Turkey and His End by E. E. Andross

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 7, 1913

Turkey and His End

By E. E. Andross

By E. E. Andross

(Concluded from last issue)

Beginning with July 27, 1449, a period of 391 years and 15 days was given to the supremacy of the Ottoman power, which terminated August 11, 1840. On that very day the political ascendency of the Ottoman Empire, which had been maintained for nearly four centuries, passed into the hands of England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, which powers had undertaken to save Turkey from being crushed by Egypt. July 15, 1840, they had, with Turkey, signed a treaty containing terms of peace between Turkey and Egypt, who were then at war with each other. From that time till now the very existence of the Turkish government has been dependent on the support of these great powers.

Turkey “the King of the North”

But let us now return to the consideration of the prophecy in Daniel 11. The fact has been established that the powers holding the territory originally given to Lysimachus in the north and Ptolemy in the south remain the king of the north and the king of the south so long as they have any place in prophecy. Since 1453, Turkey has held possession of the territory of the king of the north, with his seat of government at Constantinople. From that city the Seleucidan kings governed the same territory for 250 years, during which time the angel gives more attention to the king of the north than at any other period covered by the prophecy, except it be in the closing verses of the chapter.

Russia’s Attitude Toward Turkey

In verse 44 of Daniel 11, we are brought to the very time in the history of the Turkish power (the king of the north) where we left it in our study of the fifth and sixth trumpets in Revelation 9. “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.” For many years, Turkey had occasion to be troubled because of Russia’s designs against him. This prophecy, however, met its special fulfilment in the Crimean War (1853–1856), when Russia, lying to the north and east, was about to crush Turkey, but was prevented from doing so by the intervention of Great Britain and France, sanctioned by Austria and Prussia. Again in 1877–1879, Russia was at war with Turkey; but when he was at the gates of Constantinople, Great Britain again interfered, preventing the accomplishment of his purpose.

For more than a thousand years, Russia has desired to secure possession of Constantinople, and has made repeated unsuccessful attempts to accomplish his design. During the reign of Vladimir, the latter part of the tenth century, Russia adopted the Greek religion from Constantinople. When, in 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks and became a Moslem city, Moscow became the metropolis of orthodoxy. Russia henceforth came to regard himself as the successor to Greece, and the czar, the legitimate heir to the throne of the Cæsars. Since the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, Russia has “regarded the destruction of the Ottoman Empire as the great object of his existence.” (“Historians’ History of the World,” Vol. 24, p. 426.)

Turkey “Shall Come to His End”

“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.” Verse 45. This verse tells of two events that all Europe is expecting to see accomplished—the driving of the Turk from Europe, and his coming to his end, both of which at this very hour seem imminent. That the Turk will be driven from Europe at this time is uncertain even tho it may seem that from the human standpoint nothing can prevent its immediate accomplishment. That he will be compelled to go in the near future is absolutely certain, for God has spoken the word.

He will “plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain” (“mountain of delight of holiness,” margin). This can be none other than Jerusalem, which is situated between the Mediterranean and Dead seas. “Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy mountain.” Zech. 8:3.

But if it is certain that the Turk will leave Europe and locate his seat of government in Jerusalem, it is equally certain that he will come to his end. Till now, this long-looked-for day has been deferred because of the help extended to him by the European powers; but the prophecy declares that this help will be withdrawn before his end comes.

From a little pamphlet on the Turkish-Armenian question, published in London, I take the following:

“We are responsible for Turkey. We saved the Turk twice at least from the doom which he richly merited. The duke of Wellington sixty years ago lamented that the Russians had not entered Constantinople in 1829 and brought the Ottoman Empire to an end. We have much more reason to lament that it was not destroyed in 1853, and again in 1878. On both of these occasions we interfered to save it. But for us, there would be no sultan on the Bosporus.” (Page 17.)

In an article in the London Times, 1895, the duke of Argyle says:

“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.”

“And None Shall Help Him”

From the present outlook, it would seem that the time has at last come when the exit of the Turk from Europe is at hand, and the journey toward Jerusalem about to begin. The Fresno Republican says:

“The historic concert of Europe in the supreme test has failed to suppress the Balkan clash, which it averted time after time in the last quarter of a century.”

