The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-01-11
ZARRIN1L OF THE SHEPHERDS

within the lives Of the younger people of the
present generation.
The above enumeration includes only lew
of the worldwide sects and creeds that either
look for new birth of Christ, or believe that
such reincarnation has already, and recently,
taken place. The idea, more or less definitely
formulated, animates incalculabe number
of smaller communities and individuals not
taken account of here.
And it is a significant fact that, however
widely at variance their theories and grounds
of faith may be, all these millions of Advent
lists meet on common ground in the popular
belief that this present age reproduces, In the
worlds cycles the Augustan age of old Rome.
with its over-ripe and decadent civilization
and accompanying spiritual unrest.
The earthly scene is set for some new and
awesome act in the drama of Eternity.
The Scriptures of old and the signs of the
times today. thoughtful men point out, alike
warn us that the hour of fate is at hand.
Christians have done their best and their
worst to the Church Of God for now over eight
cen centuries, and she stands today a mournful
exhibition Of their devastating work. Broken
and divided into hundreds of warning sects,
she no longer hears the voice that inspired the
early church. Truly it is time to expect that
the Lord will himself arise and come to re-
build the spiritual Zion and restore the waste
places of the spiritual Jerusalem. Although
We know not the day the hour" yet the
time when the Lords coming is at hand is not
altogether hidden from US. The signs which
are to precede and usher in his coming are
plainly and abundantly set forth in Scripture,
and are eXhorted to watch for them and
know that the time is near. All these pre-
dicted signs in the social moral political civil,
ecclesiastical and spiritual spheres. declare
the Adventists are now either fulfilled full
filling
All the ecclesiastical prophecies of Chrsts
second coming rest on the same foundation
namely, the fulfillment of previous Biblical
prophecies and the assumption that this in
dicates further fulfillments yet to come II Is
claimed that inasmuch as the birth of Christ
was foretold Qsaiah VIII 49, and that the
birth should take place in Bethlehem of Judea
(Micah v, p, and the several other prophe-
ces concerning a Messiah isaiah lii. SO;
Psalms xvi, 10), all came to pass precisely at
the time and in the manner prescribed that
the fourth prophecy, relating to the second APP
pearance of the Messiah, demands expectant
belief
In the New Testament the third and fourth
chapters of Second Timothy and the twenty
fourth of st. Matthew are regarded by many
as forecasting the present condition Of Chris
tendon We are living in the divided state
of the decadent Roman Empire The nations
are torn with strife and contention, and are
supporting millions of men in arms in antici-
patton of vast wars in the near future Such
was the condition of the world at the time of
Christ's first coming In the last days, peril
Gus times shall come" men were to depart
from the faith and go in devious ways
Atheism, infdelity socialism and anarchy have
risen in great wave that is eating at the very
foundations Of our religious, political and So
cial life
In the way Of physical portents it is esti
mated that there have been more EARTHQUAKES
within the last century or so than in all pre-
vious times in the recorded history of the
world.
What do these signs of the times. heavenly
and earthly phenomena, political and religious
upheavals, mean? To the Adventists they
mean that Christ is coming again. and soon.