The Russo-Eastern Question Prophetically and Historically Considered
By Bryn Mawr
THE RUSSO-EASTERN QUESTION PROPHETICALLY AND HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED. NO. 1.
[The following exposition of the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of Ezekiel is presented for the study of our readers. The writer feels the profound conviction that the views as set forth in the articles which follow are truth. For these views the editors are not responsible. The prophecy is an open one, one about which various opinions exist, and much uncertainty; therefore we give these articles space. Let the prophecy be carefully, prayerfully considered. If there are decided objections, let us hear from you.—ED. S. OF T.] IN view of the unhappy condition of affairs in the "Far East," and the rapidity with which events of national interest and worldwide import are developing, there is good need for inquiry as to the cause and trend of these events. In other words, "What do these things mean?" Surely the "distress of nations, with perplexity" is most palpable at this time,—"men’s hearts failing them for fear" as never before, and they are "looking after those things which are coming on the earth," with never a thought that "those things" are of the greatest importance to earth’s inhabitants, meaning eternal salvation to some and everlasting destruction to others. Men are striving as never before to discover a solution of the problems confronting international life, or a panacea for social and industrial ills, or a safeguard for threatened liberties; discerning not that "F-a-i-l-u-r-e" must be written across the face of every score save one,—His Word. "Except the Lord build, . . . they labor in vain," or, man "waketh in vain" except the Lord keep. Ps. 127:1. The secret things of heaven or earth belong unto God, but all things whatsoever He has revealed in His Word belong unto us; and with tender and unfailing love God assures us that nothing shall be done in all His universe, that concerns us, without first giving us full and faithful warning of the thing He would do. Deut. 29:29; Amos 3:7. Is it not strange, then, that we do not seek the Lord to know His will concerning ourselves, or any property-vested interests we may have in the things of earth? God’s Word is manifested to us in the Holy Scriptures, which are given by "inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17), and they are "able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." They present "ensamples unto us." They were "written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor. 10:11), and we have the "more sure word of prophecy" to guide us safely, as a "light that shineth in a dark place" (2 Peter 1:19). Now, whether we consider the Scriptures ethically, prophetically, or historically, they are alike unassailable. God’s character, as expressed in His law, is its standard of ethics; its prophecies are history foretold; its history is prophecy fulfilled; and the prophecies were given by "holy men of God," who spake as they were moved by the "Holy Ghost," who knew the "end from the beginning." 2 Peter 1:21; Isa. 46:10. Insomuch as prophecy is given for a warning, it would be useless for that purpose if it were not applied till after fulfillment. Therefore, with the light God has given us, and trusting Him for guidance all along the way, we will proceed to study Russia and her international policy and her ultimate destiny, as revealed through the prophet Ezekiel. In part this has been fulfilled, but there is much that is5yet to come to pass in the immediate and near future. Origin of Russian Empire.
Written more than three thousand years ago, the oldest and most trustworthy history of the dispersion of the human race over the "face of all the earth," is the Scriptures—God’s written Word. The discoveries of ethnologists of all times, and especially of modern times, verify—if verification were necessary—the compilations and prophetic revelations of Moses. To these sources—the Bible first—we will look for our information and instruction, and to God for wisdom and guidance in the study of this Russo-Eastern question, with its American complications. After giving a record of several generations of the descendants of Noah, Moses closes the narrative tersely in these words: "And by these were the nations divided in the earth after the Flood." Gen. 10:32. See also ch. 9:19. In view of these facts, we are constrained to consider these descendants, as they are brought to our notice, either by name or by country, as presented by the prophet in Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, and such other scriptures as relate to the subject under study. Ch. 38:1-6 reads as follows:— "And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog [of], the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn thee back, and put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee." Verse 1. The prophet is careful to give himself proper designation in contradistinction of the source of the word he is to give, showing direct communication between the Lord and man by the Holy Ghost, when such method was necessary to accomplish His will. Verse 2. "Set thy face," i. e., turn thy face toward Gog, earnestly behold him, give your undivided attention, for the time being, to Gog and his doings; and this is what the prophet did, as proved by the details of the record. Verse 3. Who is Gog?