The Prelude to Armageddon — The Papacy to Be Restored to Supremacy — Apostate Protestantism, False to Her Trust, Will Stand with Rome — The Grand Climax Is Christ's Coming
By ROSS C. PORTER
While Christ does not approve of Christians engaging in these satanic conflicts, He, as King of kings, overrules in them, and brings victory to those who will longest preserve the peace, and be most favorable to the promulgation of the gospel and the finishing of its work. The race is not alone to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” Dan. 4: 32.
WAR WILL BE RESTRAINED
He will restrain the winds of strife and war by strong angel hands until the gospel has completed its mission of sealing His servants for the kingdom of God. Rev. 7: 1-3. “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24: 6, 14.
These words of Christ forewarn us not to be disturbed by such utterances as the following from Gen. Nelson A. Miles: “This is to be the greatest war of the ages, and the last.”
It is greater than any war of the past, but it is not Armageddon, for the plain reason that this is a war for military and commercial supremacy, while Armageddon will be a war for politico-religious supremacy. This is a general European war, but Armageddon will be a “whole world” war.
CONFLICT BETWEEN CHRISTENDOM AND THE TURK
As a prelude to it, the Turks, holding the Mohammedan religion, will be driven from Europe, and will establish their temporary seat of government at Jerusalem, where, no longer supported by European nations, that empire will come to its end, with none to help it. Dan. 11: 44, 45.
Russia shall come from the north with a “mighty army,” which will be destroyed upon the mountains in the Holy Land. Eze. 38: 2, 14-23; 39: 1-7, 17-21. The overthrow of the Ottoman empire, and the union of Christian nations, arouses all heathen nations, and they concentrate the full strength of their combined forces in the valley of Jehoshaphat, north of Jerusalem, for the conflict. Joel 3: 9-12; Revelation 13.
THE PAPACY TO BE SUPREME
The papacy, restored to the position of supremacy which it occupied during the medieval ages, again reigns over the kings of the earth, and sits a queen in the religio-political world. Revelation 17, 18. This Romeward tendency is already manifesting itself, as the following among a multitude of similar things will show: “The pope is no longer a petty Italian prince, but the monarch of a vast, admirably organized spiritual world empire.” (The China Press, August 21, 1914.)
United with Protestantism and spiritualism, and bearing both a political and a religious sword, Catholicism becomes inspired with the “spirits of devils” for the Armageddon conflict. The rallying cry of united Protestantism, Catholicism, and spiritualism is, “Christ enthroned as king of the world, His law to go forth from Zion and His word from Jerusalem.” With this rallying cry, Catholic and Protestant nations proceed to join in the Armageddon conflict in the Holy Land, that they may enthrone Christ as king in Jerusalem. Isa. 2: 1-5; Matt. 24: 23, 24; Rev. 16: 13, 14; 13.
A WORLD'S RELIGIOUS CONFEDERACY
As by military alliances, the nations prepared for the great European conflict; so, by religious confederacies, against which the Bible bears most emphatic2warning (Isaiah 8), the religious world is preparing for Armageddon.
As by military alliances, the nations prepared for the great European conflict; so, by religious confederacies, against which the Bible bears most emphatic warning (Isaiah 8), the religious world is preparing for Armageddon.
The European war demonstrates the rapidity with which Armageddon, which embraces all nations (Joel 3: 2; Rev. 16: 14), will break over the whole world. In the midst of the Armageddon conflict, Christ comes from heaven, and delivers His people, and destroys those engaged in the Armageddon battle. Joel 3: 11-17; Dan. 12: 1.
NOT A WARRIOR ESCAPES
This warfare, which professes to enthrone Christ as temporal king, is antichristian. 2 Thess. 2: 1-12. Christ and His army in heaven are arrayed against it. Rev. 19: 11-21. He destroys, by the brightness of His second advent, all engaged in the conflict, who have not already slaughtered one another. 2 Thess. 1: 7-10; Zech. 14: 1-3; Jer. 25: 31-33. Not a living man of those marshaled in the roll-call of war will escape. Jer. 4: 19-25. And every city in the world will be broken down and desolated. Jer. 4: 26; Rev. 16: 19.
Not a child of God will be slain during the Armageddon conflict. As the conflict begins under the sixth plague (Rev. 16: 12), which is after the close of probation, the martyrdom of saints would no longer result in a harvest of sinners saved; hence no Christian will suffer death at that time, but every one will be delivered. Dan. 12: 1.
THE REDEEMED DELIVERED FROM ARMAGEDDON
The saints who are delivered at the time of the battle of Armageddon are taken to the heavenly Jerusalem, which Christ went to prepare for them nineteen hundred years ago. John 14: 1-3; 1 Thess. 4: 15-17. Then begins the millennial reign of Christ over His delivered people in the new Jerusalem. Rev. 20: 1-4. At the close of the thousand years' reign of peace in heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem comes down, and is located on this earth. Rev. 21: 1-4. All the wicked dead will then be resurrected and come up around the new Jerusalem, where utter and final destruction is visited upon them. Rev. 20: 7-15.
All sin and sorrow will be forever swept away, and unalloyed peace and tearless joy will be the heritage of the children of God throughout eternity. From that day forth, Christ, the Prince of peace, will reign as King over all the earth. Then “He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth” (Ps. 46: 9), and there will be no more war. Zech. 14: 4-11.
MOTOR TRUCKS DRAWING FRENCH ARTILLERY AND AMMUNITION FOR THE GUNS
FORERUNNER OF THE LAST GREAT WAR
The European war, with its awful record of crime, carnage, and destruction, is a fitting forerunner of the last great war, with which earth's history will close. Its aftermath will be increased jealousy among the nations, ending with the fury of Armageddon. In their endeavor to enthrone Christ as king of cruelty and bloodshed, Satan will be enthroned as king of the world instead of Christ, and under his leadership the world will witness the climax of hatred and cruelty, ending only in the complete devastation of the earth.
This is no mere pen picture of a fanciful view of the future. It is the word of prophecy, which forewarns the people of our day of the approach of the climax of the world's wickedness and its visitation, as the writing by the invisible hand on the palace wall of Belshazzar most solemnly foretold the end of the debauchery and crime of the ancient Babylonian empire.
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Prov. 27: 12.
