The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-02-15


think into things seriously, would be impressed
by the things that are coming to pass on the
earth by the world war just closed beside
which the Napoleonc wars pale into lnslgn1tl-
canoe; by nation rising against nation and the
general unrest everywhere apparent; by the out
break of general strikes here and there in various
parts of the world; by the fact that labor is max
ing the most startling demands and that the whole
captastic system is threatened with overthrow.
These are the days when mems hearts are fail
ing them for fear and for looking after those
things which are coming on the EARTH" People
are filled with an ndefnable dread of an i'm
pending danger
| Over large part of Europe, famine stalks
and pestilences, hunger and disease have carried
! away millions The prices of foodstuffs and the
common necessities of life have scared to point
where they are almost beyond the reach of the
common classes.
The past few months have witnessed plague
sweeping over the earth, invading every continent
and the islands of the sea and carrying away
millions of people. Only today we read that
nearly half million people have died of influenza
in Mexico alone Some Indian villages in the
North, where the comforts of civilized life are
lacking and where no attention is given to sani-
tation, have been almost depopulated.
| Hardly week passes by but that we read of
some part of the earth having been shaken by an
earthquake, and in some places great tidal waves
form in the sea and roll in upon the inhabitants
of the land
| These are the days when the return of the
Jews to Palestine an event foretold in prophecy
hundreds of years ago-is coming to pass before
our very eyes. Christ spoke of this in His refer
ence to the Fig Tree as an event Immediately
preceding His Second Coming.
These are the days when widespread apostasy-
the "fall1nO awaV" an1OnO the ChurcheS-iS talk
| ing place; the times when many of the members
are given over to dancing, card-playing, theater-
going, lascWiousness and godessness of every
kind; the times when multitudes regard the
churches as mere societies and clubs to which is
popular to belong.
There never time when many cults
and lsms were gaining sway over the people as
now. The past few decades have witnessed the
rise and rapid spread of Christian Science (false-
ly so-called), Spirituasm, Russellism and other
false systems which deny the divinity of Christ in
a way so subtle and deceptive that, if it were
possible, they would deceive even the very elect.
Those who have made careful study of these
satanic teachings know that the denial of Christ
as the Divine Son of God is one of their root
principles and that they are calculated to draw
people away from the Christ, although the great
masses Of the people which belong to them are
unaware of this fact.
with references to a proposed confederacy of
churches, in which the Protestant churches may
link up with Rome. There are many signs around
us that Rome will very quickly come back into
her own and again exercise a great influence
over the affairs of nations.
No greater event has occurred at any time in
the worlds history than the calling of a Peace
Conference, and today read that league of
nations practically has been formed In all prob
ability, the next few months will witness the
gradual shaping of boundary lines indicating the
revival of the old Roman Empire.
Indeed one might go on almost indefinitely
citing the signs all around that the time is at
Our very door when the saints will be taken out
Of this world, this event to be followed by the
seven-year period of tribulation, eliminating in
the Battle of Armageddon and the coming of
Christ in glory to set up His mlennial reign.
Do the press reports of the past week urging
the adoption of an international currency mean
anything to the average reader? Does the fact
that inventions and discoveries are multiplying,
making it possible for "many to run to and fro''
and knowledge to be increased" have any signi-
fcance? Most of the great inventions have been
developed within the past fifty years.
These are the days of travel by rail- steamship
automobile, airplane and submarine-trave1 by
land and in the air; travel by sea and under the
sea. Almost any day, newspapers may announce
that the Atlantic has successfully been crossed by
airplanes. Great distances are being covered by
this method Of travel although only little more
than a decade has passed since the Wright broth
ers brought out their first machine.
The other day, the man who conceived the idea
and developed the first automobile attended the
auto exhibit in Chicago and gave an interesting
account of his first experiments along that line
Today millions of automobiles are in use in all
parts of the world.
The inventions of the printing press in this day
and age are marvellous almost beyond descrip-
ton. Literature of every description is being