D 524 .J5 Copy 1 The End of the European War IN THE LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE El By F. C. JENNINGS 0: Q: Q -J3 ^^ The End of the European War In the Light of Scripture Fi C. JENNINGS X Trice, 'Cen Cents New York CHARLES C. COOK 150 Nassau Street ,— -Xj w ^.' ^ CCGUMENr DIVlSiOK The End of the War In the Light of the Scripture By F. C. Jennings XT is fully recognized that there are dangers attached to forecasts from prophecy, for as the Lord said "I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might be- lieve": it is the fulfilment that is to be an aid to faith.^ Nor do I forget how frequently human fore- casts, however piously intended, have utterly failed to come to pass altogether, and then far from faith receiving a blessing, it gets a blow, the severity of which is proportioned to the confidence placed in the dogmatic certainty of the interpreter, who frequently identifies his interpretation with the divine word itself. Let me then begin by emphasizing this, I write sug- gestively, not dogmatically ; and ask, not for accept- ance, but for consideration. Again, surely there are many future events that we are bound to discern even now in the light of Scrip- ture, for when they do come to pass there will be no need for any aid to faith at all, for we shall then be walking by sight not by faith, and of that character is the event that is the subject of this paper. My purpose then, at least, is to seek by the mercy of God the light of the Scriptures on the present "roaring of the sea and the rolling surge" ;- and see if they do not give a bright path of light over even these stormy waters, leading up to the Lord Himself ; and His Coming to still the storm. I John 14:29. 2 Luke 21:25. 4 THE END OF THE WAR If any one of the participants in the conflict, or strong partizans thereof, were asked what in his judgment would be the outcome, each would answer according to his sympathies, and find little difticulty in showing that everything pointed to the complete victory of those he favored. This is constantly evi- denced in the public speeches of the representative men of the nations involved. The Christian, however he may be lacking in the wisdom of this world, or be less informed as to its politics, has one inestimable advantage of which that world knows little, and he asks himself : Do these holy oracles of God, perfect revelation of His ways as they are, throw no light at all on the present scene in which His beloved people still are? Do they give no answer to the questions that none can help asking in these days? Must the Christian he as dependent on the contradictory testimony of men, or his own un- aided reasoning powers, as the rejector of the truth of God? Has he no help — no light therein? Is not God the Holy Ghost, the third Person of the Trinity, here for the very purpose not only of "taking of the things of Christ and showing them to him" ; but of leading him into all truth, "and shewing him things to come?"^ Such questions answer themselves; and thus we may turn confidently to the Scriptures, in the humble confidence that the Spirit of God will guide us as we seek light on the subject of this paper. Those Scriptures clearly justify our seeing the day I John 1 6. THE END OF THE WAR 5 approach, for it is written "exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approach- ing."^ This then is not only permissible but incum- bent on us, and the very word "day" clearly evidences that nature has its voice and speaks to us in innumer- able "parables," which we may possible err in inter- preting; but, neglecting which, we should also most surely err. To see the day approach then we must look at con- ditions that introduce the natural day. Last evening the sun departed, and for a while his beams lingered, making a twilight ; this deepened, shade on shade, till darkness ruled, only relieved by the dependent lumi- naries of heaven ; the moon and stars, which were now and again obscured by earth-born shadows and clouds. So the hours passed till the familiar call of the cock spoke of another day coming, and this was followed by a recovery, a return of the light that was lost last evening, in streaks of gray in the East. Then those awake became aware of a lovely star, the Morn- ing-star that heralded the returning sun, which finally appeared flooding the earth with its beams. How easily read is this parable in the light of the Word of God that gives us the number and the sig- nificant names of the watches into which this world's night is divided.- We are surely past the first, or evening watch, in which our Sun having gone— the Light of the world no longer in the world'* — the shades began to fall, divine truth began to be lost, "all in Asia 1 Heb. 10:25. 3 John 9:5. 2 Mark 13 : 35. 6 THE END OF THE WAR turned away" from Paul/ (that is, from his character- istic doctrines) and still greater darkness was foretold as coming on.' So the midnight watch came, and in the pitch darkness of Rome's dominance, the "moon" waned, the Church's light was lost ; the night was only relieved by a remnant of faithful ones, who indeed shone "as luminaries in the world. "^ The times fa- miliarly known as the "Dark Ages" could hardly be better pictured than by "the midnight watch." It is passed, God be thanked ; and in a Wyckliffe, a Luther, a Calvin, a Zwingle, and a host of others, we hear the awakening cries of the "Cock-crowing watch" of the 14th to 1 6th centuries. But this too is surely behind us, and we can see plainly (or it is our condemnation if we cannot) in the recovery during the last hundred years, of many a long-lost Pauline truth, the streaks of returning light ; the first heralds of, as they emanate from, the still hidden Sun. As Paul was pe- culiarly the apostle of the Church with its heavenly calling, so it was this character of truth that was lost in the evening watch* and it is this character of truth that has been, by God's goodness, recovered in the morning watch. We say then with absolute confi- dence that we are in the fourth, "the last watch of the night." We know in which watch our Lord will come for there is no other in which He could come. Woe to us if we are not watchful and sober! 1 2 Tim. 1:1. 3 Phil. 2: 15. 2 Acts 20: 29-30; I Tim. 4. 42 Tim. i : 15. I ; 2 Tim. 3:1. THE END OF THE WAR 7 Equally clear, equally simple, equally sure is the tes- timony of the professing Church's path through the seven conditions foretold in Rev. 2 and 3. Six are past, and in the spirit of democracy that has invaded the Church, in the self-complacency of the professing Christianity of the day, in the ignorance of its true condition, in its lukewarmness and indifference to the Lord Jesus, in its sad and utter failure as a testimony to the grace of God to a lost race, we discover clearly that we are not only in the last fourth, but in the last seventh division of the Church's path ; and again we hear the one word it speaks : "The Lord is at hand." These evidences answer to what the Lord called "the face of the sky," but there is also "the face of the earth" to he discerned ; and here the evidences of the approaching day are so numerous, so varied, yet all pointing with perfect unanimity in the same way to the near approach of the Sun-rise of that Day, that we have to remind ourselves that, near as this appears to be, there is still another herald to come before it: the Morning Star ! For it is as the Sun, that our Lord comes to give a final peace to this war-distracted earth. He is now sitting at the right hand of God, awaiting till His foes be made His footstool. He asks and receives the heathen for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession.