“We are very glad to welcome you to our home,” said Mrs. Donaldson, after she had introduced the missionaries to the family, and all were comfortably seated. “My old mother is especially interested in the subject of the coming of the Lord.” “I am indeed glad to see the servants of the King,” said Grandma. “I hope ye ha’ a message to bear to us in regard to Christ’s second coming. I see ye ha’ brought your Bible with you. Please tell us, do you think there will be a millennium before the coming of the Lord?” The missionary said: “The word ‘millennium’ means a thousand years, and it has been understood by some that there would be a thousand years of peace on the earth. But let us act like true Protestants, and try all beliefs by the Bible, and the Bible alone. The Lord says, ‘If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.’ Grandma is familiar with the Scripture; I will ask her to read an answer to the question, What will be the state of society just before the coming of Jesus? Turn to 2 Tim. 3:1–5.” Grandma read: “‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.’ This certainly does not look as if the millennium precedes the coming of Jesus.” “‘But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be,’ read the missionary. “These are the words of our Lord Himself as to the condition of society.” “O, but you can prove anything by the Bible, by taking isolated passages!” said Mr. McClaren. “Pray, sir, does not the Bible plainly state that this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world before the coming of Christ?” “Please turn to the passage in Matt. 24:14, and read it, Mr. McClaren.” “‘This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come,’” read Mr. McClaren. “It is to be preached for a witness; but that is not the same as saying that all the world will be converted. The world will be left without an excuse, because God will give to every kindred, nation, and tongue the opportunity to make sure of eternal life. There will be people gathered from all nations to swell the Saviour’s praises throughout eternity.” “But your views of the millennium are certainly out of harmony with the teachings of the great religionists of the age. Does not the Word of God say, ‘Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession’?” “Yes, Mr. McClaren, and it tells in the next verse that they are given for sure destruction. Turn to the second psalm. You have quoted the eighth verse; I will ask you to read the ninth.” “‘Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel,’” read Mr. McClaren. “Yes, but there are other passages that throw a different light upon this subject. There is a statement in Micah that plainly says that the whole world is to be brought into a state of peace and righteousness.” “Let us turn to the passage,” said the missionary. “It is found in the fourth chapter. Mr. McClaren, will you read from the first to the fourth verse?” “‘But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow into it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’” “There, didn’t I tell you that the nations were going to settle their difficulties by arbitration, and that Tennyson’s dream was coming true? The nations are not to learn war any more,” said Bertha. “Now, Ralph, what do you have to say to that?” “Let us hear what the missionary has to say to that. He is the controversialist on this occasion.” “Not so,” said the missionary. “The controversy is between the opinions and traditions of men and the Word of God.” “Let us hear the plain Word of God,” said Mrs. Donaldson. “Let us study this prophecy a little more carefully. I would ask you to answer this question, Who is responsible for the saying that the nations will not learn war any more, God or the people? Please read the beginning of the second verse.” Ralph looked over Mr. McClaren’s Bible and read, “‘And many nations shall come, and say.’ It is the people who say these things,” said Ralph. “Yes, you have the Word of God for that. The prophet hears what the nations will be saying in the last days. I would like to ask you if you have heard anything of this import? Is not the very fact that men are proclaiming that there will be a thousand years of peace, that the difficulties between nations will be settled by arbitration, that we will beat these murderous war weapons into implements of industry, a proof that Micah heard aright the sayings of men in the last days?” asked the missionary. “It looks very clear,” said Ralph. “But this is new light to me.” “Is there any testimony yet more positive?” asked Margaret eagerly. “There is,” said the missionary. “Let us read what the Lord says at the time when the nations are talking of peace while preparing for war. Grandma, will you read Joel 3, from the ninth to the fourteenth verses?” “‘Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up; beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.’” “That is plain enough,” said Mrs. Donaldson. “It is proof that when men talk of peace, and prepare for war, war will certainly come. The Lord has told us just what to expect,—that farming implements will be turned to the uses of war, rather than we shall beat our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruning-hooks.” “The testimony of the whole Bible falls into harmony as we take this view of the state of society just before Christ’s coming,” said the missionary. “Paul says, ‘When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.’” “Well, at any rate, we are to know nothing of the day of Christ’s coming. It is plainly stated that it is to come as a thief in the night,” said Mr. McClaren. “O, I would rather know something about it, if it is really to come!” cried Bertha. “It seems to me it would be awful to wake up in the night and face the terrors of that awful glory without a warning. Why, Noah preached a long time, a hundred and twenty years, didn’t he, to warn the people of the coming flood? and didn’t Jonah go to warn the Ninevites? Surely God will let us know something about this day of doom. Why, it will be the most awful day that ever broke upon the world! It will be the day that will eternally decide the fate of earth’s teeming millions. ‘O, I should think that a merciful God would let us know something about it!’” “And so He will,” said grandma. “Listen, I’ve been reading down in the chapter. ‘But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light.’” “Surely Paul describes two classes in this10chapter. There is a class who will be overtaken as a thief in the night; but may God grant that we escape from this class and all become children of the light,” said Mrs. Donaldson.