Clarence Larkin


1850-1924

American Baptist pastor, Bible teacher, and writer, Clarence Larkin was born October 28, 1850, in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was converted to Christ at the age of 19 and then felt called to the Gospel ministry, but the doors of opportunity for study and ministry did not open immediately. He then got a job in a bank.

When he was 21 years old, he left the bank and went to college, graduating as a mechanical engineer. He continued as a professional draftsman for a while, then he became a teacher of the blind. This last endeavor cultivated his descriptive faculties -- something God would later use in him to produce a monumental work on dispensational theology. Later, failing health compelled him to give up his teaching career. After a prolonged rest, he became a manufacturer.

But he was not happy. He felt that God wanted him in the Gospel ministry. When he was converted he had become a member of the Episcopal Church, but in 1882, at the age of 32, he became a Baptist and was ordained as a Baptist minister two years later. He went directly from business into the ministry.

His first charge was at Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; his second pastorate was at Fox Chase, Pennsylvania, where he remained for 20 years. He was not a premillennialist at the time of his ordination, but his study of the Scriptures, with the help of some books that fell into his hands, led him to adopt the premillennialist position. He began to make large wall charts, which he titled, "Prophetic Truth," for use in the pulpit. These led to his being invited to teach, in connection with his pastoral work, in two Bible institutes. During this time he published a number of prophetical charts, which were widely circulated.

When World War I broke out in 1914, he was called on for addresses on The War and Prophecy. Then God laid it on his heart to prepare a work on Dispensational Truth (or God's Plan and Purpose in the Ages), containing a number of charts with descriptive matter. He spent three years of his life designing and drawing the charts and preparing the text. The favorable reception it has had since it was first published in 1918 seems to indicate that the world was waiting for such a book.

Because it had a large and wide circulation in this and other lands, the first edition was soon exhausted. It was followed by a second edition, and then, realizing that the book was of permanent value, Larkin revised it and expanded it, printing it in its present form. Larkin followed this masterpiece with other books: Rightly Dividing the Word, The Book of Daniel, Spirit World, Second Coming of Christ, and A Medicine Chest for Christian Practitioners, a handbook on evangelism.

Larkin, a kind and gentle man, deplored the tendency of writers to say uncharitable things about each other, so he earnestly sought to avoid criticisms and to satisfy himself with simply presenting his understanding of the Scriptures. Though he did not intend to publish his own works, the Lord led in that direction. During the last five years of his life, the demand for Larkin's books made it necessary for him to give up the pastorate and devote his full time to writing. He went to be with the Lord on January 24, 1924.

Dispensational Truth or God's Plan and Purpose for the Ages

Clarence Larkin

1850-1924

Dispensational Truth

Foreword
The preparation and publication of this book is a wonderful story of Divine leading. The Author by profession was a Mechanical Engineer and Architect. When he entered the Gospel Ministry direct from business and without any previous theological training, at the age of 34, he believed that he would have no further use for his skill as a draughtsman and sold all his professional books and appliances except his drawing instruments. His first charge was in a small town, where he remained fifteen years. He was not premillennialist at the time of his ordination, but his study of the Scriptures, aided by some books that fell into his hands, led him to adopt that view. He began to make large colored wall charts on "Prophetic Truth" for use in the pulpit. This led to his being invited to teach, in connection with his pastoral work, in two Bible Institutes. During this time he published a number of "Prophetical Charts" which had a wide circulation. These led to the request that he publish a book, illustrated with charts, on "Prophetic- Truth." But it was not until the spring of 1915 that the Lord laid it upon his heart to prepare a work on

"DISPENSATIONAL TRUTH"
or
"GOD'S PLAN AND PURPOSE IN THE AGES"

illustrated with charts. The designing and drawing of the charts and the writing of the descriptive matter took over three years. The book therefore has not been hastily gotten up. It is the outcome of over 30 years of careful and patient study of the Prophetic Scriptures, and aims to give not the opinions of men, but the teaching of the Word of God. The writer's purpose has been to prepare a standard work on "Dispensational Truth." That such a work was greatly longed for is evidenced by the reception the book has had. In ten months the first edition was exhausted and was widely circulated all over the world. The first edition was a "feeler" to see whether such a book would be in demand, and so was printed and circulated in the cheapest form. When the Author awoke to the fact that the book was what the "Students of Prophecy" were looking for, he decided to revise and enlarge the book and put it out in a more substantial and usable form, but before he could do this, a second edition was called for and had to be printed in the old form.

This, the Third Edition, has been revised and enlarged by the addition of twice as many charts and twice as much descriptive matter as the previous editions, and the charts are now inserted in the descriptive matter where they belong. The book has also been printed in Atlas form, 11 inches square, and bound in cloth, making it more convenient to handle and carry about. The large charts of the earlier editions have not been reduced in size or form, but are printed from the old plates, and when the book is open, spread across two pages.

This method and manner of printing the book adds greatly to its cost, but the buyer gets far more than the additional cost in the increased value of the contents of the book, which contains twice as much as the previous edition. There are 170 double pages of descriptive matter in the book, or 340 single pages, and as each page contains one-half more matter than the page of an ordinary book, there are the equivalent of 500 pages of an ordinary book.

If the Author had had to employ a skilled draughtsman to draw the charts the cost of the book would have been prohibitive. In fact, the charts could not have been drawn that way, for the draughtsman would have had to have had the Scriptural knowledge of the Author; for the charts had to be thought out and developed under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this the Holy Spirit did not confuse the Author by suggesting all the charts at one time. When one was completed another was suggested. And upon more than one Occasion when a problem arose the answer was given in the night or at awakening in the morning.

The Author does not claim infallibility for the charts, but having drawn the main chart, "Rightly Dividing the Wcrd of Truth," it stands to reason that in developing the "Sectional" or "Topical" Charts, if he had made an error in the main chart it would have been detected in the "Sectional" or "Topical" Charts. It is this agreement in the study of the "Sectional" or "Topical" charts with the main chart, that confirms the Author in his belief that the charts are scripturally correct.

The Author has always deplored the tendency of writers on "Dispensational Truth" to say uncharitable things of each other, and to unfairly present the side of their opponent; he has therefore earnestly and prayerfully sought to avoid any such criticisms and to simply expound the Word of God as the Holy Spirit opened it up to him. He has sought not to be influenced by any religious or doctrinal bias, and with "open mind" to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and let the Scriptures say what they want to say. His writings therefore must be judged by their agreement or disagreement with the Holy Scriptures.

With profound gratitude and thankfulness for the blessing of his Heavenly Father upon the previous editions of this work, the Author sends forth this Third Revised and Enlarged Edition, earnestly praying that it may be of untold blessing to thousands of God's dear children who love the Lord's Appearing, and be an instrument in the hands of the Holy Spirit for the conversion of the unsaved, and of those who "deceitfully handle" the Word of God.

THE AUTHOR.

CLARENCE LARKIN,
"Sunnyside," Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Pa.
March 25, 1920.

Dispensational Truth

Chapter 1 - The Prophetic Word
The Bible is not a systematic treatise on Theology, or Morals, or History, or Science, or any other topic. It is a REVELATION of God, of the Fall of Man, the Way of Salvation, and of God's "Plan and Purpose in the Ages." It treats of-

1. Four Persons-God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and Satan.
2. Three Places-Heaven, Earth and Hell.
3. Three Classes of People-The Jew, the Gentile, and the Church of God.

The Scriptures were given to us piece-meal, "at sundry times and in divers manners." Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, during a period of 1600 years, extending from B.C. 1492 to A. D. 100. The Bible consists of 66 separate books; 39 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament. These books were written by about 40 different authors. By kings such as David and Solomon; by statesmen, as Daniel and Nehemiah; by priests, as Ezra; by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, as Moses; by men learned in Jewish law, as Paul. By a herdsman, Amos; a tax-gatherer, Matthew; fishermen, as Peter, James and John, who were "unlearned and ignorant" men; a physician, Luke; and such mighty "seers" as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah.

It is not an Asiatic book, though it was written in that part of the world. Its pages were penned in the Wilderness of Sinai, the cliffs of Arabia, the hills and towns of Palestine, the courts of the Temple, the schools of the prophets at Bethel and Jericho, in the palace of Shushan in Persia, on the banks of the river Chebar in Babylonia, in the dungeons of Rome, and on the lonely Island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea.

Imagine another book compiled in a similar manner. Suppose, for illustration, that we take 66 medical books written by 40 different physicians and surgeons during a period of 1600 years, of various schools of medicine, as Allopathy, Homeopathy, Hydropathy, Osteopathy, etc., and bind them all together, and then undertake to doctor a man according to that book, what success would we expect to have, and what accord would there be in such a medical work.

While the Bible has been compiled in the manner described, it is not a "heterogeneous jumble" of ancient history, myths, legends, religious speculations and superstitions. There is a progress of revelation and doctrine in it. The judges knew more than the Patriarchs, the Prophets than the judges, the Apostles than the Prophets. The Old and New Testaments are not separate and distinct books, the New taking the place of the Old they are the two halves of a whole. The New is "enfolded" in the Old, and the Old is "unfolded" in the New. You cannot understand Leviticus without Hebrews, or Daniel without Revelation, or the Passover or Isaiah 53 without the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

While the Bible is a revelation from God, it is not written in a superhuman or celestial language. If it were we could not understand it. Its supernatural origin however is seen in the fact that it can be translated into any language and not lose its virility or spiritual life giving power, and when translated into any language it fixes that language in its purest form.

The language however of the Bible is of three kinds. Figurative, Symbolical and Literal. Such expressions as "Harden not your heart, " "Let the dead bury their dead, " are figurative, and their meaning is made clear by the context.

Symbolic language, like the description of Nebuchadnezzer� s "Colossus" Daniel� s "Four Wild Beasts" or Christ in the midst of the "Seven Candlesticks, " is explained, either in the same chapter, or somewhere else in the Bible.

The rest of the language of the Bible is to be interpreted according to the customary rules of grammar and rhetoric. That is, we are to read the Bible as we would read any other book, letting it say what it wants to say, and not allegorize or spiritualize its meaning. It is this false method of interpreting Scripture that has led us to the origin of so many religious sects and denominations. There are three things that we must avoid in the handling of God's Word.

1. The Misinterpretation of Scripture.
2. The Misapplication of Scripture.
3. The Dislocation of Scripture.

The trouble is men are not willing to let the Scriptures say what they want to say. This is largely due to their training, environment, prejudice, or desire to make the Scriptures teach some favorite doctrine.

