"Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat." "The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
Verses 12, 10.
18. By what means does Christ say His kingdom is to be cleansed from sin and
sinners?
"The; Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a
furnace of fire." Matt. 13:41,42.
NOTE.-Satan and the wicked now have this world as their "place." In due time
Christ will have it. He will cleanse it from sin and sinners, and restore it, that He may
give it to the saints of the Most High for an everlasting possession. See Dan. 7:18,22,27.
19. When are the wicked dead to be raised to receive their final punishment?
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished." Rev. 20:5.
20. Whence will come the fire that will destroy them?
"And they went up on the breadth of the earth. and compassed the camp of the
saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them." Verse 9.
NOTE.-This is called God's "strange act" and His "strange work,"-
the work of destruction. Isa. 28:21. But by this means God will once and forever cleanse
the universe of sin and all its sad results. Death itself will then be at an end- cast
into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:14.
21. To what will this fire reduce the wicked?
"And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of
your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. 4:3.
NOTE.-The wicked are to be utterly destroyed- consumed away into smoke, brought to
ashes. Having inseparably allied themselves with sin, they have forfeited the right to
life and an immortal existence, and chosen the way of death and destruction. By their
choice they have proved themselves worthless. For this reason they are compared to chaff,
briers, thorns, etc. Their destruction will consequently be no real loss. "They will
themselves have lost their opportunity to obtain eternal life; but by the way in which
they used their probationary time they proved themselves unworthy of it. Their destruction
will, in fact, be an act of love and mercy on the part of God; for to perpetuate their
lives would only be to perpetuate sin, sorrow, suffering, and misery. Terrible, therefore,
as this judgment will be, there will, in consequence of it, be nothing of value lost,-
nothing lost worth saving. The experiment of sin will be over, and God's original plan of
peopling the earth with a race of holy, happy beings will be carried out. 2 Peter 3:13.
22. What is this final destruction of the wicked called?
"This is the second death." Rev. 20:14.
23. After the burning day, what will appear?
"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13.
24. Where will the righteous then be found?
"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father." Matt. 13:43.
25. What promise of the Saviour will then be fulfilled?
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5.
See also Ps. 37:11,29; Isa. 65:17-25; Dan. 7:18.
26. What universal song of praise will then be sung?
"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and
such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor,
and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever
and ever." Rev. 5:13.
