The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-10-21


The costly preparations for war made
by these very nations dlscredit entire
ly the claim that they are parts OF
Messiah's great Kingdom of righteous
ness and pence
All denominations engaged in mis-
sionary work are processing the
thought that soon the world will be
converted; that the second coming of
Christ will then take place. and then
will come the consummatlon. and the
burning of the world. How strange.
how illogicall The heathen, according
to reliable government statistics. are
twice MS numerous today rs they were
century ago. Six hundred millions
there were them there are twelve hun.
dred millions now. How long would
It require. at this rate. to convert the
world? And If the heather were con
! vcrted to the same condition Of civ
lllzation enjoyed in Europe and Amer
lea. could we claim then that Gods
will was done on earth as it Is done
! In heaven? Assuredly 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 10 the contrary. His coming is
! for the very purpose of bringing all
| things into subjection TO the Fathers
will. He comes that He may reign as
King of kings and Lord OF lords. in
association with His Church. He will
not reign through a representative or
vice-gerent, but personally. and unto
| Him every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess" to the glory Of God.
In His day the righteous shall -four
ish. and the evil-docrs shall be cut Off.
The faithful Church. sharing In her
Lords resurrection, the First Resur-
rection. TO glory, honor and immortali-
ty, will be His associate kings and
priests, TO reign for thousand years.
Reveation Xxx, c. q,
Fire Symbolical 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 us symbol of
destruction. Thus the Church is eX.
hcrted to mortify or kill the feshly
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, hguratively. will
be GOALS of fire upon their heads"
| st. Peter mentions special trials and
tribuatlons coming upon the Church.
designed to purify her-purge out and
destroy the dross. lie says: Think
it not strange concerning the fiery
trial which is 20 try you, MS though
some strange thing happened unto
you."-l Peter iv. II.
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 un-
scathcd the true Faith and true char
acters He says: "lf any man build
upon this foundation gold. silver, pre-
clous 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 thcreupon.
| he shall receive Il reward. If any
mans work shall be burned, he shall
| suffer loss: but he himself shall he
saved. yet so as by flre."-l Corin-
thians ill, 1915.
These various Scriptures do not
prove that the world could not be dc.
stroyed by fire in a literal way. but
they do prove that "fire" Is very fire.
| quently mentioned in the Bible in n
fgurative or Symbollcal manner We
might multiply the instances: Our
| God Is consuming fre"-as regards
everything contrary TO righteousness;
| the symboical lake of fire" in the
book of Revelation, is explained TO sig
Nifty the Second Death. utter destruc-
| tion. without hope of recovery.
World Burning Unseriptural.
The suppositon that the earth will
be destroyed by fire. either soon or
ever, would he contrary TO the state
mcnt that "the earth abideth forever"
| and the declaration that God formed it
not jim vain, but formed il TO be in
| habited. isaiah xiv, 49, One of the
very strong passages which seems TO
teach that the earth will be deyoured
by fire Is found In Zephaniah Ill, 81:
wait ye upon Me. saith the Lord. I'M.
Ill that Day that | rise up to the prey,
for My determination is TO gather the
nations. that may assemble the king
doms, TO pour upon them Mine lndig
nation, even all My fierce anger; for
the whole earth shall he devoured with
the fire Of My jcalousy'-anger,
That the fire of Gods anger which
will come upon the world will not de-
stroy the physical earth, with all its
inhabitants, but will destroy the evil
of present institutions. Is shown by the
succeeding sentence, which declares:
Then will 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 earth and its peo-