIL
summer is at hand" 1t is natur
tn! and necessary sign.
wa 81. Know we that the kingdom of God
nigh at hand" The connections were pr
10 duced by the workings of the kingdom
'no God upon wicked world. They were Il
natural signs OF that working the vsib
in proof OF invisible forces. The battle was Il
sign OF victory
SO. My words shall not pass away" Tit
were fulfilled in the return OF Christ and
the destruction of Jerusalem and thereto
ISL are certain to be in the days to come.
en- c,,p,o,e $500
too