“Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” Zech. 14:1–3.
IN these verses we learn that all nations are to be gathered against Jerusalem to battle, and that the city will be taken, after which the Lord will go forth against these nations. This divides the battle into two parts in which three powers are involved. (1) Some power which is in possession of the city, and which suffers a defeat; (2) the nations which attack the city, and are victorious, dividing the spoil in the city; (3) the Lord who goes against the victorious nations.
At least two other texts speak of the gathering of all nations to battle. In Joel 3:2, 9, 16, God says He will gather all nations, and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and He admonishes them to prepare war; beat their plowshares into swords, and their pruning-hooks into spears; and when they are assembled, they are spoken of as multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision or cutting; and in connection with this the Lord will utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake. In Rev. 16:14–16 the spirits of devils, under the sixth plague, go forth to the kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. And they are gathered into a place called Armageddon. That these texts refer to the same battle will be apparent from the following considerations:—
(1) The time in each is the day of the Lord. (2) In each one all nations are involved, and are cut off. (3) Both Joel and Zechariah locate the battle at Jerusalem, and the best critics look upon Armageddon as being in that vicinity.
Let us now inquire what power will be in possession of Jerusalem at the time of the battle of the day of the Lord. The power holding that city at the present time, and which has held it for centuries, is the Mohammedan or Turkish, which also controls the greater part of the territory drained by the River Euphrates. But the great event under the sixth plague is the drying up of the waters of the River Euphrates. Water is a symbol of peoples, etc. Hence the drying up of the water as a symbol would indicate the overthrowing of that power, and the cutting off of its people. The prophet in describing this shows that all nations are deceived by the spirits of devils, and thus gathered to this battle.
Since the eleventh day of August, 1840, Turkey has been called “the sick man of the East.” As a nation it has existed only by the sufferance of the great nations of Europe. In her conflicts with other powers thus far she has received favor and help sufficient to prevent her overthrow. But the prophet Daniel (ch. 11:44, 45) in describing the career of this power under the title of the king of the north, says:—
“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. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palaces between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.”
The glorious holy mountain doubtless refers to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. This text, then, teaches that the Turk will transfer his capital to Jerusalem, and then he shall come to his end, for none shall help him. In harmony with this idea, it was reported through the secular press that, during the recent troubles, the Porte kept his royal yacht in readiness to flee, in case things assumed too serious an aspect, and he stated that he should make Jerusalem his asylum, at least for a time.
How long the nations of earth will continue to allow their own jealousy and suspicion of each other to prevent the overthrow of that power which is acknowledged to be an abomination in their eyes, no one can tell. But the Word of God foretells, that, when they do cease to help, and finally go against him, it will be under a deception, but that the city will be taken, and that power overthrown.
Next we will inquire, What will lead all nations to come up against Jerusalem? At the present time we find all nations interested in the Eastern Question. While all confess that the Turk deserves to be blotted out from the world, yet none are willing to allow another to do the work, lest some advantage be gained thereby, nor can they come to an agreement whereby a united effort can be carried on to the same end.
The Christian world looks upon the Mohammedan power as antichrist, and this is true in so far as he is opposed to Christianity. But is he the antichrist which is to appear in the world just before Christ comes?
Who Is Antichrist?
Let us examine a few texts of scripture. In the Bible there are two mysteries brought to view,—the mystery of godliness, which is God manifest among men, and which centers in the person of Jesus Christ; and the mystery of iniquity, which is evil manifested among men, and which centers in the person of Satan. The manifestation of the mystery of godliness is only complete by the personal appearance of Jesus among men. So we might conclude that the manifestation of the mystery of iniquity could only be complete with the personal appearing of Satan among men. Will the Scriptures warrant such a conclusion? In 2 Thess. 2:3–8 we read:—
“Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
By these verses we see that the mystery of iniquity was working in Paul’s day, and that any one in the church who would assume the place and prerogatives of God would be a manifestation of this mystery, and would be a man of sin, a son of perdition. We see this illustrated in the Papacy, a man exalted to be the head of all churches, and a corrector of heretics. History has chronicled the result, and we see men bowing down to one called Lord God the pope, the voice of man received as the voice of God, Inquisition and Persecution joining hands, and stalking through the land, leaving a trail of wretchedness, suffering, and death. And these same results will surely follow wherever man takes the place of God, and attempts to dictate to his fellow-men in matters of conscience.
