The Dream of Peace and the Prediction of War by Francis McLellan Wilcox

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 16, 1914

The Dream of Peace and the Prediction of War

By Francis McLellan Wilcox

THE world today presents some striking anomalies. Conditions have become abnormal. In every phase of human existence and experience are presented apparent contradictions and questions which are paradoxical. One writer expresses the present situation in the following words:—

This is an age of brilliant pretensions, but sad realities. Its professions and practices, its facts and theories, present a climax of contradictions.

There never was so much of the form of godliness, and never so little of the power.

Never so many assurances of peace, and never so extensive and urgent preparations for war.

Never so many tokens of coming danger and calamity, and never such a feeling of security, expressed and implied, on the part of the people.

There never was a time when the doctrine of the immediate opening of the temporal millennium was more universally cherished and talked of, and never a time when every feature of society, social, moral, and political, rendered such an idea more preposterous.

There never was a time when there was so much money in the world, and never a time when there was more widespread and distressing poverty.

Perhaps nowhere are these anomalous conditions more apparent than in those questions affecting the national and international relationship of the nations of this earth. On the one hand, we have a strong international movement working for peace — for the settlement of disputes by arbitration. For years, from the pulpit and platform, and in the public press, the advocates of this movement have urged its claims upon the public. Public-spirited men and statesmen have espoused the cause. At The Hague a great Peace Temple has been erected, where it is fondly hoped the representatives of the nations will come together from time to time to settle their international differences, rather than to resort to war and bloodshed. Mr. Carnegie has contributed of his millions for the good of the cause.

One of the latest efforts in the furtherance of this purpose is the action of the United Churches of Switzerland. This religious federation has sent an earnest invitation to the churches of Europe to a conference "to pronounce against war and its standing armies and armaments." This appeal cites the fact that in thirty years the leading nations of Europe,—Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia,—have increased their standing armies from 2,650,000 men to 4,200,000. During this same time the military expense has increased from $697,000,000 to the enormous sum of $1,549,000,000 per annum. The Switzerland church alliance expresses its shame that the so-called Christian nations of Europe are guilty of expending so much for offensive and defensive warfare, in direct opposition to the teaching of Christ.

On the other hand, while this general agitation for peace is apparently growing and receiving the open commendation of men high in the councils of state, the nations of earth are engaged in a feverish race for naval supremacy. According to Winston Spencer Churchill, first lord of the admiralty in Great Britain, that nation "will have ten of the new big-gun battleships in the water by the time any other nation in the world has two." All of these ships will carry fifteen-inch guns, the best weapons ever possessed by the British navy, and capable of hurling a projectile weighing a ton for a distance of twelve miles.

Great Britain's naval estimates for 1914-15 amount to $257,750,000. Referring to the situation in the East, Mr. Churchill announced the renewal of the British alliance with Japan to the year 1921, and stated that "it is not to be expected that Japan will be less in need of her powerful friend at the other end of the world at that date than she is today." In concluding his speech in the House of Commons Mr. Churchill said: "Our naval strength is the one great balancing force we can contribute to our own safety and the peace of the world. The causes which might lead to a general war have not been removed. The world is arming as it never armed before. All attempts at arresting it have been ineffectual."

And for this outcome of warfare others than Mr. Churchill are eagerly looking and deliberately planning. Says the editor of Pearson's for Feb. 25, 1914, in discussing "Why the Krupps Are Happy:"—

In these circumstances the cheerful pipings and twitterings of Mr. Carnegie about European peace seem like a ghastly joke. While this fatuous person is building temples of peace, a large part of the nations of Europe are deliberately preparing for the most terrific war in history.

Truly there is presented before us an interesting spectacle. On every side are found the prophets of peace and the prophets of war, and many times the personnel of the two companies is the same. Indeed, a favorite argument with some of the advocates of peace at the present time is that large navies are essential to the bringing in of this condition.

At Camden, N. J., on March 23, occurred the launching of the battleship "Oklahoma." Says the Literary Digest of April 4:—

A new precedent was established by dedicating the vessel "to a mission of peace in the service of Almighty God." . . . That the "Oklahoma" will give a good account of herself on any mission of war is seen from the fact that she carries ten fourteen-inch guns, and is 583 feet long, with a displacement of 27,500 pounds. She will be our largest battleship, although two larger ones are now under construction.

If it were not for the Scriptures of Truth, we might be confused by what we see and hear today. But when we turn to the prophetic word, we find that the very situation which we are facing has been plainly and clearly delineated. The prophets of old declared that in the closing days of earth's history the nations would be making great preparations for warfare; that the implements of peace would be turned into implements of war. On the other hand, prophecy shows that right at that very time there would be some crying, "Peace, peace," but that the dream of peace would fail of its fulfillment.

Contrast these two prophecies:—

The Prophecy of Peace

"And it shall come

to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." Isa. 2: 2-5.

The Prophecy of War

"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3: 9-14.

Please note that in the prophecy of peace it is declared that "many people shall go and say" let us have a time of peace, but the prophecy of war gives not the words of the people, but the word of God to the people.

That this cry of peace and safety would prove a snare and a delusion, the Scriptures plainly indicate. Says the apostle Paul in speaking of this very period in earth's history: "When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them; . . . and they shall not escape." The context of the prophecy concerning peace, in the second chapter of Isaiah, also indicates the same thing. The dream of peace will never find more than temporary fulfillment. At the very time when some are dreaming of a temporal millennium and of a world rule of peace and righteousness, the Lord declares:—

"Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made." "For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low." "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." Isa. 2: 7, 8, 12, 17.

We must recognize that many worthy men and women are interested in the advocacy of these peace principles. In some measure success will crown their efforts. We do not question the sincerity of their motives, but they are dealing with impossible conditions. They are seeking to establish through political measures and human arrangements a kingdom of righteousness in the earth. But while the units of society and of the state are unregenerate, but little change can be made in the body politic. The life of the nation will rise no higher than the life of the individual units of that nation.

The fearful unrest filling the lives of men; the pent-up passions and animosities possessing their hearts; the fierce struggle for the mastery in trade and commerce; the unequal struggle the laboring classes are waging in their fight for existence—these elements of heart and soul and life cannot be suppressed by resolution or by peace treaty. This earth will never know peace until in the heart of every one of its inhabitants peace reigns. This will not be until sin has been purged away, and the King of peace takes universal dominion. Until that time all human devisings for the attainment of peace will be futile.

Let us not, therefore, be confused by conditions which exist in the world today. Let us remember that the unerring pen of the prophet pictured these conditions centuries ago. We know their portent. We know whither they are tending. We are in the closing days of earth's history. Let us be admonished by what we see taking place on the earth, and be prepared for the grand transformation which will be accomplished by the coming of our Lord and King. F. M. W.