le
universe, and happy will be the nations which accept it."

"Heaven upon earth?" asked someone from the swaying crowd. Jesus
answered: "Not your heaven upon earth! Not that! For the earth is too
weak to bear heaven. The earth is doomed, and of that doom the
downfall of Jerusalem is but a parable. In that day much distress will
come. False prophets will come and say, We are the saviours of the
world! Their spirit and their truth will blind the people, but it will
not be the Holy Spirit or the eternal truth. A great weariness and
despair will come over men's souls, and they will long for death. And
as men gradually lose their light, their reason, so will the stars in
the sky be extinguished; the sea will cover the land, and the mountains
be sunk in the sea. But the fiery token of the Son of God will appear
in the dark sky."

"What is the token?" asked one of the grey-bearded Rabbis.

"He who has eyes will soon see the token of the Lord's judgment high on
Golgotha. His angels will announce Him in the air, but not in His
lowliness as at Bethlehem. He will come in all the strength and glory
in which He sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will restore
every soul to its body, and reward the faithful with eternal joy, and
the unbelieving with everlasting punishment."

With terrified countenances and whispered words the people asked: "When
will this happen?"

"Watch, my children! God alone knows the day and hour. This world is
passing, as you see, hour by hour. Everything changes; only the word
of the Father shall endure for ever."

This speech of the Prophet made a deep impression on the people. They
no longer shouted or rejoiced; they no longer looked on His countenance
as gladly as the day before, the glowing eyes burnt with such terrible
anger. They became silent, or only whispered to each other. Did you
understand? one asked his neighbour quietly. Yes, they had all
understood, but each something different. They were all impressed with
the words; every one was moved; and groups of people, as they made
their way out, talked over the Prophet's speech, and many began to
dispute about it.

"I don't expect much from this Messiah," said an innkeeper to his
guests. "As far as I can see, He promises more ill than good. If He
can offer nothing better than the destruction of Jerusalem and the Last
Judgment, He might just as well have stayed at home at Nazareth."

"No, I've never taken much a