NAPOLEONIC IDEA--DISRAELI, LINCOLN AND GRANT--ENGLAND'S POLICY IN
TURKEY--FUTURE WARS AND INTRIGUES--THE GREAT BATTLE-FIELD--GATHERING OF
THE NATIONS--EARTHQUAKES--JERUSALEM A SEAPORT.
"And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew
tongue Armageddon."--Rev. xvi. 16.
Christian students and prophetic writers are generally agreed on three
things touching this great event. First, that there is to be such a
decisive battle fought. Second, that it will take place in some part of
Palestine. Third, that this great struggle will be final, the end of
war, the beginning of the Millennium morn.
In the Scriptures the contestants are pointed out, as they rally under
the standards of the _dragon_, the beast, and _Anti-Christ_ on one side,
and on the other, under the standard of David, will be the _called_, the
_chosen_, and the _faithful_; or, in other words, the Ten Lost Tribes as
found chiefly in the Saxon race, with all who sincerely believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ.
In another sermon we pointed out to you the plain fact of the existence
of David's throne and David's seed as found and seen specially in the
throne of England. We there see how faithfully God has kept His promise
to David and His people. For God frequently told David that his throne
should be established unto all generations, and of David's seed there
should never be wanting a man to sit thereon. It is the permanence, the
grandeur, and progressive character of this throne and people that make
it a fitting type of Christ and His Church. Nay, more, it is on this
throne that Christ now sits, so far as this world goes; and it is through
this people that He reigns, and He will and must reign until He has
conquered a universal peace. It is a delusion too long entertained by
the Church to think that David's throne and seed have not now, nor for
centuries had, an existence. It is a delusion that we should not
entertain for a moment to think that the Ten Tribes of Israel are lost
for ever, or that their work or mission is fulfilled. As surely as the
Two Tribes, Judah and Levi, now exist, fulfilling and filling in the
outlines of prophetic history, so surely are Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun,
Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh in
existence, answering the purpose of an all-seeing Providence.
Who are the kings of the East spoken of in the Scriptures? We answer,
They are the royal ones of the House of David. The word king, both in
Hebrew and Greek, means such. This seed God chose, and made them royal
by that very selection. They have been away from their own land,
Palestine, wandering and dwelling in the West. But God in Providence is
preparing a way for their return. In connection with the pouring out of
the sixth vial upon the great river of the Euphrates, or upon Turkey, as
most writers agree, the waters are to dry up--that is, Turkey is to
decay, to be absorbed. And why? "That the way of the kings of the East
might be prepared" (Rev. xvi. 12).
These kings have been away from the East, and their return is assured,
and the preparation for such return is to be seen at this time and in
connection with the decay of Turkey. If Turkey, as symbolised by the
river Euphrates, is drying up, then these kings must be advancing
Eastward; and so they are.
The crownless king, Disraeli, who, like many other men God has raised up,
is for these times an index finger pointing out the way of Providence.
He is a receptive agent of Divine force, to the intent that he may
interpret a Divine purpose. He may know, or he may not know, that he is
so directed of heaven. The prophets of old were seldom permitted to
interpret or understand their own prophecies. If they asked, like
Daniel, the meaning, they were told to "go their way," for oftentimes the
words were "closed up and sealed until the time of the end." No wonder
this man, against all England nearly, and to the amazement of all the
world, proclaims the Queen of England the Empress of India, for the way
of the kings of the East must be prepared.
Napoleon Bonoparte's grand idea was to prepare the way of the kings of
the East and make himself and his descendants these kings. "Conquer
England and the world is ours," he said. But when his secret and
well-prepared assault on England was revealed and frustrated by a chain
of providential events, he hit upon another plan to get possession of
Palestine. Seventy years ago he invited all the leading Jews of the
world to a secret council in Paris; he wished them to aid him in getting
possession of Palestine. He pretended to want their return. He gave
them certain privileges and laboured to procure more from the other
nations; he did much for the Jews in enlarging their liberties and taking
away from them the curse of society. The one idea that is distinctly
Napoleonic, is to possess Palestine. The late Napoleon had his idea, and
in his day this idea had become a part of France; so much so, that France
thought herself to be then and now the real protector of Palestine. It
was for this idea that she allied with England and Turkey in the Crimean
war. It was to keep Russia back from possessing the holy places. Not
till France was weakened could England advance on her way East rapidly;
so Germany was used to destroy her prestige and cause her to stand aside
till England proceeds on her way homeward.