^ Then rises from His seat, approaches the earth, all lying in darkness I Psalm 2. 8 THE END OF THE WAR and the wicked one as it is^ and in which all (but a comparative few) are sound asleep, for they are in, and of, the night : as He reaches our atmosphere, He is seen as the "Bright Morning Star" by these com- paratively few, and shouts His quickening word : thou- sands of thousands respond from the tomb, and stand again upon the earth in bodies as filled with glory as His own ; then we who are still alive are also changed instantly into the same glory : and all together, in one unspeakably joyous company, respond to the infinitely superior attraction of His Person, which far counter- vails the power of gravity that now binds us to the earth, and we rise to meet Him in the air.^ Then follows war in heaven, for heaven cannot contain both redeemed sinners and their accuser; Satan is defeated and cast out to the earth, to the woe of those still dwelling upon it.^ Then is set up the judgment seat of Christ in the heavenlies, where we all must be manifested.* while on earth the believing remnant of Israel are also manifested, but there it is in the glare of unparalleled persecution^ till they are at their last gasp.^ Then Jesus, Lord and Messiah continues His journey, we accompanying, until, reaching the earth. He consumes the wicked one with the spirit of His mouth and destroys him with the brightness of His coming,^ delivers the hard-pressed remnant of 1 Ephesians 6: 12; i John 4 2 Cor. 5. 5: 19. 5 Isa. 66: 8. 2 I Thess. 4: 13-18. 6 Dan. 12: 7. 3 Rev. 12. 7 2 Thess. 2 : 8. THE END OF THE WAR g Israel ;^ the devil is cast into the bottomless pit,^ then follows the judgment seat of Christ on the earth; the sessional judgment of the nations,^ and finally, the earth, basking in perfect peace in the rays of her Sun, and under His perfect government,* forgets the 6,000 years of misery she has suffered under the devil's usurped reign. All this is well and surely founded on the Word of God, nor have we gone beyond it. Where then, do we stand to-day in this path, or way, of our Lord so clearly traced? We are surely in the last watch of the night : the streaks of the returning light we do already see; but the Sun is the full manifestation of the Lord Jesus and comes last ; but between these is "the Morning Star," and it is to see Him thus that we now watch moment by moment. But true as this is, it is only one step to the answer of our question. The Lord's coming to the air, and our being caught up to meet Him there may occur at any time, and what we have already seen assures us that it is very near, but that is nothing new, for never has any known event been allowed to interpose, and thus alter the true hope of the Church, and of each of her component members, who have ever been con- verted "to wait for the Son from heaven"^ and thus it would be a mere platitude to say that it may occur during the present war — of course it may — but are 1 Zech. 14. 4 Ps. ']2. 2 Rev. 20. 5 I Thess. i : 4. 3 Mat. 25 : Z2. lo THE END OF THE WAR there strong suggestions that it will probably do so, and have its effect upon it? For an answer to this we must go further, and look at the present conditions of the earth, which apparently only await exactly such an event to come into the precise order and arrange- ment of unfulfilled Old Testament prophecy. For until that long-looked for event, the comple- tion of God's heavenly work, as we may call it, is ac- complished ; Old Testament prophecy, dealing with Israel and the divine judgment of the earth having Israel for its center, is not being fulfilled at all. In- deed, I am not aware of any Scripture that speaks even of the actual transference of the Jew back to his land in unbelief.* He is there already when prophecy takes him up : has indeed been there for a sufficient time, at least, to form a government, and rebuild his * This return in unbelief must be carefully distinguished from another and later return, no longer in disobedience, in which Jehovah takes so keen an interest that He notes the actual means of transport : "Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their zmndows? Surely the isles shall zvait for me and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far." Is. 55:8-9. "And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in covered carriages, and upon mules and in sivift carriages, to my holy mountai}i Jerusalem. Is. 66, 20. But this is what takes place after the Messiah has come; the return in unbelief is before; nor, I think is this to be found noted in Scripture at all. Therefore since it is not a part of O. T. prophecy, nor the direct work of God, it might occur even while the Church was the vessel of testi- mony on the earth ; that is, even we may see, while still here, the Jew returning, building his temple, and establishing a government in Palestine. I say we may see this ; but it is not at all incumbent or necesary that we should do so. THE END OF THE WAR ii temple ; and this could hardly be done in a very short time. Let us then first note some, at least, of the condi- tions that the inspired word assures us will exist at the moment when Old Testament prophesy begins again to be fulfilled; then compare these conditions with those now ruling in Christendom; note how near they ap- proach and what may serve to span that short interval, or unite the present with the future and those divinely foretold conditions. 1. At that moment the Roman Empire, so long non- existent, must again be in evidence, since its "prince" is seen making a treaty.^ 2. The Jew must also be back in his land, with an organized government; for he forms the other party to this treaty.' 3. The temple is rebuilt and sacrifice and oblation are again being offered on the altar, and this suggests that the return is not very recent.^ 4. The Roman empire will be composed of ten au- tonomous kingdoms, all owning to one federal head or "prince."* 5. It will also be composed of two opposing po- litical principles; called, in the symbolic language of prophecy, "iron'' and "clay."^ 6. We may add to these, from New Testament 1 Dan. 9:27. . 4 Dan. 2:7; Rev. 13, 17. 2 Dan. 9 : 27. 5 Dan. 2. 3 Dan. 9 : 27. 12 THE END OF THE WAR prophecy : the utter apostacy of professing Christen- dom ; and, consequently 7, Its sects uniting to form "Babylon the Great."