Signs of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 15. (4/13/1915)

Signs of the Times

Apr 13, 1915

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 13, 1915

Why This War?

By E. T. Russell

Is It Armageddon?—It Came as a Series of Explosions—It Stands Without a Precedent

By E. T. Russell

This is the first section of an article in two parts by Elder E. T. Russell. In this section he presents, in a vivid way, the series of explosions that have produced the conflagration of war in Europe. Next week he will present more in detail the part that Russia is acting, telling of her determined designs on Constantinople, and also of the significance of driving the Turk out of Europe.

EDITOR.

The greatest conflict of the ages is now in progress on European soil. In comparison with the present struggle, the Hannibalic and the Napoleonic wars were limited both as to territory and also as to numbers involved. To-day more than one half of the area of the earth is drawn upon for men and means, and is therefore directly interested in this, the most terrible catastrophe in the history of nations.

While this calamity was expected by some, to the majority of people it came as suddenly as the belching forth of a volcano. In fact, it came at an unexpected moment, as many were confident that they were entering a period of world-wide peace. From the Peace Palace at The Hague had gone forth a suggestion of international disarmament and arbitration, and to many it was evidence that the vulture of war would soon give way to the dove of peace.

When the war cloud suddenly appeared, darkened by human hate and selfishness, and broke into a storm through the passions of national rancor, then the world stood aghast, and an anxious cry sounded forth from lips everywhere, “Is this Armageddon?”

Is It Armageddon?

It is not Armageddon; but when we consider the extent of the conflict, and the rapidity of mobilization, and the millions engaged in mortal combat, it is evidence to the careful observer that when the clock of prophecy and of time strikes the hour of Armageddon, the masses of earth will soon be marshaled for the final struggle, in which will be manifested religious fanaticism and both racial and national hatred.

A Theory Exploded

The oft repeated statement that the best way to insure peace is to prepare for war, has met its Waterloo in this, the world's great cataclysm. Rulers and statesmen are awakened as from a deep sleep; and to many, this war appears as a horrid nightmare. They realize that they have been cherishing vain hopes. The large standing armies, strong fortifications, formidable navies, and myriads of airships, in which they trusted, have proved an unsafe insurance against war. In fulfillment of the prophetic declaration of Jehovah, neutral nations, as well as those involved in the present struggle, are constantly preparing for war. See Joel 3:9.

Before Bismarck, the iron chancellor of Germany, had conceived the idea of the Triple Alliance, there was in Europe what was termed the “Concert of Powers.” This was formed to hold back any government from becoming a menace to the welfare of Europe, as was France under the strong leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte.

But Bismarck had visions he was confident would mean much for Germany; and through the influence of his great intellect, his hopes were realized in the formation of the threefold alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy, in which they were all bound together in a single bundle. These alliances were thus formed in the interest of national self-protection.

Contrary to Prejudice

Austria was allied with Germany, contrary to national prejudice. In the year 1864, Germany and Austria engaged in a successful war against Denmark, and took from her the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, Germany taking Schleswig, and Austria taking Holstein. Not being content with having gained possession of Schleswig, Bismarck, shortly after the war, offered Austria twelve million dollars for Holstein. This offer was unfavorably considered by Austria. Two years after the war against Denmark, in the Austro-Prussian war of 1866, called “the Six Weeks War,” Austria was humbled by the Prussian cannon, and sued for peace on the battle field of Sadova.

Then Germany took Holstein as a spoil of the war; and after the Franco-Prussian war, Bismarck, realizing that as a result of the various conflicts, there would be national rancor and hatred, sought an alliance that he felt would prove a bulwark to his country's safety. In the accomplishment of his hopes, he brought the power of his giant personality to bear on

Austria-Hungary, and convinced Austria that it was to her interest to unite with that government which only twelve years before had humbled and despoiled her. He also approached Italy, and influenced her to become a member, with Austria and Germany, of what is now known as the “Triple Alliance.”

Another Unnatural Union

On account of national and commercial prejudices, there is scarcely anything in common between the Italians and the Austrians. Thus another unnatural union was formed, and that is a strong reason why Italy is not engaged in the present conflict, on the side of Germany and Austria.

On the northern borders of the Adriatic Sea lie the Trentino, Istria, and Dalmatia. These provinces Austria has appropriated to herself, to the great prejudice of her Italian neighbors, as they feel that these provinces contain certain seaport towns which should be turned to Italy.

