The Historical Ministry of Pre-Millenarianism* By REV. W. B. RILEY, D, D.
T HE event predicted by Old Tes tament prophecies, anticipated by New Testament apostles, and denominated by the peerless Paul as “that blessed hope,” has played so con-
nated no faith; they accepted, con firmed, elaborated and propagated Old Testament revelations. Paul’s state ment in 1 Cor. 15 :3, “I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also re ceived” might justly be accepted as the law of New Testament revelation. The shadows, types, suggestions and prophecies of the Old flower into New Testament Scriptures, Premillennar- ianism was not even born with Jesus of Nazareth, much less with Paul or Peter or John. As Haldeman justly says of the Old Testament, “The mo ment we open these Scriptures we find an anticipated picture of the Second Coming in Adam, exalted to headship, dominion, glory and power, as the ‘figure of Him who was to come.’ Enoch, the seventh from Adam, pro phesies that the Lord is coming in glory. Abraham catches glimpses of Him as the coming man and rejoices in view of His day. Jacob had a vis ion of the Epiphany and splendor, when, surrounded by the angelic host, the Lord God looked down from the height of the golden ladder. Moses saw that revelation of Him in the burning bush, not as the weak and crucified, but as Yaveh, the Coming One, coming in triumph. The Psalms are full of the one utterance, His coming, and they portray the move ment in heaven when the whole uni verse shall be attuned in rhythm to the music of His kingly descent. Isaiah spells it out in the notes of se raphic splendor and in the announce ment of earth’s response from exalted mountain, shivering earth and tossing seas. Jeremiah depicts the moment when, at His Coming, Jerusalem shall no longer be as the forsaken who binds her hair with the braid of widowhood; but as Jerusalem the holy, Jerusalem
W . B . R I L E Y , D . D . spicuous a part in the roll of human history that thoughtful men ought to be able to trace its course and deter mine with fair accuracy whether it has wrought benediction or bane for the Church of God. Along several lines we propose to push that inquiry! Let us inquire first, after The Apostolic Faith. Concerning this point let us not be misunderstood. When we employ the phrase “apostolic faith” we do not in tend to trace the history of Premillen- narianism from the days of New Tes tament apostles only. The truth is that the New Testament apostles origi- ♦An ad d ress delivered a t th e L os A ngeles P ro p h etic C onference, A pril, 1914.
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