that Catholics will gladly “join hands” with Protestants in enforcing
Sunday observance by law?
“Our societies in the various parts of the United States have been urging
the abolition of Sunday labor, and have indorsed and assisted the movement
of closing the post-office on Sunday.”—_Tenth Annual Convention of
American Federation of Catholic Societies, Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 20-24,
1911._
NOTES.—With the active cooperation of the Lord’s Day Alliance of
the United States, a Protestant organization, a proviso was
attached to the post-office appropriation bill, 1912, requiring
that “hereafter post-offices of the first and second classes shall
not be opened on Sundays for the purpose of delivering mail to the
general public.”
The following resolution was adopted by the Boston Archdiocesan
Federation of Catholic Societies:—
“We are unalterably opposed to any relaxation of the Sunday laws.
Sunday is a day of rest to be devoted to the praise and service of
God. We hold the safest public policy at present is to adhere to
the rigid observance of the laws now safeguarding the sanctity of
the Lord’s day.”—_Boston Pilot, official organ of Cardinal
O’Connell, March 16, 1912._
17. What complaint is made against Sunday trains and Sunday newspapers?
“They get a great many passengers, and so break up a great many
congregations.” “The laboring classes are apt to rise late on Sunday
morning, read the Sunday papers, and _allow the hour of worship to go by
unheeded_.”—_Elgin_ (_Ill._) _Sunday-law Convention, November, 1887_.
NOTES.—In the fourth century, Sunday games and Sunday theaters, it
was complained, “hindered” the “devotion” of the “faithful,”
because many of the members attended them in preference to the
church services. The church, therefore, demanded that the state
should interfere, and enforce Sunday observance by law. “In this
way,” says Neander, “the church received help from the state for
the furtherance of her ends.” In this way church and state were
united, and the Papacy was placed in power. The same course
pursued now will produce the same results.
It is proper and right for the church to teach Sabbath observance,
and to decry Sabbath desecration; but it should not attempt to
secure Sabbath observance through compulsory legislation; nor
should it seek to fasten upon the people by any means the
observance of a day which God has never enjoined, and for which,
as is admitted on all hands, there is no Scriptural command. See
admissions on pages 441, 442, 455, 456, 560.
18. What does the prophet say the two-horned-beast power will attempt to
enforce upon all the people?
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive _a mark_ in their right hand, or in their foreheads.” Rev.
13:16.
NOTES.—This mark is the mark of the beast, or the false sabbath.
See Rev. 14:9, 10, and reading on page 446. God’s seal, or mark,
is set in the forehead (Rev. 7:3; 14:1), the seat of the mind, the
Lord accepting only the worship of conviction and conscience. The
mark of the beast, however, is said to be received in the hand or
forehead. Some are deceived and give assent to the false teaching
with their minds, receiving the mark in the forehead; others,
coerced or indifferent, give formal, outward consent, and so
receive the mark in the hand.
Let the reader note this twofold aspect of the Sunday sabbath, as
expressed by one of the most ardent and active Sunday-law
advocates in the United States: “We, the Sabbath Union, W. C. T.
U., all the churches, and the Y. M. C. A., are laboring with all
our might to carry the _religious_ sabbath with our right arm, and
the _civil_ sabbath with our left. Hundreds of thousands will
receive it as a religious institution, and all the rest will
receive it as a civil institution, and thus we will sweep in the
whole nation.”—_Rev. W. F. Crafts, in Sunday Union Convention,
Wichita, Kans., Sept. 20, 1889._
19. What means will be employed to compel all to receive this mark?
“And _that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark_, or the
name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Verse 17.
NOTE.—That is, all who refuse to receive this mark will be
boycotted, or denied the rights and privileges of business and
trade, or the ordinary means of gaining a livelihood. Already this
spirit has begun to manifest itself in the movement to enforce
Sunday observance. In a sermon preached in Burlington, Kans.,
Sunday, Jan. 31, 1904, Rev. Bascom Robins said:—
“In the Christian decalogue the first day was made the Sabbath by
divine appointment. But there is a class of people who will not
keep the Christian sabbath unless they are forced to do so. But
that can be easily done. We have twenty million of men, besides
women and children, in this country, who want this country to keep
the Christian sabbath. If we would say we will not sell anything
to them, we will not buy anything from them, we will not work for
them, or hire them to work for us, the thing could be wiped out,
and all the world would keep the Christian sabbath.”
20. By what authority was Sunday sabbath-keeping instituted?
By the authority of the Catholic Church. See page 439.
21. Why were the ancient Sunday laws demanded?
“That the day might be devoted with less interruption to the purposes of
devotion.” “That the devotion of the faithful might be free from all
disturbance.”—_Neander’s __“__Church History,__”__ Vol. II, pages 297,
301._
NOTE.—In short, it was to secure the enforced observance of the
day, and through this means church attendance, and control over
the people in religious things.
22. Why are they demanded now?
“Give us good Sunday laws, well enforced by men in local authority, and
our churches will be full of worshipers, and our young men and women will
be attracted to the divine service. A mighty combination of the churches
of the United States could win from Congress, the State legislatures, and
municipal councils, all legislation essential to this splendid
consummation.”—_Rev. S. V. Leech, D. D., in Homiletic Review, November,
1892._
23. Who is responsible for the present State Sunday laws of the United
States?
“During nearly all our American history _the churches_ have influenced the
States to make and improve Sabbath laws.”—_Rev. W. F. Crafts, in Christian
Statesman, July 3, 1890._
NOTES.—“These Sunday laws are a survival of the complete union of
church and state which existed at the founding of the
colony.”—_Boston Post, April 14, 1907._
“Such laws [as the Maryland Sunday law of 1723] were the outgrowth
of the system of religious intolerance that prevailed in many of
the colonies.”—_Decision of Court of Appeals of the District of
Columbia, Jan. 21, 1908._
The first Sunday law in America, that of Virginia, in 1610,
required church attendance, and prescribed the death penalty for
the third offense. See “American State Papers,” edition 1911, page
33.
24. Why is a national Sunday law demanded?
“The national law is needed to make the State laws complete and
effective.”—_Christian Statesman, April 11, 1889._
25. Since the Sunday sabbath originated with the Roman power (the beast),
to whom will men yield homage when, knowing the facts, they choose to
observe Sunday, instead of the Bible Sabbath, in deference to compulsory
Sunday laws?
“Know ye not, that _to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey_?” Rom. 6:16.
NOTES.—“The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage
they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the
[Catholic] church.”—“_Plain Talk About the Protestantism of
Today_,” page 213.
The conscientious observance of Sunday as the Sabbath on the part
of those who hitherto have supposed it to be the Sabbath, has,
without doubt, been accepted of God as Sabbath-keeping. It is only
when light comes that sin is imputed. John 9:41; 15:22; Acts
17:30. See page 700.
26. What does Christ say about our duty to the state?
“Render therefore unto _Cæsar_ the things which are _Cæsar’s_; and unto
_God_ the things that are _God’s_.” Matt. 22:21.
NOTE.—The Sabbath belongs to God. Its observance, therefore,
should be rendered only to Him.
27. What special miracle is finally to be performed to deceive men, and
fasten them in deception?
“And he doeth great wonders, so that _he maketh fire come down from heaven
on the earth in the sight of men_.” Rev. 13:13.
NOTE.—In the time of Elijah, in the controversy over Baal-worship,
this was the test as to who was the true God,—the God that
answered by fire. 1 Kings 18:24. Now, as a counterfeit test, fire
will be made to come down from heaven to confirm men in an
idolatrous and false worship.
28. To what length will this effort to enforce the worship of the image of
the beast be carried?
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image
of the beast should both speak, and cause [decree] that as many as would
not worship the image of the beast _should be killed_.” Verse 15.
29. What deliverance will God finally bring to His people in this
controversy?
“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and _them that had
gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,
and over the number of his name_, stand on the sea of glass, having the
harps of God.” Rev. 15:2.
30. What song will they sing?
“And they sing _the song of Moses_ the servant of God, and _the song of
the Lamb_.” Verse 3.
31. What was the song of Moses?
A song of deliverance from oppression. See Exodus 15.
