Democratic messenger., 1911-10-21


will was done Gil earth Ms II Is done
In heaven? Assurcdly not.
Thank God. the second coming of
Messiah will not delay until the world
is converted and Gods will fully done
and the plan Of salvation ended.
Quite TO the contrary. His coming is
for the very purpose of bringing all
things into subiection 10 the Fathers
will. lie comes that He may reign rs
King OF kings and Lord OF lords. in
association with Ills Church. He will
not reign through a representative or
vice -goreni. hut personally. and unto
Him every knee shall bow aud every
tongue confess" TO the glory OF God.
In His day the righteous shall flour
ish, and the cvil-docns shall he cut on.
The faithful Church. sharing In her
Lords resurrection. the First Resur-
rcctlon. to glory. honor and immortali-
Is. will he Ills associate kings and
priests. 10 reign for n thousand years
(Revelat!on TX, g.
Fire synbslieai Of Destruction.
Let us examine some texts which
seem to teach that our earth will be
destroyed by fire. and note that they
ara synbolcal. Fire" IL frequently
used IN the Scriptures as symbol OF
destruction. Thus tho Church is ex-
horted to mortify or XIII the tleshly
nature. and Is told that the fiery
trials of life will assist them in this
work The opposition OF enemies Is
10 he destroyed by works Of mercy
and kindness. which. figurntivcly. VIII
be Goals OF fire upon their heads"
9t Peter mentions special trials and
tribuntions coming upon the Church.
designed to purify her-purge out and
destroy the drass. He says: "Think
II not strange concerning the fiery
trial which IL 10 try you. Az though
some strange thing happened unto
ysu."-l Peter ". II.
81. Paul refers to special trials upon
the Church In the end of the Gospel
Age, which will consume false doe
trlnes. human traditions. etc. and all
false faith. but which will leave un
scnthed the true Faith and trne char
acters. He says: "if any man build
unon this foundation gold. silver. pre-
cious stones. wood. hay. stubble. ev-
ery mans work shall be made mani
fest. for the day shall declare il, be-
cause Il shall be revealed by fire: and
the fire shall try every mans work OF
what sort II is. II any mans work
abide which he hath built thercupon,
he shall receive a reward. II any
mans work shall be burned. he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be
sayed. vet NJ 90 by nre."-I Corin-
thians III, 1918.
These various Scriptures do not
prove that the world could not be de-
stroyed by fire In "A literal way. but
they 10 prove that fire" IL very fire.
quently mentioned In the Bible In q
figurative or symbolical manner We
might multiply the instances: Our
God is n consuming tire"-as regards
everything contrary 10 righteousness;
the symbolical lake Of fire" In the
book of Revelation. Is explained to sig
nifty the Second Death. utter destruc-
tlou. without hope of recovery.
World Burning Unseriptural.
The supposItion that the earth will
be destroyed by fre. either soon or
ever. would be contrary 70 the state
ment that "ihe earth abideth forever"
and the declaration that God formed 1t
not in vain. but formed II to be in.
habited nsaiah xiv. 49, One of the
very strong passages which seems tn
teach that the earth will he devoured
By fire Il found In Zephaniah ILL., ;:
"Wait We upon Me. saith the Lord. un-
Ill that Day that ! rise up TO the prey.
fer Ny determination is To gather the
nations. that ! may assemble the king
dUms. to pour upon them Mine indig-
nation, even all My fierce anger; for
the whole earth shall be devoured with
the fre Of My jealousy
That the fire of Gods anger which
will come upon the world will not de-
stroy the physical earth. with all it,
inha bitants. but will destroy the evil
OF present institutions. IL shown by the
succeeding sentence which declares:
"Then will turn-io the people pure
Message. that they may ell call upon
the name of the Lord To serve Him
with one consent" II the fire OF this
text were literal. the earth and its peo-
pie would be- no more. but as symbol
ical Gre II IL perceived that II is burn
ing against unrIghteousness. iniquity.
sin. the overthrow ot all institutions OF
evil. and the awakening of mankind
and preparing them Ia hear The Voice
of God the language Of the Truth.
the Divine Aiessage.
What we have seen prepares us for
the somewhat more difficult statement
OF st. Peter: "'The Day Of the Lord
will come as thief In the night, in
the which the heavens shall pass away
with n great noise. and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat: the cnrth
ak.n auI eh.. vr,,,le that upn fharnfn