The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1920-02-07

rial, entitled, In the Twinkling of an Eye
written by Mr. Sydney Watson, which re-
Gently appeared in The Christian Herald
and Signs of our Times, published in Lon
don, England. This series of articles was
written for the purpose of impressing upon
the readers of that paper the imminent COM
ing of our Lord, and these closing chap
ters give vivid idea of the scenes which
will Immediately follow the Rapture
&C. B. W.
The "Courier's" rival had brief note
to the effect:
"Some wild, senseless rumors we're abroad
in London last night, as to the sudden,
mysterious disappearance of numbers of the
ultra-religious persons of London, and else
where. Some people talked wildly of the
end of the world We therefore despatch
ed commissioners to ascertain what truth
there was in all this.
"Our representative returned an hour
and a-half later, having visited all the chief
places of amusement and principal restau-
rants. But everywhere managers told the
same story, There has been no sign of the
end of the world in our place. We are full
Ter than ever
"The genial manager of the---
Theater assured our representative that no
later than last Sunday morning he heard it
repeated at his church that as it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world
without end Amen So that, for the life
of him, he could not conceive any one talk
ing of the end of the world.
But the note of the "Courier's" clarion
call had no uncertain sound. 1t ran as fol-
lows:
Our sheets must go to press in few
moments, if the Courier is to be in the
hands of its readers at the usual hour. But
before we print, we feel compelled to add
word or two more to what we wrote two
hours ago.
During the last two hours we have made
many discoveries, not the least of which,
from the personal standpoint, is the fact
that the nearest and dearest being to Our
own heart and life, one whose life and
thought, of late have been strangely taken
up by the Christ of God. is missing She
has shared in the glory and JOY of the won
drous mysterious, and to most of us -
to all of us, surely who az left - uneXpec-
ted translation We have no wish nor in
tention to parade our own personal grief
before our readers, but dare to say that no
journalist ever worked with more broken,
crushed sense of life than did we during
the two hours we afterwards spent in
searching London for facts.
Zone curious fact which we speedily dis
covered was, that no one had been taken
in this wondrous translation from any of
the theaters or music-halls. In the old days
-four hours ago seems, to look back to,
like four centuries before this awfully
solemn event, discussions arose, periodi-
cally, in certain religious journals, as to
whether true Christians could attend the
theater and music-hall The fact that no
any of these London houses of amusement
answers, we think, that question, as 1t has
never been answered before.
"The question arises, What follows, ac-
cording to prophecy, this stupendous event F.?
The Bible, evidently (when read under
standingly), told those who have been taken
from our midst that this translation was
approaching. Then it must surely give
some hint of what we must expect to follow
so startling an episode as that of tonight
"There must surely be many clergymen
and ministers who knew about this great
translation, who, though not living in the
spirit of what they knew, and being there
fore left behind like the common ruck OF
those of us who were carelessly ignorant
there must be many such ministers left, who
could teach us now what to expect next,
and how to prepare for the next eruption,
whatever form it may take.
"We therefore propose to any such min
listers that they shall gather us into the Al
bert Hall, Agricultural Hall, ST. Pauls Ca
thedral, Surgeons Tabernacle, Whiteheld's
why not, in fact, into every church, chapel,
Salvation Army barracks, or even into the
great open spaces such as Hyde Park, and
other parks, Primrose Hill, Hampstead
Heath, etc.,-and teach us who. are left be-
hind from the wondrous translation that has
lust occurred, how to be prepared for the
next mighty change, for we believe the bulk
of us are absolutely in the dark.
Meanwhile, are there no houses in Pat
ernoster Row, and its neighborhood, where
books and pamphlets on these monentous
subjects can be obtained? or are all such
publishers translated with those of whom
we have been writing?"
One effect of the last suggestion was to
send thousands of people to Paternoster
Row, the Square, Ivy Lane, and all the
neighborhood Some of the publishers of
books on the Lords Second Coming had
been left behind, had not shared in the Rap
ture of which they had printed and pub
lished. Shopmen, packers, masters clerks,
were most of them reading up the contents
of their own wares. Business system among