The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-06-23
NECESSITY FOR
MILLENNIUM
By REV. T. c. RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn TabsrnaeIs
Broohiyn NY.

2. II is equally certain that today the
doctrine Of the millennium is tRbooed
as "out Of date"-out OF harmony with
the views Of the higher critics and ey-
olutionists. who are filling practically
all the chairs in our colleges and the
majority OF the pulpits of Christendom
The present day concept of the
Church of Christ is that God planted
II amongst men as leaven In a batch OF
dough with the intent that It should
propagate itself until the entire mass
would be leavened
The two views are so radically oppo
site that none should confuse them In
their minds. II one is right, the other
is wrong. II one Is Scriptural the
other Is unscriptural. The safe. the
proper, the right course is to 60 back
millennium-the doctrine that the
faithful OF the church now being tried
and tested will constitute the glorious
Kingdom OF Gods dear Son after their
change from earthly to spirit condl-
tions in the First Resurrection" q
Corinthians. 15:42-4D.
Christian people have been fooling
themselves long enough" Yes, II is as
absolutely irrational TO think Of con.
vsrting the world, as It Is unscrip-
tural 20 believe that God ever gave US
that impossible commission. The Uni.
ted States census reports show that
there are twice AS many heather to-
day as there were a century ago. The
word heather carries TO many a very
wrong impression. Many noble-heart-
ed Christians have gone as mission
aries TO the heather wholly UMPIRE
pared for what they met-intelligent
reasoning ability. etc They found
that the heather were full Of qnes-
tions. logical questions, too, which
they as Christians had never thought
Of. and which they were wholly UNI
prepared 10 answer. Comparatively
few OF the missionaries are able TO
hold their own in argument with IN
telligent people IN India, China and
Japan. There ia no danger Of their
converting those people. There Is
more danger OF their losing their own
faith In the Bible, because OF their
INSTRUMENTATION OF some OF fits teach
ings-respecting the mission Of the
church. the hope OF the church aud
the hope OF the world
Missionaries are thus handicapped,
Full OF cOmmendable zeal they leave
our shores 20 tell the heather that
their forefathers have gone to eternal
Tor nnN NJ hwe 10. a
too. unless they accept Christ Il Is
IA rude awakening TO be asked where
hell is? and why God should have
condemned them and their fOrefathers
10 such a horrible eternity? and how
this could be true and yet he be a
God OF pity. compassion. love? The
heather ask. Why the different de-
nominations-the different theories OF
the terms OF Satisfactorily water. by
election, by free grace. by Joining the
church. etc. The missionary. wholly
unable to answer the adult native,
gathers children about him, starts a
school and does all he is able. per
haps, to Justify his presence IN for
eign land-helping the sick and doing
many other acts of kindness which are
very commendable. whether from a TO
ligious or humanitarian standpoint.
Next let us note that the millennium
itself is an absolute necessity for the
world. according 10 the statistics OF
the world-wise. Many college profess
sors and ID. DIS are inclined to speak
glibly OF the second coming OF Christ
being far in the futuTe-"5O,0 900 years
vet" say some. But evidently these
learned gentlemen have not used their
educational advantages in connection
with such statements Any school boy
can figure up what the population q
the earth would be 1000 years from
now. taking the present population as
per the census at sixteen hundred mil
lion and the ratio OF increase as
shown by the census reports at per
show 3.375. 100000 population for
the year 2900 A. D.-more than 1000
for each person now living.
What would humanity do II the
earth were crowded TO that extent?
Where would the necessary food. fuel
anu NlOAhAhb bt lohIus computing
the tillable portion OF the earth at
twenty-five million square miles or SIX
teen billion acres would give but one
acre for the support Of 210 people, or
less than FIVE square yards each. At
the close OF second such period.
1900 A. d.. at the same rate, there
would be ten persons for each square
foot OF standing room. In other
words they would stand 10 deep on
each others heads. What shall We
think of the wisdom that tells us that
the millennium is $4,000 years on?
The answer ia found in Isaiah's proph.
ecy (29:1D. II
Are we asked how the millennium ~
at once introduced would avert the dit,
fculties of the first statement. 2i0
people for each acre of the habitable
earth? We reply that the Scriptures
clearly intimate that the rapid in.
crease of our race is associated with
mans fallen condition: as our Gre
ator declared to Mother Eve after her
disobedience: Il Will greatly multiply
thy sorrowa and thy conception"
Genesis $40.