THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 14

THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCHES.

(Published by Arrangement.)

NATIONS AND WORLD PEACE. BY EEREAN CHRISTADELFHIAN. The Anglo-Saxoi. race, known as the British nation, aro the lineal descendants of a grandson of Japheth, the eldest son of Noah, a tnan by the name of Tarshish, about 2350 B.C. (Book of Genesis x., 4). The Jewish historian Josephus says that the descendants of Japheth migrated from their primitivp seats into Asia and turned westward along Europe, and named the lands they occupied after their ancestral heads. Gomer was one of the ancient names of France, Belgium and adjacent territory; Magog, that of the ancient Germanic, Austrian or Hungarian Empires: Tubal and Meshech, tHe ancient names of two important provinces of the great Russian Empire, Tobolski and Moscovy. In Bible prophetical language the existing names of countries and peoples are used, even if the prophecy was for 2000 years then future. In a great war of invasion of the " latter years," some time after the re- v storation of 'he 'land of Israel" (now accomplishing history of our own times) (Book of Ezekie!, xxxviii.), all the above names are mentioned, Tarshish being the lion" power that defies the others. The designation of Gentiles includes all the sons of Japheth, especially the " Isles of the Gentiles" (Genesis x., 5). From the time of the Flood, God's direct dealings with the human race have been through Shem, the second son of Noah, and his descendants. There is very good ground for the belief that " Me'.chizedek, King of Salem," was Shem, elaborated in the following Elphis Israel" (Dr. Thomas) and " The Two Babylons" (A. Hislop), who was priest of the Most High God, and also a warrior King. The description (Book of Hebrews vii., 3), relates solely to priesthood, as the context shows (without beginning of days or end of life). There is only One who had no beginning —God Himself—even Christ had a beginning (Revelation iii., 14). It is a Bible maxim that "to everything there is a season and a time'" (Ecclesiastes iii., 1), a time of war and a time of peace. When God ordered the extermination of the " Amorites " (for their wickedness) by Joshua and the " Children of Israel" it was sin not to comply. Part of the rejection of Saul, King of Israel, was that ho failed to completely wipe out the " sinners, the Arnalekiles." All Bible history shows that wars were of God for national crimes.

Prophetical history, since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman " Eagles" (as Christ predicted would happen), demonstrates that God does still rule in the kingdoms of men, and when it suits His plans, " sets up the basest of men" (Daniel iv., 17). As the nations are only a " drop of a bucket" in God's sight (Isaiah xl., 15), and a thousand years to Him the same length of time as a " day" to humans, the prophecy referred to above (Ezekiel xxxviii.), can be appreciated, in proportion that a person can easily lay plans for two and a-half days ahead. All the elements of the prophecy exist, the Gentile European nations, ' Italians, French, Germans, Russian, etc., with ambitious aggrandisement, the Jewish settlement in Palestine prospering (Ezekiel xxxviii., 12), the "treasures" of Egypt known to the world (Daniel xi., 43), the British " Tarshish" lion power, (Ezekiel xxxviii., 13), protecting and controlling these countries. In the nature of things at present it is impossible for Britain or . any other Gentile nation to bring about world peace; the same principle applies to individuals and nations alike; wire entanglements and impassable barriers of immigration restriction laws are incompatible (to the other man or nation) with peace and goodwill. The peace movement promoted by the two English-speaking countries will hasten the " time of trouble such as never was" (Daniel xii., 1), by bringing about the unification of the European States. All these States are, morn or less, under Roman ecclesiastical domination, and have no time for the " Children of Israel," either secular or ecclesiastical, and imbued with getting a " place in the sun" and the world's riches. The door is closed in the West, and no inducement in the northern cold of Siberia, and equally no inducement now in poverty and famine-stricken China. The only " way" is in the South, down through Palestine and Egypt, as foretold by Gcd, less than three " days" ago, about 500 B.C. (Ezekiel xxxviii., Daniel xi., 40 to 43), countries which they will be successful in gaining control of.

It is at this crisis of the world's history that God has foretold the destruction by an " east wind" of the British "Tarshish" warships, the pride of England (Psalms xlviii., 7; Isaiah ii., 16). Let the British Government take the warning of the second Psalm: "Be wise now, therefore, 0 ye Kings." As the above prophetical Psalm (xlviii.) shows, Jesus Christ the Great King is at this timo in Mount Zion, where Ho has saved His brethren, His kinsmen, according to the flesh, with a great salvation. If it was not for God sending Jesus Christ at this epoch, tho outlook would be terrible in the extreme. Christ is, on the human side, the lineal descendant of Sliem, and is both Priest if the Most High God and King of Peace; :ilso, a warrior King. About two " days" ago, 98 A.D., the "Apostle John, saw by ' signs" that the kings of the earth will gather their armies to make war with Christ (Revelation xvii, 12-14; xix., 19). ins would seem the most unlikely thing I'pnnen. and yet the problem is easy of solution. Almost all tho Churches bold tho belief that an individual called AntiChrist will stand up at the last day: it has been generally accepted in the Pnpal system that he will be a Jew, and appear in Palestine, which is the opposite of the truth. This means that holy wars will be waged, compared with which tho Crusading war 3 will palo into insignificance.

Reader! Christ and His glorified people will speak pence to the nations, as out of the ruin of these wars one universal env pire will arise; " the Kingdom of God, the Gospel of which Christ said that " thev who believed and were baptised should be saved" (Gospel of Mark, xvi., 15-16) not unscriptural baptism ot the Churches—infant sprinkling—a direct untruth to Paul's statement that baptism is a " burial" (Co'.ossians ii., 12), and yet not in a Church which holds the unscriptural doctrines of immortal soulxsm and the Trinity, seeing that such doctrines have no place in a Divino institution on the earth, which is able and shall bring world psaee «d 6°^ w «'- CONNOIM „