Then again we must not overlook the "Parabolic Method" of imparting truth. Jesus did not invent it, though He largely used it, it was employed by the Old Testament prophets. In the New Testament it is used as a "Mystery Form" of imparting truth. Matt. 13:10-12. A mystery is not something that cannot be known, but something that for the time being is hidden. I hand you a sealed letter. What it contains is a mystery to you. Break the seal and read the letter and it ceases to be a mystery. But you may not be able to read the letter, because it is written in a language with which you are not familiar. Learn the language and the mystery ceases. But perhaps the letter contains technical terms which you do not understand, learn their meaning and all will be plain. That is the way with the Mysteries of the Scriptures, learn to, read them by the help of their author, the Holy Spirit, and they will no longer be mysteries.

This brings us to the great question-

Is The Bible God's Book Or Man's Book?

'I'hat is, did God write it, or is it simply a collection of the writings of men? if it is simply a collection of the writings of men, without any divine guidance, then it is no more reliable than are the writings of men; but if God wrote it, then it must be true, and we can depend upon its statements. It is clear from the character of the Bible that it is not the work of man, for man could not have written it if he would. and would not have written it if he could.

It details with scathing and unsparing severity the sins of its greatest men, as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David and Solomon, charging them with falsehood, treachery, pride, adultery, cowardice, murder and gross licentiousness, and presents the history of the Children of Israel as a humiliating record of ingratitude, idolatry, unbelief and rebellion, and it is safe to say, that the Jews, unguided and undirected by the Holy Spirit, would never have chronicled the sinful history of their nation.

How then was the Bible written? The Bible itself gives the answer.

"ALL Scripture Is Given By INSPIRATION OF GOD." 2Tim. 3:16.

I. What Are We To Understand By the "INSPIRATION" of the Scriptures?

We are to understand that God directed men, chosen by Himself, to put into writing such messages, laws, doctrines, historical facts, and revelations, as He wished men to know.

All Scripture (the Graphe writing), is given by inspiration (The op-neu-stos), that is, is-

GOD BREATHED.

That is, God Himself or through the Holy Spirit told holy men of old just what to write. The Bible , then, IS the Word of God, and does not simply here and there contain it. God is a Person and can both Write and Speak. He wrote the two "Tables of Testimony" on stone. Ex. 31:18; Ex. 32:16, and on the wall of Belshazzar's Palace. Dan. 5:5, Dan. 5:24-26. He talked with Moses on the Mount when He gave him the Specifications for the Tabernacle and its furnishings, and all the Levitical Law and order of service. He spoke at the Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:17), and on the Mount of Transfiguration. Matt. 17:5, and one day when Jesus was talking to the multitude. John 12:27-29. But God not only spoke directly to men, He spoke to them in the person of Jesus, for Jesus was God Manifest In The Flesh. John 1:1-3, John 1:14. 1Tim. 3:16. Matthew and John's Gospels contain 49 chapters, 1950 verses, 1140 of which, almost three-fifths, were spoken by Jesus, and He claimed that what He spake, He spake not of Himself, but that the Father which sent Him, gave Him commandment What He Should Speak. John 12:49, John 12:50. We see then that God can both write and speak, and therefore can tell others what to write and speak.

II. Does the Inspiration of the Bible Extend to Every Part?

Yes. From the dry lists in Chronicles to the very words of God in Exodus, and through Christ. And more, it extends to every sentence, word, mark, point, jot and tittle in the original parchments. When Jesus said in Matt. 5:17, Matt. 5:18, That not one "jot" or "tittle" should pass from the Law until all be fulfilled, he referred to the smallest letter (jot) and the smallest mark (tittle), of the Hebrew language, thus indicating that even they were inspired, and were necessary for a complete understanding of God's meaning in His Word.

But how about the words of Satan, and wicked and uninspired men, the genealogical tables, and the account of the Fall of Man, the Flood and other historical portions of the Bible. They were inspired of Record. That is, the inspired penman or historian was told what historical facts to record and what to omit. To one who has read the Old Testament, and also profane history covering the same period, with its legends and traditions, and detailed descriptions, it is very clear that the writers of the Old Testament were divinely inspired to record only those things that would throw light on God's Plan and Purpose in the Ages.

III. HOW Were These Men Inspired to Write the Scriptures?

Were they simply thrown into a kind of "spell, " or "ecstasy, " or "trance, " and wrote under its influence whatever came into their mind. or did God through the Holy Spirit, dictate to them the exact words to use?

We know that thought can only be expressed in words and those words must express the exact thought of the speaker or writer, otherwise his exact thought is not expressed. We see then that inerrancy demands that the sacred writer be simply an amanuensis. This we see is what the Scriptures claim for themselves. In 11 Pet. 1:20, Pet. 1:21, we read that-"No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation." That is, no man has a right to say what the Scriptures, according to his opinion, means. Why? Because-

"The Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were Moved by the HOLY GHOST."

And this is confirmed by the fact that much that the Old Testament Prophets wrote they did not themselves understand 1Pet. 1:10, 1Pet. 1:11. They must then have seen mere amanuenses, recoding words that needed an interpreter. That they were mere instruments is shown by the fact that not all of them were good or holy men, as Balaam (Num. 22:38; Num. 23:26), King Saul (1Sam. 10:10- 1Sam. 10:12; 1Sam. 19:20-22), the Prophet of Bethel (1Kings 13:7-9; 1Kings 20:22; 1Kings 20:26), and Caiaphas, John 11:49-51.

That the Old Testament writers spake and wrote the exact words that God gave to them is clear from their own statements.. Moses declares that the Lord said unto him-"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."- Ex. 4:10-12. The Prophet Jeremiah says-"Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth, And the Lord said unto me,

Behold, I have put My Words In Thy Mouth." Jer. 1:6-8.

Ezekiel, Daniel, and all the prophets make the same claim. The expressions-"The Lord Said, " "The Lord Spake Saying, " "Thus Saith the Lord, " etc., etc., occur 560 times in the Pentateuch, 300 times in the Historical and Prophetical books, 1200 times in the Prophets (24 times in Malachi alone), in all over 2000 times in the Old Testament, thus proving the statement of Peter, that Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

But you say-"If this be true how do you account for the difference of style of the writers; for Isaiah's style is different from Fzekiel's or Daniel's, and Peter's from that of John or Paul? " This is easily explained. On the principle that when we wish a legal document written we choose a lawyer, or a poetical article a poet, etc., so God when He wanted to speak in symbols chose an Ezekiel, a Daniel, a John, or in poetry a David.

How are we to explain the fact that sometimes a New Testament writer in quoting from the Old Testament, instead of quoting literally paraphrases the quotation? For instance in Amos 9:11 we read:

"In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old."

But when the Apostle James, in the First Church Council at Jerusalem, quotes this passage, he paraphrases it, saying-

"After this I will return, and will build again the Tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up." Acts 15:16.

Why the change in the wording? Simply because the author of both passages was not Amos or James, but the Holy Spirit, and an author has a perfect right to change the phraseology of a statement he may make in the first chapter of his book, in the tenth chapter, if by so doing, without contradicting himself, he can make his meaning clearer.

That is an illuminating statement in 1Pet. 1:11, where the Apostle tells us that it was the "Spirit of Christ" that testified through the Prophets of His "Sufferings." That is, the "Spirit of Christ" took possession of the Prophets and through them forecast or prophesied his "Sufferings" on the Cross, as in Isa. 53:1-3.

The question is often asked, "Is there any difference between Bible Inspiration and the so-called 'inspiration' of Poets, Orators, Preachers, and Writers of today? " In answering the question we must distinguish between "Inspiration, " "Revelation, " and "Illumination."

As we have seen "Bible Inspiration" is something totally different and unique from the inspiration of Poets, Writers and Public Speakers. It is an inspiration in which the Exact Words of God Are Imparted to the Speaker or Writer by the Holy Spirit.

The Ages As Viewed from Different Standpoints

"Bible Revelation" is the disclosure to men of things that they otherwise could never know. Things hidden in the mind of God such as His "Plan and Purpose in the Ages."

"Bible Revelation" ceased with the Book of Revelation. There has been no new revelation from God since then. When men today claim that they have received some new revelation they must be classed as imposters.

"Spiritual Illumination" is different from either Bible Inspiration or Revelation. It is the Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer, by which he has his "Spiritual Understanding" opened to understand the Scriptures. John 16:12-14. The "Natural Man" cannot receive the things of the spirit of God, " neither can he know them, because are Spiritually Discerned. 1Cor. 2:11-13.

The work then of the Holy Spirit in these days is not to impart some new revelation to men or to imspire them to write or speak as the Prophets and Apostles of old, but to so illuminate men's minds and open up their understanding of the Scriptures that their heart will burn within them as they compare Scripture with Scripture, and have revealed to them God's Plan and Purpose in the Ages as disclosed in His Holy Word.

Dispensational Truth

Chapter 2 - Pre-Millennialism
The time of the Second Coming of Christ is the key that unlocks all "Dispensational Truth." The vast majority of Christians believe in the personal return of the Lord, but they differ as to the time. They are divided into 'two schools, the "Pre-Milliennialists" and the "PostMillennialists." The "Pre-Millennialists" believe that Christ will return before the Millennium, the "Post Millennialists" that He will not come until after. By the "Millennium" is meant the period of 1000 years mentioned in Rev.- 20:1-3. It is a common, but wholly erroneous impression, that Pre-Millennialists base their belief mainly, if not solely, on this passage in the Apocalypse. The fact is, the question of whether Christ's return will precede or follow the Millennium antedates the Apocalypse. The Old Testament prophets in plain language, and in glowing terms, foretold an era or age of universal righteousness and peace on this earth, under the reign of "Messiah the Prince." That the disciples were not mistaken in their belief in such an "Earthly Kingdom, " ruled over by their promised Messiah, is evident from the fact that Jesus never reproved them for holding such a belief. And after His resurrection, and previous to His Ascension, when they asked Him if He would "at that time restore the Kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6). He did not say� "You are mistaken in your idea of an 'Earthly Kingdom, the Kingdom I came to set up, and that was meant by the prophets, is a 'Spiritual Kingdom, "' but He said � "It is not for you to know the 'Times' and 'Seasons."' That is, when it shall be set up.

