and the cries of them which have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord
of Hosts,” and the Prophet says, “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and
their gold shall be removed. Their silver and their gold shall not be able to
deliver them in the Day of the wrath of the Lord” (Ezek. 7:19) This (point to
the “harvest,” or end of “this world”) is the Day of the Lord’s anger, the “Day
ofvengeance,” the Day in which He will make mani-
fest His principles of righteousness-in which He will
lay judgment “to the line and righteousness to the
plummet.” (Isa. 28:17) This is the Day for which
those who have suffered for righteousrless’ sake have
been told to wait.
In the same connection in which this trouble is referred to, it is written, “Be
patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7); because
that is the Day in which the Lord will fulfil His promise to His people, saying,
“Vengeance is Mine; I will REPAY, saith the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19) So also
says the Prophet Zeph. (323, 9) “Wait ye upon Me, saith the Lord [“be patient
therefore, brethren”], until THE DAY that 1 rise up to the prey; for My deter-
mination is to gather the nations [it is to be a national matter-a world-wide
trouble], that 1 may assemble the kingdoms [to assemble the kingdoms is to
bring them nearer together; this is baing accomplished in our day by tele-
graphs, telephones, railroads and steamships; the nations of the world are al-
ready assembled; it is easier to communicate with the cities abroad than some
time ago it would have been to communicate with a city ten miles away], to
pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the earth
shall be devoured with the FIRE of My JEALOUSY.”
Ah! this is a peculiar kind of “fire” which is to devour the earth, and which
will melt the “elenients” with fervent heat-the fire of God’s jealousy, the fire
of God’s anger, the fire of His justice. “And THEN,” the Prophet continues
(and this gives us assurance that the fire is not literal, but figurative) THEN
will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name
of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” THEN will be ushered in the
“new heavens and earth” which St. Peter said would follow the dissolving of
the present order of things-“the present evil world;” and then will have pecu-
liar significance the expression of the Revelator, “and there was no more sea”;
for the present heaven and earth will have passed away.-Rev. 21 : 1
What does the Apostle John mean when he says, “There shall be no more
SEA”? Does he refer to the literal sea? No! We must remember that the entire
book of Revelation is a book of symbols, and that many of the Prophecies and
Psalms employ the same symbolic language. In this figurative language,
“heavens” represents the ecclesiastical powers, or ruling religious systems.
The angels constituted the heavens, orspiritual ruling power, of the First Dis-
pensation (point) ; Satan, and the systems controlled by Satan, which rule the
present evil world, are the present heavens; and Christ and His Bride, the true