Since the commencement of the war, it has been published in the American dailies that Germany has assured Italy that if she will not enter the conflict on the side of the allies, the Trentino shall certainly be given her.

As soon as the Triple Alliance was formed, France and Russia were placed on the anxious seat; and they in turn formed a dual alliance, and were soon joined by England, making “the Triple Entente.” This alliance was designed as a barrier to the first, so that neither Germany, Austria, nor Italy should be able to gain control of any territory or interest that would prove a menace to the welfare of either Russia, France, or Great Britain.

These nations thus became allies contrary to national prejudices. Prior to the war of the Crimea of 1853-56, England and France had been bitter enemies, and had often faced each other on the battle field. Also Russia was considered in an unfriendly light by both England and France, and often they had thwarted her purposes and met her in mortal combat on the field of strife. But in this coalition for self-interests, Waterloo and Sebastopol were forgotten; and to outward appearances, old-time enemies were made friends.

A Series of Powder Magazines

Bismarck’s hopes are still unfulfilled. Instead of the present alliances safeguarding the interests of Germany or of Europe, they have greatly increased complications. A certain writer likens the present alliances to a series of powder magazines; as one explodes, it explodes the others. The first explosion in connection with this present catastrophe took place in Austria-Hungary. The Austrian magazine was fired by the assassination of the archduke Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the throne of Austria-Hungary, at Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, on June 28, 1914.

On July 23, Austria presented to Servia certain demands, with a time limit of only forty-eight hours. On July 25, Servia replied to the Austrian demands. On July 26, Germany warned other powers not to interfere with Austria in dealing with Servia. Sir Edward Grey, British foreign secretary, suggested to the powers that they send representatives to London to discuss means to avert war. On July 28, Germany and Austria refused the request of Sir Edward Grey, and Austria declared war on Servia. On July 29, Austria bombarded Belgrade, the capital of Servia, and Russia began to mobilize her army. Germany also prepared for mobilization. July 30, Germany demanded of Russia that her mobilization cease. July 31, by imperial decree, a state of war was declared throughout Germany. August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. August 2, German troops entered the duchy of Luxemburg. German troops also appeared before the Belgian frontier, and demanded a passage through to France. August 3, war was declared between France and Germany. Germany invaded Belgium, and Belgium appealed to England to stand by her pledge to maintain Belgian neutrality. August 4, England declared war on Germany. August 6, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. August 8, Portugal proclaimed herself an ally of England. August 10, France declared war on Austria-Hungary. August 12, England declared war on Austria-Hungary. August 13, Japan sent an ultimatum to Germany. November 14, Turkey proclaimed a holy war, and entered the conflict on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Such Explosions Never Before

Thus one explosion followed another in rapid succession. The like has never been witnessed since the world began. Never before have such large armies been marshaled; never before have such long battle fronts been drawn; never before have so many death-dealing weapons been brought into action; never before has such universal carnage been witnessed. Heavenly messengers could well proclaim, “Woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth.”

Greed, Rapine, and Madness

It would be difficult to determine, in every particular, the various causes that have led to the present conflict. But it is evident that a desire for national self-preservation, a lust for power, and a longing desire for increased territory, and national fear that injury or loss might come to commercial interest, have had much to do in producing the awful results we are now witnessing on Europe’s blood-stained fields. It is largely the same old story of greed and rapine.

Insanity Greater Among Men than Among Women

In 1880 the total number of inmates in insane asylums in the United States included 20,635 males and 20,307 females. Thirty years later, the number of male inmates had increased to 98,695, and the number of female inmates to 80,096. The excess of men among admissions in 1910 indicated a still further increase in the proportion, namely, 128 males to 100 females. An analysis of these admissions as to the specific forms of insanity involved, brings to light the interesting fact that if alcoholic psychosis and general paralysis are deducted, the proportion of the sexes is practically the same. The diseases mentioned would seem to be those which, generally, are the result of dissipation. Alcohol and syphilis again established their superiority as man’s most dangerous allied foes.— American Medical Journal.

Respect for Others’ Rights

THE spirit of liberty is not, as multitudes imagine, a jealousy of our particular rights, but a respect for the rights of others.—Channing.

The Creator and His Creation

By Marion E. Cady

The Great Scientist Newton and Atheism—The Intelligence Displayed in Creation—Could It Come by Blind Chance?