The whole teaching of the Old Testament as to the "Coming of the Messiah" is Pre-Millennial. The only use that Premillennialites have for the "Thousand Year" passage in Rev. 20:1-3 is to fix the length of that "Age of Righteousness and Peace." In fact Jewish tradition, based on the "Sabbatic Rest" of Gen. 2:1-3, taught that' the "Seventh Thousand Years" from Creation was to be a period of "Sabbatic Rest, " or what we call the Millennium. The passage in Revelation simply confirms this tradition. Expunge the passage and you do not weaken the argument; you only leave as uncertain the length of time that Age shall last.

The Apostolic Church was Pre-Millennial, and for over 200 years no other view was entertained. The writings of the "Church Fathers" abound in evidence of the fact. But about A. D. 250, Origen, one of the Church Fathers, conceived the idea that the words of scripture were but the "husk" in which was hid the' "kernel" of scripture truth. At once he began to "Allegorize" and "Spiritualize" the Scriptures, and thus founded that school of "Allegorizing" and "Spiritualizing" interpreters of Scripture, from which the Church and the Bible have suffered so much. The result was that the Church largely ceased to look for the Lord to return and set up an earthly kingdom.

When Constantine became sole Emperor of Rome in A. D. 323, being favorable to Christianity, he united Church and State. A new difficulty now arose in the interpretation of scripture. If, as was at that time believed, Rome was to be the seat of Antichrist, the question arose, or rather was suspiciously whispered-- 'Is Constantine the Antichrist? ' Such a notion was unpalatable to the Roman Emperor, and so a convenient explanation was discovered and adopted, that Antichrist was "Pagan Rome, " and that the Millennium commenced when Constantine ascended the throne. This was given color by the great gifts and privileges bestowed on the Church by Constantine, and led to the claim that the Millennial blessings of the Old Testament had been transferred from the Jews to the Christian Church.

But the claim that the "Papal Church" was the Antichrist would not down. When it was found impossible to expunge the Book of Revelation from the sacred canon, it was decided to lock up the Scriptures, and the Bible became a sealed book, and the gloom of night settled down upon all Christendom. The result was the "Dark Ages." But amid the gloom God was not without witnesses to the truth. The Paulicians, Albigeneses, Waldenses, and other sects, bore testimony to the Premillennial return of the Lord.

But the darkness was not eternal. When the fulness of time was come the "Morning Star" of the Reformation, John Wycliffe, arose, and was soon followed by the "Sun, " Martin Luther, the brightness of whose light dispelled the darkness. The doctrine of the Premillennial Return of the Lord was revived, but the Reformers did not go far enough. The period was one of religious strife and the formation of new religious sects. The result was an ebb of Spirituality and the growth of Rationalism, which refused to believe that the world was fast ripening for judgment, and a new interpretation of the Millennial Reign of Christ was demanded. This interpretation was furnished by the Rev. Daniel Whitby (1638-1640), a clergyman of the Church of England, who claimed that in reading the promises made to the Jews in the Old Testament of their restoration as a nation, and the re-establishment of the Throne of David, he was led to see that these promises were spiritual and applied to the Church. This view he called a "New Hypothesis."

He claimed that Israel and Mount Zion represented the Church. That the promised submission of the Gentiles to the Jews was simply prophetic of the conversion of the Gentiles and their entrance into the Church. That the lying down of the lion and the lamb together typified the reconciliation of the Old and New natures, and that the establishment of an outward and visible kingdom at Jerusalem, over which Christ and the saints should reign, was gross and carnal, and contrary to reason, as it implied the mingling together of human and spiritual beings on the earth.

His "New Hypothesis" was that by the preaching of the Gospel Mohammedanism would be overthrown, the Jews converted, the Papal Church with the Pope (Antichrist) would be destroyed, and there would follow a 1000 years of righteousness and peace known as the Millennium; at the close of which there would be a short period of Apostasy, ending in the return of Christ. There would then be a general resurrection of the dead, followed by a general judgment, the earth would be destroyed by fire and eternity would begin.

The times were favorable for the "New Theory." A reaction had set in from the open infidelity of those days. All England was in a religious fervor. The "Great Awakening" followed under Whitefield and Wesley, and it looked, as Whitby claimed, that the Millennium was about to be ushered in. That he was mistaken the events of history since that time have shown. It is evident that we are not in the Millennium now.

Nevertheless his "Theory" was favorably received everywhere, and spread with great rapidity and became an established doctrine of the Church, and is what is known today as the "Post-Millennial" view of the Second Coming of Christ, and supposed to be the orthodox faith of the Church. In short, "Post-Millennialism, " as advocated in our day, is barely 200 years old, while "Pre-Millennialism" dates back to the days of Isaiah and Daniel.

The sad thing is that this "false doctrine" of Post-Millennialism is taught in our Bibles by the headings of the chapters in the Old Testament. For illustration the headings of chapters forty-three and four of Isaiah read-'The Lord comforteth The Church with His promises, " whereas the chapters are not addressed to the Church at all, but to Jacob and Israel, as we see by reading them. The ordinary reader overlooks the fact that the chapter headings of the Bible are put there by the publisher and should be omitted, as they are misleading, as for illustration the title to the Book of Revelation, which is called-

"The Revelation of St. John the Divine, " whereas it should be called-

"THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST."
Rev. 1:1.

Premillennialists are divided into three different "Schools of Interpretation, " which are fundamentally antagonistic, known as the "Preterist, " "Historical" and "Futurist" Schools.

The "Preterist School"-originated with the Jesuit Alcazar. His view was first put forth as a complete scheme in his work on the Apocalypse, published in A. D. 1614. It limits the scope of the Apocalypse to the events of the Apostle john's life, and affirms that the whole prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, and the subsequent fall of the persecuting Roman Empire, thus making the Emperor Nero the "Antichrist." The purpose of the scheme was transparent, it was to relieve the Papal Church from the stigma of being called the "Harlot Church" and the Pope from being called the "Antichrist." It is a view that is now but little advocated.

The "Historical School, " sometimes spoken of as the "Presentist" scheme, interprets the Apocalypse as a series of prophecies predicting the events that were to happen in the world and in the Church from john's day to the end of time. The advocates of this School interpret the symbols of the Book of Revelation as referring to certain historical events that have and are happening in the world. They claim that "Antichrist" is a "System" rather than a "Person, " and is represented by the Harlot Church of Rome. They interpret the "Time Element" in the Book on the "Year Day Scale." This School has had some very able and ingenious advocates. This view, like the preceding was unknown to the early church. It appeared about the middle of the Twelfth Century, and was systematized in the beginning of the Thirteenth Century by the Abbot Joachim. Subsequently it was adopted and applied to the Pope by the forerunners and leaders of the Reformation, and may be said to have reached its zenith in Mr. Ellicott's "Horae Apocalypticae." It is frequently called the Protestant interpretation because it regards Popery as exhausting all that has been predicted of the Antichristian power. It was a powerful and formidable weapon in the hands of the leaders of the Reformation, and the conviction of its truthfulness nerved them to "love not their lives unto the death." It was the secret of the martyr heroism of the Sixteenth Century.

The "Futurist School" interprets the language of the Apocalypse "literally, " except such symbols as are named as such, and holds that the whole of the Book, from the end of the third chapter, is yet "future" and unfulfilled, and that the greater part of the Book, from the beginning of chapter six to the end of chapter nineteen, describes what shall come to pass during the last week of "Daniel's Seventy Weeks." This view, while it dates in modern times only from the close of the Sixteenth Century, is really the most ancient of the three. It was held in many of its prominent features by the primitive Fathers of the Church, and is one of the early interpretations of scripture truth that sunk into oblivion with the growth of Papacy, and that has been restored to the Church in these last times. In its present form it may be said to have originated at the end of the Sixteenth Century, with the Jesuit Ribera, who, actuated by the same motive as the Jesuit Alcazar, sought to rid the Papacy of the stigma of being called the "Antichrist, " and so referred the prophecies of the Apocalypse to the distant future. This view was accepted by the Roman Catholic Church and was for a long time confined to it, but, strange to say, it has wonderfully revived since the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, and that among Protestants. It is the most largely accepted of the three views., It has been charged with ignoring the Papal and Mohammedan systems, but this is far from the truth, for it looks upon them as foreshadowed in the scriptures, and sees in them the "Type" of those great "Anti-Types" yet future, the "-Beast" and the "False Prophet." The "Futurist" interpretation of scripture is the one employed in this book.

The Second and Premillennial Coming of Christ is the "Key" to the Scriptures. All of the prophetical writings make it their terminal end. This is a dark world and the "Sure Word of Prophecy" is given as a light to show us the way over the stormy sea of time? 2Pet. 1:19. Prophecy is not a haphazard guess, like our weather probabilities, it is

History Written in Advance.

The moment we grasp this idea of prophecy and clearly see the relation of Christ's Premillennial Coming to scripture truth, the Bible becomes a new book, and doctrinal and prophetical truths at once fall into their proper place, and our theological system is no longer a chaos but an orderly plan.

Dispensational Truth

Chapter 3 - Mountain Peaks of Prophecy
The Bible is unlike all other "sacred books" in that it bases its "Authenticity" and "Authority" on PROPHECY. All other "sacred books" contain no predictions as to the future. If their authors had attempted to foretell future events, their non-fulfilment would, long ere this, have discredited their writings. Fulfilled prophecy is stronger evidence for the "Inspiration" and "Authenticity" of the Scriptures "haphazard guess, " nor a "probability" than miracles. Prophecy is not a "Weather Probabilities." made up on uncertain data like our Prophecy is

"HISTORY WRITTEN IN ADVANCE, "

or, as another has said--"Prophecy is the MOLD OF HISTORY." The importance of the study of the Prophetic Scriptures is seen when we recall that two-thirds of the Scriptures are Prophetic, either in type, symbol, or direct statement; and more than one-half of the Old Testament prophecies, and nearly all of the New Testament, point to events yet future. Then this is a "Dark World, " and men need the "SURE WORD OF PROPHECY" to LIGHT them over the stormy "Sea of Time." 2Pet 1:191. When men see that God has a "Plan and Purpose" in the "Ages" they take heart, and have something to pin their faith to. It was because the religious leaders of Christ's day were not students of the Prophetic Scriptures that they failed to recognize Him when He came, and if the religious leaders of our day despise and reject the study of Prophecy, they will not be ready for Christ's Second Coming.

There are "Four Prophetic Periods" clearly outlined in the Scriptures.