It was a comely sight, some five years ago, to see two Jews closeted
together making a secret bargain--one had power, the other had money.
The man of power asked the man of money to lend him twenty million
dollars; it was done. At once the man of power purchases with this
twenty millions part of his fatherland back again--the Suez Canal. This
very canal is on the boundary of the land of Palestine as given to
Abraham centuries ago. By this very route the old patriarch entered the
Promised Land. It was fitting, indeed, that this should be the first
piece purchased back. No one knew save those directly interested.
England murmured and France protested, but the thing was done. Poor
France, bleeding and divided, could do but little; for Disraeli and
Rothschild had done the work. The way of the kings of the East must be
prepared. So on they go. A man who executes a Divine purpose is always
strong. Abraham Lincoln, in the history of our country, was so chosen
and led of God. The politicians, and statesmen, and generals, and many
of the people were against him at first; but the Lord was with him, so he
marched on to victory, the country following in the wake. And though
dead, not forgotten, the country and the civilised world are marching on
after him, and now they have nearly overtaken him. Lincoln's ideas and
the country's are nearly equal. A man led of God is generally a good
distance behind, and the people led by such a man are equally as far
behind him as he is behind God. But this nation and Abraham Lincoln are
now one, and in those things in which they once were divided they are a
unit, with more than the honoured Lincoln; for they are a unit with God
and providence. Thus follows the English nation in the wake of Disraeli,
and the world is coming on behind, and the day will come when all will be
a unit. It does not shock our idea of human honesty much when we learn
that this crownless king played a double game with Russia and Turkey. It
is intensely Jewish, but if it were only Jewish, then it would be very
detestable; it is more, it is Divine in part. "Had the princes of this
world known, they would not have crucified the Prince of Glory." Had the
princes of the late Berlin Congress known the double game being played by
one of the quietest of their number, they would not have done as they
did. Turkey in Asia was given over to England's protection, aye, yes,
that included Palestine. The island of Cyprus is given over
entirely--surely the way of the kings of the East is being grandly
prepared.
Why did not the Congress hand over to England's protection Turkey in
Europe? For reasons good and sufficient. Turkey in Europe will be the
cause of much strife, of several wars, and of strange alliances; hence it
would not have done for Israel-England to be mixed up with it.
Constantinople alone, of European Turkey, England will keep. Israel is
to be much preserved from war, until the great battle of Armageddon comes
on. Against that time she will have to husband her strength and
resources. It is marvellous now to think that what the Congress settled
as belonging to England, none dispute--all is peace. But Russia's share
and Austria's are in arms. Servia, Greece, Roumania, and all the Turkish
provinces rebel and are in a state of disquietude, that portends war and
strife again in a few years. But England will have nothing to do with
it, excepting that Russia and Austria, with the consent of Germany,
Italy, and France, are to set a precedent for England, which in a few
years she will need. It is plain that if Russia and Austria can force by
arms the conditions of the Berlin Congress, England will be at liberty to
do the same without any interference even from France. The Congress
handed over to England's keeping Turkey. England, then, can make Turkey
do her bidding by force of arms sustained by the very precedent already
set. Thus will Israel-England open up Palestine for Christian
settlement. The Mahommedans will murmur and resist to have the holy
places taken from them, but no matter; England, when the time comes, will
enforce it. It is just here that Turkey and England will dispute, and in
each dispute England will find a reason for drawing the lines a little
tighter around poor Turkey.
The contestants on one side at the great battle of Armageddon, you
remember, are the dragon, the beast, and Anti-Christ. Now what people is
represented by the term dragon? We answer, the Pagan nations and
authorities, just as the Chinese have on their standards to-day a dragon,
as we have the eagle. The Mahommedans, Hindoos, Brahmins, Buddhists, and
all Pagan idolaters, are summed up in the word dragon. At present,
England is tolerant with the subjects and adherents of these different
worshippers and religions; but the time will come when she will no longer
tolerate the same; thus will they arraign themselves against her in the
battle of Armageddon. This will come to pass as the gradual destruction
of Mormonism in our country. This system has been fortified by law; now
laws are being arraigned against it. It is now only tolerated, and in a
short time it will be wiped out of existence.
