Your ShelfYour Projects

Current Events as Signs of the Times

7%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Sep 14, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 46.

Read the full edition

Current Events as Signs of the Times

By L. L. C.

IN natural phenomena one is struck with the many occurrences of recent date said to be the worst of their kind in many years. One of the most recent of these is the serious crippling by the aurora borealis of the telephone and telegraph service throughout the East and West of the United States. The Washington Post of August 27, speaking of this occurrence, gives a New York dispatch of the previous day:—
“Telephone and telegraph service throughout the East and West were seriously crippled tonight by the aurora borealis, described by officials of the companies in this city as perhaps the most depressing on wire circuits in many years. “The disturbance, according to the officials, was first observed about 7 P. M. By midnight, it was said, the service of the telegraph companies east of Chicago and as far west as Minneapolis was only about fifty per cent normal.”
To those who believe that the earth is waxing old like a garment, unusual phenomena which now show themselves so frequently, are all signs of the times in which we live.
Recent developments in the political world also seem to present new fulfilments of those prophetic scriptures which point to the last days as timeswhen many will be saying peace and safety, and urging national disarmament, while at the same time the nations will actually be preparing for war. It has been prophesied that man will say, God “shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Isa. 2:4. The prophetic picture is the reverse of this, for the prophet Joel says: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:9, 10.
The time of the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy is indicated in the fourteenth verse of the same chapter, where it says, “The day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” The time of this warlike preparation is to be the time of the near approach of the day of the Lord. We have seen these scriptures being fulfilled in the last two years as never before.
A new step toward preparation for war in the case of the United States is the proposal for universal military training. Recently the poll of business men of the nation was taken by the United States Chamber of Commerce. It was found that an overwhelming majority of employers of this country are in favor of universal military training of all male citizens of military age. The ballot showed 889 votes in favor and only 56 opposed to a system of universal military training. The Washington Post of August 21 says editorially:—
“This overwhelming testimony from that section of opinion which is not only conservative, but is also closely concerned with the actual cost and with the economic problems which go with any system of universal military training, must inevitably have its effect upon Congress.”
It is thought that this attitude of business men is due to a change in public opinion which has come about since the outbreak of the European war.
Not only do we see one of the last great nations which does not have universal military service becoming persuaded that such a system is necessary, but recent years have marked a great increase in the implements of destruction. Two of the newest to be developed are the submarine and the airship. Not only has the submarine been used in actual fighting, but in the carrying of those articles of commerce needed as war materials. A supersubmarine, built for carrying cargo, arrived August 23, according to a wireless dispatch, at the mouth of the Weser River. It had successfully completed a trip from Germany and back. It is now believed that airships are in the process of building which will have a maximum speed of eighty miles an hour, with a radius of action of three thousand miles. It is thought that this new craft will be able to cross the Atlantic and back. These are only a few of the triumphs of human ingenuity which may be so developed as to play their part in increasing the effectiveness of war to destroy.
The Scriptures seem to indicate that a supernatural agency will have a great control over the minds of men in these times of warlike preparation just before the end of the world. At the present moment leaders of religion are much concerned over the interest which many reputable persons are taking in the prophecies of Spiritualistic mediums and fortune tellers. Many anxious women are resorting to these seers for information concerning their relatives on the firing line. A special cable from London says:—
“One of the best-known women in the American colony here permits séances to be held in her residence almost nightly. A medium summons the shades of Napoleon and other great military geniuses: they lay out the immediate plan of campaign and tell of its success or failure. Incidentally the medium will foresee the fate of Lieutenant This or Captain That, of noble families, whose relatives are seated in the Spiritualistic circle.”—Washington Post, August 22.
The accuracy with which these spirits foretell the occurrences of the war seems remarkable indeed. A similar accuracy is seen in the Bible account of the medium who foretold for Saul the outcome of the battle in which he and his sons were killed. This turning to spirits for counsel is truly a sign of the times.
L. L. C.