Will the World Burn Up? by Dr. A. C. Ames

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 11, 1909

Will the World Burn Up?

By Dr. A. C. Ames

DR. A. C. AMES

The Bible teaches that the earth will be burned up, but many scientists claim that that would be impossible. In view of this, the following extract from an article in the Pathfinder of Nov. 28, 1908, by Prof. Raymond S. Newbold, is to the point. After speaking of the sudden appearance of bright stars at various times in the past, which have in a short time almost or altogether disappeared, he says:—

“It is believed from spectroscopic tests that the sudden blazing up of a star is caused by eruptions of burning hydrogen, something like the flames that are seen about our sun at times of eclipses, only immensely larger. There is always a chance of our sun’s playing some such trick as this, and throwing out for a brief time such a quantity of heat as to destroy all the life there is on our globe—but the risk is too infinitesimal for us to worry about. However, it is conducive to a proper spirit of reverence for the Creator and creation to reflect occasionally that all our boasted civilization is subject to be wiped out at any time in the very twinkling of an eye, and that instead of being masters of our destiny, as it is often said, we are absolutely at the mercy of conditions of which we have hardly the faintest conception, and over which we have not the slightest control.”

While we have no reason to fear that any such thing will occur until God’s appointed time is reached, we may be sure that it will occur then, and that God has ample means provided by which to bring it about when the time comes. The sooner we learn to believe the Bible, whether we understand it or not, the better.

Mountain Grove, Mo.