THE SECOND COMING

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10282, 17 May 1919, Page 7

THE SECOND COMING

RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE INTERPRETATIONS OF CHRIST’S TEACHINGS., The first Dominion conference in conheitioa with'.'the, Qs'soc;lation for,, the propagation of, the truth of our Lord’s .-second i coing- wssi commenced- in- the concert* chamber "of the Town Hall on Thursday morning. There were many delegates present from other centres. The Rev. B. Hutson, president of the association, occupied the chair. The »

morning and afternoon sessions were chiefly taken up with the reports of .delegates and the discussion ot propaganda, work. At the evening service the Rev. A. A. Murray, of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian ’Church,” Auckland, spoke on the subject: ‘,‘Tho Course and End of the Age.” tie said that the subject was not a mere theory based upon a few fragmentary texts of Scripture, but was to be found in from 250 to 350 different places.’ Tn the first place ho explained’that the word “world” nas the English translation of three. Greek words, viz., Oikpumene (the habitual globe) ; deon, as in “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,’’. where it really ought to have been translated “Age” ; and “Cosmos” (also translated world), which means tbe orderly arrangement of things, governments, society, etc. The word he -wished to'deai* with - : that evening, however, was Aeon (age or dispensation), a period of time in which God deals with man. Five ages were past and gone, and we were now in the-sixth age, the age of grace. Each age ended with a -judgment,' and the present age would -be no exception, What is known as the dispensation of the Spirit began on the day of Pentecost, which marked the birthday of the Christian Church, The conversion of the world was a misnomer* The Bible contained a great deal about the evangelisation of the world, but not the conversion of the world. Many people believed that as ,a result of. the diffusion of Christianity "aIT. the governments of the world would be captured and “Holiness to the Lord be written on. the bells of the horses.” Many people believed before this war broke out that The Hague Convention would make wars impossible. This idea, however, was contrary to Scripture. As long as our Lord was. absent there would be wars and rumours of Wars. . But-did'not Jesus come jis. the Priii’ce~of Peace? Yes. but the!-world Would not. have him. But what'of the League of Nations? It was impossible for the League of Nations to abolish war. We would have wars to the very end. Before long.there would be another outburst.’ Some people said that the world could not be the same' after the war, hut human nature would be' the same, and as long as human nature remained the same there would be wars. Moreover, all Christ's teaching in parables pointed only to a partial success,’ The Church jvgs a power in ’the first" 'three ’ centuries of the Christian era because she walked with God; but since the reign of Constantine worldlihess had corrupted the Church and weakened her testimony and influence. The weakness and peril of an latter-day cults such as Christian -Sci-gn^C^^TLl^S-fPplly> and Spiritism was that they*' denied the atoning value of our Lord’s death on the cross.

The next speaker (Rev. H. 'Gi Hercus. of Hamilton) took for his Subject: “The Coming of Christ - for ; 'His Church.” He began by tracing, : tho testimony ,of all the New Testament writers to Christ's second ..yepniing, which was regarded as imminent. James in his Epistle pictured the last days in which there would be men im.iiaensely rich who would crush the •workers. He foresaw the war profiteer nnd exhorted the Christian workman to be patient in the hope that the coming of the Ford draweth nigh. The characteristic 'bf“ this a'gfe “was that grace When " the ’ Lord Jesus Christ' returned there would be a’ change in • the 'conduct _,bf affairs and judgment would begin. The Church would be judged first at His appearing in the air: Then Christ would come with his saints to judge the world. .This would be the occasion for the mobilisa. tion bf His Church, which consisted of eybry'man,'tvbmari arid child <Saved by •grace from the time of Pentecost until His return. These had all been marked with. His seal, and would bo claimed by Him-on His return, and be like Him at His - appearing. The meetings of tlie conference were oontinned 'yesterday afternoon ai VTevening. At the evening session the first speaker. Rev. A. .A. Murray, whose subject was tho “Coming of Christ in Relation to the Gentiles,” said a more appropriate title would have been the “Course and End of the Tiinos of the Gentiles.” There was a time when the Jews stood at the head of tho nations, and this time would cotiie again, but now were the “times of "tho "Gentiles.” These began when Jndqh • was carried captive to Babylon and’ would continue till Christ came to. establish - an absolute monarchy.- ; This was predicted by Daniel. There werei two books specially hated by Satan because they foretold his overthrow— Daniel and Revelation. Yet a professor. -of. -theology recently said- these books should- be expunged from the Bible. - Christ' would come in person and deal - with apostate living nations,' and also-, with those nations which had persecuted the Jews. Then there would bo a peace based ,on righteousness.

The next speaker, tho Rev. AV. G. Williams, of Wanganui, spoke on the “Signs of the Times.” He said that wars and humours of wars, tho fall 8f Kaiscrisra and Cearism, all showed that the times of the Geutiies had run almost to their close. In the religious world the 1 signs also pointed to Christ’s speedy advent. Timothy gave a faithful picture of the wickedness and; pleasureloving of the present day. As it-was in the days of Noah-and Lot, so would it be at tho coming of Christ. New forms of teaching were arising which were at bottom devil’s lies in that they threw discredit on the eternal Deity and denied tho need or efficacy of the death on, the ..cross. Such were theoso* phy and Itussellism. . , ' The meetings will be continued today and to-morrow. .