The Seven Churches
[Illustration.]
John On Patmos. "What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the
seven churches." Rev. 1:11.
1. What title is given the last book of the Bible?
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 1:1.
2. To whom do those things which are revealed belong?
“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but _those things which
are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever_.” Deut. 29:29.
3. For what purpose was the Revelation given?
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him _to show unto His
servants things which must shortly come to pass_.” Rev. 1:1.
4. What great event, according to this book, is imminent?
“_Behold, He cometh with clouds_; and every eye shall see Him and they
also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because
of Him.” Verse 7.
NOTE.—This book not only opens and closes with the subject of
Christ’s second coming, but its eight lines of prophecy all reach
down to this as the great culminating event to the church and the
world.
5. What encouragement is given to study this book?
“_Blessed is he that readeth_, and they that _hear_ the words of this
prophecy, and _keep_ those things which are written therein: for the time
is at hand.” Verse 3.
6. To whom was the book dedicated?
“John _to the seven churches which are in Asia_.” Verse 4.
7. What were the names of these seven churches?
“What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches
which are in Asia; unto _Ephesus_, and unto _Smyrna_, and unto _Pergamos_,
and unto _Thyatira_, and unto _Sardis_, and unto _Philadelphia_, and unto
_Laodicea_.” Verse 11.
NOTE.—These seven churches, and the messages addressed to them,
apply to seven periods or states of the church reaching from the
first to the second advent of Christ. “Under this emblematical
representation of the seven churches of Asia,” says Vitringa, in
the “Comprehensive Commentary,” “the Holy Spirit has delineated
seven different states of the Christian church, which would appear
in succession, extending to the coming of our Lord and the
consummation of all things.” Their good qualities and their
defects are pointed out, with admonitions, exhortations, and
warnings suitable for each, all of which are also applicable to
individual Christian experience.
8. By what title is the first state of the church distinguished?
“Unto the angel of the church of _Ephesus_ write.” Rev. 2:1.
NOTE.—The meaning of Ephesus is _desirable_, and fitly describes
the character and condition of the church in its first state, when
its members received the doctrine of Christ in its purity, and
enjoyed the benefits and blessings of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. This applies to the first century, or during the lifetime
of the apostles. See dates in the accompanying diagram, showing
the beginning and close of the seven periods.
[Illustration.]
The Seven Churches.
9. After commending this church for their good works, what charge did the
Lord bring against them?
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because _thou hast left thy
first love_. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and _repent,
and do the first works_.” Verses 4, 5.
NOTE.—The “first love” is the love of the truth, and the desire of
making it known to others. The “first works” are the fruit of this
love.
10. What name is given to the second state of the church?
“Unto the angel of the church in _Smyrna_ write.” Verse 8.
NOTE.—The meaning of Smyrna is _myrrh_, or _sweet-smelling savor_,
and applies to the period of time when many of the saints of God
suffered martyrdom under pagan Rome.
11. How is the closing period of tribulation of the church during this
time referred to?
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, _the devil
shall cast some of you into prison_, that ye may be tried; and _ye shall
have tribulation ten days_: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life.” Verse 10.
NOTE.—The most severe of what is commonly known as “the ten
persecutions” under pagan Rome, began under the emperor
Diocletian, and continued from 303 A.D. to 313 A.D., a period of
ten prophetic days.
12. What name is given to the third state of the church?
“To the angel of the church in _Pergamos_ write.” Verse 12.
NOTE.—The meaning of Pergamos is _height_, or _elevation_, and
fitly represents that period of the Christian church, beginning
with the reign of the emperor Constantine in 313 A.D., when the
power which had put the Christians to death espoused the cause of
the church, and by rewards, edicts, and promised promotions to
office in the government, sought to induce the people to become
Christians, thus bringing a flood of worldliness and corruption
into the church. Many of the heathen rites and ceremonies
previously introduced into the Christian religion, including the
heathen festival, _Sunday_ (sun’s day), were then established by
law, resulting in the first day of the week taking the place of
the Sabbath of the Bible.
13. How was the faithfulness of this church commended?
“I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is:
and _thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied My faith_, even in
those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among
you, where Satan dwelleth.” Verse 13.
NOTE.—_Antipas_ comes from two Latin words, _anti_, opposed to,
and _papas_, father, or pope, and denotes a class of people who
were opposed to papal rule. Regarding _Pergamos_, see note on page
256.
14. What title was given to the fourth state of the church?
“Unto the angel of the church in _Thyatira_ write.” Verse 18.
NOTE.—Thyatira means _song of labor_, or _sacrifice of
contrition_, and points out the condition of God’s people during
the long, dark period of 1260 years, beginning with the
establishment of papal supremacy in 538 A.D., and closing with the
downfall of that power in 1798. See notes on page 223. During that
time, millions of the saints of God were put to death in the most
cruel manner that wicked men and demons could invent. Christ
referred to this time in His wonderful prophecy recorded in
Matthew 24, in these words: “For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened there
should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days
shall be shortened.” The tribulation of the 1260 years was cut
short through the influence of the Reformation.
15. What promise did God leave for these persecuted ones?
“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that
overcometh, and keepeth My words unto the end, _to him will I give power
over the nations_: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the
vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of
My Father.” Verses 25-27.
16. By what name is the fifth state of the church addressed?
“Unto the angel of the church in _Sardis_ write.” Rev. 3:1.
NOTE.—Sardis means _song of joy_, or _that which remains_. A cause
for _joy_ at that time was the fact that the great tribulation of
the people of God was at an end. It was only as a result of the
Reformation that any of God’s people were left _remaining_. See
Matt. 24:21, 22, and note under question 14. The Sardis church
continued from the close of the papal power, 1798 A.D., until the
beginning of the great advent movement in 1833, which was marked
by the falling of the stars on November 13 of that year, as
foretold by Christ in Matt. 24:29.
17. What endearing title is given the sixth church?
“To the angel of the church in _Philadelphia_ write.” Rev. 3:7.
NOTE.—Philadelphia means _brotherly love_, and applies to the
church under the judgment-hour message. See page 251.
18. What words to this church show the second advent near?
“_Behold, I come quickly_: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man
take thy crown.” Verse 11.
19. What is Christ’s message to the last church?
“Unto the angel of the church of the _Laodiceans_ write; ... I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.... Because thou sayest, I am
rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; ... I counsel thee
to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white
raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.... As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Verses 14-19.
NOTE.—Laodicea signifies _the judging of the people_, or,
according to Cruden, a _just people_. This church exists in the
time of the judgment and the proclamation of the final warning
messages preceding Christ’s second coming. See Rev. 14:6-16, and
readings on cages 251-263. This is a time of great profession,
with but little vital godliness and true piety.
20. What encouragement is given to heed this message?
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
Me.” Verse 20.
NOTE.—The pointed, searching messages to the seven churches
contain most important lessons of admonition, encouragement, and
warning for all Christians in all ages. The seven promises to the
overcomer found in this line of prophecy (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28;
3:5, 12, 21), with the eighth or universal promise recorded in
Rev. 21:7, form a galaxy of promises as precious, as comforting,
and as inspiring as any recorded in the Scriptures. See pages 558,
762.
The Seven Seals
[Illustration.]
The Lisbon Earthquake. "When He had opened the sixth seal, ... there was a
great earthquake." Rev. 6:12.
1. What did John the revelator see in the right hand of Him who sat on the
throne?
“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne _a book_
written within, and on the back side _sealed with seven seals_.” Rev. 5:1.
2. What did the Lamb do with this book?
“And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat on
the throne.” Verse 7.
3. Why was Christ declared worthy to open these seals?
“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: _for
Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood_ out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Verse 9.
4. What was shown upon the opening of the first seal?
“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, ... _a white horse_: and
He that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went
forth conquering, and to conquer.” Rev. 6:1, 2.
NOTE.—The number _seven_ in the Scriptures denotes completion or
perfection. The seven seals embrace the whole of a class of events
in which is narrated the history of the church from the beginning
of the Christian era to the second coming of Christ. The white
horse, with his rider going forth to conquer, fitly represents the
early Christian church in its purity, going into all the world
with the gospel message of salvation.