1. PATRIARCHAL. B.C. 1921-1491 2. MOSAIC- B.C. 1491-1370 3. JEWISH-
Post-Exilic- B.C. 500-400
Exilic- B.C. 600-500
Pre-Exilic- B.C. 900-600
(400 Years of Silence)

4. APOSTOLIC- A.D. 27-29

These Prophecies divide themselves into three grand divisions:

1. PAST--Fulfilled Prophecy.
2. PRESENT--Fulfilling Prophecy.

These are the prophecies that refer to the Jews, the Nations, and the moral and religious character of the times.

3. FUTURE--Unfulfilled Prophecy.

The "Requirements" of a Genuine Prediction are five in number:

1. It must have been made known PRIOR to its fulfilment.
2. It must be beyond all HUMAN FORESIGHT.
3. It must give DETAILS.
4. A SUFFICIENT TIME MUST ELAPSE BETWEEN ITS PUBLICATION AND FULFILMENT TO EXCLUDE THE PROPHET, OR ANY INTERESTED PARTY, FROM FULFILLING IT.
5. There must be a CLEAR AND EVIDENT FULFILMENT OF THE PROPHECY.

The value of the argument for the "Inspiration of the Scriptures"from Prophecy is evident when we study the Law of

"COMPOUND PROBABILITIES."

If I were to predict an earthquake in Philadelphia next year the chance would be 1 in 2 that it would occur. If I should add another prediction, that it would be on the Fourth of July, the chance is decreased to 1 in 4. And if I add another detail, that it will be in the daytime, the chance then becomes 1 in 8. And if I should add a fourth detail the chance would be 1 in 32. And if the details were 10 in number. the chance would be 1 in 1024.

Now there were 25 specific predictions made by the Old Testament Prophets bearing on the betrayal, trial, death and burial of Jesus. These were uttered by different prophets during the period

from B.C. 1000 to B.C. 500, yet they were all literally fulfilled in 24 hours in one person. According to the Law of "Compound Probabilities" there was one chance in 33, 554, 432 that these 25 predictions would be fulfilled as prophesied. If one prophet should make several predictions as to some one event, he might by collusion with others bring it to pass, but when a number of prophets, distributed over several centuries, give detailed and specific predictions as to some

event, the charge of collusion cannot be sustained. It is a fact that there were 109 predictions literally fulfilled at Christ's First Advent in the flesh. Apply the Law of "Compound Probabilities" to this number, and the chance was only one in BILLIONS that they would be fulfilled in one person.

The argument that Jesus employed to convince those two mourning disciples walking to Emmaus that He was "The Messiah, " was the appeal to "Prophecy." "And beginning at Moses and ALL THE PROPHETS, He expounded unto them in ALL THE SCRIPTURES (0. T. Scriptures), the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27. It would be intensely interesting reading, and amazingly helpful, if we only had in Luke's Gospel a full report of that afternoon's conversation. The two disciples were familiar with the things that had occurred the previous week at the arrest, trial, crucifixion and burial of Jesus, as well as the rumors of His resurrection. It was not difficult therefore for Jesus to take those things and by quoting from the Old Testament Scriptures show that they were just what the prophets had foretold would happen to the Messiah when He came. He reminded them that the prophet had said that the Messiah should be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12), be betrayed by a friend (Psa. 41:9), forsaken by His disciples (Zech. 13:7), accused by false witnesses (Psa. 35:11), be dumb fiefore His accusers (Isa. 53:7), be scourged (Isa. 50:6), His garments parted (Psa. 22:18), mocked by His enemies (Psa. 22:7-8), be given gall and vinegar to drink (Psa. 69:21), not a , bone of His body broken (Psa. 34:20), die with malefactors (Isa. 53:12), that the price of His betrayal should be used to purchase a "Potter's Field" (Zech. 11:13), and that He should be buried in a rich man's tomb. Isa. 53:9.

But Jesus doubtless did not stop with simply proving that the crucified Christ fulfilled all the requirements of prophecy. It was a long walk they had. ' Jesus doubtless joined them soon after they left Jerusalem for Emmaus, which was some 6 miles away, and so had ample time in which to outline the "Prophetic Portrait" of the Messiah. Turning to Gen. 22:7-8, He pictured Isaac as a "Type" of Christ, and that God spared Abraham's son, but did not spare His own Son. He then called attention to the institution of "The Passover, " and recalled the fact that in preparing the lamb for roasting, two spits were used, one thrust lengthwise through the body for support over the fire, and the other across the shoulders for turning, thus symbolizing the Cross on which the Lamb of God was suspended. He then reminded them that Jesus had said in one of His discourses"And I, if I be LIFTED UP, will draw all men unto me." John 12:32. And having thus refreshed their memory, He took them back to that incident in the history of the Children of Israel of "The Brazen Serpent, " and pointed out that that was a type of how men are bitten with the serpents of sin, and need a Saviour, and how Jesus by being lifted up took the place of the "Brazen Serpent, " and that all that look to Him in faith -shall be delivered from the results of sin. 'I'hen Jesus spoke of the Prophet Jonah, and what befell him, and recalled His own prophecy, which doubtless they had heard but had forgotten, that "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:40), thus showing them that they should not have been surprised at the report they had heard that morning, that Jesus had RISEN FROM THE DEAD.

Is it any wonder that as Jesus thus went on outlining the "Prophetic Christ" and comparing Him with the "Historic Christ" they had known and loved, that their heart "BURNED WITHIN THEM" as He talked with them by the way, and opened up to them the Scriptures. Luke 24:32. How easy a conundrum seems when we know the answer, and how simple the Scriptures become when we see Christ in them, for "the TESTIMONY OF JESUS" is the "SPIRIT OF PROPHECY." Rev. 19:10. That is, the Spirit and purpose of all Prophecy is to testify of Jesus. How important then is the study of Prophecy.

Now we have seen that there were 109 predictions of the Old Testament Prophets literally fulfilled at Christ's First Advent, but there are 845 quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament, and 333 of these refer to Christ. They vary from types and figures, that seem meaningless unless you place Christ in them, to s that at times descend to the minutest details. The only books of the Old Testament not quoted in the New Testament are Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Songs of Solomon and Obadiah.

The Old Testiment scriptures bear a "double witness" to Jesus. They point out both his 'FIRST" and "SECOND" Comings. And the same Prophet in referring to the "Two Comings" did not always name them in the proper order. This was confusing to the Bible students and religious leaders of Christ's day. I In fact they did not know that there were to be "Two Comings." Therefore they are not to be too harshly judged because thev rejected Christ, because He did not at once set up an "Earthly Kingdom." They did not separate the prophecies that foretold His "SUFFERINGS" from the prophecies that foretold His "GLORY." 1Pet. 1:10-12. They believed that a the prophecies that referred to the Messiah (Christ) were to be fulfilled at His First Coming. This accounts for why the people of Christ's day looked for Him to set up an Earthly Kingdom. They did not see that this "Present Dispensation, " or "CHURCH AGE, " was to intervene between the "SUFFERINGS" (the CROSS) and the "GLORY" (the CROWN). But we stand on this side of Calvary and can readily separate the fulfilled prophecies of the "First Advent" from the unfulfilled prophecies of the " Second Advent." This is clearly brought out on the Chart of the "Mountain Peaks of Prophecy."

The Old Testament prophet saw the future as separate peaks of one mountain. He did not see that these peaks assembled themselves in groups with a valley the "VALLEY- OF THE CHURCH, " between. In the first group is the "Birth of Jesus, " Calvary, " and , Pentecost. " In the second group is "Antichrist, " the , Revelation of Christ, " and the "Kingship of Christ." The Prophet Isaiah (Isa. 61:1-2) did not see that "comma" in the second verse, that separated between the statements-"THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD, " and "THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD, " was to span a period covering the whole of this "Present Dispensation, " and already over 1900 years long. Likewise the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 23:5-6) separates with a "comma" the First and Second Advents, or between "THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, " and the "KING WHO SHALL REIGN AND PROSPER." The Prophets saw the "Prophetic" and "Kingly" work of Christ, but they did not see the 'PRIESTLY." They saw the "Altar" (Sacrificial), and the "Throne' but they did not see the "TABLE" (the Lord's Table) that was to come in between.

As shown on the Chart the Prophet saw in a direct line along the "Peaks of Prophecy, " and did not see the "valley" of "The Church" in between. Our viewpoint is from the side. We face the "Valley" with the "First Advent" (the CROSS) to our left, and the "Second Advent" (the CROWN) to our right. All we have to do is to separate the prophecies of the "First Advent" from the prophetic references to Christ in the Old Testament, and apply the balance to His "Second Advent." This simplifies the study of Prophecy.

Isaiah's prophecies have mainly to do with the Messiah and Israel. Jeremiah is the Prophet of Israel's return to their own land. Fzekiel has to do with the Restoration of Israel to their own land, and with the Millennial Land, Restored Temple, and the form of Worship. Daniel is the Prophet of the Gentiles and their final great Leader-ANTICHRIST. Zechariah is most concerned about the events that shall happen at the Second Coming of Christ, as�

(1) ANTICHRIST (the Idol Shepherd). Zech. 11:15-17.
(2) ARMAGEDDON Zech. 14:1-3.
(3) CONVERSION OF ISRAEL. Zech. 12:9-11.
(4) CHRIST'S RETURN TO OLIVET. Zech. 14:4-6.
(5) OLD AGE IN JERUSALEM. Zech. 8:3-5.
(6) FEAST OF TABERNACLES. Zech. 14:16-18

Notice that Zechariah does not see these events in their chronological order. All the Major Prophets, and 9 of the Minor Prophets, emphasize the "Kingship of Christ, " and it was this that confused the Religious Leaders of Christ's day.

THE PERSPECTIVE OF PROPHECY

The Chart on "The Perspective of Prophecy" shows what each of the Prophets foresaw of future events from the Birth of Christ on down to the New Heavens and the New Earth. A careful study of the Chart will show that the Prophet Nahum saw nothing beyond his time, while the Prophet Isaiah saw more and the farthest of all the prophets.

