The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-10-26

(lGAs!9& 9gssEIg) forever" and
TORS were built upon misinterpreta-
lions Of Scripture. His text was Reve-
lation <. 6. Z. "And the angel sware
- that the time should be no long,
er delayed"
Pastor Russell declared that his text
has no reference to the end of time
that time could never end. must al
ways endure. The word delayed
should have been added by the trans
lators to catch the proper thought.
The time mentioned would no longer
be delayed. The fulflment of delayed
promises would be accomplished
These views in recent years have
been most pronouncedly voiced by
Christian brethren styled Adventists,
but really are to be found in nearly
all the creeds of Christendom. The
erroneous theory has been further boil
stored up by the neutrality-suspicious. Of
our Lords words translated the end Of
the trorld. Our Lord said nothing about
the end of the earth, 0e; what he did
mention was the end of the ai0n or
Age in which we live. Various atoms
or ages have followed one another,
each ending in turn and giving place
to another. So the present aion or age,
we believe, will soon give place to a
better dion or Age-the aion or age in
which sin and death have reigned will
give place to an dton or Age in which
Christ and His Church will reign fri.
umphant.
Heavens and Earth on Fire
Those who have not learned that the
Bible frequently uses language in a
symbolical manner may be excused for
taking literally some Of st. Peters
statements respecting the burning Of
the heavens and the earth. A critical
study shows that the Apostle could
not have referred to the literal earth
and the literal heavens as being con-
sumed He used the term earth sym.
bolically. as representing society. of
which the mountains or kingdoms are
the backbone. just as he used the word
heavens to represent the ecclesiastical
powers which are even now rolling to-
gether as scroll from the two ends
the one Protestant, the other Cath
ole. The social confagration Is being
generally feared.
Although many expect the social con.
fagration, not many yet fear the re-
ligious blaze predicted by the Apostle
1t surely will come; not jot or little
will fail. The religious "heavens" and
the social "earth" will catch fire to-
gether. After the great confagration,
upon the ashes Of human institutions.
Messiah will establish the Kingdom
Of glory and blessing in the interests
of our poor, dying race. The new
heavens" will be the new ecclesiastical
power-the Church in glory. The ''new
earth" will be the new social arrange
ment which Messiah will inaugurate.
Some Of the Difficulty
The early Church hoped. in harmony
with the Apostolic teachings. for Mes
siah's Kingdom to be established and
for the resulting times of restitution
Of all things which God hath spoken
by the mouth Of all the holy Prophets
since the world began. Acts iii, 1921.
After the Apostles fell asleep and
the Kingdom still delayed. false doc
trines crept into the Church. amongst
others the theory that Christ's King
dom was not to be waited for-that it
came at Pentecost and the Apostles did
not know of it; that it must conquer its
way to the Throne of earth-that con-
verts must be made even though the
assistance Of inquisitionary torments
were necessary to effect this.
False Kingdoms Of God
When the Protestant Reformation re-
nounced Catholicism and denounced it
as Anti-Christ it proceeded. neverthe-
less. along the same lines. Various
Protestant Churches did their best to
fill the place which Papacy claimed
and to get earthly kingdoms to support
their claims to spiritual domination.
Thus the Car Of Russia is the Head
Of the Greek Church. Emperor Will
liam is the Head Of the Lutheran sys.
TEN. King George is Head of the
Church Of England, theoretically. We
may be sure, however, that none Of
these talented men believe for mo-
ment that they are reigning as and for
and instead of Messiah.
None Of these are Kingdoms Of
Christ, nor could all Of them together,
called "Christendom." hope ever to
bring to pass the glorious things
promised Of Messiah's Empire-that
"every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess to the glory Of Cod"
Indeed. it is becoming more widely
known daily that heathendom, as we'll
as Christendom. is doubling in nonnla.