The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-10-27

In itself an earthquake is a sign OF
the end of the Age; but the prevalence
of earthquakes since the beginning oil
this twentieth century properly enough
attracts our attention to what say
the Scriptures? upon this subject
Our text Ia from the Masters own lips
"a part of His description of the
trouble coming upon the world in thf
close of this Gospel Age, preparatory
to the Inauguration Of the Millennial
Age and its glorious manifestation OF
righteousness under the King of kings
The Master was answering a ques
ition asked by His disciples respecting
the End Of the Age and the signs
which would mark its close. In the
context our Lord had told them thai
they might expect to hear Of wars and
tumults, but not to be terrified; fol
although such things would occur
they would not be indications that the
end of the Age was near. Then, com
ing to the events to be expected at the
close of the Age, He used the words OF
our text. He also declared that before
these terrible indications Of the End Of
the Age, His disciples would suffer
prosecutions In the synagogues, church
es, etc., for his sake and for the
Truths sake.
Fire of This Day Symbolic.
Our Adventist friends have also beer
calling attention to Scriptures predict
ing great tribulation upon the world
In the very near future; but our mes
sage is a very different one from
theirs and is used for a very differen
purpose. Their message is that tn,
commissions of nature now due will re
suit In "a wreck of matter and a crust
of worlds"-in the utter destruction o.
our race and the reduction of thi:
earth to a mass of cinder; and they
use this message as club to drive the
wicked to seek protection of the Lord
Be it noticed how different is oul
reference to these calamities. We holt
with the Scriptures that 1.-THE eartf
abideth forever; that cold and heat
summer and winter, will continue az
long as the earth remains; and thai
God made not the earth In vain, but
formed 1t to be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
IA; Genesis S:22; Isaiah 1918
We have already pointed out thai
the fire Of this Day Of the Lord will be
q symbolic one, just as the fiery
trials" of the Church throughout this
Age have not generally consisted ever
In part of literal fire; and that tho
fiery troubles coming upon the world
VIII overthrow present institutions
political, social, financial and religious
land will engulf the whole world IL
anarchy. In the Scriptures this II
symbolically called In some places {
food and In others a consuming fire.
We have also pointed out that the
passing away of present institutions
symbolically called ''the heavens ani
the earth that are now" will be fol
lowed by the establishment of "a new
heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness"-the reorgan
1zation Of society along lines of Divine
approval, intimated by the words Of
our Lords prayer, "Thy Kingdom
come; Thy will be done on earth. as i
Is done in Heaven"
Fearful Sights and Great Wonders.
We will not attempt to prognosticatt
the character of the frightful signs
which belong to the closing of thil
+ A 80. b.,k <hav ono varv x,a rtfot. 10 ri
mentioned by our Lord and were also
foretold by the Prophet Joel, saying
II will show wonders In heaven above
and signs In the earth beneath, blood
and fire and pillars of smoke."-Joe
2:3O; Acts 2:19.
The Apostle Paul refers to the samt
thing in Hebrews 12:26-2S. He alludes
to the establishment of the Law Cove
nant at Mount Sinai and the wonder
full manifestations which at that time
caused Moses and all Israel to feal
and quake. Then he tells us that those
events were typical. or fgurative, Of
,fhe still more wonderful shakings
signs, etc.. TO be expected at the clos
ing of this Gospel Age, when the King
dom of God Is about to be established
and the New Covenant about to go int;
effect between God and mankind a
the hands of the great Mediator. Jesul
Christ and the Church.
st. Paul declares that the Word Of
the Lord upon this subject implies the
removing of all things that can be
shaken, so that only the unshakable
things win remain; and these unshak-
able things he associates with Gods
Kingdom of Righteousness. When with
the eyes of our understanding open
we look about us, we see very many
things that evidently are not perma-
nent, not right, not satisfactory to God
and to all who love righteousness and
hate iniQuity; and when we reflect that
the shaking will be such as to loosen
and destroy all these imperfect things
OF the present time, we can imagine
better than we can describe the sever
fly Of that shaking.
In the Revelation this same thought
ts expressed under the figure of a
mighty earthquake, the like of which
there had not been before and viii
never be thereafter Revelation 16:1S.)
Throughout the Apocalypse the term
earthquake is used to symbolically rep
resent revolution. What we are to ex
pect, then, will be a great revolution.
a great earthquake, the great shaking
OF the present institutions which Will
overthrow everything that is not of
the Lords establishment and approval
In the Divine order there seems to
be harmony between the literal and
the figurative; therefore the literal
have their part to play In
the great Program. Not only are they
to serve the Church as signs corrob-
Grating the prophecies respecting the
approach of the great Time of Trouble
which closes this Gospel Age. but they
are to serve also another purpose-a
particular purpose.
The Scriptures clearly intimate that
our physical earth has not yet attained
the grand perfection which the Lord
designs that it should have, to be fit
for the blessed ones whose home. as
the Paradise of God, it shall be
all eternity. Be it noticed
that the Scriptures clearly point out
that the Little Flock, called of God
during this Gospel Age to be the Bride
OF Christ, are to experience a change
Of nature from human to spirit, which
VIM prepare them for Heavenly condi-
tons, spiritual conditions. But for the
Of mankind Gods provision.