The New York Evening Mail says that “the Turk is past bolstering up,” and now “must go.” “In like manner” the New York American sees the Turks’ doomsday dawning, and wonders if his exit from Europe is not now at hand.”—“Literary Digest,” October 12, 1912.

The Significance of Turkey’s End

But what will the removal of the Ottoman Empire from Europe mean to all the world? The greatest statesmen of Europe have felt that it would mean a great war in which the nations of Europe and possibly of Asia would all be involved, and have frequently so expressed themselves. It has been referred to ofttimes as “the Armageddon of the nations,” “the world’s approaching Armageddon,” etc. It will certainly mean that the end of the Turkish power is imminent. But what is to occur when the Turk comes to his end? It has long been the belief of many Bible students that the fall of the Turk would mark the beginning of the reign of Christ and the end of the world.

Upon one occasion Martin Luther said: “If we beat back the Turk, the prophecy of Daniel will be fulfilled and the end at hand. Then the day of judgment is surely at our doors.” (“Martin Luther,” by Gustav Freytag, p. 11.)

When that great event to which Luther looked forward, and which he evidently thought might occur in his day, does take place—when the help of earth’s powers is finally withdrawn, and the Turkish power does “come to his end,”—“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. 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.” Dan. 12:1, 2.

Michael is Christ (Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4:16; John 5:25), the “great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people.” Acts 3:15; 5:31. The standing up of Christ will be the beginning of His reign. The seventh trumpet of Rev. 11:15–18 brings us to this very time when the “kingdoms of this world” “become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.”

“A Time of Trouble”

Preceding the appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, there will be a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” This time of trouble will come as the result of the pouring out of the vials of God’s wrath upon the earth in the seven last plagues, a record of which is given in Revelation 16. In this chapter the story of the sixth plague is given as follows:

“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. 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. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he

that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.”

In symbolic language waters are used to represent “peoples” (Rev. 17:15), and rivers are used to represent nations (Isa. 8:7; Rev. 9:14). In the latter text, there can be no question but that the Euphrates symbolizes the Turkish power. It drains the territory in Asia over which the Ottoman power has reigned for many centuries. The drying up of the waters of the Euphrates is therefore the destruction of the Mohammedan or Turkish power. This is done that “the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”

This “drying up” process has been going forward for a considerable period.

“For two centuries Europe has been elbowing him out of the continent. The present Balkan war, whatever it may amount to or finally involve, is merely another step in the continuous process of the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, going on ever since 1683, when Sobieski checked the advance of the Turk at Vienna. This is the way province after province has fallen away since Byron swam the Hellespont to die in defense of Hellenic liberties:

“Greece: Independent kingdom, 1830.

“Algeria: French occupation, 1830; now a province of the French republic.

“Servia: Autonomous principality, 1830; independent principality, 1878; kingdom, 1882.

“Rumania: Autonomous principality, 1862; independent principality, 1878; kingdom, 1881.

“Montenegro: Independent principality, 1878; kingdom, 1910.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina: Occupied by Austria-Hungary, 1878, annexed to Austria-Hungary, 1908.

“Bulgaria: Autonomous principality, 1878; independent kingdom, 1908.

“Eastern Rumelia: Administrative autonomy, 1878, annexed to Bulgaria, 1885.

“Cyprus: Ceded by Turkey to England, 1878.

“Tunis: French protectorate, 1881.

“Egypt: Occupied by Great Britain, 1882.

“Crete: Autonomous, 1898; now striving for annexation to Greece.

“Tripoli: Occupied by Italy, 1911.

“Albania: Now in rebellion.

“Macedonia: About to be liberated by the Balkan States.”

“For more than a century this regular evolution has been going on, while the Turk has been slowly expelled from Europe. His territory has been carved into, first, ‘sphere of influence,’ then provinces under ‘suzerainty,’ then ‘autonomous principalities,’ then independent sovereign states. The Turk understands. What will he do in this new crisis in his history? Of course he will fight. But what will it avail him? And will Europe be able to hold her vast armies back from joining in the struggle?”—“American Review of Reviews,” November, 1912, p. 541.

