and hastened after another god , hiding iniquity in their hearts , and loving the paths of unrighteousness-- to these the day of the Lord is " darkness , and not light , even very dark , and no brightness in it ." Hosea 8:2 , 1 ; Psalm 16 ; 4 ; Amos 5:20 . " It shall come to pass at that time ," saith the Lord , " that I will search Jerusalem with candles , and punish the men that are settled on their lees : that say in their heart , The Lord will not do good , neither will He do evil ." Zephaniah 1:12 . " I will punish the world for their evil , and the wicked for their iniquity ; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease , and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible ." Isaiah 13:11 . " Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them ;" " their goods shall become a booty , and their houses a desolation ." Zephaniah 1:18 , 13 .
The prophet Jeremiah , looking forward to this fearful time , exclaimed : " I am pained at my very heart . . . . I cannot hold my peace , because thou hast heard , O my soul , the sound of the trumpet , the alarm of war . Destruction upon destruction is cried ." Jeremiah 4:19 , 20 . " That day is a day of wrath , a day of trouble and distress , a day of wasteness and desolation , a day of darkness and gloominess , a day of clouds and thick darkness , a day of the trumpet and alarm ." Zephaniah 1:15 , 16 . " Behold , the day of the Lord cometh , to lay the land desolate : and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it ." Isaiah 13:9 .
In view of that great day the word of God , in the most solemn and impressive language , calls upon His people to arouse from their spiritual lethargy and to seek His face with repentance and humiliation : " Blow ye the trumpet in Zion , and sound an alarm in My holy mountain : let all the inhabitants of the land tremble : for the day of the Lord cometh , for it is nigh at hand ." " Sanctify a fast , call a solemn assembly : gather the people , sanctify the congregation , assemble the elders , gather the children : . . . let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber , and the bride out of her closet . Let the priests , the ministers of the Lord , weep between the porch and the altar ." " Turn ye even to Me with all your heart , and with fasting , and with weeping , and with mourning : and rend your heart , and not your garments , and turn unto the Lord your God : for He is gracious and merciful , slow to anger , and of great kindness ." Joel 2:1 , 15-17 , 12 , 13 .
To prepare a people to stand in the day of God , a great work of reform was to be accomplished . God saw that many of His professed people were not building for eternity , and in His mercy He was about to send a message of warning to arouse them from their stupor and lead them to make ready for the coming of the Lord . This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14 . Here is a threefold message represented as proclaimed by heavenly beings and immediately followed by the coming of the Son of man to reap " the harvest of the earth ." The first of these warnings announces the approaching judgment . The prophet beheld an angel flying " in the midst of heaven , having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth , and to every nation , and kindred , and tongue , and people , saying with a loud voice , Fear God , and give glory to Him ; for the hour of His
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