The final battle referred to in the text is to occur at a place called in
the Hebrew tongue Armageddon, the literal meaning of which is at the
mount of Megido. In olden times there was a city called Megiddon; it
stood in what is now called the great plain of Esdraelon--a plain that
lies midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean. It was
also called Jezreel. The prophet Hosea speaks of this place, battle, and
time, all by this one word. Referring to the time when the children of
Judah and of Israel are gathered together under one head in their own
land, he says, "For great shall be the day of Jezreel" (Hos. i. 11). It
is spoken of in the Scriptures and history as the valley of Jehoshaphat,
because here Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, gained a great victory; for
here the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel, as He will in the
coming battle. Joel iii. 12 says, referring to this coming struggle,
"Let the heathen be waked up and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for
there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about."
There is one name given to this time and battle that is very significant
and striking. Have you ever noticed it? If not, let me call your
attention to it. It is called "That great day of God Almighty," by John
in the chapter of the text. The day of the Lord of hosts by Isaiah.
Ezek. xxx. 3: "Howl ye! Woe worth the day! For the day of the Lord is
near: it shall be the time of the heathen." And Joel says, "Multitudes,
multitudes, in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in
the valley of decision." By the prophets Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah,
Zechariah, Malachi, and apostles Paul and Peter, it is called the day of
the Lord.
You ask if this battle may not have taken place. We answer, No. Of such
a battle we have no record. Again, it will be the end of the war--the
final overthrow of Paganism, the beast, and Anti-Christ. Malachi says,
"Behold I will send you the prophet Elijah before the coming of that
great and dreadful day of the Lord." Elijah has not yet been a witness.
At the time of this great battle nature is to take a wonderful part. As
when Christ was on the cross, the sun darkened, the rocks rent, the
mountains shook, so in connection with this battle there shall be some
strange wonders--earthquakes, thundering, lightning, hail and fire. The
Mount of Olives will divide; the valley of the Dead Sea will fill with
water and join to the Mediterranean; Jerusalem will become a seaport; an
appointed centre from which, being central to all the world, will go
forth the ships of the Lord. The city of Jerusalem, between this time
and that, will be considerably enlarged, then it will divide into three
parts. At the time of this dividing John says, "That the cities of the
nations are to fall"--London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, St. Petersburg, and
many others--that all may turn to Jerusalem, the capital appointed of
Heaven.
If you wish to know more of the particulars of this day, read the
prophets, study what John the Revelator says under the sixth vial and
sixth seal. With awful grandeur and with terrible majesty have the
sacred writers set forth this day and time.
That this day will come, who will deny? Look at the world ripening for
this day. Here, in our own land, as well as others, the forces are
maturing, the agents are at work. Many of the events of the past year we
were permitted to forecast by looking into the future through the
prophets, and onward yet we look. And the events coming are neither less
in number, merit, or force, than those passed. Keep the events of
prophecy in their proper order lest they confuse you. The Jews and Ten
Lost Tribes are to be found and possess Palestine before this battle.
Anti-Christ is to appear. The two witnesses, Moses and Elijah, are to
appear. And Jesus, our beloved Master, will not come till the world is
settled long in perpetual peace--till the house is prepared for the
bride, then shall He come. But with lightning speed events are crowding
on along the ages. The accumulative forces of centuries are pressing
hard upon time present. The time of the end is near--not the end of
time, but the time appointed of God in which certain great things are to
be accomplished. Eighteen hundred years ago John cried out, "Loose the
four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four
angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a
month, and a year" (Rev. ix. 14).
The Turkish Power originated on the banks of the Euphrates. It first was
divided into four Sultanies--namely, Bagdad, Aleppo, Damascus and
Cesarea. These are typified under four angels. Their time was to be 396
years and a fraction--an hour, day, month, and year. Thus, taking a day
for a year, 365 for the year, thirty for the month, one for the day, and
we have 396. So from the taking of Bagdad by the Turks in 1057, which
was the overthrow of the Saracens, until the capture of Constantinople in
1453, which overthrew the Greek Empire, we have just 396 years. And the
time for the drying up of Turkey is at hand; and so it comes to pass.
Dear friends, how wonderful are the dealings of our God! Can we shut our
eyes to His Divine revelation? Let us be wise in the day of grace,
taking heed to the sure Word of prophecy, as unto a light that shineth in
a dark place. The world indeed is dark, and all confusion. But His Word
shows unto us order in all this confusion, blessed be His name. More
next Sunday evening.
ARMAGEDDON AND THE PYRAMID.
DISCOURSE XIV.
THE FORCES IN THE BATTLE--TIME OF ITS OCCURRENCE--MISTAKES OF
ADVENTISTS--A CHURCH "STRIKE" WANTED--THE HARD TIMES AFTER 1882--HISTORY
OF THE WORLD TILL 1935--HINE'S THEORY.