5. What appeared upon the opening of the second seal?
“And when He had opened the second seal, ... there went out _another horse
that was red_: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace
from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given
unto him a great sword.” Verses 3, 4.
NOTE.—As whiteness in the first horse denoted the purity of the
gospel which its rider propagated, so the color of the second
horse would show that corruption had begun to creep in when this
symbol applies. It is true that such a state of things did succeed
the apostolic church. Speaking of the second century, Wharey, in
his “Church History,” page 39, says: “Christianity began already
to wear the garb of heathenism. The seeds of most of those errors
that afterwards so entirely overran the church, marred its beauty,
and tarnished its glory, were already beginning to take root.”
Worldliness came in. The church sought alliance with the secular
power, and trouble and commotion were the result. This symbol
extends from the close of the first century to the time of
Constantine, when a complete union of church and state was
effected.
6. What was the color of the symbol under the third seal?
“When He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and
see. And I beheld, and lo _a black horse_; and he that sat on him had a
pair of balances in his hand.” Verse 5.
NOTE.—The “black” horse fitly represents the spiritual darkness
that characterized the church from the time of Constantine till
the establishment of papal supremacy in 538 A.D. Of the condition
of things in the fourth century, Wharey (page 54) says:
“Christianity had now become popular, and a large proportion,
perhaps a large majority, of those who embraced it, only assumed
the name, received the rite of baptism, and conformed to some of
the external ceremonies of the church, while at heart and in moral
character they were as much heathen as they were before. Error and
corruption now came in upon the church like a flood.”
7. What were the color and character of the fourth symbol?
“And when He had opened the fourth seal, ... behold _a pale horse_: and
his name that sat on him was _Death_, and _Hell_ [Greek, _Hades_, the
_grave_] _followed with him_. And power was given unto them over the
fourth part of the earth, _to kill with sword_, and with _hunger_, and
with _death_, and with the _beasts of the earth_.” Verses 7, 8.
NOTE.—This is an unnatural color for a horse. The original denotes
the _pale_ or _yellowish_ color seen in blighted plants. The
symbol evidently refers to the work of persecution and death
carried on by the Roman Church against the people of God from the
time of the beginning of papal supremacy in 538 A.D. to the time
when the Reformers commenced their work of exposing the true
character of the Papacy, and a check was placed upon this work of
death.
8. On opening the fifth seal, what was seen under the altar?
“And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar _the souls
of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which
they held_.” Verse 9.
NOTE.—When the Reformers exposed the work of the Papacy, it was
then called to mind how many martyrs had been slain for their
faith.
9. What were these martyrs represented as doing?
“And _they cried with a loud voice_, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the
earth?” Verse 10.
NOTE.—The cruel treatment which they had received cried for
vengeance, just as Abel’s blood cried to God from the ground. Gen.
4:10. They were not in heaven, but under the altar on which they
had been slain. On this point Dr. Adam Clarke says: “The altar is
upon earth, not in heaven.” See note under next question.
10. What was given these martyrs?
“And _white robes were given unto every one of them_; and it was said unto
them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow
servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were,
should be fulfilled [have fulfilled their course, R. V.].” Verse 11.
NOTE.—These had been slain during the hundreds of years covered by
the preceding seal. Their persecutors, most of them, at least, had
died. And if they had at death passed to their punishment, as is
by some supposed, why should the martyred ones still importune for
their punishment? In this, as in other parts of the Bible, the
figure of personification is used, in which inanimate objects are
represented as alive and speaking, and things that are not as
though they were. See Judges 9:8-15; Heb. 2:11; Rom. 4:17. These
martyrs had gone down as heretics under the darkness and
superstition of the preceding seal, covered with ignominy and
shame. Now, in the light of the Reformation, their true character
appears, and they are seen to have been righteous, and hence are
given “white robes.” “The fine linen [white robes] is the
righteousness of saints.” Rev. 19:8. Righteousness is ascribed to
them; and when they have rested a little longer where they
are,—under the altar,—till all others who are to fall for their
faith have followed them, then together they will be raised to
life and immortality.
11. What was first seen on the opening of the sixth seal?
“And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was _a
great earthquake_.” Verse 12, first part.
NOTE.—This doubtless refers to the great earthquake of Nov. 1,
1755, commonly known as the Lisbon earthquake, the effects of
which were felt over an area of 4,000,000 square miles. Lisbon,
Portugal, a city containing 150,000 inhabitants, was almost
entirely destroyed. The shock of the earthquake, says Mr. Sears,
in his “Wonders of the World,” page 200, “was instantly followed
by the fall of every church and convent, almost all the large
public buildings, and one fourth of the houses. In about two hours
afterward, fires broke out in different quarters, and raged with
such violence for the space of nearly three days that the city was
completely desolated. The earthquake happened on a holy day, when
the churches and convents were full of people, very few of whom
escaped.... The terror of the people was beyond description.
Nobody wept: it was beyond tears. They ran hither and thither,
delirious with horror and astonishment, beating their faces and
breasts, crying, ‘_Misericordia! the world’s at an end!_’ Mothers
forgot their children, and ran about loaded with crucifixed
images. Unfortunately, many ran to the churches for protection;
but in vain was the sacrament exposed; in vain did the poor
creatures embrace the altars; images, priests, and people were
buried in one common ruin.... Ninety thousand persons are supposed
to have been lost on that fatal day.”
12. What was to follow the great earthquake?
“And _the sun became black_ as sackcloth of hair, and _the moon became as
blood_.” Same verse, latter part.
NOTE.—This refers to the dark day and night of May 19, 1780, when
the darkness and gloom were such as to give the general impression
that the day of judgment was at hand. See readings on pages 311,
319.
13. What other event is mentioned under this seal?
“And _the stars of heaven fell unto the earth_, even as a fig-tree casteth
her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Verse 13.
NOTES.—This was fulfilled in the wonderful meteoric shower of Nov.
13, 1833. Describing the scene in the vicinity of Niagara Falls,
one writer says: “No spectacle so terribly grand and sublime was
ever before beheld by man as that of the firmament descending in
fiery torrents over the dark and roaring cataract.”—_“__Our First
Century,__”__ page 330; also The American Cyclopedia, edition
1881, article __“__Meteor.__”_ See readings just referred to.
A contributor, writing for the _Journal of Commerce_ of Nov. 14,
1833, in regard to the falling stars of Nov. 13, 1833, said: “Were
I to hunt through nature for a simile, I could not find one so apt
to illustrate the appearance of the heavens as that which St. John
uses in the prophecy. The falling stars did not come as if from
several trees shaken, but as from _one_; those which appeared in
the east, fell toward the east; those which appeared in the west,
fell toward the west; and those which appeared in the south, fell
toward the south. And they fell not as the _ripe_ fruit falls,—far
from it,—but they flew, they were _cast_, like the unripe fruit
which at first refuses to leave the branch; and when, under a
violent pressure, it does break its hold, it flies swiftly,
_straight_ off, descending; and in the multitude falling, some
cross the track of others, as they are thrown with more or less
force; but each one falls on its own side of the tree.” See page
321.
14. What is the next event mentioned in the prophecy?
“And _the heaven departed as a scroll_ when it is rolled together; and
every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” Verse 14.
NOTE.—This event is still future, and will take place in
connection with Christ’s second coming. We are now standing
between the two events,—the last of the signs in the heavens, and
the parting of the heavens and removal of earthly things out of
their places. The great signs here mentioned which mark the
approach of Christ’s second coming and the dissolution of all
earthly things, are all in the past, and the world awaits the
sound of the last trump as the closing scene in earth’s drama.
15. How will this great event affect the world?
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman,
hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to
the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day
of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Verses 15-17.
16. After the sealing work brought to view in Revelation 7, which takes
place under the sixth seal, how is the seventh seal introduced?
“And when He had opened the seventh seal, _there was silence in heaven_
about the space of half an hour.” Rev. 8:1.
