"The Earth Is Utterly Broken"
EVERY little while, the scientists inform us of some section of the world that is not subject to earthquake. There may be slight tremors felt in some of these places, they tell us, but destructive earthquakes in those regions are quite an impossibility. They base their assumptions on "the geological formation." There are no "faults" or other conditions that would cause the ground to tremble. But God's word says of the time when iniquity is heavy upon the land, and when it is about to fall and not rise again, that— "The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken violently. The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison; and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Jehovah of hosts will reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory." Isa. 24: 19-23. Violent earthquakes and ruinous storms will be seen in many places where it is not usual for such things to occur. And these things will continue to increase as the violence and wickedness of this time increase. "Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land. There is naught but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children. As they were multiplied, so they sinned against Me: I will change their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of My people, and set their heart on their iniquity. And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings." Hosea 4: 1-9. This scripture is worthy of the closest study. It speaks of a time of great wickedness and of God's controversy with the people because of it. And it is a time, too, when there are great professions of religion, because there are the prophet and the priest, but they are stumbling and have rejected knowledge. They have even forgotten the law of God, and they actually feed on the sin of the people that profess the name of God. Think of this scripture closely, think of the many other similar scriptures that the wonderful word of God contains, and compare them carefully with the conditions in this time. Take your stand with God to lead a clean, strong, Christian life, and the Word abounds in promises of His infinite protection in the times of trouble and disaster upon which the world has entered.