BIBLICAL ADDRESS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 June 1936, Page 6

BIBLICAL ADDRESS.

“COMING OF THE LORD.” On Sunday last Mr. F. Elliott, the Scottish Evangelist, avlio has been visiting Levin, in response to a special request, arranged for a special meeting to be held in the afternoon, when although the notice was short, there was a very good attendance. Mr. Elliott read 1 Thes. IV. 13-18 and V. 1-11, and also took as a basis of his remarks James V. 8: “Be ye also patient, sts#blish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” The speaker said that there were two truths which had not received their rightful place in our days, namely, the Personal Holy Spirit, and the Coming of the Lord. We are living, he said, In wonderful times when men’s hearts are failing them for fear of what is coming upon them. Statesmen, accompanied by their experts, flit backwards and forwards to Washington, London, ■Paris and Berlin, draw up pacts and agreements, and almost before the ink of the signatures is dry it is apparent to everybody that renewed efforts will have to be made to patch up the shattered hopes of peace. War easts its shadows before and may break out at any moment. It is something like living on the border-land of Tarawera surrounded by its grim reminders of by-gone devastation. *As one studies these things one can come only to one of the following conclusions; —(a) A bloody revolution; (b) A blessed revival; (c) Return of tho Lord Jesus Christ. Ihe fact of the Lord’s soon return is noticeable by the attitude of the three great religious of the present, Mohammedanism, Christianity and Judaism. The Mohammedan is looking for Christ to come and next to Mohammed, be God’s prophet. Christianity is looking for Christ to come and be the Great High Priest of His people. Judaism is expecting Christ to come as king. Other religions are also expecting. The world itself is looking for the super-man to come, and solve its complicated problems and thus save civilisation.

Different schools .of thought have formed different conclusions; —(1) The dynamical work of the Holy Spirit today in such countries as China and Japan is considered to be the coming of Christ. (2) The Historical school argues that Christ came back in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was captured and destroyed by the Romans. (3) The personal coming of our Lord. Mr. Elliott suported the third. There was the wonderful statement of our Lord, Himself:—“ln my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.” (John 14. 2-3). Angels confirm this: “Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which Is taken up from you into hpaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1-H). The Apostles Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude ratify these announcements. A three-fold cord is not easily broken. One in every 25 verses of the Hew Testament Scriptures testifies to the fact of his coming. As to the manner of His coming two points of view are held: (a) Postmillenial; (b) Pre-millenial. Those who believe in a Post-millcnial coming consider that the world is gradually getting better, that the kingdom of God is steadily advancing and that the Gospel is leavening the whole world preparatory to Christ’s coming. This view has lost ground since 1914, but is still held. The pre-millenial belief, which was the hope of the early Church, almost disappeared during the “Dark Ages,” was recovered by spiritu-ally-minded men one or two centuries ago and at the present time is warmly held by many Christians including some of the leading evangelists and teachers throughout the world. An important result of the Great War Avas the deliverance of Palestine from the hand of the Turk, the nations agreeing that the Jewish people should be allowed to establish a national home there. Britain holds the balance between Arab and Jew and no doubt has been raised up by God to fill the position. Christ is coming:—The advent of radio makes it possible for the world to be ruled from a common centre such as Jerusalem. He is coming to rule and reign and set right the wrongs of earth. Anti-Christian signs are not wanting that a any moment the “man of sin” may appear. Such despotic dictators as Mussolini and Hitler may be the prelude to the one who will claim Divine honours and usurp the place of the Christ of God. Meantime, said let us live in expectancy, keeping ourselves in tho love of God, and seeking to do the Will of God, so that we may have his approval when He comes —first to tho air, and next to the earth.