WE broke off the study last week in the midst of our consideration of the events of the seven trumpets of Revelation 8, 9, and 11:15-19, which reach from the breaking up of the Roman empire to the end of the world. The last three trumpets (the symbol itself suggesting war) are distinguished by the special announcement of woe in connection with them. Revelation 8:13.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.1

The fifth trumpet (the first “woe”), we found, signalised the rise and spread of the Mohammedan power, while the sixth trumpet (the second “woe”) covers the 391 years (of chapter 9:15), which terminated in July 1840, when the independence of the Ottoman Empire passed away, and it became a ward of the Great Powers. Continuing, the prophet says in chapter 11:14, “The second woe is past; and behold the third woe cometh quickly.” We quoted the rest of the chapter to show that it reached to the end. Please read these verses again as we consider them further.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.2

Every expression in this record of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, proclaims the end of all things of this world. Look at them again in detail:—BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.3

1. The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of Christ; His reign begins, in His own kingdom, upon His own throne, by His own power; of which kingdom and reign there shall be no end.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.4

2. “The nations are angry:” the nations and rulers admit this, and each one is constantly fearful of any move on the part of the others, and is continually making its power stronger against the time when war will begin, which they all are sure must soon come. And they all dread the slightest step that might involve actual hostilities, because of the danger that if war is actually begun at any spot, it will suddenly spread and involve all in one horrible and universal war, of which no one can see any end except in universal ruin.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.5

Indeed it is plainly stated by one of the leading authorities of the world that it is as a bulwark against this great danger of universal war that the Ottoman Government has been maintained these last fifty years.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.6

Read now the following lines from the speech of Lord Salisbury, at the Mansion House, November 9, 1895:—BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.7

“Turkey is in that remarkable condition that it has now stood for half a century, mainly because the great powers of the world have resolved that for the peace of Christendom it is necessary that the Ottoman Empire should stand. They came to that conclusion nearly half a century ago. I do not think they have altered it now. The danger if the Ottoman Empire fall, would not merely he the danger that would threaten the territories of which that empire consists; it would be the danger that the fire there lit should spread to other nations, and should involve all that is most powerful and civilised in Europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest. That was a danger that was present to the mind of our fathers when they resolved to make the integrity end independence of the Ottoman Empire a matter of European treaty, and that is a danger WHICH IS NOT PASSED AWAY.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.8

No more plain, positive, and emphatic fulfilment of prophecy could be given, than is thus given in that speech, that the world stands trembling in the times of the seventh trumpet, when “the nations are angry.” And while, in the presence of this appalling danger, rulers, kings, and emperors are earnestly endeavouring by every possible means to maintain the peace of the world, what blundering blindness it is, what fatuous blindness it is, that the churches and the pulpits and the religious press should be exciting and stirring up the spirit and elements of war, calling for armies and navies to wipe out suddenly and without further consideration the Ottoman Government, and thus to break down the bulwark which the Powers have set on against the horrible flood of a universal war. Read also the following words from the Prime Minister’s Mansion House speech:—BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.9

“Throughout these negotiations nothing has pressed itself more strongly in my mind than the disposition of the great powers to act together, and their profound sense of the appalling dangers which any separation of their action might produce. Even those among them who in popular report have the reputation of being restless, have vied with the others in anxiety to conduct this great difficulty to a favourable issue, and to conduct it in a manner that shall keep all the powers together in line, moved by the common motive and with the common aim, THE NOBLE AIM, of the peace of Christendom as the one spirit that governs their action.BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.10

AN ASTONISHING REVERSAL OF THINGS

WHAT an awful reversal of things it is, that, while warriors and rulers, to whom God has given to bear the sword, are doing their utmost day and night to maintain the peace of the world; churches and pulpits and religious papers, to whom God has given to preach “peace on earth,“ should be day and night crying for war! When the very profession of the gospel of peace itself has become thus perverted to the proclamation of war, what but mischief and ruin can be the end of it all?BEST June 1, 1896, page 163.11

In view of the danger of the situation as it is in fact amongst the nations; and in view of this awful reversal of the order of things, and this fearful perversion of the right way, by the professors of the Gospel of peace, is it to be wondered at that the President of Robert College at Constantinople should write as follows of “The Present State of Europe”?—BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.1

“I believe that there is a general impression among thinking men in Europe that we are approaching a great crisis in the world’s history. It is certainly within the bounds of possibility that this year may see the great Christian nations engaged in a universal war. I am by nature and choice an optimist (one who looks for good). I like to find out the good rather than the evil in men and nations; but a man must either shut his eyes, or fall back upon an unwarranted faith in God, to be an optimist in Europe to-day—so far as the immediate future is concerned.... It is perfectly plain that the civilisation of Europe is rotten to the core; and if we can learn anything from the lessons of history, it must pass through the throes of death before it can rise again to a new and higher life. If it were only the Governments which were corrupt the people might rise in their strength and overthrow them; but with a degenerate people there is no hope.”—New York Independent, February 6, 1896, pp. 9, 10.BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.2

But it is not only that the nations are angry and that war must come, dreadful and universal; this is not all. What is to be the end of it? Read on in the events of the seventh trumpet. Revelation 11:18.BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.3

THE WORLD’S CRISIS

3. “THY wrath is come.” The wrath of God is defined (Revelation 15:1) as “the seven last plagues.” The nature and effects of these are recorded in Revelation 16:1-21; and they end precisely at the point and in the very things, that are marked in chapter 11:19 as the ending of the seventh trumpet, and which indeed is nothing less than the ending of all things.BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.4

4. “And the time of the dead that they should be judged.” And therefore in this time the proclamation not of war, but of the “everlasting gospel” of peace is to be made “to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come, and worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6, 7.BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.5

5. “And that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth.” It is at the resurrection of the just that the saints are to be rewarded, and this is by the coming of the Lord in glory. For He says, “Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12. And them that are wicked will be “destroyed by the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8. For “The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, bid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.6

6. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” The complement of this expression as to the thunderings, etc., is found in Revelation 16:17-21: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.7

All these things which we have traced by these numbered points—all these things were by the Word of God to “come quickly” after August 11, 1840; quickly after the date when the time of the rule of the Ottoman Empire by its own power passed away; quickly after that Empire was by the great powers set as a bulwark against the anger of the nations breaking out in an “appalling” and universal war. Half a century has passed since that time: and now in view of the undeniable facts and dangers that are vexing the governments and puzzling the people,—in view of all these things that are hanging over the world—how much more certainly is it now true that it assuredly “cometh quickly”! Get ready, get ready, get ready! Who will be ready? Who is ready?BEST June 1, 1896, page 164.8

A. T. JONES.

May 25, 1896

June 8, 1896