NOTE.—The sixth seal introduced the events connected with the
second coming of Christ. The seventh seal most naturally,
therefore, would refer to that event, or to some accompanying
result of it. When Christ comes, all the holy angels will
accompany Him (Matt. 25:31); and it follows that silence will
necessarily, therefore, reign in heaven during their absence. A
half-hour of prophetic time would be about seven days. The seven
seals, therefore, bring us down to the second coming of Christ.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
It may be at morn, when the day is awaking,
When sunlight through darkness and shadow is breaking,
That Jesus will come in the fulness of glory
To receive from the world His own.
It may be at midday, it may be at twilight,
It may be, perchance, that the blackness of midnight
Will burst into light in the blaze of His glory,
When Jesus receives His own.
O joy! O delight! should we go without dying,
No sickness, no sadness, no dread, and no crying,
Caught up through the clouds with our Lord into glory,
When Jesus receives His own.
H. L. TURNER.
The Seven Trumpets
[Illustration.]
Symbols Of War. "The nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the
time of the dead, that they should be judged." Rev. 11:18.
1. Following the seven seals, under what symbols was the next series of
thrilling events shown the apostle John?
“And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given
_seven trumpets_.” Rev. 8:2.
2. With what do these trumpets deal?
With the wars, commotions, and political upheavals which result in the
breaking up and downfall of the Roman Empire,—the first four with the
downfall of Western Rome, the fifth and sixth with the downfall of Eastern
Rome, and the seventh with the final downfall of Rome in its broadest
sense, or all the kingdoms of the world. See Revelation 8 and 9 and
11:14-19. A trumpet is a symbol of war. Jer. 4:19, 20; Joel 2:1-11.
3. Under what figures is the first trumpet described?
“The first angel sounded, and there followed _hail_ and _fire_ mingled
with _blood_, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of
trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” Rev. 8:7.
NOTES.—“Twice, at least, before the Roman Empire became divided
permanently into the two parts, the Eastern and the Western, there
was a tripartite division of the empire. The first occurred 311
A.D., when it was divided between Constantine, Licinius, and
Maximin; the other, 337 A.D., on the death of Constantine, when it
was divided between his three sons, Constantine, Constans, and
Constantius.”—_Albert Barnes, on Rev. 12:4._ To Constantius was
given Constantinople and the East; to Constans, Italy, Illyricum,
and northern Africa; and to Constantine II, Britain, Gaul, and
Spain.
This trumpet describes the first great invasion upon Western or
ancient Rome, by the Goths, under Alaric, from 395 A.D. to 410
A.D. In 408 he descended upon Italy, the middle “third part,”
pillaging and burning cities, and slaughtering their inhabitants.
Says Gibbon, in his “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,”
chapter 33, closing sentence, “The union of the Roman Empire was
dissolved; its genius was humbled in the dust; and armies of
unknown barbarians, issuing from the frozen regions of the North,
had established their victorious reign over the fairest provinces
of Europe and Africa.”
4. What striking figure is used to describe the destruction wrought under
the second trumpet?
“And the second angel sounded, and as it were _a great mountain burning
with fire was cast into the sea_: and the third part of the sea became
blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had
life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” Verses 8, 9.
NOTE.—This describes the invasions and conquests of the Vandals
under the terrible Genseric—first of Africa and later of
Italy—from 428 to 476 A.D. His conquests were largely by sea. In a
single night, near Carthage, he destroyed, by fire and sword, more
than half of the Roman fleet, consisting of 1,113 ships and over
100,000 men. See Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,”
chapter 36.
5. What was to take place under the third trumpet?
“And the third angel sounded, and _there fell a great star from heaven,
burning as it were a lamp_, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers,
and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called
_Wormwood_: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; _and many
men died of the waters_, because they were made bitter.” Verses 10, 11.
NOTES.—The harassing invasions and conquests of Attila, the Hun,
are foretold here. His conquests were characterized by fire;
sword, and pillage along the Rhine, in Gaul, and northern Italy.
He claimed descent from Nimrod, styled himself the “Scourge of
God” and the “Dread of the World,” and boasted that grass would
never grow again where his horse had trod. His greatest battle was
at Chalons, in Gaul, 451 A.D., where of his 700,000 men from
100,000 to 300,000 are said to have been left dead on the field.
See Gibbon’s Rome, chapter 35, and “Fifteen Decisive Battles of
the World,” by Sir Edward Creasy, chapter 6.
Says Gibbon (chapter 34), “In the reign of Attila, the Huns again
became the terror of the world;” and he proceeds to describe “the
character and actions of that formidable barbarian, who,” he says,
“alternately insulted and invaded the East and the West, and urged
the rapid downfall of the Roman Empire.”
6. What was to occur under the fourth trumpet?
“And the fourth angel sounded, and _the third part of the sun was smitten,
and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars_; so as
the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third
part of it, and the night likewise.” Verse 12.
NOTE.—This trumpet brings us to the fall of Western Rome, in 476
A.D., when the Herulian barbarians, under the leadership of
Odoacer, took possession of the city and scepter of Rome; and the
great empire which had hitherto been the empress of the world was
reduced to a poor dukedom, tributary to the exarch of Ravenna. Its
luminaries, or civil rulers, were smitten, and ceased to shine.
“Italy now became in effect a province of the empire of the East.
The Roman Empire in the West had come to an end, after an
existence from the founding of Rome of 1,229 years.”—_Myers’s
__“__General History,__”__ page 348._
7. What was to be the character of the last three trumpets?
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven,
saying with a loud voice, _Woe, woe, woe_, to the inhabiters of the earth
by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which
are yet to sound!” Verse 13.
[Illustration.]
The Seven Trumpets.
8. After the fall of Western Rome, what power in the East arose to harass
and overrun the Roman world, East and West?
Mohammedanism, commonly known as the Turkish or Ottoman power, which arose
in Arabia, with Mohammed, in 622 A.D.
9. How is the fifth trumpet, or first woe, introduced?
“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw _a star fall from heaven unto the
earth_: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened
the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke
of a great furnace; _and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of
the smoke of the pit_. And there came out of the smoke _locusts_ upon the
earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have
power.” Rev. 9:1-3.
NOTES.—Attila is symbolized by the star of the third trumpet (Rev.
8:10, 11); Mohammed, by the star of this trumpet. The bottomless
pit doubtless refers to the wastes of the Arabian desert, from
which came forth the Mohammedans, or Saracens of Arabia, like
swarms of locusts. The darkening caused by the smoke from this pit
fitly represents the spread of Mohammedanism and its doctrines
over Asia, Africa, and portions of Europe. Their power as
scorpions is strikingly seen in their vigorous and speedy attacks
upon, and overthrow of, their enemies.
“Over a large part of Spain, over north Africa, Egypt, Syria,
Babylonia, Persia, north India, and portions of Central Asia were
spread—to the more or less perfect exclusion of native customs,
speech, and worship—the manners, the language, and the religion of
the Arabian conquerors.”—_Myers’s __“__General History,__”__ page
401._
10. What command was given these locusts?
“And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the
earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which
have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” Verse 4.
NOTES.—When the Arabian tribes were gathered for the conquest of
Syria, 633 A.D., the caliph Abu-Bekr, the successor of Mohammed,
instructed the chiefs of his army not to allow their victory to be
“stained with the blood of women and children;” to “destroy no
palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn;” to “cut down no
fruit-trees, nor do any mischief to cattle;” and to spare those
religious persons “who live retired in monasteries, and propose to
themselves to serve God in that way;” but, he said, “you will find
another sort of people that belong to the synagogue of Satan, who
have shaven crowns: be sure you cleave their skulls and give them
no quarter till they either turn Mohammedan or pay tribute.” In
this, Mohammedanism, itself a false religion, is revealed as a
scourge to apostate Christianity.
“In a short time they [the Mohammedan Saracens] had taken from the
Aryans all the principal old Semitic lands,—Palestine, Syria,
Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Babylonia. To these was soon added
Egypt.”—_Encyclopedia Britannica, article __“__Mohammedanism.__”_
11. What were these locusts said to have over them?
“And they had _a king_ over them, which is the angel of the bottomless
pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue
hath his name Apollyon [margin, a destroyer].” Verse 11.