By Marion E. Cady

DR. BREWSTER gives expression to the following as to Sir Isaac Newton’s views of the Creator in His relation to His creation:

“He admits that gravity might put the planets in motion, but he maintains that without divine power, it could never give them such a circulating motion as they have about the sun, because a proper quantity of a transverse motion is necessary for this purpose; and he concluded that he is compelled to ascribe the frame of this system to an intelligent agent.”

“In the third letter [to Dr. Bentley], he [Newton] states that the hypothesis that matter is at first evenly diffused through the universe, is, in his opinion, inconsistent with the hypothesis of innate gravity without a supernatural power to reconcile them, and therefore it infers Deity. ‘For if there be innate gravity, it is impossible now for the matter of the earth and all the planets and stars to fly up from them, and become evenly spread throughout all the heavens, without a supernatural power; and certainly that which can never be hereafter without a supernatural power, could never be heretofore without the same power.’”—“Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton.”

Dr. Brewster also quotes from Newton, giving his views on atheism:

“Opposite to godliness is atheism in profession, and idolatry in practice. Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind, that it never had many professors. Can it be by accident that all birds, beasts, and men have their right side and left side alike shaped (except in their bowels), and just two eyes and no more, on either side of the face, and just two ears on either side of the head, and a nose with two holes, and either two forelegs or two wings or two arms on the shoulders, and two legs on the hips and no more? Whence arises this uniformity in all their outward shapes, but from the counsel and contrivance of an Author? Whence is it that the eyes of all sorts of living creatures are transparent to the very bottom, and the only transparent members in the whole body, having on the outside a hard transparent skin, and within transparent humors, with a crystalline lens, all of them so finely shaped and fitted for vision that no artist can mend them? Did blind chance know that there was light, and what was its refraction, and fit the eyes of all creatures after the most curious manner, to make use of it? These and such like considerations always have and ever will prevail with mankind, to believe that there is a Being who made all things, and has all things in His power, and who is therefore to be feared.”

It is to be hoped that this great scientist will be appreciated by the scientists of to-day, not only for his discoveries and writings on scientific subjects, but also that his belief in the origin and supervision of the works of creation may be accepted by them.

Newton, in his writings, and in his life, vindicated the great truth that creation and Christianity have one and the same God.

Sin's Awful Pay Day

By Tyler E. Bowen

When the Millennium Ends—Armageddon Will Then Be Renewed—The Lake of Fire and the Reward of the Wicked

By Tyler E. Bowen

At the end of the millennium come the closing scenes of “the day of the Lord” period. During these ten centuries, there will be no sin going on among men. Earth's untold millions of ungodly people will be locked in the silence of death. Like a person in sound sleep, they will know nothing of passing time, or of events going on in heaven, where the saints will be with Jesus their Lord.

Armageddon Renewed

Photo by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.
THE SUPER-DREADNOUGHT QUEEN ELIZABETH — Photo by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. THE SUPER-DREADNOUGHT QUEEN ELIZABETH

The time will then come for Armageddon to be renewed. In the midst of its conflict, a thousand years before, the Son of God has appeared in glory and silenced the struggling millions of earth. All those not numbered among the saved, from Cain on down through the ages, will now hear the voice of the Son of God, and once more live. They will come forth to receive their final reward, according to the deeds done in the body.

Adam's Family See Each Other

Jesus died for every man. Hence He has the right to make every man alive. “Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28, 29.

In the purpose of God, the time will come, at the end of the millennium, for all who have done evil to hear the voice of the Son of God. They will come up as they went down, mortal. Unlike the redeemed, they will not be clothed with immortality. They will come forth from their graves to receive their pay. “The wages of sin is death.” Their wages are now to be paid.

Both Rewarded in the Earth

“O Jehovah, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be put to shame. They that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters.” Jer. 17:13. Having been written in heaven's records as belonging to the earth, not heaven, it is appropriate that they receive their recompense in the earth; and so it is written, “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!” Prov. 11:31. The righteous do not receive their recompense in the earth, however, until after the wicked receive theirs.

The psalmist David had a very clear conception of all this, for he wrote: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for He seeth that his day is coming.” “The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” Ps. 37:1-3, 9-13, 20, 34.

Each Beholds the Other's Reward

When the earth is on fire, the redeemed of the Lord shall see it: for they too will be there, only they will be within the city of God. All within will be untouched by the flame, as Noah and his family, within the ark, were untouched by the waters of the Flood.

On the other hand, the wicked will behold the reward of the righteous. They will “see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom,” in the city of God. They will see that God is faithful to His word. They will see the nations of the saved within the golden city. “He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God [Jesus speaking of His Father], and Mine own new name.” “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Rev. 3:12; 2:11.

