The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-10-24

ssFffH r0rs were built
upon misinterpretations Of Scriptures
We report him ON Revelation x, g
as follows:
Our text. with other Scriptural state
ments respecting the end Of the world
(for instance, st. Peters statement
1.-THE heavens being on fire shall be
DISCOVERY, have led Christians In
general to accept the theory that
God has decreed that shortly, or al
some time, our earth is to be burned.
The early Church expected and prayed
for the second coming of Messiah, to
establish the Kingdom OF righteous
ness, to overthrow sin and to release
mankind from its bondage and weak
ness and from the power ofsdeath, and
thus to bless the whole earth, restoring
all things to the glorious condition
represented in miniature In Eden: man
In perfection, with Paradise home
Acts i'll, 1921.
But as centuries passed without the
manifestation Of Messiah's Kingdom
those expectations yielded to another
suggestion. namely, that Jesus had not
meant what had been understood, but
meant that, the Church should convert
the world. under His supervision, dur.
ing period of thousand years, and
that then He would come and give
their work His stamp Of approval and
wind things up by taking all the
NJ 10 A. a. q.
earth to entirely consume 1t.
Catholics and Protsstants Much Con-
fused.
Both Catholics and Professionals have
been operating in harmony with this
erroneous thought Catholics claim
that the Kingdom Of Messiah was set
up long ago and that the popes and
cardinals are representatives OF Jesus
and the Church. They claim that the
Pope is Christ's Vice gerent-that is to
say, He reigns instead OF Christ, as
His representative. They claim that
1.-THE thousand years. Is already In the
past, since 1909, and that we are now
in the little season" mentioned In
Revelation XIX. 3, In which Satan was
to be loosed, at the close Of the
thousand years.
Many Of them understand that Prot
estanism in general and, particularly,
Socialism and Free Masonry, are
organizations Of Satan, which will
soon be destroyed In the burning up
Of the world.
Professionals are also much confused
on the subject. They claim that we
are in the reign OF Messiah, but they
are not sure when it began or when 1t
will end. Before Luther's day the
Catholic view prevailed, but accord
ing to Luther's preaching the Papal
claims were false, and later the Papal
system was branded as Antiehrist.
Since then Protestants are In con-
fusion. Some recognize the Church of
England and its hngly head as Gods
Kingdom in the earth, but they admit
that 1t has not yet conquered the
earth. nor Is Gods win done as in
heaven, even In the British Isles. The
Church of Russia makes a similar
claim to being the Kingdom Of God,
and honors the Pope as the reigning
representative of Messiah. Emperor
William Of Germany also has on his
coins the legend that he is reigning
''by the grace Of God"-that his king,
dom is a part of Messfah's Kingdom.
But all these theories Catholics and
Protestants are now ignoring. In the
light of our day none dare preach such
theories With present-day enlighten-
ment it seems foolish to declare that
the various kingdoms Of Europe are
Messiah's Kingdom, and that they are
esta blishing a reign of righteousness.
The costly preparations for war made
by these very nations discredit entire
" the claim that they are parts of
Messiah's great Kingdom OF righteous
ness and peace.
All denominations engaged in mis-
sionary work are processing the
thought that soon the world win be
that the second coming OF
Christ will then take place, and then |
win come the contamination, and the
burning Of the world. How strange,
how illogieall The heather, according
10 reliable government statistics, are
twice as numerous today as they were |
century ago. Six hundred millions |
here were then; there are twelve hun
ired millions now. How long would |
t require, at this rate, to convert the
world? And II the heather were con
Ferted to the same condition Of civ
1zau0n enjoyed In europe ana amer
ca, could we claim then that Gods
VIII was done on earth as It is done \
n heaven? Assuredly not.
Thank God, the second coming Of
Messiah will not delay until the world
converted and Gods viii fully done
md the plan of salvation ended.
Quite to the contrary. His coming is
or the very purpose of bringing all
Kings into subsection to the Fathers
vii. He comes that He may reign as
King OF kings and Lord of lords. In
ssociation with His Church. He win
ot reign through a representative or
ice-gerent, but personally, and unto
I'm every knee shall bow and every
Ongue confess" to the glory Of God.
n His day the righteous shall four
e, ana the eyll-d0ers shall be cut %. :