"BLESSED IS HE THAT WATCHETH."
By G.
THE Russo-Japanese War is frequently referred to as probably the war of "Armageddon" mentioned in Rev. 16:13-16. It may be a precursor of that event, but it is not that war itself. We quote from the American Revised version: "And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs; for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the 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 they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon." This record says nothing about a battle between nations. The "spirits of demons" gather the "kings of the whole world" together. Whether they have a battle among themselves is not stated, altho this is the general conjecture. At the time indicated men are already5blaspheming God because of the former plagues, and, for anything the record says, it is just as logical to suppose that the rulers of earth come together under Satanic influence for some united purpose, thinking that in some way they may overcome the plagues. Being under the deception of demons, they can be made to believe anything. But even then a general battle may result. It is the pouring out of the sixth plague, whatever that may mean, that dries up the river Euphrates, supposed to be the Turkish Government, so that there is no longer any hindrance to the coming of the kings from the sunrising. Whether these kings assemble for war among themselves or not, it is God's occasion for war upon all of them. It is "the war of the great day of God, the Almighty," that is the great event to take place at Har-Magedon. It is under the sixth of the seven plagues that are to fall on the earth after probation ceases, when this great gathering takes place. Immediately follows the seventh plague, in which we are shown the character of the war of that "great day." Now the people who are clamoring for the expulsion of the Turk from Europe, and the European rulers who are scheming for the absorption of all the territory of the Turkish Government, would do well to note that if by the river Euphrates is meant the Turkish Government, then that government will in some sense stand until probation ends, and until the dire judgments of God are being poured out in the earth. Moreover it is most important of all to note that in this connection the Lord says: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." No one who heeds this warning will be harmed by the terrible "war of the great day of God, the Almighty." He that confesses and forsakes his sins, putting on the garments of Christ's righteousness, will not have his former corrupt life exposed to the gaze of the universe. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." G.