The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-14
Revived Interest In the Millennium


| from the frequent letters occupied with
| The Interpretation Of the prophecies of
| the Bible, and more espet tally the mil
lcnnal prophecy, has always had a
peculiar fascination for believing minds
of both the mystical and the practical
cast, ard perhaps now the advent Of
new century, distinguished by a spread
Of religious Indifference and scepticism
looked on as a fulflmcnt Of the prophe-
sled condition of the world Immediately
antecedent TO the Millennium, may have
given this fresh impulse to the old pur-
suit
When the year 1000 approached great
excitement on the subject prevailed in
Europe. In his day, LUTHER thought
the signs Of the times justified the ex-
pectation of the speedy second coming
If the LORD. According to the pro-
phctic Interpretation Of the American
WILLIAM MILLER. IT was 20 take place in
1913. Tie Rev. DR.. JOHN CUMMING of
London made good deal Of stir by
figuring out that the end of the present
dispcnsation would come in 1868 or 1857,
ard afterward. in 1865. Perhaps the
contemporary Jewish Zionite move
mcnt has helped to give the new inn
pr'us to the discussion to which we
have referred. for that Jerusalem is to
: - the pre-, l~e seat of CHRIsT'S earthly
throne was a belief very generally held
bv early Christians. ], and all other
Christ ians whose belief is in every respect
correct" wrote JUSTIN MARTYR in the
second century. know that there will
b. both n resurrection of the flesh and
a thousand years in Jerusalem, which
will then be rebuilt. adorned and en-
larged, as the Prophets EzExIRL. ISAIAH
and others declare" The literal restora-
ton of the Jews to Palestine and their
conversion to CHRIST are frequently
linked with the mllennial belief
Millenarianism is found in every
Christian denomination, but it il Of two
schools, the one contending that the
second coming Of CHRIST will precede
the thousand years of bessedness and
the other that it will follow that period.
We have received an open letter of OBJ
lection 10 the revision Of the Westminster
Confession made by committee of the
PRESBYTERIAN Church. written by the
Rev DR.. Ross, n Scotch Presbyterian
of Denver in Colorado. The main ground
of that objection concerns this difference
in the millennial belief. for in a chapter
added by the committee it is declared
ha, ha Tbnr,I, 10
creased until it shall cover the earth,
purified and at last made perfectly holy
in the presence Of COP"
DR.. Ross interprets this very reason
ably as a declaration against the pre-
milIennial coming Of our LORD" and
wholly new departure, for he has been
unable to find in any reputable creed
of Christendon any such doctrine Of
d" perfectly holy earth. For example,
the Augsburg Confession speaks of the
last days foreshown in Holy Scripture,
in which the world is TO become ever
more and more degenerate and mankind
more sinful and weak BY the Council
Of Trent, as quoted by Dr. Ross it was
declared that the Scriptures also in
form us that the General Judgment shall
be preceded by the preaching Of the
Gospel throughout the world. detection
from tho faith and the coming of Anti
Christ"
Any expectation Of the conversion Of
the world and the overthrow of SATAN
by the modern preacher DR.. Ross looks
on "a a pernicious delusion. The
Church for 1900 years has not done it, he
SAYS, and never will; - but the condi-
ton foretold in prophecy an preliminary
to the Millennium he finds to be attack
and defeat of the truth, darkness covering
the face Of the earth instead Of holiness
till He come who is the Light" Ac-
cordinglv, DR.. Ross feels that he has the
Bible behind him in declaring that the
boosted age Of progress will close in
the blacklist darkness" and the signs
of that end seem to him to be especially
unmistakable now
Churches are on the down grade and
d"caying, their mission is about fulfilled
| the signs of deepening apostasv are
| spreading with a rapidity of which
| VII l~lldHN nave no conception.
/ The present purpose Of the Church
seems To DIR. Ross To be to improve this
world and amelorate its temporal and
social condition and not to save souls
! for the life to come christian So-
cialism with its theory that the
Golden Age is TO follow the establish
ment Of new social order, he looks on
as the spirit that is preparing the way
| for the Anti-Christ, state to which
we are approaching According TO
his view, the profcssed Church is in
process of conversion to the world, in
stead Of the world being in process of
! conversion n CHRIST" So far from it's
being possible for the Church to be
made perfectly holy, he interprets the
| prophecies Of Scripture and the signs
of the present times as foretellDg that
the Gospel dispensation will close amid
the Astounding of unparalleled wicked
ness and iniquity." But to that prevail
ing darkness will come a great Light
the event ahead Of us is the coming of
! CHRIST JESUS"
| DR.. Ross thanks COP that at this time