Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/323

 The Day of Jehovah.

with the FIRE of God's zeal. This prophet refers to the same fire, etc., again (Zeph. 3:8, 9), saying: "Wait ye upon me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the preys for my decision is to gather the nations [peoples], to draw together the kingdoms, to pour upon them [the kingdoms] my indignation, even all my fierce anger. [The gathering of the peoples of all nations in common interest in opposi- tion to present governments is growing; and the result will be a uniting of the kingdoms for common safety, so that the trouble will be upon all kingdoms, and all will fall.] For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my zeal. Yea \then, after this destruction of kingdoms, after this destruction of the present social order in the fire of trouble], then will I turn unto the people a pure language [the pure Word uncontaminated by human tradition], that they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord. "

This fire of God's zeal is a symbol, and a forcible one, representing the intensity of the trouble and the destruc- tion which will envelop the whole earth. That it is not a literal fire, as some suppose, is evident from the fact that the people remain after it, and are blessed. That the peo- ple who remain are not saints, as some would suggest, is evident from the facl: that they are then turned 'to serve the Lord, whereas the snints are turned (converted) already.*

the fire as literal, and who claim that the literal earth is to be melted, etc. These, to fit their theory, claim that ** the people" here mentioned, are the saints, who, after the earth hns melted and cooled off, will re- turn to earth and build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, and long enjoy the work of their hands. They consider the present few years as a training or preparation for inherit- ing, and forget that it would be completely lost in the aerial experiences of the thousand or more years of waiting for the earth to cool off- ac- cording to their theory. This is * serious mistake, and results from too
 * \Ve mention this as an offset to the argument of some who regard

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