The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-07-22
THUR sD-AY
oU TING NO. 4.

about one who is aOongregationalist. He
tcame to Sodaville to visit his parents,
While here he gave several Bible-read.
ings. One of them was on the second
looming of Christ. At the beginning oi
his reading. he stated that there are two
methods of interpreting the passages .ol
scripture which refer to this second CON-
ing, the literal and the figurative. He
adopts the former method and is sure he
is right. He is so certain about it that
he positively asserted that there is no
authority for the figuratiye interpreta-
ton. His theory is that Christ will come
personally before the millennium and that
the dead saints will rise at his coming
and will reign with him thousand
ears. Jerusalem, which is now in a
state of preparation, will be the capital
of his kingdom.
He founds his theory Che calls it an es-
tablished iact) on Rev. 20:4 and posit-
lively asserts that there is no scripture"
FOR any other than the literal interpreta-
ton of the passage. Well. for the sake
of argument, we will take it literally.
What does it say? That the dead saints
will rise and reign with him Thousand
years? Not at all. Il says that 1.-THE
souls OF them that were beheaded for the
Testimony of Jesus and for the word of
IGod-liyed and reigned with Christ a
thousand years-but the rest OF the dead
lived not again until the thousand years
were finished" II there is to be n literal
resurrection of the martyrs at the Sec
ond coming OF Christ, there will have to
be another resurrection of the rest Of rhe
dead. He overlooked this point and did
not say one word about it. Where is his
I proof that there viii be.two resurrections
of the dead? The Bible clearly estab-
fishes the fact that there will be gen.
eral resurrection OF all the dead and after
it uniyersl judgment. Ii the dead
martyrs rise and reign with Christ in
their natural bodies will they die again
during the little season in which the
devil is let loose, and rise again. the last
dayf III so, where is .'the scripture for
it?" 1t cannot be found. sit is ap-
pointed unto men once to die and after
this the Judgment" This Judgment &C
cording TO the scripture, viii be soon af-
ter the general resurrection. He in
new t4tG e2EkkG
way but gave no Scripture for it." He
simply said that the great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out OF heaven
from God was a reality and must be
taken literally" Well, we will suppose
it must be taken literally. From what
part of the universe did it come? Was
it from the place to which the Savior
went when he said TO his disciples: 81
go to prepare place Tor you; and II go
and prepare place for you, will come
again and receive you TO myself" Our |
Bible-reader did not explain 1t. He as
sured US that the Jerusalem in the Pal |
estine of older times was undergoing pre-
paration for the return OF the Jews and /
the personal reign of Christ after his
second coming. Why then did the holy
Jerusalem descend out OF heaven Il
must have been Tor some purpose. H hat
was il? That is what l would like 10
know, but our Bible-reader did not tell
US.
But this is not the only difficulty con-
nected with the literal Interpretation of
this passage. We are told that this city
was Il. 600 furlongs, or 1900 miles long,
and of the same breath and height. Ifit
was real city, it puzzle me no little TO |.
see how the inhabitants could get from
the lowest to the highest parts OF il. Our
Bible-reader did not tell US. Perhaps
they had elevators.
We are also told that s.the city was !
pure gold, like unto clear glass, and the
OF the wall OF the city were
yarnished with all manner Of precious
stones.n The weight OF this city 1900
gold, must have been tremendous, and |
know OF no word, even IN the Standard
dictionary, with which TO qualify the ad-
hesibility or cohesibility, whichever il is,
1f the particles OF matter in the founda-
lions. There is no material on the earth
which can support the pressure OF golden
slty 800 miles In height.
These are some of the difficulties
which present themselves 10 my mind
in connection with the liberal interpre-
tation OF these two passages (Rev. 20:4
and q HOLD. 1t seems TO me that our
Bible-reader did not read between the
lines. He Is the only man that / ever
saw who was perfectly sure that he un-
ierstood all that is in the Book OF Rev
alation. All others have found it full
even when interpreted figura-
lively but he alone knows exactly what
the Holy Spirit meant when he inspired
John TO write as he did. And so it was
in reference 20 every passage which he
quoted as proving his theory OF Christ's
second Coming. He was absolutely GER
tain that "they have no meaning, il ex-
planned in any other way" than literally.
will now give some of the other pas
sages quoted by him to prove his theory,
and will allow the reader to Judge for
himself or herself. John IA: 2. 8; Heb.
:28; Thes. 4:16-18; Dan. z: Is, IA;
Dan. II: 9; Matt. "a 80; Thes. 5: /, 2;
2 Thes. 2:6.
doubt whether any of these passages
have reference to the Second Coming OF
Christ according to his Interpretation;
but / allow him the right OF private
Judgment. Freedom OF opinion is the
OF every man in this great land
Of ours. No man, however, has a right
TO sit in judgment and say positively
that his Interpretation OF the Scriptures
is right and all others are wrong. But
this is just what our Bible-reader does
He knows he is right and asserts posi-
lively that his Interpretation is mot a |
theory but an established fact" But
this is not all that he says. He made,
with no Limitation or qualification, the
following assertion: "If we do not be-
lieve in literal Second Coming OF Christ |
to reign a thousand years, we cannot |
look for him." For this assertion he did
not give shadow of proof. 1t was a |
simon-pure ipse dixit. To my mind it
was very presumptuous assumption OF
superior wisdom on his part, but no |
more than the following: "The universe |
(be was speaking of the five foolish vir-
gins) do not wish Christ to come and
reign personally on the earth a thousand
wears, and this is the reason that they do
not believe this view OF his Second Com
ing" Just after this he stated as TACT
the following: "Every 9th verse OF the
Bible has reference to the Second Com
ing of Christ to reign personally on the
earth thousand years. This do not
accept as fact. do not believe there is
single verse in the Old Testament
which refers to the Second Coming OF
Christ to reign personally on the earth
thousand years; and | am not sure
that there is one in the New Testament.
do not say that there is none, but | do
say that the texts quoted by our Bibie-
reader and his assumptions did not con-
vince me that he is right and that all
those are wrong who believe that the
Second Coming Of Christ will be at the
winding up OF the Christian dispensation
when he will come to judge the world IN
| righteousness. CAELEBs.