<< Back |
Chosen no: SM-316 , from: 0 Year. |
Change lang
| |
Heaven And Earth Being Shaken
"Yet once more [finally] I shake not the earth only, but also the
heavens."
—Heb 12:26.
The heavens that are being shaken
refer not to the Divine residence and Throne, but symbolically represent the
ecclesiastical system of the present time. The stars, or bright ones, have been
falling for some time. There is a great shaking or confusion now operating in
ecclesiastical circles. It will progress until, as St. Peter figuratively
declares, "the heavens shall take fire"—shall be consumed, shall cease
to be, leaving the way clear for the "new heavens," the
ecclesiastical system of the Millennium, which will be the glorified Church,
invisible to men, but clothed with Divine power for the blessing of mankind,
for their release from ignorance and superstition and their uplift for a
thousand years to return them to the image and likeness of God, lost in Eden,
redeemed at Calvary.—2Pe 3:10-13.
The shaking of the earth referred to by the Apostle and symbolically by Jesus
as earthquakes, signifies revolutions that are expected to immediately follow
the present European war. And if the Pastor understands the Bible teaching
correctly on this matter, this great symbolic earthquake, which will eventuate
in anarchy will reach its culmination first in Italy. However, this will not be
merely a sectional shaking; the whole earth, the entire social fabric, will be
shaken, and everything in it that is not of a permanent character—not in
harmony with Divine Justice, Mercy and Truth—will be shaken loose, or, in the
symbolical language of St. Peter, the earth, society, also shall take fire, and
will pass away with a great noise, a great commotion, a great disturbance, in
the fire of anarchy.
Joel’s prophecy, referring to this time, points specifically
SM317
to the "blood, the fire and the pillars of smoke," which we see
already beginning in Europe. More than a million men of the flower of Europe,
in the bloom of life, have shed their blood, although the war is only
beginning.
The explosion of tons of powder and the burning of cities and villages is
surely a fire in the earth, the like of which never occurred before in the same
space of time; and everywhere the pillars of smoke are rising, not only from
the battlefield, but also from the burning villages and the funeral pyres
whereon the dead, too numerous to bury, are burned. Whether or not there shall
be other fulfilments of these signs, we surely see this much shaking and this
much fulfilment already commenced.
How much more of the blood and fire and pillars of smoke before the terrible
ordeal is passed, we can only surmise.
We have courage to speak of these terrible things only because of our full
confidence that behind this dark cloud, hidden from human sight, is the glad
sunrise of the New Day—the Day of Messiah. With such a glorious hope beyond
it—the hope of the Church’s glorification in the First Resurrection power, and
the hope of the world’s Millennial blessing—God’s true people everywhere can
lift up their heads and rejoice through their tears, even as their great
Teacher, eighteen centuries ago, prophesied that they would do.—Lu 21:28.
"MY PEOPLE PERISH FOR LACK OF
KNOWLEDGE"
Many of God’s true people have been in ignorance of His real character and Plan
because stupefied by the false doctrines of the Dark Ages. They have not
studied their Bibles aright. On the contrary, many of them have been
"overcharged by the cares of this life" and the "deceitfulness
of riches" and have been unfruitful in respect to their character
development and knowledge of God. The deceitfulness of riches does not signify
that merely the rich are thus deceived. The great mass of humanity are under
the lure of riches, spending their earthly
SM318
attainments, time and strength of mind and body; searching for earthly wealth
but getting little. Some of these in the distressing times impending, though
late, will see their mistake and wish that they had been more alert in the
laying up of Heavenly treasures—knowledge of the Bible, of God and character
development in His likeness.
Our Adventist friends are not the only ones who have made the mistake of
thinking of the fire and shaking of the earth and heavens as merely literal.
Practically all the creeds of "Orthodoxy" give this
misinterpretation, but now at least it is time that our eyes of understanding
should open. Now that the shaking and the fire have begun, it is high time that
we should see that "the earth abideth forever." There is no reason
why it should be destroyed; neither is there reason why humanity should be
destroyed from off the earth. God’s purposes have not yet been accomplished.
Yea, the Divine Plan is only in its infancy. Humanity as yet has learned only
its first lesson—"the exceeding sinfulness of sin" and the bitterness
of its results. The second lesson will be given by Messiah during the thousand
years of His glorious Reign of Righteousness. All shall be brought from the
tomb, from ignorance, superstition, darkness, to fullest opportunity, knowledge
and blessed uplifting. Only the wilful enemies of God and of righteousness
shall be destroyed.
The race thus purged from sin and sinners, and again in the Divine image and
likeness, will usher into its glorious inheritance—an eternity of God’s favor
on earth and life everlasting.—Eccle. 1:4; Ro 7:13.