But in the verses quoted, the apostle speaks of something that was hindering this manifestation, and that it could not be full and complete until this hindering cause was taken out of the way. That which God has placed in the world to oppose and hinder the work of the evil one is His Holy Spirit. As this Spirit is shut out of the heart, the spirit of Satan comes in; and in no man can there be a perfect manifestation of either of these mysteries until the other is completely taken out of the way. So in this world the mystery of iniquity can not be fully developed until the Spirit of God shall be withdrawn as an opposing element.
When human probation closes, those not saved will be abandoned by the Spirit of God, so that there will be at that time but two classes,—one from whom the spirit of Satan is entirely shut out, and who will constitute in themselves a revelation of the mystery of godliness, and who will be ready to receive Christ as He personally appears in the clouds of heaven; the other a class from whom the Spirit of God is entirely shut out by their own volition, and who constitute in themselves a revelation of the mystery of iniquity, and who are ready to receive Satan as he personally appears among men.
What Only Restrains?
In harmony with these ideas we find the reading of verses 6 to 8 in the Revised Version as follows:—
“And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work; only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed that lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation of His coming.”
Thus we see that the lawless one (Satan) is to appear just before Christ appears, and is finally to be slain by the breath of the Lord. But he will not appear as the evil one, for that would be no deception, which it is to be; for6the nations are to be deceived. The Saviour foretold the coming of false christs who should show great signs and wonders, so that they should deceive, if it were possible, the very elect. The apostle tells us that Satan is transformed as an angel of light, and that his apostles would be transformed as the apostles of Christ.
We have found that the mystery of iniquity is really an effort to hold among men the place which belongs only to Christ. So Satan will come purporting to be Christ. He can not come as Christ comes in the clouds of heaven; but in the words of another:—
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Rev. 1:13–15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air, “Christ has come! Christ has come!”
When Satan has led the nations to believe that he is Christ, the question will arise, Where is antichrist? Satan will then point to the Mohammedan power, and contend that it constitutes antichrist. And behold, it is in possession of Jerusalem, the holy city, the city of the great King. Under the deception that Satan is Christ, and that Jerusalem rightly belongs to him, the nations of earth will unite in sending their armies against the Turk, and he shall come to his end, for none shall help him. Thus will the waters of the great River Euphrates be dried up; thus will the way of the kings of the East be prepared, that they may have a part in the last and more important phase of this battle of Armageddon. And Zech. 14:1, 2 will be fulfilled.
Jerusalem will then be in the hands of the nations, but God has said that He will make it a cup of trembling, and a burdensome stone to all the people, and that all who burden themselves with it shall be cut to pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. Zech. 12:2, 3.
In the battle, many in the city will be slain. Half will be taken captives, but there will be a residue in the city who will not be cut off. This remnant is the people of God, and the Lord shall identify Himself with them for their salvation, and He shall go forth and fight against those nations as he fought in the day of battle. But how does God fight in the day of battle? We have an instance of this recorded in the twentieth chapter of 2 Chronicles. The children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came against Judah. And God told them that the battle was not theirs but His, that they would not need to fight; and the record tells us that God set ambushments against the enemies, for the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to slay and to destroy them, after which they turned upon each other, so that when Judah came out to see them, they found them all dead bodies.
The same thing was true in the battle of Gideon against the Midianites; for God brought confusion among the foe, so that every man’s hand was against the hand of his fellow. Thus will it be in this battle; for when the nations have taken the city, the question of which one of them shall possess it, and who shall stand at the head, is still unsettled. The restraining Spirit of God being withdrawn, the nations are given over to the spirit of Satan, and anarchy, jealousy, and envy will run riot among them. The desire for self-advancement will move and control them all. And, having no common foe, they turn upon each other, and the armies are cut to pieces.
“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness; and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.” Zech. 12:3–8.
The strength and glory of the people of God are set forth in verses 6 and 8, while verse 7 teaches that the salvation of God will come in such a way that one part of His people shall not be jealous of another, but all will be one.
Other scriptures describe this battle, and show that the results are not confined to Jerusalem. Jer. 25:29–33 reads as follows:—
“For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by My name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily roar upon His habitation; He shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.”
So we see that while the destruction begins at Jerusalem, it is carried to the ends of the earth. The evil which goes forth from nation to nation is the spirits of devils spoken of in Rev. 16:14.
At the close of this battle two of the classes participating in it will be cut off, to wit, the Turk and the nations. The third part or portion of God’s people are brought through, and refined, thus fulfilling Zech. 13:8, 9:—
“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on My name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is My people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God.” Zech. 13:8, 9.
The remaining verses of chapters 12 and 13 describe in part the conditions under which, and the process by which, God’s people are refined, and these will be considered in the next article.
