p. 16 | Telling About Armageddon in the Newspapers

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 20, 1914

Telling About Armageddon in the Newspapers

By Walter L. Burgan

TAKING advantage of the opportunity offered them by the terrible war that is now being waged in Europe to announce to the world the nearness of the coming of the battle of Armageddon, a number of the ministers engaged in tent efforts and others holding special meetings have preached on this subject and have had extracts of their sermons published in the newspapers. The newspapers of America are giving liberal space to the details concerning this conflict and the effects it will produce; and no better opportunity than the present one could be offered to have published extracts of sermons telling of this momentous battle. Reports of sermons in which preachers are still crying peace, notwithstanding the horrible slaughter now going on across the water, are being printed; and this is the time when our workers should be awake to furnish strong articles on what the Bible says concerning the peace-and-safety cry in these last days.

Our worker in Brooklyn, N. Y., has not only had an extract of his sermon on Armageddon published in the leading paper in that great city, but he is also using some of the papers in Manhattan, or New York proper, to announce his meetings. He finds that the newspaper notices are helping to increase the attendance at his services. The fact that the newspapers in the city of New York are recognizing the importance of our movement ought to arouse our workers in other cities to use this agency more frequently.

In commenting on the meetings that are being conducted in Brooklyn and on the views held by this denomination concerning the second coming of Christ, the New York Globe, which has a daily circulation of 133,000, made this significant statement: “This is the time when the Seventh-day Adventists come into their own; for they have stoutly maintained that ‘wars and rumors of wars’ throughout the civilized world indicate the end of the world, which they declare is at hand.”

One worker in another place had two columns published on Armageddon, while a visiting minister to one of the large cities in Pennsylvania had an article of nearly the same length printed in one of the dailies there. This subject has been treated in the newspapers in other places. Wherever a newspaper is published let us tell the world the Biblical meaning of this terrible struggle.

One brother in the Southeastern Union Conference, who has been holding a tent effort since the early part of June, says he has had a sermon published nearly every day during that time. He further says:—

“It is remarkable how courteous the editor has been to me. Since the present European situation he has asked me many questions, and I notice that some of his editorials savor of the things I have said to him on the war question. The sermons we furnish, the editor regards of such interest that they are selected for the semiweekly, which goes out to the farmers. The circulation of the daily is five thousand and the semi-weekly two thousand. The Lord is doing great things for us here. I was the first worker in this field, and from the present prospect we shall have quite a large company of Sabbath keepers here.

“All my material I have given to the papers in typewritten form, and so far they have put through all I have given them. We shall never know how much good the presswork is doing until the final reward.”

Another worker in the Southeastern Union, in telling how the newspapers have helped in his tent effort, remarks:—

“Not only have our crowds been good throughout the entire series of meetings, but we have succeeded, far beyond our expectation, in getting the truth before the people by means of the daily press. The editor has been very kind, and has given us from one third to a full column write-up every day. We almost feared to send the synopsis on ‘Who Changed the Sabbath’ to the editor, as he is a Catholic; but to our surprise it came out on the front page of the paper, the only synopsis in the whole series to appear on the first page. We cannot tell you just what the outcome of this effort will be. A great many have become interested in the truth. Some have taken their stand, and we hope to gather a good harvest of souls as a result of the work that is being done at the present time.”

One brother in the Southwestern Union says: “The Lord has given us access to the newspapers in a very remarkable way, which we believe has contributed somewhat to the success of our work, as a means of advertising and directing people to our tent, as well as giving a synopsis of the sermons.

“Our meetings are well attended by a good class of people, a number of whom have already accepted the truth; and we are having additions to the church every week, by letter or otherwise. Five came forward recently, three for baptism and two on membership by letter.”

Workers in Canada are continuing to use the newspapers with good results. One brother in Ontario writes: “At present I am holding a tent effort. We have been running two weeks, and thus far every sermon has appeared in the daily paper, occupying on an average more than a half column. This certainly is a grand means of bringing the truth before the people, and also an inexpensive way of advertising our meetings.”

WALTER L. BURGAN.