Subject-Matter for War by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 25, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 13.

Subject-Matter for War.

By T.

THERE has been a great deal of talk during recent months in regard to the probability of the United States going to war with Japan. But now the talk has shifted, and the discussion is concerning the probability of China and Japan drawing their swords against each other.

Japan shipped a large supply of rifles to a merchant who China claimed was much more than likely to sell them to some of the revolutionists in her own borders. Hence she seized the ship containing the guns. Japan demanded that the ship be released and that an apology be made, and also that indemnity should be paid. To enforce her demands she sent a cruiser to the port of China, and it looked for a time as tho there might be bloodshed. But England has stepped in and asked her ally, Japan, for an explanation, and told her to wait until matters could have further consideration. Among the things proposed by England is that the matter be submitted to a court of arbitration. This was suggested by China in the beginning of the difficulty, but Japan refused to listen to her. It remains to be seen if she will give respect to the suggestion of her powerful ally.

While the question of war with Japan has thus been discussed, the powers of Europe have been very much concerned over developments that had their center around the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. It looked for a time to a great many as tho the Emperor William had some designs in mind to carry out that would result in very serious complications. And then the United States has a question with Venezuela that does not seem to settle very readily. Demands that have been made by this government are being ignored and the question has a serious outlook.

If you will take the pains to notice it, you will see that there is but very little time in any year that some of the nations are not discussing questions that lie dangerously close to the border-line of war. These questions are being settled, or patched up, as a general rule, and war does not result. For this reason many persons are reaching the conclusion that we are not to have any more wars. They think that the nations are becoming too humane to go to war. Indeed, some men are fondly hoping that they will be able to invent arms so powerfully destructive that the very terror of them will keep the nations in peace.

One prophetic portion of Scripture reads:

"And the nations were wroth, and Thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear Thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth." Rev. 11:18.

The foregoing scripture very plainly shows that when the time for the judgment arrives, the nations will be "wroth," and God Himself will be called upon by the conditions of the time to "destroy them that destroy the earth." But while the nations are in this wrathy condition, there is another prophecy that shows that they will be held in check until the work that the Lord has to do in the earth is accomplished. The prophecy reads:

"After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree. And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." Rev. 7:1-3.

Two Servants Giving the Dog His Morning Bath.

"Wind" in these symbolic prophecies denotes war and strife. This should be evident to any one from a close reading of the foregoing text. And we see from the text that God has commanded the angels to hold back this strife among the nations until His sealing work is accomplished. But when that work is finally done, then the nations will no longer be restrained by the hand of Omnipotence. Then the war-scenes that have been depicted by the prophets will become a reality in the world. And who can not see that the materials for it are abundant and on every hand?