^ 1. The present war has developed unanswerable arguments for the substitution of some expedient that shall give a hope, (however vain) of a durable peace in the place of the utterly discredited "balance of power." The very first article of the "Peace of Rome" (as it has already been significantly called) may well be an attempt to unify the interests of the contending nations by the formation of the "United States of Europe." In this we say nothing that is not plainly seen and avowed by men who neither know nor care anything about Scripture ; but who will, in carrying out this expedient, fulfil what Scripture plainly re- veals. The United States of Europe would be but an- other name for the ancient fourth world-empire : the Roman. 2. Equally probable — that I say not sure — is it that the present war, whatever its result, will eventuate to the political benefit of the Jew. This has become one of the common convictions of the day among statesmen, politicians, and men of the world, many of whom would rather the Scriptures were proved false than true. Even our own eyes see what is in striking accord with that probability. For eighteen centuries the Jewish nation has been dead and buried in the dust of the earth ;- but during the last fifty years the I Rev. 17. 2 Dan. 12:2; Isa. 26; Ezek. 37. THE END OF THE WAR 13 national sap has begun to flow, national aspirations have revived ; Zionism, as it is called, has come, and apparently "come to stay" as men speak ; and the re- turn of the scattered people to their land is no longer a secret confined to the student of the inspired page — no longer an aspiration held by a few aged "orthodox" representatives of this ancient people : it is one of the logical and necessary outcomes of the present state of things, from a purely political point of view. One would say therefore that the recovery of Jerusalem and Palestine by the Jews was an eventuality equally probable, whether one or the other of the contending groups of nations be the victors; or if neither of them be so, and the end come in some form of compromise.* But a feeble Jewish State in Palestine would feel the need — since the mass will be there in unbelief of its true protector, Jehovah— of the protection of that friendly power in the West to which it owed its exist- ence ; and would naturally obtain that protection by the treaty or covenant foretold in Dan. 9 : 27. Thus it would (in its "king") honor — not "the God of its fathers" — but in his estate or stead "the God of fort- resses" — that is, one who has at his command im- mense military strength^ as surely the ten kingdomed empire would have. Again another Scripture speak- * The Turk has his foot on Jerusalem ; but, like a mad- man, he is preparing for his own destruction by barbarities perpetrated on the Armenians that have horrified even a world getting accustomed to horrors. Surely the Turk will be dis- possessed. I Dan. II : 38. 14 THE END OF THE WAR ing of the same "king" of the returned Jews: "his power shall be mighty but not by his own power."^ — or in the symboHsm of the New Testament : "he ex- erciseth all the power of the first beast before him."- This may be as surely and clearly foreseen from present conditions, as it is surely and clearly fore- told in Scripture. 3. It is but an incident that would naturally follow ; but it is in perfect harmony with the present liberality, by which freedom of worship is accorded to all, and this too reflects the present attitude of Satan who is posing as an angel of light. ^ When he drops that pose, sacrifice and oblation shall cease, and that tem- ple shall see another worship ;* Even Babylon, though she be but a spurious profession, shall be destroyed.^ 4. Nor are the present conditions in the prophetic earth — by which is meant that portion of the globe that is the direct subject of prophecy — at all adverse to the revived empire being composed of ten kingdoms. Scripture indeed reiterates this ; first in that collossus, the subject of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which gives a view of the whole time of the Gentile government of the earth, and not till the ten toes are there does the "Stone cut out without hands" fall f that is, Christ revealed as Judge of the nations. It may be quite true as some press, that these ten toes are not designated divinely as "kings," but they occupy such prominence, 1 Dan. 8 : 24. 4 Dan. 9 : 27. 2 Rev. 13: 12. 5 Rev. 17: 16. 3 2 Cor. II. 6 Dan. 2: 45. THE END OF THE WAR 15 being even distinguished from the feet of which they form a part, by a separate verse being devoted entirely to them, that, apart from other Scriptures, we should be justified in considering them as expressive of the divisions of the Empire in its very last stage : and this is clearly confirmed by other Scriptures.^ In view of the possible radical reconstruction that may await the map of Europe, it may not be prudent to attempt to name these ten kingdoms, yet all can see how easily ten separate kingdoms could be formed in Europe, even as it is to-day. 5. But there is another interesting condition in this revived empire that is well worth considering, for it, too, bears its testimony to the ease with which the present conditions before our eyes could quickly pass into that in which they shall be when again in the light of Old Testament prophecy; feet and toes are com- posed of "iron" and "clay." The intrinsic preciousness of the metals symbolizing the world-empires that followed each other, steadily depreciated from the head of "gold," symbolizing Babylon, to "silver," Medo-Persian ; "brass," Greece ; until in the legs we come to "iron" which pictures Rome. And this "iron" tells a double story, for while it speaks in its intrinsic inferiority to an inferior char- acter of internal government to that which preceded it, yet it is the very type of strength as against all external opposition. The Persian monarch Darius I As chapter 7:24; Rev. 17:12. l6 THE END OF THE WAR gives us a clear illustration of the inferiority of his authority to that of Nebuchadnezzar ; his hands were tied, even against a just deed, by human laws.^ The truth of the absolute responsibility of those who exer- cise authority to Him from Whom alone it comes, was thus greatly modified, and we therefore have "silver" leplacing "gold." Thus when the Roman comes, every governor we see — whether a Pilate, a Herod, a Felix, or a Festus — every single one of them shows a further loss of the sense of responsibility to the Source of all Authority, and a subservience to "the people" below them, that surely justifies the inferior symbol "iron." Yet what country could stand against the Roman le- gions ? In military strength she exceeded them all ; for her legions were controlled from one center, Rome; obeyed one central will, and this results in strength. All this helps us to get a clear idea as to the sig- nificance of "clay." This is ever, when thus used in prophetic Symbolism, a figure of both weakness and worthlessness, nor need we go beyond this very chap- ter to justify this.