October 1927
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Jerusalem and Earthquakes B y R ev . D. M. W ells Huntington Park, Calif.
bling cities, the world will be plunged into darkness more intense and prolonged than it was at Jesus’ death. The terror will be climaxed by a great meteoric shower and the heaven “departed like a scroll,” exposing to the fright ened gaze of earth’s multitudes, the Son of God sitting on His Throne. The captains of industry, the mighty of earth, with slaves and toilers, will be smitten with such fear that they will rush for hiding places amid the trembling rocks and mountains, to which they will cry, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” John saw the seven angels preparing to sound the seven trumpets. Preliminary to this event an angel with a golden censer is giyen much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints, especially those of tribulation days. The same censer a little later is filled with fire off the altar and cast upon the troubled earth. An earth quake ensues, accompanied with thunders and lightnings and voices, very probably the cries and groans of the suffering and dying enemies of Christ. The fire, unlike that on earthly altars, has power to-mix with prayer. Is there not a beautiful allusion here to the efficiency of prayer ? God’s children have been praying for centuries, “Thy kingdom come,” and “Even so, come, Lord Jesus;” and this earth tremor is a birth pang of a new age and presages the full answer of their prayers. The resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses during the second woe of the sixth trumpet will be the time for a great earthquake which will destroy the tenth part of Jerusalem and kill 7,000 men. Isaiah, speaking of the chastening of Israel, said, “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man . . . . he shall cry, yegtjjcroar.” The roarings of God are always connected with Judgment. The temblor when Christ expired brought no deaths, for toward men it was a harbinger of mercy provided in His finished redemption. Yet it has a judgment aspect inf
TUDENTS of eschatology find some interesting \||g jjp #’ side lights in the recent earthquake in Jerusa- lem. The loss of life among the Jewish popti- lation *s reported to be so slight that orthodox Jews consider it a miracle, and the rabbis have W £ L issued a proclamation calling on their people to offer thanksgiving .for their deliverance. When God’s time arrives for dispossessing the Arab to make room for His returning people may He not use the earthquake in stead of the hornet, ancient Israel’s promised helper? A stone fell from a partially wrecked tower through the roof of Government House chapel and destroyed a pic ture of the former German Emperor arrayed in Biblical robes. Daniel tells of a stone which is to fall with destruc tive force to the ambitions of every Gentile ruler. Possibly the worst damaged building in Palestine is the science hall of the Hebrew University. “The World by wisdom knew not God.” The bringing in of the kingdom is not dependent on any contribution which the Uni versity is able to make. If it is duplicating the ideals of most American universities it is Palestine’s liability in stead of its asset. Is the recent quake a premonition of greater and more destructive ones which are to come upon Jerusalem, Pal estine and finally the world ? The city has been visited by at least two remarkable temblors in the past. In the days of King Uzziah the country was so shaken that according to Josephus a mountain west of the city was divided in halves and one part moved from its place four furlongs. Zechariah mentions that the people fled from before it, thus indicating its severity. When Jesus expired on the cross the tremor was so violent that rocks were split, graves opened and a centurion and many with him were convinced that a just man had been crucified. The Temple was so shaken that its veil was tom into two pieces, but nothing is said of any loss of life. The prophet Haggai declares that all nations shall be
respect to the w o r l d and the prince of this world. This one will carry woe in its path, for it will be another step toward' the con summation of tribula tion tragedies. U shering I n of T he B etter D ay The pouring out of the seventh vial will conclude tribulation judgments a n d w i l l usher in Jerusalem’s better day. Again there are voices, aerial dis turbances and an earth quake, the mightiest ever known by man. It is characteristic of phys ical prodigies in t h e last times, the same as
shaken by judgments preceding the manifes tation of the desire of all nations. Amos says, “The Lord will roar out of Zion.” How mar velous are the roarings of the Almighty. P rophecies in R evelation The opening of the sixth seal will be the occasion for a great temblor, so terrific that every mountain and ev ery island will be moved out of its place. The destruction of property and life will be fright ful. In addition to shifting Rockies a n d Alps and moving is lands with their tum
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