Dispensational Truth

Chapter 4 - The Second Coming of Christ
There is no fact in history more clearly established than the fact of the "First Coming" of Christ. But as His "First Coming" did not fulfill all the prophecies associated with His "Coming, " it is evident that there must be another "Coming" to completely fulfill them. It was because the religious leaders of Christ's day failed to distinguish between the prophecies that related to His "First Coming, " and those that related to His "Second Coming" that they rejected Him. Peter tells us (1Pet. 1:10-11) that the prophets themselves did not clearly perceive the difference between the "Sufferings" and "Glory" of Christ. '['hat is, they did not see that there was a "TIME SPACE" between the "Cross" and the "Crown, " and that the "Cross" would precede the "Crown." But we have no such excuse. We live on this side of the "Cross, " and we can readily pick out all the prophecies that were fulfilled at Christ's "First Coming" and apply the remainder to His "Second Coming." It is clear then that Christ's "First Coming, " important as it was, is not the "doctrinal centre" of the Scriptures, that is, Christ's First Coming was not the centre of a circle that contains all doctrine, but was one of the foci of an ellipse of which the other is the "SECOND COMING." This is shown on the above Chart on "The Two Comings." The chart takes in the whole Mediatorial Work of Christ, Prophetic, Priestly and Kingly. This is included in an ellipse, the foci of which are the "First" and "Second" Comings of Christ. The "Cross" represents His "First Coming" and the "Crown" His "Second Coming." Between the "Fall" and the "First Coming" we have the "ALTAR, " which points backward to the "Fall" and forward to the "Cross." Between the "Comings" we have the "TABLE" which points backward to the "Cross" and forward to the "Second Coming." Between the "Second Coming" and the surrender of the "Kingdom" we have the "THRONE, " which points backward to the "Second Coming" and forward to the surrendering of the "Kingdom." The Apostle Paul in his epistles clearly distinguishes between the "Comings" and their doctrinal signification. In his letter to the Hebrew's he classifies Christ's "appearings" as "Hath he appeared".(Heb. 9:28). In his letter to (Titus 2:11-12), he brings out the doctrinal significance of these "appearings." As a Prophet He died for our "JUSTIFICATION" as a Priest He lives at the right hand of God not only as our Advocate, but our "SANCTIFIER, " and when He comes again asa King it will be for our "GLORIFICATION."

While the First and Second Comings of Christ are separated by this Dispensation they are nevertheless not complete in themselves, the Second necessitated the First, and the First demands the Second. They are both necessary to complete the Plan of Salvation. The First Coming wafs for the salvation of my "SOUL; " the Second is for the salvation of my "BODY, " for there can be no resurrection of the body until Christ comes back.

THE SECOND COMING

I. AS TO THE FACT

1. THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS HIMSELF.

Matt. 16:27. "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works."

Matt. 25:31-32. "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the 'Throne of His Glory; ' and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats."

John 14:2-3. "In my father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

2. THE TESTIMONY OF HEAVENLY BEINGS.

John 21:22. "If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee? Follow thou me."

Acts 1:10-11. "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This SAME JESUS, which is taken up from you in heaven, shall so come IN LIKE MANNER as ye have seen him to go into heaven."

This passage declares that the SAME JESUS shall return IN LIKE MANNER as He went, that is, that His return will be visible and personal. The two "men" that "stood by" were probably Moses and Elijah. They appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. They were doubtless the "two men" who testified to the women at the tomb that Jesus had risen (Luke 24:4-5), and they will be the "Two Witnesses" that shall testify during the Tribulation. Rev. 11:3-5.

3. THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

PAUL-"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, , according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Phil. 3:20-21.

"Looking for that 'Blessed Hope' and the 'Glorious Appearing' of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13.

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the 'Second Time' without sin unto salvation. Heb. 9:28

JAMES-"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." James 5:7.

PETER-"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty." 2Pet. 1:16.

Peter here refers to the Transfiguration of Christ on the Mount (Matt. 17:1-3), which was a type of His Second Coming. Moses was a type of the "resurrection saints, " and Elijah of those who shall be translated without dying. Peter, James and John were a type of the Jewish Remnant that shall see Him when He comes, and the remaining disciples at the foot of the mount, unable to cast the demon out of the boy, of those professed followers of Jesus who shall be left behind at the Rapture, and who shall be powerless to cast the demons out of the demon-possessed people of that period.

JUDE-"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoke against him." Jude 14-15.

JOHN-"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 1John 2:28.

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." Rev. 1:7.

4. THE TESTIMONY OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come." 1 Cor. 11:26.

The Lord's Supper is not a permanent ordinance. It will be discontinued when the Lord returns. It is a Memorial Feast. It looks back to the "Cross" and forward to the "Coming." An engagement ring is not intended to be permanent. It is simply a pledge of mutual love and loyalty, and gives place to the wedding ring. So the Lord's Table may be looked upon as a betrothal pledge left to the Church during the absence of her betrothed.

Paul in all his epistles refers but 13 times to Baptism, while he speaks of the Lord's return 50 times. One verse in every 30 in the New Testament refers to Christ's Second Coming. There are 20 times as many references in the Old Testament to Christ's Second Coming as to His First Coming.

THE FIVE THEORIES

While the majority of professing Christians admit the fact of the second Coming of Christ, they are not agreed as to the "manner" or "time." There are five theories as to the Second Coming.

1. That His Coming Again Is "SPIRITUAL" and Was Fulfilled at Pentecost.

It was not Christ but the Holy Spirit that came at Pentecost, and his coming was conditioned on Christ's absence, for Jesus said, "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter (H. S.) will not come unto you; but if I DEPART, I will SEND HIM UNTO YOU." John 16:7. If the Holy Spirit is only another manifestation of Christ, then they are identical, and that NULLIFIES THE TRINITY. The fact that the whole New Testament was written after Pentecost, and declares over 150 times that the Second Coming of Christ was still future. And more, none of the events predicted as

accompanying the Second Coming occurred at Pentecost, such as the Resurrection of the "Dead in Christ, " the Translation of the "Living Saints, " the "Binding of Satan, " etc.

2. That the "CONVERSION OF THE SINNER" is the Coming of the Lord.

This cannot be, for at conversion the sinner comes to Christ, not Christ to the sinner; and the sinner's conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit, and not the work of Christ. It is true that there is such a thing as the spiritual indwelling of Christ in the believer, but His Second Coming, - like His First Coming is to be an outward, visible, personal coming.

3. That "DEATH" is the Coming of the Lord.

The text that is used more than any other for funeral sermons is -"Watch, therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." Matt. 25:13. The context shows that this refers to a future coming of Christ. Christ could not come to the earth every time a person dies for two reasons-

(1) A soul passes into eternity every second, and this would necessitate Christ's remaining continuously on the earth.

(2) Christ is engaged in His High Priestly functions in the Heavenlies, and could not leave them to come to the earth for the souls of the dying.

The fact is, that at death the believer goes to Christ. Christ does not come for him. Death is always spoken of as a departure. "Absent from the body, present (at home) with the Lord." 2Cor. 5:6-8.

If Jesus had meant by His Second Coming "Death, " he would, have said to His Disciples-"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will send Death to bring you to myself, "but He did not. He said-'I will come again and receive you unto myself." The last chapter of John's Gospel settles the matter. Peter said to Jesus-"Lord, and what shall this man (referring to John) do? Jesus . saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple (John) should not D 1E." John 21:21-23. We see from this that the Disciples did not think that the "Coming of the Lord" meant "death." There was a great difference between these two things in their mind. Death is an enemy (1Cor. 15:26, 1Cor. 15:55), it holds us in the grave, it robs the body of its attractiveness, it is the "Wages of Sin" (Rom. 6:23), and the result of God's wrath, while the Second Coming of Christ is a manifestation of His love. Christ is the "Prince of Life." There can be no death where He is. Death flees at His coming. When He was on earth nothing could remain dead in His presence. His coming is not death but resurrection. He is the "Resurrection' and the 'Life, " and when He Comes, He will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His "Glorious Body." Phil. 3-:20-21.

4. That the "DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM" in A. D. 70 by the Romans Was the Second Coming of the Lord.

The Lord was not present at the destruction of Jerusalem. It was destroyed by Roman soldiers, and none of the things that are to occur at the "Second Coming" occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem, such as the resurrection of the dead, the translation of living saints, and the physical changes that are to occur at Jerusalem and in the land of Palestine at Christ's coming. Zech. 14:4-1 Zech. 14:1. Ez. 47:1-3. Christ's purpose in coming back is not to destroy Jerusalem, but to RESTORE IT. It must be trodden down of the Gentiles until the "Times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled, "then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" Luke 21:24-26. The Book of Revelation, written 26 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, speaks of the Second Coming of Christ as still future.

5. That the "DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIANITY" is the Second Coming of the Lord.

This cannot be true, for the "Diffusion of Christianity" is gradual whereas the Scriptures declare that the "Return of the Lord" shall be SUDDEN and UNEXPECTED, as a "Thief in the Night." Matt. 24: 27, 36, 42, 44. 1 Thess.. 5:2. Rev. 3:3. Again the "Diffusion of Christianity" is a process, while the Scriptures invariably speak of the "Return of the Lord" as an EVENT. The diffusion of Christianity brings Salvation to the wicked, whereas the "Return of the Lord" is said to bring not salvation but SUDDEN DESTRUCTION. 1Thes. 5:2-3; 2Thes. 1:7-9.

II. AS TO THE TIME

Of the exact time we cannot be certain. When Jesus was on the earth He said-"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither (not yet) the Son, but the Father." Mark 13:32. After His Resurrection and before His Ascension, He refused to satisfy the curiosity of His Disciples, saying to them-"It is not for you to know the 'times' or the 'seasons' which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. Jesus knew of Daniel's prophecy of the "Seventy Weeks" (Dan. 9:20-22), but He fixed no dates for their fulfillment. The student of prophecy is not to be a "date-setter, " but he is to watch. "Signs" are for the -few. There is nothing to prevent Christ coming for His Church at any time.While we do not know the day or the hour of Christ's Coming we know that it will be

PRE-MILLENNIAL.

By Pre-Millennial we mean before the Millennium. That is, before the period of a "Thousand Years" spoken of in Rev. 20:1-3. This period is spoken of in other scriptures as "The Kingdom, " and is described in glowing terms by the prophets as a time when the earth shall be blessed with a universal rule of righteousness. The passage in Rev. 20:1-3 simply tells us that the length of the period shall be 1000 years.

The very structure of the New Testament demands that Christ shall return before the Millennium. Here are a few reasons.

1. When Christ comes He will RAISE THE DEAD, but the Righteous dead are to be raised BEFORE the Millennium, that they may reign with Christ during the 1000 years, hence there can be no Millennium before Christ comes. Rev. 20:5.