- "Clay" then is, in a sense, the opposite of "iron," and if that spoke of the strength due to the centraliza- tion of authority; the strong hand of a centralized government having all the strength of the empire at its unquestioned control ; that force or strength being 1 Dan. 6. dered in Isa. 57 : 20 ; and 2 See V. 41 "clay of mire" verse 42 wher^ clay is a sym- or dirt as the word is ren- bol of brittleness. THE END OF THE WAR 17 its only law or limitation; then "clay," with little ele- ment of cohesion in it, would aptly figure a con- glomeration of human wills that easily disintegrate, through their interests being opposed, and become a source of weakness. Now this Scripture^ tells us that when revived, not only shall the empire (the feet), but each one of its component kingdoms (the toes) be made up of these two contrary constituents. Look then again at "the face of the earth:" Are not both these principles to be clearly discerned, at least in embryo, for as the empire is not yet in exist- ence, its elements can hardly be fully developed? But in Christendom do not all discern — not always it is true under the same name — but still discern — these two elements of iron and clay in what we may call "ab- solutism" and "democracy." Come closer: are not these two opposite principles discernible even in the present contending nations? Beyond all controversy they are. No one can read the daily issues from the presses of the world, with- out noting how men at large — who again be it said, know little and care less for Scripture — recognize that the conflict is largely between democracy and the root principle of monarchy; and that, not a constitutional monarchy as great Britain, which is really democratic, but absolutism. This last, it is true, is called "mili- I Dan. 2. Although clay is means burnt clay or sherd : a hardly an exact rendering of far better figure of brittleness the Chaldee word used, which than the original mass. i8 THE END OF THE WAR tarism," a term not without vagueness, but Lord Cromer, in a series of articles in The Spectator, in- sists that "Kaiserism" is a far more correct word to use, and it certainly answers better to the symbol "iron."i This then bears directly on our question as to how the war will probably end ; if at least it is to issue in the recommencement of the fulfilment of Old Testa- ment prophecy ; and the likelihood of its doing so we have already seen in the near approach of "the Day." For if we throw the light of the Word of God on these conditions what should we necessarily deduce? That a decisive victory will be effected — a crushing de- feat suffered by neither side, or its characteristic* principle, seen in the democracy of Great Britain and I "Gcrinania contra mun- and widespread threatened duin." Lord Cromer quotes, strikes, that hamper the gov- as evidencing the truth of this ernment of Great Britain, word, from the Kaiser's ad- So the Gaulois, under the dress to his armies : "For you title, "A Supreme Will," there is only one enemy, and compares imfavorably the al- that is my enemy," and again, lies' fourfold schemes, and "There is only one laiv, and consequent delays, with Ger- that is my lazv." On the other many's instant and undivided hand consider the "strikes," obedience to imperial will. * I say "characteristic," for both elements are in each side. Russia may be considered the very acme of unlimited auto- cracy; but Russia is most surely outside the bounds of the Roman Empire, whether past or future, and its internal ad- ministration is therefore negligible. While Turkey, on the one hand, takes the place as "the Assyrian" of the present, identified with the symbol of the Euphrates (compare Is. 8: 7 with Rev. i6: 12. See "The War THE END OF THE WAR 19 France on the one hand, and the mihtarism of the Teuton alhes on the other, would vanish. Which of my readers has not heard the expression "the war must aboHsh militarism?" That of course is naturally the popular cry in countries devoted to a democratic form of government; but without entering into any controversy at all as to this being the best form for the world to-day or not — sufifiicient it is for us to see that neither the "iron" nor the "clay" are to be elimi- nated, as one or the other would be in the event of a decisive victory of its opponent. What is the inevitable deduction? It can only be that a compromise will probably end the war : a com- promise in which both of these irreconcilable elements "iron" and "clay" endeavor to get along together har- moniously : as it is written : "and whereas thou saw- est iron mixed with clay, they shall mingle them- selves with the seed of men, but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay."^ And such a probable end finds the strongest con- firmation in the results of one year of war. Consider the many millions of young men, the flower of the I Dan. 2 : 43. No. doubt the "order" may replace "mili- opprobious names and words tarism," and "liberty" the will be dropped, and more "license of democracy." pleasant ones substituted, in the light of the Word.") Russia, on the other, is clearly "the Assyrian" of the future, Israel's last enemy when re-' stored to her land and to her God. Ez. 37-38. 20 THE END OF THE WAR nations, slain or incapacitated ; the huge debts that every contestant has incurred ; the ahnost incalculable destruction of wealth and the scattering of resources ; who can deny that all are hastening to utter ruin.' And all this without anything that can be called in the simplest degree decisive on either side. Is it unreason- able to deduce that compromise, or universal bank- ruptcy and ruin are the only alternatives? It is true that each side endeavors to figure out that its op- ponents will become exhausted first ; but to one who looks at them from another point of view they would appear too evenly matched to justify either relying en- tirely on a policy of attrition, leaving the final vic- tory to the last man and the last dollar. It is, of course not impossible that victory might come on this line, but the victor himself would be, in that case, nearly, if not quite, at his last gasp. Compromise, then, would appear inevitable ; but what can bring it about? The very thought is to-day little less than nauseous to the contending nations ; and is met by a mixture of ridicule and indignation ; each insists on the crushing defeat of its adversary. Is it not possible — nay, is it not probable — as many I "It is estimated that the gained or accepted? Crush- mere direct first cost of the ing is the burden of taxation war in five of the belliger- imposed, and yet to be im- ent countries is $i8,ooo,DOO,- posed upon nations weakened coo. "Eighteen billions," and by the loss or absence of the the war is apparently young. flower of their manhood." — Who knows how many more A'^. Y. Times of Sept. 17, 1913. billions before a decision is THE END OF THE WAR 21 a thoughtful mind expects — that some extraordinary event — possibly some divine interposition may by the very terror and wonder it would excite, lead to that compromise which, however inevitable it would appear to be if almost universal ruin is not to result, nothing else or less is able to effect? We at least know, on the sure testimony of the Word of God, of just such an event. Few who read this line will have any question as to what is referred to — for it has been long looked for. We have con- stantly insisted that the true hope of every Christian is not to die, and so "to be with Christ," far better than the present life as this is ; but this leaves Jseus de- throned, it leaves the earth without its true King and groaning still under the usurper, Satan. Is that better? Surely rather is it, as already said, for the Lord Himself to come as the Bright and Morning Star, which shall eventuate in the elimination of Satan from heaven,^ and then as Sun of righteousness, which shall eventuate in the elimination of Satan from the earth.