Earth's Capital Comes Down from Heaven

The time comes for all this to be literally fulfilled. At the end of earth's one thousand years of silence, the city of God will descend with the redeemed in it—overcomers. The city will be surrounded by the resurrected millions of commandment breakers. They will face their Judge to receive their punishment. They will find that it is not eternal life, as they have so often been taught. Instead, they are to be deprived of eternal life with Christ in glory, and to perish in the fires prepared for the devil and his angels. As sure as God's word is true, so surely there will come a rain of fire in which rebellious souls shall perish. This will be literally hell fire—not a place of eternal burning, for then the wicked would never perish; but sufficiently long to destroy sin and sinners, and the effects of sin in this earth.

“The Day of the Lord”

Here the last of the thrilling series of events taking place during “the day of the Lord” is fulfilled. With the destruction of Satan, his angels, and all his followers, the root, or cause, of all the trouble in the earth will be wiped out, and the “day,” time,

or period, of God's righteous anger, be overpast, and this grand old earth shall then enter upon the purpose of its Maker when the morning stars sang together at the day of its birth. Sin's cruel reign will then be over forever and forever. O, the rapture of that blessed day! No more sorrow, no more death, no more crying! Heaven on earth; for earth is once more heaven!

The Son of God will then create a new heaven and a new earth, wherein the redeemed of the Lord shall find an eternal home. This shall be their “recompense in the earth.” And the saints shall behold this new creation, spoken into existence by the Son of God—their glorious King.

Who Does Not Want to Be There?

With such a prospect before us, who can afford to miss the reward of eternal life in the kingdom of God? How the glories of this present world pale into insignificance at the glorious prospect of such a home just before us! That is not to be a mythical abode. It is gloriously real—a real Saviour, a real city, a real home. To gain it, means the giving up of all now for Christ, being willing to enter into fellowship with Him through suffering, ready to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. By giving up our all for Christ, we can claim Christ's all, all that He has. And having Him, we possess all things; for when God gave His Son for sinful men, He poured out all heaven in that one Gift—with Him giving us all things.

Summary and Conclusion

At the beginning of “the day of the Lord,” we have learned Jesus receives His kingdom in heaven. During that day, He comes to get His subjects, at which time no one is left alive on earth, all who are not Christ's subjects, sleeping on a thousand years. The day closes with the lake of fire for incorrigible sinners, which is the second, everlasting death, or eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord.

But, dear reader, this period, this “day of the Lord,” has not as yet begun. There is still opportunity for every lost sinner to turn to Christ and obtain life. He tarries as our Mediator a little season yet. If you are not sure that His life atones for you, O, delay not, until your sins are covered by His perfect life! You have not a moment to lose. Go to Jesus, and tell Him you are a sinner. Ask Him to blot out your transgressions like a thick cloud. He will do it, and in exchange for your restless tossings to and fro, give you His peace and joy, such as this world can neither give nor take away.

Be sure you are keeping all the commandments—including the fourth. Unless this is done before Jesus takes His kingdom, it will be no use to try; for then it will be forever too late. Each must bear his own sins then. “The Holy Ghost saith, To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace [now, to-day], that we may obtain mercy [which cannot be obtained when “the day of the Lord” begins], and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 3:7, 8; 4:14-16.

A Definite Period of Persecution

By Calvin P. Bollman

Millions Put to Death During That Time—The Forces of Intolerance Were Curbed—“Those Days Shall Be Shortened”

By Calvin P. Bollman

We learned last week that the time of great tribulation foretold by our Saviour in Matt. 24:29 and parallel scriptures refers to the 1,260 years of papal supremacy beginning in 538 and ending in 1798. During this time, or within this time, there was to be tribulation so great as to threaten the total destruction of God’s people. The question naturally arises, Was there such a period of tribulation at that time?

Millions Were Martyred

The answer to this question must be in the affirmative; for it is admitted, even by Catholics themselves, that during the years between 538 and 1798, not less than fifty millions of people were put to death in the interests of “the church.” This was charged by Alexander Campbell, in his debate with Archbishop Purcell, in Cincinnati, in 1837, and was admitted by the archbishop; the difference between Mr. Campbell and the archbishop being that whereas Campbell called those who suffered death “martyrs,” the archbishop styled them “heretics,” claiming that they suffered only the just deserts of their apostasy from the “true faith.”

