Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-10-17

] lea, could we clalIu lHeu lhot
will was done on earth as it is done
in heaven? AssuredEy not
Thank God, the second coming OF
Messiah will not delay until the world
is converted and Gods will fully done
ard the plan of salvation ended
Quite to the contrary. His coming Is
for the very purpose of bringing All
| things into subsection to the Fathers
will. He comes that He may reign as
King of kings and Lord OF lords, III
association with His Church. He VIII
not reign through a representative OF
vice-gerent, but personally. and unto
Him every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess" to the glory of Cod
In His day the righteous shall -four
ish, and the eyil-doers shall be cut OH
The faithful Church, sharing in her
Lords resurrection, the First Resur-
rection, to glory, honor and immortah-
ty, will be His associate kings and
priests, to reign for thousand years.
Revelation Xxx, g.
Fire SymboIicaI of Destruction.
Let US examine some texts which
seem to teach that our earth will be
destroyed by fire, and note that they
are symbolical. Fire" is frequently
used in the Scriptures as a symbol OF
destruction. Thus the Church is ex-
horted to mortify or kill the feshiy
nature, and is told that the fiery
trials of life will assist them in this
work. The opposition Of enemies is
to be destroyed by works of mercy
and kindness, which, figuratiyely, will
be "coals of fire upon their heads"
St Peter mentions special trials and
tribulations coming upon the Church,
designed to purify her-purge out and
destroy the dross. He says: Think
it not strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened unto
you'll Peter iv, u.
st. Paul refers to special trials upon
the Church in the end of the Gospel
Age, which will consume false doc
trines, human traditions, ETC., and all
false faith, but which will leave I'M
scathed the true Faith and true char
acters. He says: ''If any man build
upon this foundation gold, silver, pre-
cious stones, wood, hay, stubble, ev-
cry mans work shall be made mani
fest, for the day shall declare it, be-
cause it shall be revealed by fire; and
the fire shall try every mans work of
what sort it Is. If any mans work
abide which he hath built thereupon.
he shall receive a reward. If any
mans work shall be- burned, he shall
suffer loss; but he himself shall be
saved, yet so as by fire."-I CORN
thians iii, 1915.
These various Scriptures do not
prove that the world could not be de-
stroyed by fire in a literal way, but
they do prove that fire" is very fire.
quently mentioned in the Bible in
figurative or symbotical manner. We
might multiply the instances: "Our
God is a consumingNfire"-as regards
everything contrary ito righteousness;
the symbolical lake of fire." in the
book of Revelation, is explained to sig
nifty the Second Death, utter destruc-
ton, without hope Of recovery.
World Burning UnscripturaI.t
The supposition that the earth will
be destroyed by fire, either soon or
ever, would be contrary to the state
ment that "the earth abideth forever"
and the declaration that God formed 1t
not in vain, but formed it to be in
habited. isaiah xiv, 49, One of the
very strong passages which seems to
teach that the earth will be devoured
by fire is found In Zephaniah i'll, 8:
"Wait We upon Me-, saith the Lord, I'M
til that Day that rise up to the prey,
for My determination is to gather the
nations, that I may assemble the king
,doms, to pour upon them Mine indig-
nation, even all My fierce anger; for
the whole earth shall be devoured with
the fire of My jealousy"-anger.
That the fire of Gods anger which
will come upon, the world will mott de-
stroy the physical earth, with all3 its
inha bitants, but willy destroy the evil
of present institutions,,is shown blythe
succeeding sentence, which declares:
''Then will 1 turn to the people pure
Message, that they may all call upon
the name of the Lord to serve Him
with one consent" If the fire of this
text were literal, the searth and its peo-
pie would be no more, but as symbol
ical fire it is perceived. that it is burn
ing against unrightecusness, iniquity,
sin, the overthrow of all Institutions of
evil, and the awakening of mankind
and preparing them to. hear the Voice
of God the languaget of the Truth,
the Divine Message.
What we have seen prepares us for
the somewhat more fdifficIlt statement
of st. Peter: 1.-THE Day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night, in
the which the heavenstshan pass away
with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent. heat; the earth
also, and the works ythat are, therein,
shall be burned up. *'*'* The heavens,
being on fire, shall be dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with feryent
heat. Nevertheless wes according to
His promise, look for New Heavens
and a New Earth, wherein dwelle1h
righteousness" Gil Peter fii, 1912
To harmonic these words of st. Peter
with other Bible statements we must
consider the Sire" here mentioned to
be symbolical Not only the earth is
to be consumed, but the heavens also.
The heavens" win takes fire first. and
be dissolved.
What heavens shall we suppose are
here referred to2--not the lSteral, starry
heavens, nor even our atmospheric
heavens, nor yet the heaven of Divine
Presence and glory. The church sys-
TENS, the ecclesiastical powers, are
symbolically referred tosas the ''heav-
ems. = at the present time, Supervising
and Eover-ru1ing the ,temporai and so
cial > ARRANGEMENTS which are renre-