PROPHECY AND THE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1915, Page 8

PROPHECY AND THE WAR.

I (To the Editor.) Sir,—From the day when the great war commenced last year the eschatologists all over the world, professional and amateur, have been unusually busy, worrying Isaiah, Ezekiel, l>aniel. Matthew, John, etc.. and alarming millions of people who have never done them any harm with predictions of speedy active supernatural intervention in our muddled mundane affairs. According to their doleful forecasts this intervention will he fraught with direful consequences to the vast unfortunate majority of the unfortunate human race, and of that unfortunate majority I have sad reason for believing that I am one. On the other hand they promise perfect and everlasting felicity for a minority so small in comparison with the majority as to be absolutely negligible. The confusion and conflict, however, ot the various conclusions at which they arrive are so pronounced as to justify the belief that Palestinian prophecy is cither incapable of being understood at all, which is a reflection upon the intelligence of the writers, or that our exponents have not. the' capacity to understand'tho subject with which they deal, which is a reflection upon the intelligence of our eschatologists. Whichever horn of this dilemma be selected, the practical result is the same, namely, that we are in the dark. But, as we are left, or placed in the dark with respect to so many other matters which deeply concern us, this need not surprise us. This being the position,, why do the prophets so furiously rage, and the eschatologists imagine vain things? I ennnot tell, but let rac give a few local illustrations. I went to .hear the Rev. A. A. Murray, and he declared that the present war is not Armageddon, for,- amongst other things, he said that the rapture of the saints into the air has not yet taken place, and this interesting event must precede the great military engagement. I heard Mr. George Aldridge. He also stated that the present war is not Armageddon, as Antichrist, the-man of sin, No. 666, has not yet made his appearance, or been revealed. Mr. Aldridge went further, and declared that the present war has no place in Scriptural prophecy. It seems to mc that this must be a groat mistake. I would not venture to suggest that Mr. Aldridge has made a mistake. That would be unpardonable. I merely suggest that the failure of ancient prophecy to predict the greatest war of all time is a very serious omission. One would naturally think that it would have been foretold by prophets who were up .to their work. Another clergyman, a Presbyterian, declared that not only was the present war not Armageddon, but that no Armageddon of the nature anticipated by Messrs. Murray and Aldridge would ever take place, for which heretical utterance he was publicly Teproved by Mr. Murray Then the Rev. W. G. Monckton contributed an article to your columns (see "Star" February 10), proving unmistakably, to his own satisfaction, that Armageddon is now raging, and that the Kaiser is Antichrist. Mr. Murray, on the other hand, delivered a discourse, which I also heard, proving indubitably, to hie satisfaction, that the Kaiser ie not Antichrist, and could hot be that mysterious individual,' however ambitious he might be in that direction. Anon, I went to hear a Seventh Day Adventist, and he demonstrated, beyond all question, to his own satisfaction, that the Mahometan power, represented by the Sultan of Turkey, is the man of sin; that the "abomination of desolation" occurred when Jerusalem fell into. Mahometan hands, and that, in fulfilment of prophecy, which seemed clear to him, though not to myself, this Antichrist is about to be brought to destruction by the expulsion of the Turks from Europe. But one evening I heard a street preaerei, with leathern luugs and a raucous voice, prove, beyond all possible doubt, to his mind, that Antichrist was revealed long ago, and has presided for many centuries over a large section or the Christian church. I have heard many other discourses, but the above are a fair sample of the lot. Lastly, Mr. S. L. P. Rimmer, who, one would think, from his previous experience, would have retired from the endeavour to interpret prophecy, deals with the approaching doom of the Turks in your issue of the 12th 'inst., and appeals to the Scripture, though without I citing passages. The local prophets and eschatologists . are still busy, alarming many good [ though rather silly people, but perhaps enough' has been said to show that these efforts of these expounders of prophecy, ! which must be painful to themselves and most distressing to many of their readers and auditors, contain a substantial element of diversion to those to whom the whole subject is merely one |of interest, but not of importance.— l\ am, etc., . WIIdJAM COOKE. i To* tea* lfe-ife I