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome
them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are
with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful."--Rev. xviii. 14.
Last Sunday evening we considered the subject of the great battle of
Armageddon. This evening we will take up the same subject for further
consideration. This battle, we learn, is to be very terrible, such a one
as the world has not had. Fearful as some of the wars of the past have
been, this will overshadow them all in skill, fierceness, number,
slaughter, devastation, and wide-spread ruin. It will, in some respects,
be like one of the wars of olden times. For in this struggle God is
again to take a direct part, as He did for His people Israel and Judah in
times of old. Again shall the forces of nature do battle for God and His
people; again they shall be full of instinctive revenge. Hear us, and
believe us, Denis Kearney, Providence will then "pool the issues" of the
_called_, the _chosen_, and the _faithful_. The called are the Jews, the
chosen are Israelites, and the faithful embrace all of every nation who
believe in Christ. Then many will wade in pools of blood and perish.
The birds of prey are to hold high carnival on the dead bodies of the
slain. The spirit of Satan, that now worketh in the children of
disobedience, will pool the issues of hell and death in the hosts of the
_dragon_, _beast_, and _false prophet_. For though these three powers
are diverse in their aims, professions, and intents, yet we learn from
many passages of the Divine Book that they will join hands and agree upon
a common policy, federating together that they may contend with the
called, the chosen, and the faithful. "And I saw three unclean spirits
like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of
the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the
spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great
day of God Almighty" (Rev. xvi. 13, 14). Here indeed will be a pooling
of the issues, a pooling that will divide the whole world into two forces
or parties.
Now the canvass has begun, preparations are going on, party lines are
being drawn, powers are concentrating, and men are rallying under their
respective standards, getting the world ripe and ready for the coming
generations, into whose hands the destinies of that day will be cast.
Few of us now living can personally take part in that final battle,
excepting as we do so by impressing the unborn millions with our ideas.
Like as David prepared the material for the building of the temple, and
his son Solomon carried forward the same, so the work of this generation
is simply preparatory, and that of the coming will be executive.
Several wars will take place before that of Armageddon, which in their
nature will be fierce and terrible. Still these will all be
preparatory--leading on to the day of decision and the battle final. On
this point many err, and their error has a pernicious influence on the
Church and the world. They interpret the preparatory signs as if they
were final; hence the end with such is too near. A sincere anxiety takes
possession of their soul, which utterly unfits them to judge aright the
signs of the times and tokens of Providence. Thus were a portion of the
Advent Church thrown into confusion the 8th of last July because they had
fixed upon the seventh as the time for the ending of the world. And
human folly and haste will repeat itself again on the 10th of April next,
because another portion of the Advent brethren have fixed upon the 9th of
April as the time of the end. It is a wonder the first did not take the
4th of July instead of the seventh, for then a stranger might think the
end was nigh in some of our cities; or why didn't the other party select
the 1st of April, for no doubt it would have proved a more propitious
day? But thus it is, and will be again before the appointed time of
Heaven comes. Man is a creature of haste and sudden impulse, especially
so in his religious experience. Kings and nations, Churches and sects,
have laboured hard in times past to force the issues of Providence and
give speed and certainty to times and events.
The prophecies affecting our days are clear; so much so, that he who runs
may read, if need be. But an impatient activity urges men on, bedazzling
their eyes, which at once unnerves and unfits them for reading or
judging. "In your patience possess ye your souls," said the blessed
Master to His disciples of old, and not less through them unto us.
"Order is Heaven's first law," it has been said; and surely order
pervades the prophecies. But the pulpits in general over-ride this
order, and are not slow to malign such men as Edward Hine, of London,
England, when the fact is, that his theory of the prophecies and mode of
interpretation are vastly more natural, responsive, and reasonable than
the ill-adjusted, unnatural, and non-responsive system of current
theology. A person is under obligation to use that key for the unlocking
of prophecy which fits the best, and that responds to providential events
the most natural, without regard to the antiquated systems and mode of
Church, sect, or college theology. Hine's theory, as it is called
sometimes, is as much superior to the old system of interpretation, as
the railway Pullman car is to the ricketty old stage coach.
The Anglo-Saxon Israel theory neither destroys or introduces any new
principle, but discovers and applies that which had been long hidden.
The introduction of steam and electricity did not destroy or produce any
new principle, but simply discovered and applied, in an improved form,
that which had been in the world from Adam down till now.