2. When Christ comes He will SEPARATE THE "TARES" FROM THE "WHEAT, " but as the Millennium is a period of UNIVERSAL RIGHTEOUSNESS the separation of the "Tares" and "Wheat" must take place BEFORE the Millennium, therefore there can be no Millennium before Christ comes. Matt. 13:40-42.

3. When Christ comes Satan SHALL BE BOUND, but as Satan is to be bound during the Millennium, there can be no Millennium until Christ comes. Rev. 20:1-3.

4. When Christ comes Antichrist is to be DESTROYED, but as Antichrist is to be destroyed before the Miliennium there can be no Millennium until Christ comes. Thess. 2:8 Rev. 19:20.

5. When Christ comes the Jews are to be RESTORED TO THEIR OWN LAND, but they are to be restored to their own land BEFORE the Millennium, there can be no Millennium before Christ comes. Ez. 36:24-26; Rev. 1:7; Zech. 12:10.

6. When Christ comes it will be unexpectedly, and we are commanded to watch lest He take us unawares. Now if He is not coming Millennium, until AFTER the and the Millennium is not yet here, why command us to watch for an event that is over 1000 years off ?

III. AS TO THE MANNER

He will return in the SAME MANNER as He went. Acts 1:11. He went up BODILY and VISIBLY and He shall come in like manner. He went in a cloud, and He will return in a cloud. "Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him."' Rev. 1:7. The only difference will be that He went up alone, He will return as a King (Luke 19:12), followed by a retinue of the angelic hosts. "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with his angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27. His "Return" however will be in

TWO STAGES.

He will come first into the region of our atmosphere, and the "dead in Christ, " and the "living saints" shall be "caught up" to meet Him "IN THE AIR." Then after the risen and translated saints have been judged and rewarded for their works, and they, as the Church, the Bride of Christ, have been married to Him, He will come with them to the earth and land on the Mount of Olives, the place from whence He ascended. "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." Zech. 14:4.

The First Stage of His Return is called "THE RAPTURE; " the Second Stage-"THE REVELATION." The time between the two Stages is not less than seven years, and is occupied in the heavens by the "JUDGMENT OF BELIEVERS FOR WORKS, " and on the earth by "THE GREAT TRIBULATION." See Chart that follows, marked Chart No. 3.

FIRST STAGE-THE RAPTURE

The Rapture is described in 1Thes. 4:15-17. "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel (Michael) and with the trump of God; and the DEAD IN CHRIST shall rise first; then we which are ALIVE AND REMAIN (saints only) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord IN THE AIR, and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

From this we see that "The Raptue" will be twofold.

1. The Resurrection of the "DEAD IN CHRIST."
2. The Translation of the "LIVING SAINTS."

This twofold character of "The Rapture" Jesus revealed to Martha when He was about to raise her brother Lazarus. He said to her:

"I am the 'Resurrection and the Life, ' he that believeth in Me, though he were dead yet shall he LIVE (First Resurrection Saints); and whosoever LIVETH (is alive when I come back) and believeth in me shall NEVER DIE" John 11:25-26. This twofold character of the Rapture, Paul emphasizes in his immortal chapter on the resurrection.

"Behold, I show you a Mystery, we shall not all Sleep, but we shall All Be Changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed. For this Corruptible (the dead in Christ) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (the living saints) must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that. is written, DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.

O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING?
O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? "
1Cor. 15:51-53.

The last two lines refer only to those who are "changed without dying, " for it is only those who will not die who can shout-

"O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?
O Grave, Where Is Thy Victory? "

In 2Cor. 5:14. Paul expresses his longing, and the longing of the Saints, to be among those who should not be "unclothed" by Death, but who should be "clothed upon" by Immortality "without dying."

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle (the body) were dissolved (that is die), we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this (body) we groan, earnestly desiring to be 'clothed upon' with our house which is from heaven; if so be that being 'clothed' we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle (the body) do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be 'unclothed' (by death), but 'clothed upon' (by Immortality), that 'mortality' might be swallowed up of life."

In his letter to the Philippians, while Paul hopes that-

"If by any means he may attain unto The (out from among the dead) Resurrection, yet he pressed toward the mark for the 'prize' of the High (out and up) Calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:11-13.

That is, while Paul would esteem it a great thing to "rise from the dead" at the First Resurrection, and be "caught up" with those who should be "changed, " yet he would esteem it a "prize" if he could be caught up "without dying, " that is, live until Jesus came back.

THE RAPTURE WILL BE A "SURPRISE"

"Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch, the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man COMETH." Matt. 24:42-44. "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Rev. 16:15. "But of the 'times' and the 'seasons, ' brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the 'Day of the Lord' (the day of His Return), so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, 'Peace and Safety; ' then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." This refers to the Second Stage of Christ's Coming, the "Revelation, " when He shall take vengeance upon His enemies. 2Thes. 1:7-9. But Paul adds-"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day (the day of His Return) should overtake you as a thief." 1Thes. 5:14.

We see from this that when Christ comes back it will be when we are not expecting Him. He will come as a thief comes. A thief does not announce his coming. He comes for a certain purpose. He does not take everything there is in the house. He takes only the precious things. The jewels, the gold, the silver and fine wearing apparel. He does not come to stay. As soon as he secures what he is after he departs. So Jesus at the Rapture will come and take away the saints only. The thief leaves much more than he takes. He leaves the house and the furniture and the household utensils. So the Lord at the Rapture will leave the wicked and the great mass of the heathen behind, for those who will be taken will be comparatively few.

The Two Stages of His Coming

THE RAPTURE: WILL BE "ELECTIVE"

It will not only separate the saints from unbelievers, but it will separate husbands from wives, brothers from sisters, friends from friends.

"I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. " Luke 17:34-36. The words "men" and "women" in this passage are in italics. That means that they are not in the original, and so the passage should read there shall be "two in one bed, " husband and wife, or two brothers, or two sisters, or two friends. Two in "bed" indicates night; two grinding at the mill, morning or evening; two in the field mid-noon. This shows that the Rapture will happen all over the earth at the same time or as the Apostle describes it in a "moment, " or the "twinkling of an eye." "As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; also the coming of the Son of Man Be" (Matt. 24:27) is the way Jesus puts it.

The "Rapture" will be the most startling "event" of this Age and Dispensation. As it is to occur in the "twinkling of an eye" and -all over the earth at the same time, that part of the world that is not asleep will witness the event. As to the "Shout of the Lord, " the "Voice of the Archangel, " and the "Trump of God" we do not know whether their sound will be heard and distinguished by others than the "dead in Christ" and the "living saints." We know that one day the Father spoke to Christ in a voice that He understood, but the people who stood by mistook it for "thunder." ' John 12:28-29. When the Lord appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and spoke to him, the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, "hearing a voice, " but seeing no man, and not understanding what was said. Acts 9:3-5. We know however that the "dead in Christ" will hear the sound, for it will be "intensely penetrating." There will be no graves so deep, no catacombs so rock covered, no pyramids or mausoleums so thick, but what the sound shall reach their depths and the "dead in Christ" shall hear the cry-"awake ye sleeping saints and arise from the dead, it is MORNING, the morning of the FIRST RESURRECTION."

On the morning of that glorious day the air will be filled with the "spirits" of the "Dead in Christ, " come back to earth to get their bodies, raised and glorified. Whether. the cemeteries and country church yards will look like ploughed fields, and monuments and grave slabs be overturned and vaults and places of sepulture be shattered by the exodus of those who found their last resting place there, and thus testify to the fact of the literal bodily resurrection of the dead, or whether the sainted dead shall slip out of their sepulchres without disturbing them. as Christ arose and left the tomb without breaking the seal, the angel rolling away the stone simply to show that the tomb was empty, we are not told, only the event itself will disclose the manner of the First Resurrection.

If the dead slip out of their places of sepulture without disturbing them, the First Resurrection will be secret and probably unknown to the world, but it will not be so with the "Living Saints" who are translated. If it is night on our side of the globe when the Rapture occurs the community will wake up in the morning to find all the real Christians gone, disappeared in the night. Many may hear the sound of the "Midnight cry'--

"BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH, "

but thinking it only thunder, will turn over for another nap, but in the morning they will find the bedroom door locked, with the key on the inside, just as they locked it before retiring, and the clothes of the loved one 'who occupied the room with them lying where they were placed when taken off the night before, but that loved one, who was a Christian, missing. Husbands will wake up to find that Christian wives are gone, and wives will wake up to find Christian husbands gone. Brothers and sisters will be missed, and dear children absent, and not an infant will be left behind. Many faithful servants and employees will not report for duty, and the world will awake to the fact that the Bible is true, and the much despised doctrine of the PreMillennial Coming of the Lord to gather out His saints is no fanciful interpretation of Scripture.

If it be day with us when the Rapture occurs, the "EVENT" will be startling. As it was in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:36-38), the people will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, planting and building.

If it be a pleasant time of year, the boats, the cars, and the parks will be filled with shoppers and the mills with toilers, and the streets of the cities lined with men and women and children on pleasure and business bent. Suddenly a noise from heaven will be heard like a great peal of thunder. The people will rush to doors and windows, and those on the streets and in the fields will look up to see what has happened. To the vast majority it will be but a startling and alarming sound, but to many it will be the

"VOICE OF THE LORD."

But when the people recover from their surprised and affrighted condition they will discover that a great many people are missing, and that the missing were the best people in the community. The large Department Stores, Banking Institutions, Manufacturing Plants, and other places of business will find their working force depleted by the loss of faithful employees. People walking on the streets will find their companions gone, and the street car lines will be blocked because of absent motormen, conductors and teamsters. Railroad and steamboat lines will be crippled, and confusion will reign everywhere. In many homes the servants will be missing and members of the family will come home to find loved ones gone.

At first the whole thing will be a Mystery, until some one who had heard or read about the "Rapture of-the Saints, " realizing what has happened, will explain the situation.

But one of the surprises of that day will be that so many professing Christians, and among them many ministers and Christian workers, will be left behind, while some who were not known to be Christians will be missing. The next day's papers will be full of what happened the day before, and many of them will be swelled to twice their ordinary size by the pressure on their advertising columns for information as to missing ones, and for help to fill important vacancies and positions of trust. For a few days the excitement will be intense. Then the people will settle down to the inevitable. With the exception of a few who will repent and turn to God, the mass of the people will become more hardened and wicked than before, and some who lost loved ones will be embittered. As the Holy Spirit will have gone back with the "Raptured Ones, " and the "Saints, " the SALT of the earth, been taken out, there will be nothing to prevent the rapid degeneration and "Moral Putrefaction" of those who are "left, " and sin and iniquity and all manner of crime and worldliness will increase and pave the way for the manifestation of Antichrist, under whose Administration the world will rapidly ripen for judgment.