- 6. Another of the sad phenomena of the present day may be called an illustrative foreshadowing of "the falling away" or apostacy of 2 Thess. 2:3. I speak not of the utterances of individuals like Paine or In- gersoll. There have always been such, and their pres- ence to-day would be of little significance. Nor of the ravings of a social class so bitterly opposed to all. the I Rev. 12. 2 Rev. 20. 22 THE END OF THE WAR existing order that they aim at nothing less than uni- versal disorder or anarchy, but rather of the strange and startling way that the most terrible blasphemies are uttered by people in excellent standing in Chris- tian (?) society, fill the pages of the weightier mag- azines that lead and express Christian ( ?) thought, and are even in the popular pulpits of the professing Christian (?) Church: blasphemies that make a spirit in any measure sensitive, shrink with awe, and almost to wonder that a divine interposition does not silence them at once and forever. Every thoughtful reader at all conversant with current literature and conditions will recognize the truth of this. Surely it is the initia- tion of the great apostacy : philanthropic activities have largely taken the place in the churches of "re- pentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" — these are but unpractical "doctrines" which are now only maintained by a comparative few, who are not quite "up to date" : let these few be taken out of the way, and nothing would be left to hinder a unity based possibly at first on the mere formal recognition, and eventually on the absolute denial, of truths for which our fathers joyfully gave up their lives. Thus God's holy Word tells us of a coming utter apostacy from Christ : that apostacy is in evidence, here and there, even now. The presence of the Holy Ghost in His people alone prevents its free course : the rap- ture of these would span the short space, and quickly bring into effect the word of prophecy. 7. But there is another remarkable condition which THE END OF THE WAR 23 may be called a sign of the times. Concurrently with the work of God in grace in building a true Church, a heavenly bride for His beloved Son, has been the work of the devil in an imitation of that work, ever building on earth a false church with all the pretensions of fleshy pride, a "harlot" ever seeking a meretricious union with this world, its government, its kings, its earthly wealth and glory. Strong was the protest that God raised up against her at the "Reformation." It was "Samson," the spirit of Nazariteship arising at the midnight watch from a guilty alliance with the Philis- tine of Rome, and whom the gates and bars of Gaza, the Philistine "stronghold"^ could not retain. But short-lived was Samson's energy. Soon, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked,^ he was grinding at a Philistine mill, again affording too clear a picture of the faithless trend in modern Protestantism back to Rome.^ Is it not evident? Are not the nations that threw off the Roman ecclesiastical yoke ever steadily drawing nearer to it ? Indeed have we not seen efforr after eflfort made, and by Protestants, to bring about a unity of Christendom that shall not only include the Papacy, but actually accord it the leading place that it demands, as its "sine-qua-non" of any unity. But this unification of the opposing parties of ec- clesiasticism can never be effected as long as the Spirit of God is here indwelling the true Church of Christ. 1 As Gaza means, and as 3 See "Notes on Judges Rome is. and Ruth." 2 Cf. Judges 16 with Rev. 3. 24 THE END OF THE WAR There will always be an effective protest against it. Let Him "be gone out of the way" and no obstacle will remain to that repetition of the primal attempt at unity in the Babel of Gen. ii, and in one "church," as in one "empire," each having its "head," will the last work of Satan on the earth go on to full fruition. The empire indeed will soon change its character ;^ the pseudo-church will soon be destroyed utterly- and Satan himself in person cause the powers of evil on the earth to coalesce in the stamping out of every form of recognition of God, till the revelation of the Lord Jesus ends it all. This is exactly what Scripture forecasts ; we see in Rev. 17 one church, fully revealed as Babylon the Great; the mother of harlots, sitting on one scarlet- colored beast, the revived fourth empire.^ There remains what is perhaps the most striking evi- dence of all, not only of the imminence of the Lord's return, but of this present war being the very last event that the inspired word recognizes as immediately preceding His coming to the air, and therefore the close connection between the two. This I have examined in some detail in the pamph- let, "The War in the Light of the Word,"* and while I must refer any of my readers, who are suf- 1 Dan. 9:27. C. Cook, 150 Nassau St., N. 2 Rev. 27: 16. Y. In London of Samuel E. 3 Rev. 17. Roberts, Paternoster Row. 4 Obtainable from Charles Price, 15 cents. THE END OF THE WAR 25 ficiently interested, to that pamphlet, it may not be out of place to consider rather more carefully what has been called, "The Battle of Armageddon," In the first place this term is not exactly justified by the Scripture, which reads, "he gathered them to- gether to the place which is called in Hebrew, Harmageddon." It is the gathering place of those who respond to the teachings of the three frog-like spirits from the mouths of Dragon, Beast, and False- prophet ; that is, its prime significance according to Scripture, is not that it is the scene of a battle; but that it is the gathering place of those influenced by certain evil spirits. As on the one hand the popular intelligence of the day — the one voice of the mass of Christendom — as- sumes that this titanic conflict of nations is literally or definitely Har-Mageddon, so, on the other, is there a strong protest against this by a comparative few who are better instructed ; and who point out that the last great conflict will not be simply between na- tions in discord, but between apostate nations in evil accord, whether directly against the Lord Himself, or, (as I have no question it will be, at first), against Him as identified with the Jewish remnant of faith in Jerusalem.