MISSION LECTURES

Northern Advocate, 6 November 1931, Page 4

MISSION LECTURES

“THE SPAN OP LIFE.” “All the modem scientific discoveries have failed to produce that coveted prize, longevity. The average span of life has .been increased in a small measure of late years, but this has been principally brought about by the saving of the babies, and by the wonderful success in the warfare against contagious diseases. Man’s physical frame has not been strengthened, nor his life lengthened by modern science. The only successful method for the production of long life is the study of the Bible and the practising of its truths. Those who keep the commandments of God may expect to live 1000 years in heaven with Christ, and then to return to earth to live for ever in happy association with the faithful of all ages.” These significant statements were made by Evangelist Anderson at the Madeira Hall last evening. Mr Anderson reminded his audience that when man came fresh from Eden to commence the struggle for existence, his powers of resistance and endurance were tremendous, and he was able to cling tenaciously to life for almost 1000 years. The human race had been gradually weakening through the centuries since then, until the present estimate of the average span of life scarcely exceeded 30 years. The general weakness of the race at the present day was well illustrated by the fact that during, the DempseyTunney fight in 1928 no fewer than twelve persons died suddenly in various parts of the United States while tuning-in to the running commentary of the fight, and seven of these deaths occurred when Tunnoy was floored in the seventh round. Deaths from heart disease had in recent years increased by 400 per cent, and the alarming toll of cancer followed hard on.

The Bible made very plain the fact 'that the first portion of the reward to bo given to the redeemed at the second coming of Christ would be a life of 1000 years in heaven in the special company of the Saviour. The *‘righteous’ ’ were to be removed from the earth at 'that time, and the earth itself would revert to a desolate waste condition similar to that described in the Bible previous to the shaping up process of Creation. Satan alone would remain, in desolate contemplation of the .ruin his defection had brought about, awaiting his own fearful doom at the close of the 1000 yearperiod. Meanwhile he would be “bound” and unable to “deceive the nations” (see Eev. eh. 20) for the simple reason that the righteous were taken away and the “wicked” were slain by the tremendous glory of that ineffable event, the coming of the Lord.