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destructive trouble is represented by fire-- "A fire goeth before himand burneth up his enemies round about." It will destroy theenemies of God and men, the oppressive organizations of bothchurch and state, and thereby liberate the people.But it will soon be discovered that the liberty gained is even worsethan the oppression from which they have escaped. Theunrestrained liberty of all men in their present fallen condition,would be the worst evil that could befall the world. And suchanarchy will be the result of their efforts. This is all they will beable to accomplish, and in so doing they will exhaust their power.None will be able to assume the control, and direct affairs to asatisfactory settlement. Thus men will become convinced of theirown utter inability to rightly adjust the tangled problem. This is justwhere God wants to bring them that they may hear him say, "Bestill, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen;I will be exalted in the earth." (Psa. 46:10.) He will say it not byvoice, but by the manifestation of his power, and then men will beprepared to realize that "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God ofJacob is our refuge." The new heavens (the new kingdom) willdeclare his righteousness, and all the people shall see his glory.Those who have worshiped those false systems of church and stateas idols, will be confounded when thus they witness their completedestruction. (verses 6,7.)Again says the Psalmist prophetically, "The hills melted like wax atthe presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the wholeearth." (verse 5.) Mountains and hills are symbols of governments.Some will melt under the fervent heat, while others will be carriedforcibly into the midst of the sea. (Psa. 46:2.) We have today inGreat Britain an illustration of a mountain melting. It has enoughpolitical wisdom to see the rights, and to concede some of thedemands of the people. It is melting and flowing down to someextent to the level of the people's interests. If all the governmentswould do this, if they would all melt down and fully concede to thepeople their rights, then much of the great calamity of revolutionwould be averted; but this, all will not do. TheR816 : page 7policy of Russia, for instance, is to concede nothing to the people,but to retain all its oppressive power intact. It will not melt;therefore it shall be forcibly carried in the tumult of revolution "intothe midst of the sea." The sea in symbolic language represents themasses of the people unrestrained by law and order; hence thecarrying of a mountain into the midst of the sea, would signify theoverwhelming of a government in a revolutionary uprising of themasses. (Psa. 4:2.)As Zion sees all these things coming to pass, she recognizes inthem the evidences of her Lord's presence and the preparation forthe kingdom of heaven, and knowing what the glorious outcomewill be, and that shortly, she rejoices notwithstanding that clouds