The King’s Business
VoL 5
*
APRIL, 1914
No. 4
Millenarianism Misrepresented A P rophetic C onference , an echo of that just closed at Chicago, takes place* in Los Angeles too late for report in this issue of the K ing ’ s B usiness . It gives occasion to correct some popular misapprehen sions. While but one item of discussion in the consideration of prophecy, the second, or premiflennial coming (we shall use also the Greek term “Chiliasm”) of Christ is necessarily prominent and likely to seem conspicuous in the popular eye. The antagonism of many eminent, learned and also good and useful men to this most prominent and precious truth of revelation is such that they seldom miss a chance to give a fling at it. The marvel is not so much their misrepresentations, as that they venture at all to criticise what they are so e§rçgïoüsly ignorant of,—for we cannot think they would maliciously mis represent. Our refutations have Been made again and again ; the writings and labors of representative millenarians are open to all; but prejudice is inveterate and our post-millennial brethren “are of the same opinion still” and persist in their unfounded animadversions. On the principal items charged we would say that millenarianism is N ot responsible ' for “the Lost Tribe hypothesis.” This is no more pecu liar to millenarians than Kidd’s lost treasure is to antiquarians. Some hold to it, some do hot. T he “S axon -I srael E rror ” is held only by an individual here and there, and ^our critics’ school, which reads into text and history what suits its fancy, is responsible for them. Since it identifies Israel and the gentile Church, why not those Israel and a gentile nation ? T he “ year F or a day ” theory has been advocated by men the whole Church has delighted to honor, but it is no essential part of Chiliasm and as a fundamental principle is repudiated by the best Chiliastic scholarship, granting that it may have some secondary application. “T he number of THE B east .” It is alleged that Chiliasts busy them selves about this; but it is written, “Here is wisdom, let him that hath under standing count the number of the beast” (Rev. 13:18). This seems to be a sufficient warrant for men of. “understanding.” Yet Chiliasm is not entangled with any scheme of individual application of bestial arithmetic. ‘F ixing dates .” The Independent renews this slander, charging it on the projectors of the recent Chicago Conference, not one of whom coun tenances it for a moment, though they honor any man who, with the prophets, searches to approximate what, or what manner of time, the Spirit which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and THE glory that should F ollow , which searching anti-millenarians thus discredit.
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