Evening journal., 1910-11-12

long enough In advance to escape
from il likewise; the Church Of Christ
is forwarned by this illustration and
reminded that when they fee they
shall not, like Lots wife. covetously
look back to the things which, under
Divine condemnation, are tO pass
away, but shall escape to the noun
tains-fiee to the Kingdom OF God /
which will at that time be in process I
of establishment
Doubtless much OF the immortality |
and sensuality which marked the days !
Of Noah and the days of Lot will pre-
vail In the world IN the closing days
OF the present age Other Scrip
lures SO inform us, even though this
study intimates nothing of the kind.
This lesson brings to our attention
another feature connected with our
/ Lords Second Advent--a feature
which hitherto has been little no-
ticed by Bible students. 1t informs
us that his Second Coming Will be
unobserved. unknown to the world;
that he will be present I'm the world
and have TO do with the gathering
| together of his saints and with the
great time of trouble which Will fol-
low, yet be entirely invisible TO men,
recognizable only by outward signs
of his presence and known only to
the sanity few OF humanity.
This feature OF the lesson is yelled
nom the eyes of the average Bible
student by a misranslated word. The
Greek for the word coming IN verses
81 and 80 is parousia, which does not
mean coming but should be rendered
presence. as of one who has already
come.
"In the Presence OF the Son of Man."
This gives us a stupendous thoughtl
The great King OF kings Will for a
time be present amongst men, in
visible, unknown, except by very
few OF his saints, to whom HIS pres
ence will be revealed through the
knock of prophecy and the opening Of
the eyes of their understanding TO APP
preciate fulfilments. Everything will
continue as ordinarily-the eating,
drinking, planting, building and mar
rying, "as II was In the days OF Noah
Had the world known in Noah's days
the climax of trouble impending many
of the ordinary affairs OF life would
have been discontinued-and likewise
here The lesson is that as the world
did not know in Noah's day, so the
world will not know "in the days OF
tho Son OF Mann the presence OF
the Son OF Man
= The field is the world. said our Lord,
, in explaining one OF his parallels.
And 80 we should interpret It here.
) The Lord will gather some Of his
, jewels from the field; all not his
Jewels will be left. Two will be grind
? ing at the mill preparing food foI
D. the household; one will be taken and
Y another left. The Lords household If
Y the Church and the mills which pre-
e pare the food for the Church are the
4 illogical The lntimation Is that SOM
G theologians Will be taken and som
7, will be left, in the selective processe
'e OF the presence of the Son of Man
d in the making up of his Jewels.
re St. Luke mentions another featul
of this discourse. There shall be tv
IN IN one bed. the one shall be taken an
the other left. A bed is a place 4
at rest. All churches profess TO be res
n ing places. where the weary al
III heavy-laden rest through faith
ut God and in his promises. The teac
d. ing. then, would be that not all WI
at are resting I'm the churches Of Chri
vi tendon, in the creeds, will be among
e. the elect, the gathered Jewels. Son
- Will NC ldAiil away AlUiA NNMfct Utu
pr Others will be left I'm them A vivi
Of description of these creed-heds an
10 their unsatisfactory character is ri,
Il en- us by the Prophet isaiah xvii
lie 20.)
Ie Watch That We May Know.
l. Following these illustrations OF hi
n presence and his work in the harves
e time of this Gospel Age the Maste
8 exhorts all of his followers to watch
= TO be ready, to be on the alert, to b.
" on the lookout, that they may b.
n ready, for his presence. that the!
e may, i'm due time, discern his presence
and that they may be gathered o
l. separated from the world and theo
z logical relationship. and from earth
d ~ church relationship, to the Maste
B. himself. Some very earnest Bibl
% students believe that we are I'm thi
y harvest period now; that the Sol
L. of Man, the glorifed Messiah, invisi
l. bic 10 men, is even now present doini
- searching and separating work Il
his Church, gathering his saints unit
himself preparatory TO their chang
y from earthly to heavenly condition
= and preparatory to the inauguration
of the great time of trouble, by whic
I present institutions will be blotte
out to make way for the Kingdom o
q righteousness, for which We have s
n long prayed. Many Bible student
- believe that the present unrest an
v sitting and shaking amongst Christ
I. ians and the creeds of all denomina
~ lions and the colleges and semins
e ries are but incidental 10. this wor
- which the Son of Man, preser
= amongst us, is accomplishing for h
Sc purpose Of fully separating TO hin
self his very elect. Whether tn
proposition be agreed to or not, n
- fact still remains that thus mattel