“THE COMING REVOLUTION”

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 61, 6 December 1926, Page 11

“THE COMING REVOLUTION”

ADDRESS BY MELBOURNE LECTURER "The Coining Revolution,” was the subject of an interesting address given by Mr. E. P. Smith, of Melbourne, at the De Luxe Theatre last night. He stated that it was evident that we were living in a time when institutions and customs, hoary with antiquity, were passing away. There was trouble and distress on every hand. Some people expected the end of the world and the burning of the earth. The Bible, however, did not teach that the world would lie burned up, but stated most emphatically that “this earth abideth forever.” The Apostle Peter had explained that there were three worlds. The first ended with the flood, the second was about to pass away and with its passing would be introduced the third world. Peter reasoned that the first world was composed of heaven and earth and was destroyed by the flood. The physical earth was not then destroyed. The heavens wore the powers in control and the earth was organised society on the planet. He used the Greek word “cosmos,” which meant order, or arrangement, and it was the ex isting order-or arrangement that passed away at the time of the floor. Then Peter went on to say that the present heavens and earth were “kept- in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The heavens shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” “If," added Mr. Smith, " the first heaven nnd earth which certainly were not destroyed earth did not refer to literal heavens and at the time of the flood, then we are warranted in concluding that the present heavens and earth referred to are not literal. The angels were the powers in control of . the first world and Genesis tells us of their failure and consequent loss of power. The heavens of the present time are those in control of our civilisation. They have been in charge for many years, and have failed fo 'bring about a satisfactory form of government. The financial, political, and ecclesiastical elements have been trying to stabilise the Governments of the t-arth, but their efforts are doomed to failure. Revolutions and strikes have been sweeping the earth, each worse than that preceding it, and eventually our civilisation will be engulfed. The seeds of revolution, have been sown in most of the countries of the world, and ert long they will germinate and bring about the entire destruction of the older order of things." The lecturer stated that those who sought the Lord and His Kingdom would be safe, but those who fought against the setting up of that Kingdom and sought to uphold the present evil nnd unsatisfactory order were in danger of being destroyed in the coming revolution. Those who passed through tjie coming trouble would be used by the Lord in establishing the new earth and rhe new order of society. Christ and His Church -would be the new heavens or powers in control, and thus would be established the new heavens and new earth, “wherein dwelleth righteousness.”