It is not claimed, by any one, that all who suffered death at the instance of the papacy were true Christians. Political and religious controversies were so intermingled, during the long period of papal supremacy, that it is difficult to draw the line between deaths inflicted for religious reasons and those inflicted for political reasons. But between the two, it is certain that whole nations were destroyed.

Three Kingdoms Overthrown

The prophecy of Dan. 7:8, 20, and 24 indicated that of the ten kingdoms to be established in the territory of Western Rome, three were to be overthrown and destroyed in the interests of the papacy. These were the Heruli, in Italy; the Vandals, in Africa; and the Ostrogoths, in Italy. The first of these kingdoms was overthrown in 493, the Vandals in 533, while the Ostrogoths did not become nationally extinct until about 553, though their power was broken by a crushing defeat before the city of Rome in 538, from which some writers date their overthrow. Vitiges, their king, was taken prisoner in 539, and carried a prisoner to Constantinople by Belisarius.

Except Those Days Be Shortened

Among the so-called heretics, against whom the papacy waged unrelenting warfare from the eleventh century down well into the eighteenth, were the Hussites, the Bohemians, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, and the Huguenots. Space forbids more than a mere mention of these witnesses for the truth of God—for such many of them undoubtedly were, though Rome hunted them like wild beasts, and all but exterminated them from the face of the earth. Indeed, so cruel and unrelenting was the persecution waged by the papacy against dissenters, that our Saviour Himself said of the long period of papal supremacy, “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matt. 24:22.

Now it would be manifestly impossible that a definite time period should be shortened. Twelve hundred and sixty years must be just that many years. The “days” could not be shortened in the sense of having them cover any fewer years; but the days of actual persecution could be and were shortened. This solution of the apparent difficulty is suggested by Mark 13:24, “In those days, after that tribulation,” etc. Through the influence of the Reformation, the discovery and settlement of America, the rapid growth and influence of the liberty-loving and progressive English nation, and the liberality of Holland, religious persecution had almost entirely ceased by 1776, the year of American independence.

The Reign of Terror and the Papacy

Still the spiritual and ecclesiastical power of the papacy was seemingly unbroken. The pope yet reigned not only as a temporal prince over the states of the church, from Rome, his capital city, but Catholic princes received their crowns from him, and to quite an extent held them subject to his will. The end of the 1,260 years of unbroken papal supremacy was, however, approaching. In 1793 occurred the Reign of Terror in France. The common people of that country suffered much in the way of oppression at the hands of both the state and the church. The church owned or at least held a very large part of the landed property of the kingdom, deriving from it immense revenues, but paying no taxes, the burden of supporting the government falling almost entirely upon the toiling masses. The States General (the national legislature), which had not met for more than a century, was convoked by the king in response to a demand so insistent that Louis XVI dared not disregard it.

The States General, once assembled, soon took all power into its own hands. The king, attempting to flee, was arrested, tried on the charge of conspiring with the enemies of France, and was executed. Conscious that the Catholic Church was in large measure responsible for the wrongs the people had suffered, the States General decreed the abolition not only of the papacy, but of Christianity itself, and established in its stead the worship of Reason. Church property was confiscated, and the priests were deprived at once of their offices and of their support.

The Pope Was Taken Prisoner

All this, however, left the papacy outside of France as strong as ever. But in 1798 the French Directory sent an army into Italy, with orders to abolish the papacy in Rome itself. This army was under command of General Berthier, who captured the city of Rome by assault, took the pope prisoner, declared the papacy abolished, and upon its ruins established a republic.

As briefly stated last week, these several events, following one another in rapid succession, have been justly held to mark the end of the 1,260 years of papal supremacy, the

giving of the deadly wound prophesied in Rev. 13:10: “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.”

(Continued from page 4)

Pope Pius VI, as also was stated last week, was carried a prisoner to France, where he died the following year. Thus the bishop of Rome, the very embodiment of that politico-ecclesiastical system that had led so many thousands into captivity during the long centuries of its supremacy, was himself led into captivity.

The papacy, which had caused millions of so-called heretics to be killed with the sword, was itself destroyed by the sword, literally fulfilling the prophecy in every particular.

Next week we shall continue the study of our Lord’s great prophecy of the twenty-fourth of Matthew, beginning with the event which His words, as recorded in Mark 13:24, declared should occur “in those days, after that tribulation,” and which, as we shall see, did actually occur between the close of the persecution about 1776 and the end of the days in 1798.

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