“The Cities of the Nations Fell”
By T.
UNDER the pouring out of the seventh one of the “seven last plagues,” a description of which is given in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of Revelation, the announcement is made that “the cities of the nations fell.” There seems to be the definite declaration that the cities of earth are especially singled out for the retributive judgments of divine justice. The fact that the wicked cities of earth will be the subjects for especial punishment as the reign of sin is drawing to a close is still further told by Jeremiah in these words: “I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger.” Jer. 4:26. “All the cities” are singled out to be broken down by the presence of the Lord. Of course there is general destruction and calamity, but the cities are made a special object of visitation. There is a reason for this; and, when we read a number of the other verses that are in connection with the foregoing quotation from Jeremiah, this reason is very apparent. The verses are: “Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 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. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; and yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein. And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.” Jer. 4:20-31. The wickedness of the times that calls for the destruction of the cities of earth is set forth in the preceding text in very strikingly strong language. The people are “sottish” and they are “wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” They have exerted their abilities in doing wrong things until they have lost all knowledge for anything else and have become “wise” in their evil course. And again, at the close of the quotation the prophet is made to hear the wail that is going up “because of murderers.” When one thinks of the cities in this time, and considers that they are all becoming great centers of crime and wickedness; and when he thinks of the cities like Sodom and Gomorrah of old that were destroyed because of their vile immoralities, the question comes irresistibly to mind, How long can the judgments from God on the wicked cities be delayed? The late Joaquin Miller set forth in one of his most vivid poems that the destruction of San Francisco by earthquake and fire was a visitation from God. Men and women who were here on the ground at the time and who knew of the gross wickedness and crime of the place irresistibly exclaimed that the city went down before the indignation of Him of whom His Word declares: “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” Strong men and women are working to purge the cities from their iniquity, and conditions would be much worse if it were not for some of the good work that is being done. But the unfailing Word has declared that this evil can not be put down until the Master comes in person to do it. “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:13. This waxing “worse and worse” will continue until the conditions will become such, particularly in the cities, the great centers of wickedness, that God will be compelled to strike them down with destruction. This is to be done at His second coming, and who that knows anything of the conditions that exist in our cities will believe that the time can be long delayed? We are not philosophizing about theories. We are stating fact that should cause men to meditate. A just God can not allow things to continue long in the way they are going.