^ Nor can there be any doubt as to the correctness of this latter view. But, when it denies altogether the former, it may be questioned whether it does not go too far, and really obliterate what is a divinely intend- I Zech. 14; Rev. 16, 19. 26 THE END OF THE WAR ed warning. For if all is future and only future, and there be no application to the present in any sense, where would be the value and weight to us to-day of the warning interjected just here, "I come as a thief?" But if there is some kind of present application, this warning is of immense value and significance for us who are now living. The root, or basal question is : Had the seven let- ters to the seven churches, given us in Rev. 2 and 3, any application at all to seven literal historical churches actually existing and in the spiritual condi- tions therein described? No sane person will deny that. Then there must be a sense in which these literal historical churches of the first century formed the sec- ond divinely specified division of the book: "the things that are."^ It is equally certain that they have, in this historical sense, passed away, and therefore can no longer be "the things that are." What is the in- evitable consequence? "The things that shall be after these things" — the third division of the book, — must, in the same sense, have begun in the early cen- turies, have continued all through and are continuing to-day. This would seem beyond argument. Yet, true as it is, it is only a superficial truth, and the reiterated word "he that hath ears to hear let him hear" warns us against staying at the surface. These seven churches, and their varying conditions form divinely ordered foreshadowings of the path of the Church through I Chapter i : 19. THE END OF THE WAR 27 the centuries, and exactly in the same way, the subse- quent events amid the nations have been divinely fore- told, in Rev., chapters 6 to 16, and these form fore- shadowings of what is yet to befall these nations of the prophetic earth, in the last days which are still future. Simply as an illustration of what is meant, take the fifth trumpet, in which is seen a "star fallen from heaven." In the details of this same trumpet there is a striking correspondence with the Saracen scourge on Christendom, and in the "fallen star" is seen Mo- hammed. But Mohammed thus, is but a foreshadow- ing of another fallen one, also a false-prophet of whom Scripture very clearly speaks, even more directly ener- gized by Satan — himself cast out of heaven — the "Antichrist"^ of the future. Strikingly in accord with this is the fact that all his- torical interpreters have traced, with more or less agreement, the correspondences between the terms of the prophecy and the events of history through seals, trumpets, and vials till they come to the earlier part of the sixth vial ; and then all has been uncertain. And why? Because all was, when they wrote, still fu- ture. But we simply take up the interpretation where they were compelled to leave off, and in the porten- tous events that have since occurred, and are still oc- curring, we see the very end of the sixth vial and — "Ar" (or more correctly) "Har-Mageddon" ; al- ways, be it understood, only as a foreshadowing of the 28 THE END OF THE WAR final definitive fulfilment to be accomplished only at the revelation of the Lord. But it has been thought quite enough to destroy this interpretation altogether to say : "Harmageddon is not in Belgium." Surely not; nor is that contended for a moment. But neither is it anywhere else on earth. Nor, in saying this, do we forget that there was a Megiddo, about 20 miles south of the Sea of Galilee in the tribe of Issachar ; but that is not Har- Meggeddon ; on the contrary, wherever we read of it the context assures us of its lowly position, we read of the waters of Magiddo ; of the valley of Me- giddo, and surely no one will claim these to be the same as this "Har," or mountain, but rather the op- posite. But that gives the key ; or rather it begins to make use of the key already divinely given. All lies in the meaning of the word "m the Hebrew tongue" as speaks the Scripture.^ It does not then lie in a geographical position, but in the significance of the word used, and to get which for ourselves we must render it into English. But what then is the meaning? The first syllable is very clear and simple: "Har" (for all editors insist that it should be written) means "mountain," and this can hardly fail to lead the mind to Zech. 12, where we get the opposite to this in "the Valley of Megiddo" : I quote, "And it shall come to pass in that day that I will I Rev. 16 : 16. THE END OF THE WAR 29 seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Me- giddon."^ Now, let us consider this carefully. What was that mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo, that is to be a standard for a mourning still in the future? It was the poignant grief of Israel at the death of their last pious king. "Hadrad-rimmon," — meaning "the pomegranate cut down," — is but a poetical name for Josiah, and is a tender and affec- tionate way of speaking of their slain king, so pre- maturely cut ofif. As when "devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him,"- it was not merely natural sorrow for the loss of a friend; all that would be natural for friends, whether devout or not; but these mourners had Is- rael's interests at heart, and Israel's present hopes of the immediate return of her Messiah were buried in that first martyr's grave. After that, the mercy, so long lingering over Israel, departs ; and, with the call of Saul of Tarsus, goes out to the Gentiles with the I Zech. 12:9-11. 2 Acts 8: 2. 30 THE END OF THE WAR heavenly truths of The Church. Exactly so in the case of Josiah : in that grave, Israel's present hopes lay buried; for, after that, judgment came apace — well might they mourn. So filled with significance is this mourning that it became the very inspiration of one of the books of the Bible, ''Lamentations." "And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations unto this day,"^ and these words "unto this day," themselves give a permanent significance to any event with which they are connected. They do so here : for turn again to Zech. 12, where this very mourning is resumed as it were, and by the same pious remnant of Israel by whom it was begun so long before — Jehovah is now seeking to "destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem," and His favor is told out in the "spirit of grace and supplica- tion" poured upon them. It is the gracious grief — the bitter-sweet of penitence : the repentance not to be re- pented of. Is not the "valley," and the valley only, in perfect harmony with such a spirit? Does it not accord with and complete the picture? But this throws its clear beam of light on the Har, the mountain, of Mageddon. For as surely as the "valley" speaks of the lowliness of penitence, the "mountain" speaks of the lofty pride of impenitence. Does not then "the Hebrew tongue" give a worthy in- terpretation to Har-Mageddon? Need we seek about I Chron. 