Psalms 97:3

GOD STRIKES FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF THE WICKED

"A fire goeth before him,

And burneth up his adversaries round about.

His lightnings lightened the world:

The earth saw and trembled.

The mountains melted like wax at the presence of Jehovah,

At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

The heavens declare his righteousness,

And all the peoples have seen his glory."

"A fire goeth before him" (Psalms 97:3). This passage is a prophecy of the Second Advent of Christ in the Judgment of the whole earth. An apostle has warned us that, "The heavens and the earth which now are, are stored up for fire against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7).

"The earth saw and trembled" (Psalms 97:4). The Final Judgment is an appointment that shall be universally attended, with no absentees whatever. This thought is reiterated in Psalms 97:6, where "all the peoples" are depicted as seeing God's glory. The "trembling," due to the wrath of God and the stricken consciences of guilty men, is mentioned in Revelation 6:14ff.

"The mountains melted like wax" (Psalms 97:5). This is the same prophecy as that of the apostle Peter, who said, "The elements shall melt with fervent heat; and the earth and the things that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).