NOTES.—For hundreds of years the Mohammedans and invading Tartar
tribes, like the locusts (Prov. 30:27), had no general government
or king over them, but were divided into bands, or factions, under
separate leaders. But in the twelfth century Temuljin, king of the
Mongols, or Moguls, who is described as “the most terrible scourge
that ever afflicted the human race,” built up an empire “at the
cost,” it is estimated, says Myers in his “General History,” page
461, of “fifty thousand cities and towns and five million lives.”
This was followed by the more permanent Tartar empire founded by
Othman a century later, commonly known as the Ottoman Empire, and
ruled by the sultan.
From the first, the great characteristic of the Turkish government
has been that of a “destroyer.” Speaking of a war by the Turks
upon the Byzantine Empire in 1050, Gibbon (chapter 57) says: “The
myriads of Turkish horse overspread a frontier of six hundred
miles from Tauris to Erzeroum, and the blood of one hundred and
thirty thousand Christians was a grateful sacrifice to the Arabian
prophet.”
In 1058 the Turks wrested the Holy Land from the Saracens,
desecrated the holy places, and treated the pilgrims to Jerusalem
with cruelty. This brought on the nine unsuccessful crusades of
the next two centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land.
12. What definite period is mentioned under this trumpet?
“And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their
tails: and their power was to hurt men _five months_.” Verse 10. See also
verse 5.
NOTES.—“It was on the twenty-seventh of July, in the year 1299,”
says Gibbon, “that Othman first invaded the territory of
Nicomedia,” in Asia Minor, “and the singular accuracy of the
date,” he adds, “seems to disclose some foresight of the rapid and
destructive growth of the monster.”—_“__Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire,__”__ chap. 64, par. 14_ This, then, we take to be
the beginning of the period referred to.
A Bible month consists of thirty days; five months would be 150
days. Allowing a day for a year, 150 years from July 27, 1299,
would reach to July 27, 1449. During this period the Turks were
engaged in almost constant warfare with the Greek Empire, and yet
without conquering it.
13. With what statement does the fifth trumpet close?
“One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” Verse
12.
14. What command is given under the sixth trumpet?
“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of
the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had
the trumpet, _Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river
Euphrates_.” Verses 13, 14.
NOTES.—These four angels are understood to refer to the four
leading Turkish sultanies—Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Bagdad—of
which the Ottoman Empire was composed, situated in the country
watered by the river Euphrates.
As a striking parallel it may be noted that under the sixth plague
(Rev. 16:12-16), the four angels of Rev. 7:1-3 will loose the
winds of war, the waters of the river Euphrates (the Turkish
Empire) will be dried up, and the armies of the nations will
assemble for the battle of Armageddon.
15. What warlike scene is given under this trumpet?
“The number of the armies of the horsemen was _twice ten thousand times
ten thousand_: ... and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions;
and _out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone_.” Verses
16, 17, R. V.
NOTES.—“In the year 1453, Mohammed II, the Great, sultan of the
Ottomans, laid siege to the capital [Constantinople], with an army
of over 200,000 men. After a short investment, the place was taken
by storm. The cross, which since the time of Constantine the Great
had surmounted the dome of St. Sophia, was replaced by the
crescent, which remains to this day.”—_Myers’s __“__General
History,__”__ edition 1902, pages 462, 463._
Thus Constantinople, the eastern seat of the Roman Empire since
the days of Constantine, was captured by the Turks.
Reference also seems to be made here to the use of firearms, which
began to be employed by the Turks toward the close of the
thirteenth century, and which, discharged from horseback, would
give the appearance of fire and smoke issuing from the horses’
mouths. In the battle of Armageddon, to which allusion may here be
made, an army of “twice ten thousand times ten thousand,” or two
hundred million, will doubtless be assembled.
16. What was the result of this warfare by means of “fire and smoke and
brimstone”?
“By these three was the third part of men killed.” Verse 18.
NOTE.—This shows the deadly effect of this new means of warfare.
“Constantinople was subdued, her empire subverted, and her
religion trampled in the dust by the Moslem
conquerors.”—_Elliott’s __“__Horæ Apocalypticæ,__”__ Vol. I, page
484._
17. What definite period is mentioned under this trumpet?
“And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an _hour_, and a
_day_, and a _month_; and a _year_, for to slay the third part of men.”
Verse 15.
NOTE.—An hour in prophetic time is equal to fifteen days; a day
stands for a year, a month for thirty years, a year for 360 years.
Added together, these amount to 391 years and fifteen days, the
time allotted for the Ottoman supremacy. Commencing July 27, 1449,
the date of the close of the fifth trumpet, this period would end
Aug. 11, 1840. In exact fulfilment of the words of inspiration,
this date marks the fall of the Ottoman Empire as an independent
power. His empire wasted beyond hope of recovery in a war with
Mohammed Ali, pasha of Egypt, the sultan of Turkey submitted to
the dictates of the then four great powers of Europe, and his
minister, Rifat Bey, on that very day, Aug. 11, 1840, reached
Alexandria, bearing, not the sultan’s ultimatum, but that of the
powers, to place in the hands of the rebellious pasha. Since then
Turkey has existed only by the help or sufferance of the great
powers of Europe, and has commonly been referred to as “the Sick
Man of the East.”
18. With what announcement does the sixth trumpet close?
“The second woe is past; and, behold, _the third woe cometh quickly_.”
Rev. 11:14.
NOTE.—The definite period under the sixth trumpet brings us to
1840, when Turkey lost her independence. Her final downfall, we
understand, will come at the opening of the seventh trumpet.
19. What is to be finished when the seventh trumpet is about to sound?
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to
sound, then is finished _the mystery of God_, according to the good
tidings which He declared to His servants the prophets.” Rev. 10:7, R. V.
NOTE.—The mystery of God is the gospel. Eph. 3:3-6; Gal. 1:11, 12,
When this trumpet is about to sound, therefore, the gospel will
close, and the end will come. The “time of trouble,” of Dan. 12:1,
and the seven last plagues and the battle of Armageddon, spoken of
in Revelation 16, will take place when this trumpet begins to
sound.
20. What event marks the sounding of the seventh trumpet?
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven,
saying, _The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,
and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever._ And the four and
twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces,
and worshiped God, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which
art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great
power, and hast reigned.” Rev. 11:15-17.
NOTE.—The seventh trumpet, therefore, brings us to the setting up
of God’s everlasting kingdom.
21. What is the condition of the nations, and what other events are due or
impending at this time?
“And _the nations were angry_, and _Thy wrath is come_, and _the time of
the dead, that they should be judged_, and that Thou shouldest _give
reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints_, and them that
fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest _destroy them which destroy
the earth_.” Verse 18.
NOTES.—The closing scenes of this world’s history and the judgment
are clearly brought to view here. Ever since the loss of
independence by the Ottoman Empire in 1840, the nations have been
preparing for war as never before, in view of international
complications and a world war which all fear is inevitable upon
the dissolution of Turkey and the final disposition of its
territory. Towering above all others, the Eastern question has
been the one of paramount concern to them.
The investigative judgment began in heaven in 1844, at the close
of the prophetic period of 2300 days. See readings on pages
230-253. When this is finished, the time of reward will have
arrived, the end will have come, and the saints will themselves
sit in judgment. See Rev. 20:4; 1 Cor. 6:1-3.
22. What scene in heaven was presented to the prophet as the seventh
trumpet was about to sound?
“And _the temple of God was opened in heaven_, and there was seen in His
temple _the ark of His testament_: and there were lightnings, and voices,
and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Rev. 11:19.
NOTES.—This forcibly calls attention to the closing work of Christ
in the second apartment, or most holy place, of the sanctuary in
heaven, which began in 1844. See readings referred to in preceding
note. The reference to the ark of God’s testament is a forcible
reminder also of that which is to be the standard in the
judgment,—the law of God, or ten commandments. See Eccl. 12:13,
14; Rom. 2:12, 13; James 2:8-12.
From its closing words—the reference to “great hail”—the seventh
trumpet evidently embraces the seven last plagues (see Rev. 16:17,
18); and from its opening words—“the kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord”—it marks the setting up of God’s
everlasting kingdom.