WHO ARE TO BE TAKEN

Some claim that "all" the Church are to pass through the Tribulation; others that "all", the Church are to be caught out before the Tribulation, while some claim that only the "Waiting" and "Watching" Saints shall be caught out before the Tribulation, and that the rest must pass through it. The latter base their claim on Heb. 9:28, where it says-"Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." While this might apply to the living when He appears, it certainly cannot apply to the dead. 'I'here are tens and hundreds of thousands who "fell asleep in Jesus" who never heard of the Premillennial Coming of the Lord, or at least never grasped its meaning, and who therefore never "watched" and "waited" and "looked" for His Appearing. They surely are "In Christ"; and the "Dead in Christ" are to rise at the Rapture. Paul does not say in 1Thes. 4:16-17, that it will be the "dead" who "watched" and "waited" and "looked, " and those who are 'alive" and

Time Element of the First and Second Comings

"watch" and "wait" and "look" for His Appearing that shall be "caught out, " but the dead "In Christ, " and we who "Are Alive And Remain."

Then there is another fact that we must not forget, and that is, the Unity of the Church.

"For as the Body Is One, and hath many members, and ALL the Members Of That One Body, Being Many, ARE ONE BODY; so also is Christ. For by One Spirit are we ALL Baptized Into One Body." 1 Cor., 12:12-13.

All then who have been "born again" (John 3:3-5) are part of Christ's "Body, " and we cannot conceive of Christ's "Body being divided; part of it remaining "asleep" in the grave, and part of it "raised in glory; " part of it left to pass through the Tribulation, and part of it "changed" and caught up to meet Him in the air.

If "all" the Church are to pass through the Tribulation, then instead of waiting and watching "for the Lord, " we should be waiting and watching "for the Tribulation, " which is contrary to the teaching of Christ Himself. Matt. 24:42-44.

The Tribulation is not for the perfecting "of the Saints." It has nothing to do with the Church. It is the time of "Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7), and is the "Judgment of Israel, " and it is God's purpose to keep the Church out of it. Rev. 3:10. The Book of Revelation is written in chronological order. After the fourth chapter the Church is seen no more upon the earth until she appears in the nineteenth chapter coming with the Bridegroom "from" Heaven. The entire time between these two chapters is filled with appalling judgments that fall upon those that "dwell on the earth, " and as the Church is not of the earth, but is supposed to " sit together in 'Heavenly Places' in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6), she will not be among those who "dwell on the earth" in those days.

The confusion is largely due to the fact that students of Prophetic Truth do not distinguish between Christ's coming FOR His Saints, and WITH His Saints. The former is called the "Rapture, " the later the "Revelation."

Numerous passages in scripture speak of Christ coming "with" His Saints (Zech. 14:5, Col. 3:4, 1Thes. 3:13, 1Thes. 4:14, Jude 14), but it is evident that they cannot come "with" Him, if they had not been previously caught out "to" Him. All such passages refer therefore to the "Revelation" and not the "Rapture."

The typical teaching of the Scriptures demand that the Church be caught out "before" the Tribulation. Joseph was a type of Christ and he was espoused to, and married Asenath, a Gentile bride, during the time of his "rejection by his brethren, " and "before the famine, " which typified the Tribulation, because it was the time of "Judgment of his Brethren." This is the time of Christ's rejection by "His Brethren� the Jew, and to complete type He must get His Bride the church, "before" the Tribulation.

Moses, who is also a type of Christ, got his bride, and. she a Gentile, "after" his rejection by his brethren, and "before" they passed through the Tribulation under Pharoah. Ex. 2:23-25.

Enoch, a type of the "Translation Saints, " was caught out "before" the Flood, and the Flood is a type of the Tribulation, and Noah and his family of the "Jewish Remnant" or 144, 000 sealed ones of Rev. 7:1-3, who will be preserved through the Tribulation.

How thrilling the thought that some of us shall not die, that in a moment, in the "twinkling of an eye" without being unclothed by the ghastly hands of Death, and instead of the winding sheet of the grave, we shall be instantly changed and clothed with the glorious garments of immortality. What a transport of joy will fill our being as we suddenly feel the thrill of immortality throbbing through our veins, and find ourselves being transported through the air in the company of fellow Christians and of our loved ones who fell asleep in Jesus. What welcome recognitions and greetings there will be as we journey up with them to the "Bridal Halls of Heaven, " where we shall join in the new and triumphal song of Moses and the Lamb. Rev. 5:9-10.

SECOND STAGE-THE REVELATION

At the "Second Stage" of Christ's Second Coming, the "Revelation, " we shall behold His "Glory." When Jesus came the first time He was disguised in the flesh. The "Incarnation" was the hiding of His Power, the veiling of His Deity. Now and then gleams of glory shot forth as on the Mt. of transfiguration; but when He comes the Second Time we shall behold Him clothed with the glory He had with the Father before the world was. The "Revelation" will be as sudden and as unexpected as was the "Rapture." The sun will rise on that day strong and clear. Gentle breezes will waft themselves over the earth. There will be no signs of a storm or of the coming judgment. The people will be buying and selling, building and planting, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. The statesmen will be revolving in their minds new plans for the world's betterment. The philanthropic will be devising new ways to help the people. The pleasure-loving will be seeking new sources of pleasure. The wicked will be plotting dark deeds; and the unbelieving will be proving to their own satisfaction that there is no God, no heaven, no hell, no coming judgment, when suddenly there will be a change. In the distant heaven there will appear a

"POINT OF LIGHT, "

outshining the sun. It will be seen descending toward the earth. As it descends it will assume the form of a bright cloud, out of which shall stream dazzling beams of light, and flashes of lightning. It will descend apace as if on wings of the whirlwind, and when it reaches its destination over the brow of the Mt. of Olives it will stop and unfold itself to the terrified and awestricken beholders, and there will be revealed to them Jesus seated on a "White Horse" (Rev. 19:16) and accompanied with His Saints and the armies of Heaven. Then shall be fulfilled what Jesus foretold in His Olivet Discourse-"Then shall appear the sign (a cloud) of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY." Matt. 24:30.

THE IMMINENCY OF THE SECOND COMING

One of the objections to the Doctrine of the "Second Coming of Christ" is the claim that He may come backat any time. Post-millennialists tell us that the writers of the New Testament looked forHim to come back in their day, and that He did not do so, is proof that they were mistaken, and that Paul in his later writings modified his statements as to the imminency of Christ's return. It is a fact that while Jesus said: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. . . . Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:42-44), He did not in these passages teach that He would return during the lifetime of those who listened to Him. In fact, in His Parables He intimated that His return would be delayed, as in the Parable of The Talents, where it is said: "After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh. Matt. 25:19. What Jesus wanted to teach was the sudden and unexpected character of His return. As to the Apostles, while they exhorted their followers to be ready, for the "night is far spent, the day is at hand, " and the "coming of the Lord draweth nigh, " their language simply implied "imminency, " but not necessarily "IMMEDIATENESS." And the use of the word "WE" in 1Cor. 15:5 1Cor. 15:1, "WE" shall not all sleep, but WE shall all be changed, " is not a declaration that the Lord would return in Paul's day and some would not die but be translated, for the Apostle is talking about the Rapture and he means by "WE" a certain class of persons, the saints that shall be alive when that event occurs, whether in his day or at some later time.

It was clearly known to our Lord that certain events must come to pass before His Return, but to have disclosed that fact would have nullified the command to "Watch, " therefore He in "mystery form, ' as in the seven parables of Matt. 13, hid the fact that His Return would be delayed. It would take time for the "Sowing of the Seed, " the growth of the "Wheat" and "Tares, " the growth of the "Mustard Tree, " and the "Leavening of the Meal." So rapid was the spread of the Gospel in the first century that the followers of Christ were warranted in looking for the speedy Return of the Lord, but it was true then, as in every century since, that we do not know what the extent of the "Harvest' is to be, and when it will be ripe, so the Lord can return. Matt. 13:30. Uncertainty then as to the "time" of the Lord's return is necessary to promote the "watchful" spirit. If the early Church had known that the Lord's Return would have been delayed for 20 centuries, the incentive to watchfulness would have been wanting.

By "Imminency" we mean "may happen at any time." For illustration, you hurry to the railroad station to catch a train. You find the train has not arrived, though it is past the hour. Though it is late it is on the way, and it would not be safe for you to leave the station, for it may arrive any minute, but as a matter of fact, it does not come for half an hour. Now if you had known that it would not arrive for half an hour you would have used the time in some other way than "waiting" and "watching." So we see that "Imminency" does not necessarily imply "IMMEDIATENESS, " but does demand "Watchfulness."

It is the firm conviction of the writer that there has been unnecessary delay in the Return of the Lord, caused by the failure of the Church to obey the "Divine Commission" to evangelize the world (Matt. 28:19-20), and it is past the time when He should have returned. Of course, this was foreseen by God, and His foreknowledge has held back the development of the forces of evil, etc., until the "Fulness of the Gentiles" should be gathered in, and the "Harvest" is ripe for the gathering. Rev. 14:14-16. At no time in the history of the Christian Church have the conditions necessary to the Lord's Return been so completely fulfilled as at the present time; therefore, His Coming is IMMINENT, and will not probably be long delayed. Let us be ready and watching.

While the writer, as stated, is disposed to believe that the Return of the Lord is "past due, " and while he is no "time setter, " yet there is a "theory" that may throw some light on the long

IMMINENCY OF HIS RETURN

that it might be well to examine. It is called

THE GREAT WEEK OF HUMAN HISTORY,

and is based on the "Seven Days" of the "Creative Week, " and the declaration of Scripture (2Pet. 3:8), "That one day is with the Lord as a THOUSAND YEARS, and a thousand years as ONE DAY." The Millennium in the Old Testament is described as a "Sabbath Keeping" period of rest, and is referred to as such in Heb. 4:4-1 Heb. 4:1, where it is associated with the "Seventh Day" of the "Creative Week." Now we know that the length of the Millennium is 1000 YEARS (Rev. 20:1-3), and if it corresponds with the "Seventh Day" of the 'Creative Week, " why should not the remaining six days be of the same length? If so, and those days correspond with the past of human history, then from the date of the "Creative Week" up to the beginning of the Millennium should be 6000 years of human history. In confirmation of this we have the fact that a careful study of the genealogical tables and history of the Old Testament seem to show that from Adam to Christ was about 4000 years, or four days of a thousand years each, corresponding to the first four days of the "Creative Week, " and from Christ down to the present time we have over 1900 years, or nearly 2 days of 1000 years each, thus making nearly 6 days of 1000 years each of human history, and as Christ is to come back before the Millennium, and all signs point to His Speedy return, then the "theory" that the "Seven Days" of the "Creative Week" are typical of Seven "One Thousand Year Periods" is not unwarranted in Scripture.