35:23. See Lamentations, chap. 14:20. THE END OF THE WAR 31 for some non-existent geographical location, when such a truth appeals to us? Surely if we do, we turn our back on light rather than welcome it. In this contrast is the whole significance, for the word "Mageddon" is but "the gathering together in troops" of those who naturally gravitate to the one place or the other : "valley" or "mountain," according to the governing principle within them. The root is first seen in the name Leah gives to Zilpah's son, saying "a troop cometh, and she called his name Gad," And it is found again in Micah 5, "gather thyself in troops O daughter of troops." Thus we really have the root of that part of the word in the same verse in Rev. 16:16, which we might paraphrase thus: and they were naturally gathered together, in accord with the spirits that controlled them, into a place called — in the English tongue — "the gathering together in troops of the impenitent and proud." Thus, in the final definitive fulfilment of this New Testament prophecy there shall be, at the revelation of Jesus our Lord, two gatherings of opposite moral char- acters ; one, of the penitent remnant of Israel taking up again the mourning of their fathers at the setting of Is- rael's sun in Josiah : a mourning echoed by the same pious remnant, when the hope of the immediate return of their Sun in their Messiah, was lost in Stephen's death ; but now finding that Sun in Him Whom they had pierced ! But there shall be another gathering together of all nations against that remnant in Jerusalem* — a gather- 3^ THE END OF THE WAR ing of proud impenitent Satan-led nations utterly in- different to their awful sin of complete apostasy^ from that same Lord Jesus, whom indeed they are defying. Will not those to whom the Hebrew tongue is familiar, learn much from the word Har-Maged- don in that day? May we not learn something now? For this is shadowed to-day. Shadowed mark : with that indistinctness of outline that characterizes a shadow, so that we may not mistake it for the sub- stance ; yet it is shadowed, and that even in the con- fession of the very nations involved, who confess their own moral condition in calling it, as all do, ''Armaged- don !"^ Now the calling it this, it is freely admitted, does not make it so in reality ; and yet, in a certain modified sense, it does. Suppose a man contends that the first day of the week is the Sabbath, it does not make it really the Sabbath, but it at once brings re- sponsibility on him to correspond with the measure of his intelligence^it becomes the Sabbath to him. And so it is written, "I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean in itself; but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean it is unclean."^ That gives the principle ; and thus to Christendom this is Harmageddon ; and it is because it is that, that the Lord's parenthetical word becomes of such intense suggestiveness to us : "Behold I come as a thief," for as He is manifested 1 2 Thess. 2. further consideration of the 2 See "War in the light of subject. the Word," pages 41-44, for a 3 Rom. 14: 14. THE END OF THE WAR 33 in glory to the earth at the final HarMageddon, that revelation may well have its foreshadowing in the coming to the air at this shadowy HarMeg- eddon! For, note, what is the very next thing in this line of events : the seventh vial poured upon the air, and the word "Done" sounded "out of the temple from the throne." Surely that must mean the end of some- thing — of what can it be the end? The answer is two- fold. As the one pregnant word "Finished" uttered on the Cross meant the end of the age, then present, consist- ing of the shadows of the law, so this "Done" would primarily speak of the end of the age now present — the day of grace. But how does that end? By the completion of God's heavenly work and the catching up the redeemed for heaven to their eternal home, the Father's House, then, and not till then, is the great harlot "Babylon" (who now comes into remembrance before God) fully manifested on earth in the unifica- tion of apostate Christendom, both Catholic and Prot- estant. But again, and in the second place, Israel's sorrows as a nation began with the mercy to the Gentiles : and these sorrows too are to come to an end, for "God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew."^ Then the sweet words of the prophet, so long appar- ently a dead letter, shall convey living truths for them : "Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith I Rom. 40 : 2. 34 THE END OF THE WAR your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."^ This too shall be included in the one word "Done !" The coming of the Lord to the air, the rapture of His people to meet Him there, is thus the beginning of the end — the foreshadowing of the rest of that triumphant journey to the earth when He is revealed in glory for the deliverance of Israel, which is the end indeed. The rapture then would be but the last of the long line of foreshadowings, the first of the shorter line of final fulfilments, and thus would be the link between them. Then let us review and sum up what we have writ- ten : First, we have in Europe to-day an apparent dead- lock, or stale-mate, at least in so far as neither side has been as yet able to strike a decisive blow ; but all are "bleeding white" as is the phrase, and apparently drifting to bankruptcy in every form of national re- source — to an utter ruin inflicted at each other's hands ; a sure evidence of divine judgment. Yet, notwithstanding this there is no evidence of a genuine national repentance anywhere, no thought of a common sin against the Christ of God, and of the war being God's hand upon all the nations ; but, filled with mutual repulsion, they loath the thought of peace I Isa. 40. THE END OF THE WAR 35 by compromise ; for this, each opponent claims, must come by a decisive victory over the other. Amid all, there is a remnant of true saints : the Church of God, who, Spirit-taught and enlightened by the Word of God, know that their Lord may come for them at any time, and will call them to meet Him in the air, before he completes His journey to take possession of the earth. Nor is there any known reason why He should not come during this present war, on the contrary, this would appear, from the evident near approach of the Day, which it still precedes, anything but improbable. Assume, then, that what is not improbable, actually does take place, what would result? Instantly armies are mysteriously depleted in all ranks from Generals to privates, with the necessary consequence of becom- ing disorganized and confused; from far and wide comes the news of a similar strange, unaccountable, mysterious disappearance of individuals who cannot be found." In some cases, it may be, that even a throne is left empty. No rank, no order is left un- touched. The nations are as it were stunned. Surely it is not difficult to enter into the paralysis in the prose- cution of the war that would ensue from the astonish- ment and terror. But there is one who has been thirsting to assume the place of arbiter, and has been lifting up his voice, I Heb. 11:5. 