The Eastern Question
[Illustration.]
The Bosporus. "He shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Dan.
11:45.
1. What, briefly stated, is the Eastern question?
The driving out of Turkey from Europe, and the final extinction of the
Turkish Empire, with the world-embracing events that follow. It has been
otherwise described as “the driving of the Turk into Asia, and a scramble
for his territory.”
2. What scriptures are devoted to the Turkish power?
Dan. 11:40-45; Revelation 9; and Rev. 16:12.
NOTE.—In the eleventh chapter of Daniel, Turkey is dealt with
under the title of the “king of the north;” in Revelation 9, under
the sounding of the fifth and sixth “trumpets;” and in Revelation
16, under the symbol of the drying up of the water of the chief
river of the Turkish Asiatic possessions, “the great river
Euphrates.” The actual drying up of the river Euphrates was the
signal for the overthrow of ancient Babylon.
3. When did Turkey take Constantinople, and thus the northern division of
ancient Greece and Rome?
In A.D. 1453, under Mohammed II. See pages 293, 294.
NOTE.—After the death of Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire
was divided by his four leading generals, Cassander, Lysimachus,
Seleucus, and Ptolemy, into four parts,—east, west, north, and
south,—the first three of which were shortly afterward absorbed
into one kingdom, the kingdom of the north, Egypt remaining the
king, or kingdom, of the south. In the breaking up of the Roman
Empire, the Turks gained possession of the Holy Land in A.D. 1058,
and finally of Constantinople, and considerable portions of
eastern Europe,—the kingdom of the north,—in 1453, to which, with
varying fortunes and shrinking geographical boundaries, it has
held ever since.
4. How has Turkey been regarded by European nations?
“The Turks have ever remained quite insensible to the influences of
European civilization, and their government has been a perfect blight and
curse to the countries subject to their rule. They have always been looked
upon _as intruders_ in Europe, and their presence there has led to several
of the most sanguinary wars of modern times. Gradually they have been
pushed out from their European possessions, and the time is probably not
very far distant when they will be driven back across the
Bosporus.”—_Myers’s __“__General History,__”__ edition 1902, page 468._
5. When did the independence of Turkey cease?
In 1840, at the close of a two years’ war between Turkey and Egypt, when
the fate of Turkey was placed in the hands of four great powers of
Europe,—England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. See page 294, under
question 19.
6. What is one of the last predictions of the prophecy of Daniel
concerning the king of the north?
“But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him:
therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to
make away many.” Dan. 11:44.
NOTE.—Upon this, Dr. Adam Clarke, writing in 1825, said: “If the
Turkish power be understood, as in the preceding verses, it may
mean that the Persians on the _east_ and the Russians on the
_north_ will at some time greatly embarrass the Ottoman
government.” Such indeed was the case, and these conditions
brought on the Crimean war of 1853-56, between Russia and Turkey.
In this war England and France came to the help of Turkey, and
prevented Russia from grasping Constantinople, her coveted prize,
and thus gaining access to the Dardanelles and the Mediterranean
and so possessing herself of the gateway of commerce between
Europe Asia. Without an outlet to the sea, Russia cannot be a
strong naval power. In his celebrated will, Peter the Great of
Russia (1672-1725) admonished his countrymen thus: “Take every
possible means of gaining Constantinople and the Indies, for,”
said he, “he who rules there will be the true sovereign of the
world; excite war continually in Turkey and Persia; ... get
control of the sea by degrees; ... advance to the Indies, which
are the great depot of the world. Once there, we can do without
the gold of England.” The authenticity of this will has been
questioned, but it outlines a policy which Russia has quite
faithfully pursued.
7. What since 1840 has saved Turkey from complete overthrow?
The help and interference of various European powers.
NOTE.—“It is not too much to say that England has twice saved
Turkey from complete subjection since 1853. It is
largely—mainly—due to our action that she now exists at all as an
independent power. On both these occasions we dragged the powers
of Europe along with us in maintaining the Ottoman
government.”—_Duke of Argyle (1895), in __“__The Turkish-Armenian
Question,__”__ page 17._
8. Why have these powers thus helped Turkey?
Not from love for Turkey, but for fear of the international complications
that its downfall might entail.
NOTES.—In his Mansion House speech, Nov. 9, 1895, Lord Salisbury,
responding to a wide-spread demand for the overthrow of the
Turkish power, said: “Turkey is in that remarkable condition that
it has now stood for half a century, mainly because the great
powers of the world have resolved that _for the peace of
Christendom it is necessary that the Ottoman Empire should stand_.
They came to that conclusion nearly half a century ago. I do not
think they have altered it now. _The danger_, if the Ottoman
Empire fall, would not merely be the danger that would threaten
the territories of which that empire consists; _it would be the
danger that the fire there lit should spread to other nations, and
should involve all that is most powerful and civilized in Europe
in a dangerous and calamitous contest_. That was a danger that was
present to the minds of our fathers when they resolved to make the
integrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire a matter of
European treaty, _and that is a danger_ WHICH HAS NOT PASSED
AWAY.”
“The Balkan, or Near Eastern, question has been one of the most
complicated political problems of the world’s history for half a
century. ... For four centuries and a half, or ever since the
conquering Turk crossed the Bosporus and took Constantinople, the
grim contest has been on to dislodge him by war and
diplomacy.”—_American Review of Reviews, November, 1912._
Nearly a century ago, Napoleon, while a prisoner on St. Helena,
explained that when emperor of France, he would not consent for
Alexander, the czar of Russia, to have Constantinople, “foreseeing
that the equilibrium of Europe would be destroyed.”
9. What is the divine prediction regarding the future and final downfall
of the king of the north?
“And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas _in the
glorious holy mountain: yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help
him_.” Dan. 11:45.
NOTE.—It would seem natural that the Ottoman government should
make its last stand at Jerusalem. Around the city of the Holy
Sepulcher and the tombs of the “saints” has been waged for long
years a war between the followers of Islam and the believers in
the Christian religion. In this place, many Bible students
believe, Turkey will come to her end in fulfilment of this
scripture.
10. Under which of the seven last plagues is the water of the Euphrates
(Turkey) to be dried up, and for what purpose?
“And _the sixth angel_ poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;
and the water thereof was _dried up, that the way of the kings of the East
might be prepared_.” Rev. 16:12.
NOTE.—For years the drying-up process of the Turkish Empire has
been in progress, as may be seen from the following:—
(1) In 1783 Turkey was compelled to surrender to Russia the
territory of the Crimea, including all the countries east of the
Caspian Sea.
(2) In 1828 Greece secured her independence.
(3) In 1830 Algeria was ceded to France.
(4) In 1867 Turkey was forced to recognize the independence of
Egypt.
(5) In the same year Turkey lost possession of Servia and Bosnia.
(6) In 1878 the Treaty of Berlin granted autonomous government to
Bulgaria, and independence to Roumelia, Roumania, and Montenegro.
(7) In 1912 Tripoli was taken over by Italy.
(8) In 1912 and 1913 the Balkan States and Greece dispossessed
Turkey of nearly all of her remaining territory in Europe.
11. Under this plague, what incites the nations to war?
“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_.” Verses 13,
14.
12. At this time, what event is near at hand?
“_Behold, I come as a thief._ Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Verse 15.
13. To what place will the nations be gathered for battle?
“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
_Armageddon_.” Verse 16.
NOTE.—Armageddon consists of a great triangular plain in northern
Palestine, twelve by fifteen by eighteen miles, extending
southeast from Mt. Carmel, otherwise known as the plain of
Esdraelon, or valley of Jezreel. It has been the scene of many
great battles, such as that of Gideon’s overthrow of the
Midianites (Judges 6, 7), when “the Lord set every man’s sword
against his fellow;” of Saul’s defeat by the Philistines (1 Sam.
29: 1; 1 Chronicles 10); and of Josiah’s defeat by Pharaoh Necho
(2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:20-24): and, as this scripture
indicates, it is the place where, under the influence of evil
spirits just preceding Christ’s second coming, the great armies of
the world will be gathered for their final struggle and utter
destruction under the seventh plague.
