Foretelling Russia’s Destiny
It is unquestionably true that Russia is a subject of prophecy in the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of Ezekiel. It seems altogether probable also that this prophecy has an application to the closing years of the history of the world. It is therefore quite natural that the recent war between Russia and Japan should suggest an attempt to interpret and apply in a definite way the predictions found in these chapters. The results of one such effort are embodied in a small pamphlet with the title “Destiny of Russia,” which has recently been called to our attention. The contents of this pamphlet are outlined on the title page as follows: “The Armies of the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Other Nations Soon to Assemble West of Old Jerusalem; Purpose of This Assembly; Gathering of the Jews from All Countries; Their Return to Palestine Now in Process; Some Inside Facts of Weighty Interest to Everybody; Connection of These Matters with Some Things the Lord Jehovah Is about to Do.” By a kind of interpretation which seems to be more ingenious than convincing the writer attempts to show from certain texts that “soon the Jews will be gathered out from their troublers, soon they will be separated from the nations and gathered together into an unmolested country where at first they will actually dwell in safety,” and that “this is therefore the sign for which we need now look in the development of events.” The summary of his conclusions are thus stated by this writer:— These are the events in their order according to the prophetic outline:— Shortly after Japan and Russia come to terms of peace, the Jews settle in Palestine. When the Jews settle in Palestine, Russia goes down after them to take both a spoil and a prey. When the Russian reaches Palestine, among other occurrences the towers fall [explained elsewhere as marking a time of great slaughter]. When the towers fall, the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit has already taken place, and God’s loyal people have been sealed to eternity. The fate of all mankind has been settled forever. The interpretation given to various passages of Scripture by this writer seems to us to be both fanciful and arbitrary. One illustration of this will suffice. Quoting the marginal reading of Eze. 39:2 (omitting one clause evidently through a misunderstanding of the proper place for inserting this reading), “I will draw thee back with an hook of six teeth,” he declares the meaning of this to be that the Lord has drawn back the Russians six times from their efforts to reach the sea. The sixth time is made to apply to the surrender of Port Arthur, but the fact seems to be overlooked that the Russians still have a permanent sea base at Vladivostok. The author of “The Great Nations of To-day” in his comment upon this same marginal reading says: “The six plagues of Revelation 16 are referred to in Eze. 39:2, margin.” Furthermore, this marginal reading does not appear at all in either the English or the American Revised Version, both of which render the passage thus: “I will turn thee about, and will lead thee on,” etc. It seems to us that altogether too free a rein is given to the imagination in handling the words of the prophet in this way. It is this sort of visionary interpretation which brings into discredit any effort to understand the prophecies. This whole forecast of the destiny of Russia depends upon the literal return of the Jews to Palestine, and this is made “the sign for which we need now to look.” It seems surprising that this teaching, which has been so completely refuted, should again be advocated among us. Those who adopt this conclusion6will soon find themselves utterly out of harmony with the third angel’s message. It is the beginning of many and grievous errors. We have had several interpretations of this prophecy in Ezekiel sent to us for publication, but each one contradicts more or less fully the conclusions of the others, and we think it will be altogether safe to wait for more light before announcing so many different destinies for Russia.