River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-10-22


our thought that
In itself an earthquake is a sign Of
the end Of the Age; but the prevalence
of earthquakes since the beginning of
this twentieth century properly enough
attracts our attention to "What say
the Scriptures?" upon this subject
Our text is from the Masters own lips
"a part of His description Of the
trouble coming upon the world in the
close of this Gospel Age, preparatory
| to the Inauguration of the Millennial
Age and It's glorious manifestation of
righteousness under the King of kings.
| The Master was answering a Ques
ton asked by His disciples respecting
the End Of the Age and the signs
which would mark it's close. In the
context our Lord had told them that
| they might expect to hear of wars and
| tumults but not to be terrified; for
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
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 been
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 different
purpose. Their message is that the
commissions of nature now due will re-
suit in "a wreck of matter and a crush
of worlds"-in the utter destruction of
our race and the reduction of this
earth to a mass Of cinder; and they
use this message as a club to drive the
wicked to seek protection of the Lord
Be it noticed how different is our
reference to these calamities We hold
with the Scriptures that 'the earth
abideth forever; that cold and heat,
summer and winter, will continue as
long as the earth remains; and that
| God made not the earth in vain, but
formed it to be inhab ited.-Ecclesiast
IA; Genesis S:22; Isaiah 1918.
We have already pointed out that
the fire of this Day of the Lord will be
a symbolic one, just as the fiery
trials of the Church throughout this
Age have not generally consisted even
In part of literal fire; and that the
fiery troubles coming upon the world
will overthrow present institutions
political, social, financial and religious
and will engulf the whole world In
anarchy. In the Scriptures this is
symbolically called in some places a
food and in others a consuming fire.
We have also pointed out that the
passing away of present institutions,
symbolically called "the heavens and
the earth that are now" will be fol-
lowed by the establishment of "a new
heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness reorgan-
ization 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 it
is done in Heaven"
Fearful Sights and Great Wonders.
We will not attempt to prognosticate
the character of the frightful signs
which belong to the closing of this
Age; but they are very particularly
mentioned by our Lord and were also
foretold by the Prophet Joel, saying.
'I will show wonders in heaven above
and signs in the earth beneath, blood
and fire and pillars of smoke. "-Joel
2:30: Acts 2:19.
The Apostle Paul refers to the same
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 fear
and quake. Then he tells us that those
events were typical. or figurative, of
the 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 into
effect between God and mankind at
! the hands of the great Mediator, Jesus
Christ and the Church.