Through the agency of evil spirits, all the kings of earth will be gathered to the battle of Armageddon—the battle of the great day of God. Already the nations of earth are making rapid preparation for that dreadful carnage. Speaking of the Boxer movement in China in 1901, the Sphere, of London, says: “It may mean the break-up of China; it may lead to the long-expected war between Russia and Japan; it may lead to the Armageddon of the nations, in which the five continents and the seven seas would be none too large an arena, and would be besmeared with the red stain of battle.”

From an article by Harold F. Wyatt which appeared in the Nineteenth Century and After (London), I take the following:

“Never was national and racial feeling stronger upon earth than it is now. Never was preparation for war so tremendous and so sustained. Never was striking power so swift and so terribly formidable. What is manifest now is that the Anglo-Saxon world, with all its appurtenant provinces and states, is in the most direct danger of overthrow final and complete. The shadow of conflict and of displacement greater than any which mankind has known since Attila and his Huns were stayed at Chalons is visibly impending over the world. Almost can the ear of imagination hear the gathering of the legions for the fiery trial of peoples, a sound vast as the trumpet of the Lord of Hosts.”

Why the Winds of War Have Been Held

“This gospel of the kingdom,” said Jesus, “shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14. The last gospel message to be preached to the world contains the announcement of the coming of the King and the establishment of His kingdom. It will also contain a solemn announcement of the judgment, and will call upon all men everywhere to prepare for the final test of that awful tribunal by bringing their life into perfect harmony with the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Rev. 14:6–19. This message was first proclaimed to the world in the great advent movement of 1840 to 1844, and since then has been swelling into a loud cry, till it may now be heard in almost every country and language of earth. Till this work shall have been finished, four angels have been stationed on the four corners of the earth, and have been commissioned to hold “the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree,” till the servants of our God are sealed in their foreheads. Rev. 7:1–3. Winds, in prophetic language, represent strife and commotion and war. Jer. 49:36, 37; 25:31–33. Note the fact, in this connection, that four of the great powers of Europe have been very prominent in maintaining the peace of Europe for more than half a century. God is still working by His angels through human instrumentalities to hold back the nations from any protracted or general conflict that would interfere with the progress of the last message of mercy to the world.

The Storm About to Burst

To the prophets two thousand years ago and more, the veil that hides the future was drawn aside, and in holy vision they beheld the nations of earth gathering to the battle of that great day of God. To-day we behold with our natural vision the fulfilment of these wonderful predictions with absolute accuracy in every detail; and now we wait only for the curtain to be lifted on the final scene of this awful tragedy, the sweet voice of mercy is heard by the impenitent no more forever, and Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will come back to earth to deliver His people and to receive them to Himself. “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.” Dan. 12:2.

Surely, with the unprecedented preparations for war on the part of all the nations of earth, with the condition of unrest prevailing in society everywhere, it needs no special intuition to see that we are on the verge of some great change in the destinies of the human race. The “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation,” is at hand.

For more than eighteen hundred years, ever since the Saviour of the world ascended to the right hand of God, we have had “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Through all these years, sinful men have been able to approach boldly the throne of grace through that ever blessed name, for “He ever liveth to make intercession” for them. “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Heb. 8:1, 2; 4:14–16.

Jesus has been a priest upon His Father’s throne (Zech. 6:12, 13); but He will soon step down from that throne, put off His priestly robes, and lay down the scepter of peace. The Father will then give to His Son the kingdoms of this world, and He will break them with the rod of iron, and will dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Ps. 2:8, 9.

Then “Shall Michael Stand Up”

“At that time shall Michael stand up.” Probation’s hour will then close for all the world, and to the ungodly the words of irrevocable justice will be pronounced, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” The One who through the ages has said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” will say, with weeping eyes and with tearful voice: “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.” Matt. 11:28; Jer. 13:16, 17; Rev. 22:11, 12.

This, dear reader, is what will take place when the Turkish power comes to his end and Michael stands up.

To-day the whole world is looking with wonder and amazement upon the remarkable success that has attended the armies of the Balkan States as they have driven the Turk to the very verge of Europe, and tremblingly watches each part of the program which threatens to precipitate a crisis and to plunge all Europe into war. What the morrow will bring forth, no one but God can tell. What we do know, is that the end is rapidly approaching; and that while He who stilled the tempest on stormy Galilee holds, through His angel messengers, the winds of strife, it behooves every soul to prepare to meet his God.