ourse of This Age.
It is necessary to distinguish between rightly dividing the word of
truth, and a critical attitude toward that word; the former being an
important duty in the believer's life, according to II Tim. 2:15, while
the latter may easily become a wicked and misleading display of unbelief
and the wisdom of this world (I Cor. 1:19).
Personal interest in the Word of God usually begins with the first
understanding of its real divisions; and no one is prepared to
understand the providence of God who does not first come to know
something of the purpose of God as marked off by these great divisions.
Especially is this necessary, as has been stated, for any clear
understanding of the present age.
Again, the power and force of the whole body of Scripture must depend,
in a large measure, upon a belief in unfulfilled prophecy. Such a belief
is not general, even among Christians. They believe that Christ camp in
the flesh, suffered, died, and rose again, because that is all now a
matter of history; but that belief is not greatly influenced by the fact
that this was all exactly foretold by the prophets. Let those who are
free to condemn the pious Jew for not recognizing the fulfillment of
prophecy in the first advent of Christ, beware lest they fail to rightly
interpret the signs of these times, or look with positive unbelief upon
the stupendous events that, according to prophecy, are imminent to-day.
It seems a sore test of faith to believe that which is predicted for the
present age, though those predictions are being fulfilled in every
particular. This prevailing attitude of unbelief usually arises from one
of two errors; either Satan has been so estimated that it seems
impossible for him to be the promoter of anything that is moral or good
(of this error more will be said in the following chapters): or the
exact meaning and purpose of this age has been disbelieved or
misunderstood; and because of these conditions many enthusiastic
Christians are found to be, not only working toward unscriptural and
hopeless ends, but are actually contributing to the confusion and
darkness that is prevalent to-day.
The purpose and course of this age are not matters of prediction alone.
Almost two thousand years of history may be considered in the light of
these predictions; and while the age is not yet complete, and much that
is reserved for the last days is still future, enough of prophecy has
now been fulfilled to indicate
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