Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
Emo Of Vlorlo.
Adventists London Declaring Will Come Within
five Years--Prophecy Based Biblical Passages
Particularly in the Book Of Daniel

The prediction made at the May confer
ence of the Adventis.s of Great Britain that
the world will come to an end within TWEEN
ty-fve years would be startling If any con
siderable part of mankind could be brought
to believe it. Similar prophecies, however,
have been repeated at intervals since 1910.
and whatever force such declarations might
have has been dissipated in the failure of
the predictions to materalize. But failure
does not seem to dampen the faith of the
Adventists. With every delay in the pro-
gram these firm believers in the second
coming turn again to their well-worn
Bibles, finding consolation in unnoted and
missing links of prophecy, bridging chron-
illogical chasms revising their calculations
and setting a new date which they declare
to be the right one.
For the past three years the pronounce
ment has been given official utterance at
the May meetings of the Adventists in Lon
don, with little variation, except that the
Rev NJ. Baxter leader of the sect in Eng
land. went into more detail than usual this
year, emboldened in his prophecy seeming
ly by such events the political troubles
in Russia, the growing of Nesuvius and the
seismic tumult which destroyed San Fran
cisco, these happenings fitting into the no
ton that wars and earthquakes are the
par AlSuiti StSHS VI hliS dppl "a
tastrophe.
This year it was declared with becoming
solemnity that the date for the sounding
of the last trump will be May 2, 1929, or
April 8, 1881, the last being the limit allow
able in the calculations of the time symbols
used in the prophecy of Daniel and other
Scripture writers. In view of the remark
able character of these predictions, it will
be interesting to note briefly what they are
based upon, and how the calculations are
worked out, which to the Adventists have
the force of mathematical demonstrations.
1t should be said that the Seventh Day
Adventists of the United States do not set
any date for the end of the world. being
content with the simple declaration that
the end is coming soon.
The time scheme Is based upon the Wis
ions of Daniel, supplemented by the proph-
ecy of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation.
Daniels first vision was the composite
image which Nebuchadnezzar saw In
dream, with head of gold, breast and arms
of silver, sides of brass, legs of iron and
feet of clay. This image is understood to
refer TO the political Kingdoms of earth
Babylon, MedoPersia, Imperial Rome and
Papal Rome, typifying the division of the
Roman empire and its final dissolution In 10
ten kingdoms. To this period Is assigned
seven times" or prophetic years, and reck-
oning a day to a calendar year the multi
plication of seven by twelve and then by
thirty gives 2, $50 years, which, dating from
the establishment OF the Babylonian en-
pire in Cog B. c., brings the end of the pc
rod in the year 1874.
The second vision is that of the five
beasts-winged lion, bear, flying leopard
and the two nondescrpts and terrible mon
sters which disturbed the prophets rest
and defed his efforts at description. This
period extends over forty-nine jubilee
years, 2,450 calendar years, and. starting
with the order given to Ezekiel to rebuild
the walls of Jerusalem in COG B. c., also
leads down to 1874.
The third vision of four beasts and $500
days starting with the resumption of daily
sacrifices in Jerusalem In 4J6 B. c., also
ends in 1874.
This was the line of calcula ton followed
by the sect of the Milerites, who proclaim
ed the end of the world on October "a, 1874
causing considerable excitement in the
state of New York, some of the believers,