2 Rev. 17. 36 THE END OF THE WAR trying to make himself heard, with exceeding pressure of late. He, and his counsellors may well have recog- nized the place that could be claimed, and indeed would be accorded to anyone who could bring peace to the distracted nations. His attempts hitherto have been quite unavailing, nor does there seem any prom- ise of immediate success. Would not this stunning blow give him exactly the opportunity desired? The Pope then, again lifts up his voice in the tem- porary silence ; a silence like that at Belshazzar's feast, when the fingers of an unseen hand wrote upon the plaister — a silence beneath which would surge the greatest perturbation of heart : "Fear nothing, oh Christian nations," he might cry, "The Catholic Church is still here ; she is not gone, for the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church. This is noth- ing but the divine judgment on her opposers. I, too, the Vicar of Christ, am still here ; all is well ; only 'hear the Church' speaking through her head, and em- brace her, oh ye kings. Let me, too, as the representa- tive of the Prince of Peace invite you to gather at Rome, Christendom's true metropolis, and there, con- cluding the Treaty of Rome, bring at once peace to the exhausted nations, and to the discordant sects. For this let there be but one Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, under the headship of your mightiest, so shall political enmity be abolished, and a permanent peace effected. Let there be too but one church in Christen- dom, under its divinely appointed head, the Pope, sup- THE END OF THE WAR 37 ported by that empire/ so shall the unity you long have sought be consummated. You will doubtless have noted, O Nations, how the very obstructions to this have been actually removed, by the providential tak- ing away of the troublesome protesters against this excellent consummation. Do you not see how it con- firms my infallible (because ex-cathedra) explanation of the present phenomenon ? Your wisdom will know how to harmonize the opposing political principles amongst you. Unite in letting the Jew dispossess the blood-stained Turk, so shall you further both propiti- ate the deity and make for peace."* We all admit that this is not impossible. Is it improbable? Do not "the face of the sky and of the *Since writing the al)ove, it has liecn strikingly ilkistrated and strengthened by an appeal by Cardinal Farley, on behalf of "Peter's Pence for the Pontiff's Purse," from which I quote : "Today the voice of the Sovereign Pontiff is again raised and heeded above the dreadful din and storm of an unheard of war. His prayers for peace have risen from the lips of millions of his children, and not without avail. In the face of what looked like a forlorn hope he has effected what no other power on earth has been able to effect. By his appeal to all the warring heads of nations, from the Czar of Rus- sia to the Sultan of Turkey, he has brought back to the bosom of their families 150,000 exchanged prisoners, and thus assuaged the untold suffering of sorely embittered lives with the peace and the consolation of God. Furthermore, he has brought about the betterment of conditions in detention camps of thousands of prisoners of opposing nations. And who but the Vicar of Christ could have accomplished all this? Nor are we without hope that when the quiet times of peace return to Europe it will be largely due to the prayers and the persevering efforts of our beloved Holy Father, Benedict XV." 38 THE END OF THE WAR earth" greatly increase that probabihty since it is ex- actly what Scripture says shall be? While one may easily err in details, this at least is sure : the day is approaching and very near; the dawn is even now breaking; the Lord's coming as the Sun of Righteous- ness is near : the coming of the Lord as the Bright and Morning Star must be still nearer. Indeed so near that it may easily occur at any time, and be what shall put an end for a time (for Scripture is unequiv- ocal that peace will not be permanent) to the present war. Again I say that all for whom I write will readily admit the possibility of such an event during the pres- ent war; nor is it at all my purpose dogmatically to insist on its certainty. It is admittedly but a deduc- tion from Scripture, which may, or may not prove correct. But it is exactly the same kind of deduction for the neglect of which the Lord reproached those of that day so severely. "When it is evening, ye say. It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day; for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites ! ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times ?"^ And again "When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straight- way ye say. There cometh a shower, and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow ye say. There will be heat ; and it cometh to pass. Ye I Mat. 12: 2, 3. THE END OF THE WAR 39 hypocrites ! ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that ye do not discern this time and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" We too have but looked at "evening" and "morn- ing" of the night watches ; we too have but considered the warning of "clouds" and "wind," the spiritual in- fluences behind the present phenomena, and have earnestly sought to maintain only such deductions as are justified by plain Scripture. No one whose judgment is of any value will deny the portentous character of our day, and that every portent points with unerring finger to the Lord's re- turn being close at hand, and yet Scripture provides that the very first stage of that return shall see us with Him in the air. (Oh, truth as marvellous as it is sure; as solemn as it is joyful!) Then most surely it must be exceedingly near, literally "a very, very little while"- and the effect of such an event on the present war would lead in some cases exactly to the very state of affairs demanded by the prophetic Scrip- tures ; in others it would be a long step toward that state. It is surely enough to encourage faith and revive hope, and a clear call to a diligent use of the present fast-fleeting opportunities of love. But if this should prove too sanguine an anticipation, and the war be brought to an end in some other way, we may still be assured that it will mark a decided advance to the 2 Heb. 10: 2)T- 40 THE END OF THE WAR same goal— and the unexhausted and inexhaustible goodness of our God will still in that end, sustain hope and provide the encouragement that His poor, tried people ever so greatly need, in these last days. Plain field, N. J., October, ipi^. OTHER PAMPHLETS BY F. C. JENNINGS War in the Light of the Word Second Edition, Of Great Interest .15 Rome in Scripture and in History Well Worth Reading .10 The Christian and Politics Out of Beaten Track ------ .10 City Send for Catalogue of Scriptural Literature CHARLES C. COOK 150 Nassau Street New York 021 547" 607" 8 •