If our inference is correct, then it follows that the Return of the Lord will take place before the close of this present century. How much before is uncertain. If the Millennium-is to be ushered in in A, D. 2000, then the "Rapture" must take place at least 7 years before that.

The Seven Thousand Years of Human History

But right here we must sound a note of caution. There is too much confusion in Biblical Chronology to fix any dates with certainty. Doubtless God has ordered it so, so as to keep us in doubt as to the exact date of the Lord's Return. It may have been 4075 years, instead of 4004 (as generally given), from Adam to Christ. In that case we are living in the year 5993 from the creation of Adam, or on the eve of the Rapture. Again we must not forget that God uses in "Prophetical Chronology" the Calendar Year of 360 days toa year, while we use the Julian or Astronomical Year of 365 1/4 days, and it would be necessary for us to find out what kind of year is used reduce it to the Calendar year. Thus we might find that we are er the end of the six thousandth year than we are aware, and that return of the Lord is IMMINENT. However, while we may upon the above theory as suggestive and in a way confirmatory of the near coming of the Lord, it is not conclusive, and we are not warranted in fixing any date based upon it. And further, we must not forget that the "Rapture" may take place some time before the 'Tribulation Period" begins and Antichrist is revealed. So if we could fix he exact date when this century will close, and count back 7 years, the Rapture might occur 5, 10 or even 25 years before that, so as to give time for the rebuilding of Babylon and other events that are to occur before the Tribulation Period can begin, otherwise the Rapture would not be a surprise. It is not for the Christian to look for"Time and "Seasons" and "Signs." To do so will put him in the class of those who say: "My Lord delayeth His Coming" (Luke 12:42-44), and he will become preoccupied with other things and neglect to be watchful. Let us live as if we expected the Return of our Lord at any moment.

A PRACTICAL DOCTRINE

But why, you ask, should we put so much emphasis on the "Second Coming of Christ"? Why not talk and preach about the practical affairs of life? About the social and commercial problems of the world and their solution through the Gospel? The answer is that the only way to solve these problems is for Christ to return, and the longer His "Return" is delayed, the longer it will be before these problems are solved.

1. AS TO THE JEWS.

The Jews are a downtrodden people. Their only hope is the Return of the Lord. When He comes back they shall be restored to their own land and become a nation again. "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt; but the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the land of the NORTH (Russia) and from ALL THE LANDS whither He had driven them; and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers." Jer. 16:14-15; Isa. 43:5-7. And they shall never again be dispersed. "For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up." Jer. 24:6. This has never as yet been fulfilled.

2. AS TO JERUSALEM AND PALESTINE.

"Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; in the day that I will cleanse you from all your iniquities I will cause the cities (of Palestine) to be inhabited, - and the waste places shall be builded. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled. . . . And they shall say, this land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden." Ez. 36:33-35. Joel 3:18. Joel 2:24-26. "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and ever man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof., ' Zech. 8:4-5. Zech. 14:20-21.

3. AS TO THE NATIONS.

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns He will sit upon the "Throne of His Glory" at Jerusalem, and shall separate the "Sheep Nations" from the goat and only the "Sheep Nations" will survive as nations and be permitted to become part of the Millennial Kingdom. Matt. 25:31-33. These nations will become righteous. "And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which come against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the 'Feast of Tabernacles.", Zech. 14:16. As the result of all this the nations "shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." Micah 4:3-4. Isa. 2:4. The only way then to stop wars and labor troubles and all socialistic and anarchistic movements is for Christ to return and set up His Millennial Kingdom.

4. AS TO SATAN.

The only way to get rid of Satan and all his evil influences and powers is for Christ to come back, for when He comes back Satan will be bound and cast into the Bottomless Pit for 1000 years. Rev. 20:1-3.

5. AS TO THE EARTH.

Since the Fall of Man the earth has been cursed with thorns and thistles and all kinds of insect pests and disease germs, and man by the sweat of his face has been compelled to earn his daily bread. Even the brute creation became carnivorous and learned to prey upon each other, and the "whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." Rom. 8:22. But all this will be changed when Christ comes back, for then "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." Isa. 35:1. "Then shall the earth yield her increase." Psa. 67:6. And the ploughman will "overtake the reaper, " and the treader of grapes him that "soweth seed." Amos 9:13.

THE BLESSED HOPE

The Second Coming of Christ is "The Blessed Hope." Writing to Titus Paul said-"Looking for that 'Blessed Hope, ' and the 'Glorious Appearing' of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13. Most Christians when speaking of their "Hope" mean their "Hope of Salvation, " but we cannot "hope" for a thing we have and salvation is a present possession if we are trusting in Christ as our Saviour. The Christian's "Hope" then is the "Return of His Lord." Man is a three-fold being, he has a body, a soul, and a spirit; for him to die is to lose his "body." Now he knows that he cannot get his body back until the Resurrection and he also knows that there can be no Resurrection until Christ comes back. Therefore to him Christ's return is "The Blessed Hope, " not only that if he dies he will then be raised, but it is to him the "Hope" that Christ will come back before he dies and he shall be "caught up" to meet Him in the air without dying. 1Thes. 4:13-15.

"The Blessed Hope" is also a "Purifying Hope." "And every man that hath this hope in him PURIFIETH HIMSELF.' 1John 3:1-3. That is, every one who is looking for the Lord's return will try to keep himself pure. It will make us "Patient." "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the Coming of the Lord. . . . Be ye also patient; establish your hearts; for the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:7-8. It will make us "Watchful." "Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all WATCH." Mark 13:35-37. If we are watching for the Lord we

Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth

will be careful of our conduct. We will not want Him to come and find us doing questionable things, or in questionable places. We will not want to hoard money, nor spend our money in an extravagant manner, we will want to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven by contributing to missions. We will see to it that in our homes there is no kind of literature, or art, or pictures, or anything that we would not like His pure eyes to see if He were to be a visitor in our home. In short, "The Blessed Hope" helps us to cling lightly to this world. It will not make us idle and negligent, but will fill us with zeal to be found a faithful servant at His return. For this reason it is a noteworthy fact and a witness to the power of the doctrine, that those who believe it are the most consecrated, unselfish, and strenuous workers in the Master's service.

This "Hope" will also keep us from being "ASHAMED" at His Coming. "And now, little children, abide in Him; that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ASHAMED before Him at His Coming." 1John 2:28. If we are watching for Him and our house is in order, and we are ready to give a faithful account of our Stewardship we shall not be ashamed before Him at His coming. Matt. 25:14-16.

The "Hope" of the Lord's Pre-Millennial Return fills the heart of those who believe it with joy. In Luke 24:52 we read that when Jesus was parted from His Disciples and ascended into Heaven, "They returned to Jerusalem with GREAT JOY, and were continually in the Temple, PRAISING and BLESSING God." That seems strange conduct on their part, for naturally we would suppose that His Departure would have filled them with sadness. But when we recall that, when He Ascended, two men stood by in white apparel and told them that Jesus would come back again, we can understand their joyfulness. Acts 1:11.

It has often been said in opposition to the doctrine of the Second Coming, "If Christian people believe that Jesus is soon coming back why do they build houses and churches and make investments and plan for the education of their children and so on? " The answer is that Jesus' coming back will not do away with the need for houses and churches and education. The world moved on just as before after His First Coming, and it will do the same after His Second Coming. People will need homes and churches. Business will go on as before, and the unconverted children of Christian believers will be left behind and need homes and education and means to live on. The prosperity of the world will be greater during the Millennium than ever before. So there is no occasion for those who are looking for the Lord's Return to neglect the affairs of this life. What we as Christians hope for is that the Lord will come back and take us out of the world before the awful days of the "Tribulation Period" come, and then when they are over and Jesus comes back to reign we shall come back with Him as glorified beings to rule and reign over the Millennial earth, and probably visit churches where once we worshiped, and institutions that our money built.

The preacher of the Doctrine of the Pre-Millennial Coming of Christ wields a "two-edged sword." The unbeliever when urged to become a Christian may say I am young and there is plenty of time and so may put off the time of decision, but when he is told that it is not a question of time, or the mere salvation of his soul, but that may be back at any time and it is a question of being ready to Him, then he sees the importance of immediate decision.

Dear reader, are you a Christian, and as a Christian are you believer in the "Blessed Hope, " and are you looking for the speedy coming of the Lord, and doing all you can to hasten His Return, and thus bring back THE KING? If not, I beseech you to drop everything and settle the question of whether you will be "caught up to meet the Lord in the air when He comes, and thus escape the awful days that are coming on the earth-days in which no one can buy or sell unless he has the "Mark of the Beast, " and all those who have that "Mark" are eternally doomed. Rev. 13:15-17,

"WATCH"
By Warren M. Smith.

Oh, the glory fast approaching, of Ascension's happy morn,
When the watchful servants quickly to His bosom shall be borne;
When the dear ones left behind us, shall for us oft seek in vain,
But our spirits shall have risen to the Lamb for sinners slain.
Caught up in the air to meet Him, oh! the heights and depths of joy,
Lengths and breadths of love surpassing, purest bliss wi ' thout alloy;
Now we see with darkened vision, then we'll see Him face to face,
And we will, through countless ages, sing the glories of His grace.
Two shall at a mill be grinding, one be taken, one be left,
Two shall in a bed be sleeping, one of these shall be bereft;
Oh, what wonder and amazement, shall the ones on earth, possess,
They shall pass through tribulation, pain, and sorrow and distress.
We shall live with Him forever, in the sunshine of His love,
We shall meet to part, no never, with th' angelic host above;
There we'll hear our Father's welcome, as He calls us, one by one,
Saying to each one in person, "Faithful servant, 'tis well done."
Let us, then, our lamps keep burning, and our wedding garments on,
Ready to go forth to meet Him, when we hear Him say, "I come;
There will be no time to slumber, lest He come whil'st we're asleep
And the door be shut between us; let us then our vigil keep.