Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth,
even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty
wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it
is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their
places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great
men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the
mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on
us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and
who shall be able to stand?
"The Heavens
Departed as a Scroll."--
In this event our
minds are turned to the future. From looking at the past, and beholding the
word of God fulfilled, we are now called to look at events in the future, which
are no less sure to come. Our position is unmistakably defined. We stand
between the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter.
We wait for the
heavens to depart as a scroll when it is rolled together. These are times of
unparalleled solemnity and importance, for we do not know how near we may be to
the fulfillment of these things.
The departing of the
heavens is included in what the writers of the Gospels call, in the same series
of events, the shaking of the powers of heavens. Other scriptures give us
further particulars concerning this prediction.
From Hebrews 12:
25-27; Joel 3: 16; Jeremiah 25: 30-33; Revelation 16: 17,
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For
if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we
escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he
hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also
heaven.
Heb 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the
removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that
those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Joel 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and
utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but
the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of
Israel.
Jer 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all
these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his
voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he
shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants
of the earth.
Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the
earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all
flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Jer 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil
shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up
from the coasts of the earth.
Jer 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that
day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall
not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the
ground.
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial
into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from
the throne, saying, It is done.
…we learn that it is the voice of God, as He
speaks in terrible majesty from His throne in heaven, that causes this fearful
commotion in earth and sky. Once the Lord spoke with an audible voice, when He
gave His eternal law from Sinai. At that time the earth shook. He is to speak
again, and not only the earth will shake, but the heavens also. Then will the
earth "reel to and fro like a drunkard." It will be
"dissolved" and "utterly broken down." Isaiah 24.
Mountains will move
from their firm bases. Islands will suddenly change their locations in the
midst of the sea. From the level plain will arise the precipitous mountain.
Rocks will thrust up their ragged forms from earth's broken surface. While the
voice of God is reverberating through the earth, the direst confusion will
reign over the face of nature.
To show that this is
no mere conception of the imagination, the reader is requested to mark the
exact phraseology which some of the prophets have used in reference to this
time. Isaiah says:
"The earth is utterly broken down, the
earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel
to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the
transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise
again." Isaiah 24: 19, 20.
Page 450
Jeremiah in
thrilling language describes the scene as follows: "I beheld the earth,
and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
. . . For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate."
Jeremiah 4: 23-27.
Then will the
world's dream of carnal security be effectually broken. Kings who, intoxicated
with their own earthly authority, have never dreamed of a higher power than
themselves, now realize that there is One who reigns as King of kings.
The great men behold
the vanity of all earthly pomp, for there is a greatness above that of earth.
The rich men throw their silver and gold to the moles and bats, for it cannot
save them in that day. The chief captains forget their brief authority, and the
mighty men forget their strength. Every bondman who is in the still worse
bondage of sin, and every freeman--all classes of the wicked, from the highest
down to the lowest--join in the general wail of consternation and despair.
They who never
prayed to Him whose arm could bring salvation, now raise an agonizing prayer to
rocks and mountains to bury them forever from the sight of Him whose presence
brings to them destruction. Fain would they now avoid reaping what they have
sown by a life of lust and sin. Fain would they now shun the fearful treasure
of wrath which they have been heaping up for themselves and their catalogue of
crimes in everlasting darkness. So they flee to the rocks, caves, caverns, and
fissures which the broken surface of the earth now presents before them. But it
is too late. They cannot conceal their guilt or escape the long-delayed
vengeance.
"It will be in
vain to call,
'Ye mountains on us
fall,'
For His hand will
find out all,
In that day."
Page 451
The day which they
thought never would come, has at last taken them as in a snare, and the
involuntary language of their anguished hearts is, "The great day of His
wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" Before that day comes with
its fearful scenes, we pray you, reader, give your most serious and candid
attention to your salvation.
Many now affect to
despise the institution of prayer, but at one time or another all men will
pray. Those who will not now pray to God in penitence, will pray to the rocks
and mountains in despair; and this will be the largest prayer meeting ever
held.
Ah! better far
To cease the unequal
war,
While pardon, hope,
and peace may yet be found;
Nor longer rush upon
the embossed shield
Of the Almighty, but
repentant yield,
And all your weapons
of rebellion ground.
Better pray now in
love, than pray erelong in fear.
Call ye upon Him
while He waits to hear;
So in the coming
end,
When down the parted
sky
The angelic hosts
attend
The Lord of heaven,
most high,
Before whose face
the solid earth is rent,
You may behold a
friend omnipotent,
And safely rest
beneath His sheltering wings,
Amid the ruin of all
earthly things.
Daniel and
Revelation by Uriah Smith (Excerpt)
*******
Truth.
May God help us KNOW
truth, BELIEVE truth, LIVE truth!
More tomorrow by HIS
grace!
Amen!
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