A FALSE MESSAGE by S.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 14, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 11.

A FALSE MESSAGE.

By S.

THE mutterings of war are again rolling up from various quarters of the earth. A great nation is threatening to rise in its wrath and expel all foreigners.

In view of this, the nations whose subjects are in that country are laying their plans to be in readiness to despatch large numbers of men and ships of war to China, should the threatened outbreak come. The United States has been quietly increasing its forces in the Philippines, and shipping there large quantities of ammunition and soldiers' equipment.

False prophets were crying, "Peace, peace," when Japan and Russia were defying each other. In spite of the false optimism of these prophets, the bloodiest war of modern times was fought out in Manchuria; and a new factor was added to the complications of international disputes.

The vultures have hardly stripped the bones of the dead on the plains of Manchuria before new complications arise; there are new threats of armed discussion; new preparations for backing that discussion.

At this very time the prophets of universal peace are loud in their proclamations, when they should be busily engaged in warning men of the true condition of affairs. They disarm the victims at the time of greatest danger; for he who expects no foe is doubly disarmed, and the one who has been taught to expect peace and safety and a long reign of quietness and temporal blessings, will find that the judgments of God have come in spite of the false teachings to which he has given ready ear, and his shelter is unprepared. The Lord says that "sudden destruction" shall come upon them and "they shall not escape."

That cry of coming peace and safety is heard now at a time when many of the nations are angry and maneuvering for an opportunity to strike when the other is at a disadvantage. When the angels that are now holding the winds of strife shall cease longer to restrain the angry nations, that day toward which the nations look with dread will dawn upon the world; and the sad course which began in disobedience and sin will find the goal toward which it has sped these thousands of years—ruin and death.

What means this feverish haste to seek out and to adopt new styles of maneuvers, new weapons of greater effectiveness in accuracy and power, new explosives more deadly to "the enemy" and more safe to handle, tougher armor, new styles of battleships, of torpedo-boats, submarines, and torpedoes? Is it peace? Do the pursuits of peace need these? Are the hearts of men set on peace when they are fashioning and sharpening weapons of slaughter? Verily there is a wide gulf between seeking to imitate Christ and planning how surest to slay those for whom He died.

God has not commissioned any man to proclaim a universal peace that is to reign in this world until after that time when He shall break the nations "in pieces as a potter's vessel." Wars and rumors of wars will continue until Christ shall come in person to put an end to all sin and all the results of sin. Then peace will reign, and the only kingdom upon this renovated earth will be the kingdom of Christ—not "ushered in through the gateway of politics;" for politics will have been buried with the inventor of politics. To the end of the age the princes of this world will continue to "prepare war" and "wake up the mighty men," as God's Word has declared. God has prepared a refuge for His people in the time of final trial. Let us haste to enter in.