14. When the king of the north comes to his end, what, according to the
prophecy, is to take place?
“And _at that time shall Michael stand up_, the great Prince which
standeth for the children of thy people: and _there shall be a time of
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation_ even to that same
time: and _at that time thy people shall be delivered_, every one that
shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1.
NOTE.—The expression “stand up” occurs eight times in this line of
prophecy (Daniel 11 and 12), and in each case means _to reign_.
See Dan. 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 20, 21; 12:1. Michael is Christ, as
will be seen by comparing Jude 9, 1 Thess. 4:16, and John 5:25.
When the Turkish Empire is brought to an end, therefore, the time
will have come for Christ to receive His kingdom (Luke 19:11-15),
and begin His reign. This great change will be ushered in by the
downfall, not only of Turkey, but of all nations (Rev. 11:15); by
the time of trouble here spoken of; by the seven last plagues
described in Revelation 16; and by the deliverance of all God’s
people,—those whose names are found written in the book of life
(Rev. 3:5; 20:12),—which shows that probation and the
investigative judgment will then be past.
15. What will take place at this time?
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Verse 2.
NOTES.—At the resurrection of Christ there was a special
resurrection, when many of the saints were raised from the dead,
were seen of many, and were taken to heaven with Christ at His
ascension. Matt. 27:52, 53; Eph. 4:8. So, just prior to Christ’s
second coming and the general resurrection of the righteous, many
of the sleeping saints, and some colossal sinners (those that
“pierced Him,” Rev. 1:7), it seems, will be raised to witness His
coming, and hear God’s covenant of peace with His people.
This line of prophecy, therefore, brings us down to the
resurrection of the righteous, which takes place at the second
advent.
16. What false message will go forth before destruction comes upon those
unprepared for Christ’s coming and kingdom?
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night. _For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then
sudden destruction cometh upon them_, ... and they shall not escape.” 1
Thess. 5:2, 3.
NOTE.—The so-called Christian nations will not go to Palestine
merely to expel the Turks from the land. As in the crusades of the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the idea will be to rescue the
Holy Land from the Mohammedans, and make Jerusalem the center of a
glorious kingdom, with Christ as king. The Papacy itself, it is
thought by some, will at this time remove its seat to Jerusalem,
and issue a great peace proclamation, directing the nations to
beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning-hooks, and calling upon all to come up to the mountain of
the Lord, as described in Isa. 2:2-5 and Micah 4:1-5. Infatuated
by the doctrine of a temporal millennium, many nations will join
in the call, and say, “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Isa. 2:3. But this will be
but the signal for the battle of Armageddon and the “sudden
destruction” that is to overtake the world and bring to an end the
present order of things. See Rev. 19:17-21; Eze. 38:14-23;
39:17-22. Toward this consummation passing events all indicate we
are rapidly hastening.
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Watchman on the walls of Zion,
What, O tell us, of the night?
Is the day-star now arising?
Will the morn soon greet our sight?
O’er your vision shine there now some rays of light?
Tell, O tell us, are the landmarks
On our voyage all passed by?
Are we nearing now the haven?
Can we e’en the land descry?
Do we truly see the heavenly kingdom nigh?
The Seven Last Plagues
[Illustration.]
Marshaling Of The Nations. "And he gathered them together into a place
called ... Armageddon." Rev. 16:16.
1. What is God’s final warning against false worship?
“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand, _the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath
of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His
indignation_; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” Rev. 14:9,
10.
NOTE.—During probationary time God’s wrath is always tempered, or
mingled, with mercy. Thus the prophet Habakkuk prays, “In wrath
remember mercy.” Hab. 3:2. God’s wrath unmixed with mercy is
visited only when mercy has done its final work and evil has gone
to the limit, so that there is “no remedy.” See Gen. 6:3; 15:16;
19:12, 13; 2 Chron. 36:16; Matt. 23:37, 38; Luke 19:42-44; 2 Peter
2:6; Jude 7.
2. In what is the wrath of God filled up?
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels
having _the seven last plagues_; for _in them is filled up the wrath of
God_.” Rev. 15:1.
3. How does Joel describe the day of the Lord?
“Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a
destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” “For the day of the Lord is
great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” Joel 1:15; 2:11.
4. What has Daniel said of this time?
“And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1.
See Eze. 7:15-19.
NOTE.—The seven last plagues will be the most terrible scourges
ever visited upon man. As Ahab accused Elijah of being the cause
of Israel’s calamities (1 Kings 18:17, 18), so, in the time of
trouble, the wicked and those who have departed from God will be
enraged at the righteous, will accuse them as being the cause of
the plagues, and will seek to destroy them as did Haman the Jews.
See Esther 3:8-14. But God will miraculously deliver His people at
this time as He did then.
5. What will be the first plague, and upon whom will it fall?
“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon _the earth_; and _there
fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the
beast, and upon them which worshiped his image_.” Rev. 16:2.
6. What will constitute the second plague?
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon _the sea_; and _it became
as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea_.” Verse
3.
7. What will be the third plague?
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon _the rivers and fountains of
waters_; and _they became blood_.” Verse 4.
NOTE.—The second plague affects the sea. The third plague comes
closer to the habitations of men, and affects the land. The water
supplies are contaminated.
8. Why, under these plagues, does the Lord give men blood to drink?
“_For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets_, and Thou hast
given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” Verse 6.
NOTE.—In this is shown God’s abhorrence of oppression and
persecution. The plagues are God’s rebukes against colossal forms
of sin.
9. What will be the fourth plague?
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon _the sun_; and _power was
given unto him to scorch men with fire_.” Verse 8. See Joel 1:16-20.
NOTE.—Sun-worship is the most ancient and wide-spread of all forms
of idolatry. In this plague God manifests His displeasure at this
form of idolatry. That which men have worshiped as a god, becomes
a plague and tormentor. Thus it was in the plagues of Egypt. Those
things which the Egyptians had worshiped became scourges to them
instead of benefactors and blessings. See “The Philosophy of the
Plan of Salvation,” by “An American Citizen,” chapter 3.
10. Will even this terrible judgment lead men to repent?
“And men were scorched with great heat, and _blasphemed the name of God_,
which hath power over these plagues: and _they repented not to give Him
glory_.” Verse 9.
11. What will be the fifth plague?
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon _the seat of the beast_; and
_his kingdom was full of darkness_; and they gnawed their tongues for
pain.” Verse 10.
NOTE.—This plague strikes at the very seat of the great apostasy
of the latter days, the Papacy. It will doubtless be similar in
effect to the like plague in Egypt, which was a darkness that
could “be felt.” Ex. 10:21-23. By this plague that iniquitous,
haughty, and apostate spiritual despotism which has set itself up
as possessing all truth, and as being the light of the world, is
enshrouded in midnight darkness.
12. What takes place under the sixth plague?
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river _Euphrates_;
and _the water thereof was dried up_, that the way of the kings of the
East might be prepared.” Verse 12.
NOTE.—This, we understand, refers to the drying up of the Turkish
Empire by the great world powers preparatory to the battle of
Armageddon. See preceding reading.
13. What gathers the nations to the battle of Armageddon?
“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.... And he
gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon.” Verses 13-16.
NOTE.—This scripture shows that it is the spirit of Satan which
incites men to war, and explains why the great nations of the
world are now making such preparations for war. The dragon
represents paganism; the beast, the Papacy; and the false prophet,
apostate Protestantism,—the three great religious apostasies since
the flood. The plain Esdraelon, in southwestern Galilee, is the
Armageddon here referred to. See note on page 99.
14. At this time what event is imminent?
“_Behold, I come as a thief._ Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Verse 15.
15. What takes place under the seventh plague?
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into _the air_.... And there
were _voices_, and _thunders_, and _lightnings_; and _there was a great
earthquake_, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts,
_and the cities of the nations fell_.” Verses 17-19.
16. What accompanies the earthquake?
“And there fell upon men _a great hail out of heaven_, every stone about
the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of
the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” Verse 21. See Job
38:22, 23; Ps. 7:11-13.
