Wkat Is Hrie Exact Situation? ^The Passing of the "Pre and Post” Discussion The Coming of Non-Millennialism By~k. L. B.
IERE is a great conflict in the church th a t will increase rap idly in th e next year. The battle is primarily, as ever, around the old Book. Is it really a divine revelation? Are its prophecies reliable?
eral advent'is not to be doubted. The question is—Were not the apostolic writers mistaken in their view touch ing this matter? Should we not con sider the weakness of these early Jew ish writers? The premillennial question will stand or fall with the Word of God. This is the battle ground in the final analysis. There is not one of the modern writers but that puts a big question mark on both covers of the Bible. The latest thing from the press in refutation of the doctrine of the Lord’s coming, by many considered the strong est, most scholarly and logical of all such attem pts recently made, is a book entitled “Premillennialism, Non Scrip tural, Non Historic, Non Scientific and Non Philosophical.” Dr. George Pres ton Mains is the author. For it its publishers say, “It will be difficult for the, advocates of this aggressive cult to confute the reasoning of these logical and close knit arguments.” From th e standpoint of human reason this is to be admitted. Believing this book to be a summing up of all the scholarly arguments set forth in recent critical writings such as those of Professor Shailer Matthews, Professor Shirley Jackson Case, Profes sor H. C. Sheldon, Professor James H. Snowden, Professor George Eckman and others, we here attempt to set forth for the benefit of those who can not keep abreast of these writings, the exact position now being taken by those of the liberalist school. We seek to be absolutely fair in this matter, in view of the fact th a t it is a habit of these writers to misrepresent__
The Bible teachings concerning the second advent of Christ are being sin gled out as the final test. The schools dominated by higher criticism are align ing themselves for the battle to the finish, especially against those who take the prophecies of the second advent lit erally Teams from the seminaries are to be sent out throughout the land. The most scholarly of the critical writers have been busying themselves. The market is being flooded with books and tracts purporting to refute the long standing doctrine of Christ’s second ad vent. Wit and philosophy are Deing brought into play. Ju st such a battle has been clearly predicted: “There shall come in the last days scoffers saying, Where is the promise of His coming? All things con tinue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” The discussion is no longer as to whether Christ’s coming will be pre or postmillennial. Postmillennialists are getting to be as scarce as hens’ teeth. The Modernists are non-millennial. They do not believe in a literal com ing of the Lord a t any time. In the last five years the scene of the conflict has been entirely shifted. It is well tha/t Bible Christians every where should know the true situation. It is being frankly admitted th a t if the Scriptures may be relied upon, a lit
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