Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/339

 THE GENESIS OF A MODERN PROPHET 325

On July 15, 1901, the lands of Zion City were thrown open to purchase and settlement, and within a week a square mile of lots had been leased. The lease is practically a sale in three yearly instalments at a present market valuation. Work was at once begun, and homes, business houses, and factory plants were soon taking shape ; and in an incredibly short time a bustling village was in existence.

Between the date of his homecoming in January, 1901, and opening of the new city in July, Dr. Dowie made the third of the startling announcements which mark the progress of his Christian Catholic Church. To divine healing and Christian communism was now to be added the prophetic function. On June 2, in the Auditorium at Chicago, before seven thousand people, he announced himself to be Elijah the Restorer of all things. He himself says that this declaration was no surprise to Zion, but that it had long been foreseen, and, indeed, had for many years been declared by his people in many parts of the world. But when it was first suggested to him that the spirit and power of Elijah were with him, he says that he was angry at the suggestion. But the reiteration of the thought bore in upon him until he could not put it away from him. He had now reached the position that, at the time of the organization of the Christian Catholic Church, four years earlier, he had not reached, when he said he was not worthy to be called an apostle. He had now come to it through the intermediate step taken in 1899, when he had identified himself with the "Messenger of the Covenant" fore- told by the prophet Malachi. He had said at that time :

I ask my adversaries : Do you think that, as for twenty-three years through- out Australia and the southern Pacific, and the United States and Canada, and now through every continent of the world .... testimonies come as to healing in answer to my prayers do you think for a moment that all these people for nearly a quarter of a century have been engaged in one vast con- spiracy of lying?

If my ministry is from heaven, you must believe what I say and you must do what I want. God has sent a man and he has written his mission over twenty-three years. What more do you want? I tell you, it is an awful thing

to have a message from God It is an awful thing to stand between the

living and the dead, but it has been laid upon me. You have to do what I