—Ruler of the land of Magog, and chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Magog was the second son of Japheth and progenitor of the ancient Scythians, inhabiting what is now known as Siberia and northern Russia. Nearly 4,000 years ago the Japhethic tribes were scattered over the "face of all the earth" in fulfilment of the prophecy that he should be "enlarged" (Gen. 9:27), the Magogian and Gomerian branches of the family intermingling and dispersing northward, becoming a very powerful and warlike people as early as 1,000 B. C. And about that time began the expanding and absorptive processes that made the great modern empire. Gog is the ideal official name of the ruler of the land of Magog, as the word "Pharaoh" signifies the ruler or king of Egypt, no matter what man bore it, or as "tzar" signifies the ruler of Russia, whether it be Nicholas II. or Nimrod I. Magog was the original kingdom of this ideal head, whose first exploit of absorption was in the cases of Meshech (Moschi) and Tubal (Tiberani); these tribes merged in the Magogian kingdom, degenerating (?) into the recent modern serfdom of Russia. Moscow and Tobolsk are, perhaps, modern ethnological reminders of their ancient greatness. Through this acquisition Gog became their "chief prince" (R. V.), "Prince of Rosh" (Rosh, the Scythian Tauri, and the Araxes were called Rhos, whence Russia).—Bible Cyclopedia, Art., "Meshech," Fausett. The best modern examples of the ancient Scythians may be found in the modern Cossack. After considering this subject geographically and ethnologically, it does not require any stretch of the imagination to find in the ancient Gog the modern "Czar of all the Russias;"—always in the plural, because the Russian Empire is made up by the accretion of many kingdoms. Verse 4. "I am against thee," i. e., I am opposed to your schemes, you are working contrary to My will and purpose, therefore, "I will turn thee about" (R. V.), and "put hooks in thy jaws," or, "I will turn you from the accomplishment of your purpose for this time, and will restrain you." The use of hooks in the jaw was anciently a favorite method of managing unruly, self-willed animals. See Job 41:1, 2, and 2 Kings 19:28. And history records the fact that Russia is only restrained in the accomplishment of her schemes by sheer brute force; for example, the Crimean War, and the war of 1878, when the combined action of the great world powers compelled her to desist from her purpose; for, if settled diplomatically, Russia will always win her point. Under these acknowledged restraints the Lord "brings" him "forth," that is, He causes "Gog" to change time and mode, but not purpose. The rest of verse 4 faithfully describes the heterogeneous character of the Russian military; and, when considered in detail, is not so "ancient" as might at first appear. "Clothed with all sorts of armor." "Armor" is supplied; and the modern uniform meets all the requirements, even to the "shield," wide straps crossing the breast, with wide belt buckled around the waist; and the military head-piece of the Russian soldier supplies the "helmet" of verse 5. And with the modern sword bayonet they would all be "handling swords." Verse 5. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are "Cushite," racially and geographically, anciently as well as modernly,—now known as Arabians, and if not Russian territory, under Russian influence. Verse 6. Gomer and all his bands, "warlike ally of Magog;" originally dwelling in what is now southern Russia; inhabited northwestern Asia 600 to 500 B. C.; anciently Cimmerian (now Crimea). They are the progenitors of the Gaul, of Ireland and Scotland, and the Cymri or Welsh, of Wales, England. Welsh is an old English term meaning "foreigners," applied to the Cymri when they first invaded the "Isles." Bear this in mind, as we will have occasion to refer to this matter again in another connection. Togarmah—son of Gomer, of the "north quarters"—"uttermost parts of the north" (R. V.)—"and all his bands, and many people with thee." The descendants of this Gomerian band are also "Cymric," and are represented, as nearly as possible, by the present-day Armenians and Turcomans. It is also an established fact that the descendant tribes of the "house of Togarmah" came forth from the "remote recesses of the north," locating in the above-named countries, and also passed westward through the most northern Russian possessions—Siberia and Alaska—to different parts of the Western Continent, known now as American, but then as Fushang; and the language of these aboriginal tribes thus founded retains many Cymric words, and many of the inscriptions digged from Indian mounds are undecipherable except to the Chinese savant; to him the characters are simply ancient Chinese. The foregoing Scripture language is both definite and comprehensive, as it includes not only the principal Japhetic, but also many of the "Cushite" tribes, and later, as we shall see, and, as the language implies, many people of mixed races, not particularly specified here, but comprehended in the phrases, "all his bands," and "many people with thee." While the tribes mentioned in the above scriptures made many raids toward Palestine, making some conquests, and absorbing some peoples and lands, there was nothing in their relations or intercourse with the Israelites that can in any way be considered as implying a fulfilment of these prophecies. Verse 7. "Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them." This verse reveals the secret of Russia's persistent diplomacy,—the Lord's command to "be prepared" and to "prepare" or make ready all others under "Gog's" rule or influence—to marshal all allies, and to be a leader or commander of them; or, as the language implies, to have a special care for all that are "assembled unto thee." He can be a father unto them, for "Father" is one of the titles of the "Czar of all the Russias." This command carries with it, so to speak, the warrant for her diplomacy. For many, many years she has been preparing; watch her! Verse 8. "After many days thou shalt be visited; in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have always been waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them." "After many days" is qualified by the term "latter years," doubtless the "time of the end" spoken of in Dan. 12:4 (q. v.), as the events here described immediately precede the close of the world's history. "Thou shalt be visited," that is, called upon to do God's will; and, in default of this (for "Gog" willfully determines upon his own way), the visitation is consummated in destruction in the last plagues.