Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-05-20
APPROACHING
END OF THE AGE.

Hope thar the second coming Of
Christ will ;niaterialize IN time to
stop Europe S. dreadful @ar was hele
out. this week, by Rev. Charles r.
Erdman, OF Princeton Theological
Seminary, ait the spriag conference
of the Presbyterian Sunday School
Superintenaents of Philadelphia and
vicinity, he'd in Ardmore. Pa.
The Biblical millennium with the
second coming of Christ were declar-
eddy DR.. T,rdman to be essentials of
modern Christianity. He urged that
Christian leaders and preachers in
sist on the truth of the idea.
"sFhe gospels are full of the proph-
eeies of the second coming of our
Lord" DIR. Erdman said. "We as
Christians should not evatle it. Christ
is coming again, and for all you Or |
know, He may come in time to end
this terrible war. Christ is coming in
person, las the Bible says, not in spirit
as mshiy strangely sapros.. He VIII
end lail war; He will bring peace and
happiness and will reig" over the
earth. There will be no moro sin and
the people of the earth will be broth
ers. Let us preach this great truth
with an idea of its full Importance to
theChristian religion anG to mankind.
The attention of Bible students has
been turned to prophecy during the
past ttwc Fears, or SINCE the present
fearful wal began. THESE waves Of
srferest in scriptural rtrdy come and
10, tbs i,an.g the third that mas ap-
peared during the past two score
years. There was decided spirit of
inquiry during the year 1881 and the
few years which preceded and fol-
lowed it. Grattan Guinness had writ
ten a book bearing the title at the
head Of this article, and writers of
all sects, Jews and Christian alike
manifested interest in the subject.
Two prophetic conferences were held
in this country-the first In New
York and the second in Chicago. :
Interest, however, in this subject
waned until recently when the news
papers arc again printing the theo-
logical ideas Of different Bible stu
dents.
The termination of the present
Christian dispensation, it is claimed by
some, will end with the descent of the
Author of ;ithe Christian faith to this
mundane sphere, when He will re-
surrect his sleeping, or deceased, fol-
lowers, and translate to heaven those
of His disciples living at that time.
This great desideratum was sighed
for by the first disciples, and the sec
ond advent is referred to in moro
than 200 places in the New Tesla.
ment, or on an average of every 2atn
verse. After this momentous occur
renee, a new order Of things will
perwade this world when imqulty
will become universal, while in the
meantime the judgments of heaven,
as portrayed in the Apocalypse. will
be ;peured out upon all flesh. 1t Is
sad that this day, or period, Of
judgments will end in seven years. at
which time the Messiah will reappeat
accompanied by those previously re-
su1rectcd and translated at His
FIRST descent, and, the Jewish nation
then being in their own aand, a4e wall
purge the world of all those wthe tlo
iniquity," and at once fnaugEratc His
reign as the Prince of Peace, in ac-
corta.,oe with ancient prophecy.
a great many persons assume,
without examining into the matter:
that thssAseseats disr ens:tion of the
world Isl the final one. The Greek word
aion, translated world in our Eng.
fish version of the~New Testament,
really implies all age or dispense.
tion, and this is the word generally
used BY, Christ and His apostles when
sneakiing of the end Of the world. The
"consummation of thc age" is TIT
ranslation given by the best cholars
; Hss impossible to qsetc TIC many
sosc6iatiions;; plausible and visionary
urged by various people TO suhs:an
tate : their conclusions. as. It Eri::t
rsn,,;re v.o, rY,ues.