SHAKING OF MOUNT SINAI TYPICAL
There might be also literal earthquakes and great physical changes at this
time, intended to bring the earth into alignment with Millennial blessings, but
we are not so sure respecting these physical changes. They may or may not play
a part in the trouble of this Great Day.
In our context the Apostle compares the inauguration of Messiah’s Kingdom, with
its New Law Covenant
SM319
mediated by the Redeemer, with the typical Law Covenant given to Natural Israel
at Mount Sinai at the hands of the typical mediator Moses. There, the voice,
the cloud, the darkness, the lightning, the thunders, the earthquakes, were
literal. Here, now beginning, we have the antitypes of these in the
inauguration of the Antitypical Covenant, which, at the hands of The Christ, is
to bring the wonderful blessings foretold, to all men.
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
will remain; and these unshakable things he associates with God’s Kingdom of
righteousness. When with the eyes of our understanding open we look about us,
we see very many things that evidently are not permanent, 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 the
imperfect things of the present time, we can better imagine than describe the
severity of that shaking.
In the Revelation this same thought is expressed under the figure of a mighty
earthquake, the like of which there had not been before and would never be
thereafter. (Re 16:18.)
Throughout the Apocalypse the term earthquake is used to symbolically represent
revolution.
We are to expect, then, a great revolution, a great earthquake, which will
overthrow everything that is not of the Lord’s establishment and approval. From
this standpoint a certain class can read the signs of the times intelligently
and with confidence; and this class the Scriptures call the Lord’s "little
flock" (#Lu 12:32); counted foolish by the world, but counted of the Lord
as "the wise" who are to "understand." (Da 12:9,10.) To
these the Master Himself addressed the words, "There shall be signs in the
sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those
SM320
things which are coming upon the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken." And again, "When these things begin to come to pass, then
look up, and lift up your heads; for your deliverance draweth nigh."
The Lord’s consecrated people, possessed of His Spirit, cannot in any sense
rejoice at tribulations coming upon others. Their rejoicing can be only in
respect to the glorious things which they hope to experience and know to be
near by these outward signs. They rejoice not merely on their own behalf, but
also on behalf of the whole world; for they have the assurance of the
Scriptures that behind this Time of Trouble, which looms up as a dark cloud to
cover the entire social world, there is a silver lining; and that shortly the glorious
Sun of Righteousness will blaze forth, dispel every cloud and all shadows of
ignorance and superstition, and bring to mankind the rich blessings of Divine
favor secured through the precious blood of Christ.
GREAT CHANGES NOW DUE
Evidently wonderful changes will be effected, some to be brought about
gradually. We all know of the gradual change of the temperate zone—its
extension further and further and further toward the poles. We notice also the
increasing moderation nearer to the equator.
Those who recognize the Power of God can have full confidence that He is able
to perform all the glorious promises of His Word respecting the paradisaical
conditions of this earth for the use of mankind during the Millennial Age and
the ages to follow.
As already intimated, social upheavals are pictured in the Word of God under
the symbolism of earthquakes, "mountains carried into the sea," etc.
These uprisings in anarchy are pictured as tidal waves engulfing the
"mountains"—governments. This is one of the most forceful pictures
used, in the Psalms, in Revelation and in our Lord’s symbolical reference to
the great Time of Trouble near at hand.—Ps 46:2.
SM321
Let us not be understood as advocating anarchy or revolution of any kind. On
the contrary, we are giving heed to the Master’s injunction that all His true
followers seek peace and pursue it; that they like Himself resist not evil with
evil, force with force, but commit their way unto the Lord, walk in His paths,
relying upon Him for the results that will be to their profit and His glory.
We hold and teach that even the meanest and poorest government is superior to
anarchy; and in full sympathy and kindness we counsel those tending toward
Socialism that they are unsuspectingly "hatching cockatrice eggs";
for under present conditions Socialism is absolutely impossible.
The rich will not give up their advantages without a struggle to the death; and
this, as soon as Socialism shall have gained the power it is seeking, will
spell anarchy for the world; for those now entertaining Socialistic hopes will
find those hopes vain, and will become angered, embittered, mad, with the
deceptions of their theories and the impossibility of carrying them out, as
they intended, along the lines of benevolence. Then they will be drawn to the
desperate methods of the anarchist.
We urge all who are the Lord’s to
seek to more and more understand His wonderful Plan of Salvation, to glorify
Him in their bodies and spirits, which are His, and to wait for His time and
manner of bringing in the blessings which all see are so much needed by the
poor "groaning creation." Meantime, all such should cultivate the
graces of the Holy Spirit, should "put on Christ," His character, His
meekness, patience, long suffering, brotherly-kindness, love, against which
there is no law. "If ye do these things, ye shall never fall; for so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."—2Pe 1:10,11.
SM-316