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as a w an to n w ife in th e ab sen ce of h e r husband, b u t in se p a ra tio n a n d in th e p a th of p ilg rim ag e; a n d th a t h e r jo y of joys will be, n o t to love a n un seen L o rd b u t to be p re sen te d to H im , to gaze u p o n H is face, to b a th e in H is glory, to revel in H is light, a n d w ith H im , to rule a n d reign^in m anifest splendor, in o p en trium p h . . T h e P ost-M illennialist looks ’u p o n this h o u r as th e tim e of victo ry fo r God. T h e Pre-M illennialist looks u p o n it as th e h o u r in w hich th e d ark n ess in m an a n d th e evil in S atan a re holding high c a r nival. •" T hose w ho believe th a t th e M illennium m ust p rev ail befo re C h rist w ill com e, tak e all th e prom ises of th e O ld T e sta m ent, all th e p red ictio n s co n cern in g Israel a n d M ount Z ion fo r th e last days, and h an d them bodily a n d boldly ov er to th e C h u rch . T h ey style th e C h u rc h M ount Z ion a n d look u p o n th e C h ristia n as the logical evolution of th e Jew , religiously. T hose w ho e x p ect th e Son of God b e fore th e M illennium , w ho a n tic ip a te ju d g m en t befo re glory, ta k e all th e pred ictio n s of th e la tte r tim es a n d give th em to Israel. T o th em M ount Z ion, Jerusalem , no m ore m ean th e C h u rc h th a n e a rth can stan d for H eaven, o r A b ra h am , th e p a tria rc h , be confounded w ith M ichael, th e arch an g el. T o them th e Jew a n d th e G entile a re as fa r a p a rt in th e dealings of God a n d th e blessings w hich shall com e to each from H is hand, as th e th ro n e of God is d istant from H is footstool. T h e P ost-M illennialist calls th e C h u rc h th e K ingdom . T h e P re-M illen n arian feels th a t th e n o m en c latu re of th e C h u rc h as seen in th e title role of its office b e are rs forbids such tra n sm u ta tio n ; it is im possible fo r him , w ith th e m ost lib eral allow ance fo r spiritualizing, to m ake a deacon in to a duke, o r a n eld er in to a n e a rl; w hile p a s to rs a n d evangelists, to him , seem u tte rly o u t of p lace as fu n ctio n aries in a system of royalty. In o rd e r to find g ro u n d fo r th e d octrine th a t th e M illennium m ust p re ce d e the Second C om ing, th e P ost-M illennialist is forced to set aside, o r ig n o re th e pessim is tic statem en ts of th e A postles con cern in g th e last tim es. In o rd e r to sustain th e o p p osite thesis th e P re-M illennarian draw s special atte n - a n d gives p a rtic u la r em phasis to those very statem ents. It m ust be evident, th erefo re, to th e m ost casual read er, th a t th ese tw o view s
th en th a t com ing is of p re-em in en t in terest, its relatio n to th e circum stances a n d events of th e p re se n t h o u r a re such th a t no C h ristia n can dare, even fo r a m om ent, to be ind ifferen t to it. If it m eans th e end of w a r a n d th e re ig n of peace, th en I o u g h t to p ra y fo r it e re con ten d in g a rm ies shall b re a k a n d sh a tte r into bloody w ar. If it m eans m y deliverance from th e grave, m y tra n sla tio n in to im m o rtality , glad m eeting a n d fellow ship w ith those w ho have passed th ro u g h th e silent gates, th a n I o u g h t to be on th e tip -to e of ex p ec ta tio n a n d desire fo r it. If this com ing is to be w ith o u t w arning, th e n I have n o tim e to sp en d in idle p leas u re a n d careless indifference, n o t only b ecau se of m y ow n soul a n d individual th in g s a t stake, b u t b ecau se of m y fellow being w ho h as no life of God a n d C h rist in his soul; fo r his sake, surely, I o u g h t to be u p a n d doing, a n d cry in g in his e a rs th e in v itatio n of th e G ospel of peace, w a rn in g him th a t he h a s no tim e to w aste, th a t a n y m om ent th e d o o r of g race m ay be sh u t a n d th e d o o r of ju d gm e n t sw ing o p en o n its b razen hinges. If Post-M illennialism is tru e , th en C h rist’s visible p resen ce on th is e a rth is sh u t o u t by th e dim ness a n d distance of u n c o u n te d centuries. If Pre-M illennialism is tru e, th en C hrist as a living a n d visible p resen ce is ju st u p o n th e horizon, a n d every closing day o r b re ak in g m o rn m ay see H is face a n d a n sw e r to H is call. Post-M illennialism seeks to m ake th e w orld b e tte r, to p u rify society, to set up th e kingdom w hile th e K ing is aw ay, to tran sfo rm th e K ing, H im self, in to a n in visible, eth ereal, sp iritu a l p resence, giving H im a b rid e in o u tw a rd g lory a n d splen dor, b u t n e v er allow ing th e b rid e d u rin g all th e w hile of h e r asso ciatio n w ith H im in H is univ ersal reign, to c atch one glim pse of th e B ridegroom ’s face o r behold th e outline of a kingly form . Pre-M illennialism seeks to call o u t of th e w o rld a b rid e fo r th e a b se n t a n d re je c te d K ing, a n d co n tinually w hispers to this b ride th a t h e r jo y is n o t to reign w hile H e is ab sen t, bu t. to suffer; n o t to live gloriously w ith th e kings of th e e a rth
(Concluded on Page 153.)
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