17. What will the Lord be to His people at this time?
“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem;
and the heavens and the earth shall shake: _but the Lord will be the hope
of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel_.” Joel 3:16.
See Jer. 25:30, 31; Haggai 2:21; Heb.12:26; Ps. 91:5-10.
NOTE.—To prepare His people and the world for these terrible
judgments, the Lord, as in the days of Noah, sends a warning
message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. See Rev.
14:6-10.
18. Just before the pouring out of the plagues, what call does God send to
His people still in Babylon?
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, _Come out of her, My
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of
her plagues_. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath
remembered her iniquities.” Rev. 18:4, 5. See Gen. 19:12-17; Jer. 51:6;
and page 254.
NOTE.—As before the flood, many of God’s people will doubtless be
laid away to rest shortly before the time of trouble. See Isa.
57:1; Rev. 14:13. Referring to the time before the flood, an
ancient book says: “And all men who walked in the ways of the
Lord, died in those days, before the Lord brought the evil upon
man which He had declared, for this was from the Lord, that they
should not see the evil which the Lord spoke of concerning the
sons of men.”—_Book of Jasher 4:20._ See also chapter 5:21 of the
same book.
19. How suddenly will the plagues come upon modern Babylon?
“Therefore shall her plagues come _in one day_, death, and mourning, and
famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord
God who judgeth her.... For in _one hour_ is thy judgment come.” Rev.
18:8-10.
20. What famine will come at this time upon those who have rejected God’s
messages of mercy?
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that _I will send a famine in the
land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the
words of the Lord_: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the
north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the
Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12. See Luke 13:25; Prov.
1:24-26; Heb. 12:15-17.
21. What announcement is made under the seventh plague?
“And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the
throne, saying, _It is done_.” Rev. 16:17.
NOTE.—God made man to bless him. Gen. 1:28. When His blessings are
abused, He withholds them, to teach men their source and their
proper use. Haggai 1:7-11. Judgments are sent that men may “learn
righteousness.” Isa. 25:9; 1 Kings 17:1. That men do not repent
under the plagues is no evidence that God has ceased to be
merciful and forgiving. They simply demonstrate that all have
determined their destiny, and that even the severest judgments of
God will not move the ungodly and impenitent to repentance.
22. Just preceding Christ’s second coming, what solemn decree will go
forth showing that the cases of all have been decided?
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let
him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still:
and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly;
and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall
be.” Rev. 22:11, 12.
23. What psalms seem to have been written especially for the comfort and
encouragement of God’s people during the time of the seven last plagues?
Psalms 91 and 46. See also Isa. 33:13-17.
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The great decisive day is at hand!
The day when Christ will come,
To call His children home
And to seal the sinner’s doom,
Is at hand.
Where will the sinner hide in that day?
It will be in vain to call,
“Ye mountains on us fall,”
For His hand will find out all
In that day.
The Mystery Of God Finished
[Illustration.]
Watchman, What Of The Night? "The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ." Rev. 11:15.
1. Following his description of the sixth trumpet, what did John see?
“And I saw _another mighty angel come down from heaven_, clothed with a
cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the
sun.” Rev. 10:1.
2. What did he have in his hand?
“And he had in his hand _a little book open_.” Verse 2.
NOTE.—The book of Daniel, which was to be “sealed,” or closed,
till the time of the end, is doubtless referred to here. See Dan.
12:4, 9.
3. What solemn announcement did this angel make?
“And the angel which I saw ... lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by
Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that
therein are, ... _that there should be time no longer_.” Rev. 10:5, 6.
NOTE.—Not literal nor probationary time, but prophetic time. The
2300-day period, which ended in 1844, must be alluded to here. See
page 230. No prophetic period in the Bible reaches beyond this.
4. What did the angel say was to be finished when the seventh trumpet was
about to sound?
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to
sound, _the mystery of God_ should be finished, as He hath declared to His
servants the prophets.” Verse 7.
NOTE.—The mystery of God is the gospel. Eph. 3:1-6; Gal. 1:11, 12.
The gospel, then, is to be finished as the seventh trumpet is
about to sound.
5. What was John told to do with the little book?
“Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel ...
and _eat it up_.” Verses 8, 9.
6. What was to be the result of the eating of this book?
“It shall _make thy belly bitter_, but it shall be _in thy mouth sweet as
honey_.” Verse 9, last part.
7. What does the apostle say of his experience in this matter?
“And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it
was in my mouth _sweet as honey_: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly
was _bitter_.” Verse 10.
NOTE.—In this is most strikingly foretold the experience of those
who proclaimed the advent and judgment-hour message of 1843-44.
Joyous in the hope that Christ was coming then, like the early
disciples regarding His first advent (Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6, 7),
they were bitterly disappointed, and found that there was still a
work on earth for them to do, as did the early disciples following
the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
8. What words of the angel to John show that both literal and probationary
time were to continue yet for a time, and that God had a still further
message for the world?
“And he said unto me, _Thou must prophesy again_ before many peoples, and
nations, and tongues, and kings.” Verse 11.
NOTE.—The message of Revelation 10 is the same as that of Rev.
14:6, 7; and the later messages of Rev. 14:8-12 answer to the
instruction, “Thou must _prophesy again_,” of Rev. 10:11. But all
are last-day messages, and indicate that the end of all things is
near at hand.
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How long, O Lord our Saviour,
Wilt Thou remain away?
Our hearts are growing weary
Of Thy so long delay.
O when shall come the moment
When, brighter far than morn,
The sunshine of Thy glory
Shall on Thy people dawn?
How long, O gracious Master,
Wilt Thou Thy household leave?
So long hast Thou now tarried,
Few Thy return believe.
Immersed in sloth and folly,
Thy servants, Lord, we see;
And few of us stand ready
With joy to welcome Thee.
O, wake Thy slumbering people;
Send forth the solemn cry;
Let all the saints repeat it,—
“The Saviour draweth nigh!”
May all our lamps be burning,
Our loins well girded be,
Each longing heart preparing
With joy Thy face to see.
Great Lines of Prophecy
*The Great Image of Daniel 2.* This prophecy, written over twenty-five
hundred years ago, is one of the greatest, briefest, and most
comprehensive prophecies in the Bible. Under the symbol of a great
metallic image, the rise and fall of nations is outlined till the end of
time and the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom. See reading on page
204.
*The Four Beasts of Daniel 7.* This line of prophecy covers the same
ground as that of Daniel 2, but with additional features introduced,
especially that concerning the development and work of the “little horn”
power of the fourth beast, under which God’s people were to be oppressed
until delivered and placed in possession of the kingdom “forever and
ever.” See reading on page 213.
*The 2300 Days of Daniel 8.* This prophecy, after tracing the course of
empire down through Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, introduces the longest
prophetic period in the Bible, reaching from the beginning of the movement
to restore and build Jerusalem before Christ’s first advent, to a similar
work to be performed by God’s people in the last days preparatory to
Christ’s second advent. See reading on page 230.
*The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9.* This prophecy fixes the date of the
beginning of the 2300 days, of which the seventy weeks are a part;
definitely marks the time of Christ’s first advent; and briefly refers to
the “consummation” and the overthrow of the last of earthly kingdoms. See
pages 232-236.
*The Standing Up of Michael—Daniel 11 and 12.* A literal prophecy tracing
the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms from the early rulers of Persia in
the sixth century B.C., to the overthrow of Turkey, the “king of the
north,” and the “standing up,” or reign, of Michael, the Great Prince,
which is Christ. See page 296.
*The Prophecies of the Revelation.* These are supplemental to the
prophecies of Daniel. Under the Seven Churches, the Seven Seals, the Seven
Trumpets, the Great Red Dragon, the Leopard Beast, and the Two-Horned
Beast, the history and experience of the church and of earthly kingdoms
are traced during the Christian era, to the end of the age. See pages
301-310.
*Christ’s Great Prophecy.* Christ’s claim to being a prophet, and the
greatest of all prophets, is fully established by His prophecy recorded in
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. In this He depicts minutely the
destruction of Jerusalem, the great tribulation of the Dark Ages, and the
signs that were to herald His second coming. See pages 311-325.