Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-11
BIBLE HIS NO MENTION
OF PRESENT STRUGGLE
Rev. Frank Pratt Snys Writings
Illustrate Conditions Exist
ing at That Time.
TELLS OF RECENT BELIEFS
Urges People Not to Degrade
Spiritual Value Of Scriptures by
Converting 1t Into n Book OF
Nero Sootl,saying.

Rev. Frank Pratt. pastor of tho Uni
tartan Church preached yesterday
upon Docs tho Biblo F'oretell This
War and It's End?"
In any great crisis" said Mr.. Pratt,
Especially one that Is connected with
the clash of arms people rush to the
Biblc for prophecies. at this time
many believe they find the struggle In
which the world is now engaged fore
told in Scriptures. The Books OF Dan
iel and Revelation are the favorites of
prophecy This il easily en-
planned from the fact that these books
are full of symbolical language, which
can he easily applied to modern times.
I'm the seventh chapter of Daniel we
have dream which describes the COM
ing up out of the sea Of four great
beasts. The writer does not tell what
these beasts represent and II is very
nations now at war. This has been
done. The lion is England. the bear
Russia, the panther Serbia. etc. I'm
fortunately the Interpretation OF the
prophecy has had to be revised with
the dropping out of the war OF Rus
STA. The Book OF Daniel was written
during n time of severe oppression Of
the Jews by AntiOchus Epiphancs for
tho purpose OF encouraging them to
hold out, with the assurance that de-
livcrance was coming soon.
"'Thc lion undoubtedly represents
Babylon, the bear the Mcdes. the pan
Their Persia and the worst beast of all
the Greek nation. Some Jealous Prot
cstants have declared that the little
horn which spranE from the worst
beast represents the Pope OF Rome.
This is an assumption which Ia wholly
unwarrantcd, as the little horn un-
doubtcdly refers to Antiochus Eni-
planes. who was cruelty prosecuting
the Hebrews during the lifetime of the
writer.
BIBLE Is GUIDE TO
HUMAN CONDUCT AND LIFE
at present" continued Mr.. Pratt,
some are declaring that the beast re-
ferrcd 10 in Revelation xiii. is, whose
number lis the number OF man.. and
is CSC, applies to the Kaiser Ingenious
combinations of figures have been
worked out which total 66G. In tines
past tho beast. or the antichrist has
been made to symbolic various things.
During the Crusadcs 1t was applied 10
the Saraccns. During the time of Ma
polcon HIS enemies claimed he was the
antichrist of Revelation. Nitriolic
Pro,cstau.s declare that GC6 Is none
other than the number OF the head of
tho Catholic Church. The truth of the
matter is what every one who claims
to be u Bible scholar ought TO know,
the beast of Revelation Is the Roman
Empire, symboli.ed by Zero. Caesar
Nero, made up OF numerical! letters in
Hebrew, produces the number CSC In
ancient manuscripts the number WIS
Clio. This ia produced from shorter
form of the name Nero. These cN-
amplcs illustrate how the writings of
these two books ought to be explained
By actual conditions which surrounded
the authors.
There is not word about this war.
its beginning or end in tho Bible" the
speaker declared with conviction. Amy
attempt to read into the Bible war
prophecy s the work OF the inaEina :
ton. The Bible is not n guide TO COM
ing historical events. II is guide TO
human conduct and life. 1t Ia an un-
failing source OF spiritual inspiration.
Those who turn themselves into mere
Bible prophecy hunters are ant to for
get the real Significance OF the Scrip
lures. BY constant porting over Dam
icl and Revelation they forget the
Twenty-four.h Psalm. Thirteenth Co
rinthians. the Sermon on the Mount
and the other great mountain peaks OF
spiritual uplift and inspiration.
LET us try to keep tho spiritual
value Of the Bible, refusing to let IL be
degraded, for ourselves at least into 4
book Of mere soothsaynE"