THE UNITED STATES

We have had the second and the seventh chapters of Daniel, telling of the powers of Western Europe. We have had the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of Ezekiel telling of Russia’s power and place. And we have had Daniel 11 and 12, telling of “the Eastern Question,” that involves all these powers in complications that can end, and that is by these expected to end, only “in a dangerous and calamitous contest,” involving all that is most powerful and civilized in Europe. But the other great world power—the United States—has not yet been comprehended. Where is her place? How does she come in?MON 35.2

Turn to Revelation 16. There is given the account of the seven last plagues. All trouble, distress, and woe that will ever be upon the earth will come in these; for they are the seven last plagues. The sixth one is the last thing just before the coming of the Lord. And here is the record of it: “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared.”MON 35.3

The river Euphrates flows down from the mountains of Armenia, to the Persian Gulf. That river has been flowing there ever since the Deluge. And ever since the time of Chedorlaomer, in the days of Abraham, mighty armies have crossed and recrossed the Euphrates, even when it was at the flood; and none ever found it necessary for the river to be dried up in order to be crossed. So it can not be the literal river that is here meant. But the next chapter tells what is meant, verse 15: “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest ... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”MON 35.4

Then the drying up of the waters of the Euphrates means the setting aside of the power that holds the territory in that part of the earth that is drained by the river Euphrates. Is there any sign of that being done? What power is that?—Turkey. But the life of Turkey is in these mighty powers of Europe: Great Britain, Russia, France, Germany. But when Turkey is set aside, these great powers, in dividing up the dominion of the Turk, expect nothing but a general war, which the Scripture also says is to be the sure result. This verse in Revelation 16 tells why it is that Turkey comes to her end: it is “that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared.”MON 36.1

What are the kingdoms that are particularly concerned in that matter of Turkey?—Russia, Great Britain, France, Germany. Behold here a curious connection. That power ceases that the way may be prepared for the kings of the East. But all that are concerned in the matter are the kings of the West. How, then, can that bring in the kings of the East? Look at the East—the extreme East. Russia controls all of North China down to Pekin—all north of the fortieth parallel. Next, to the southward, comes Germany; next, to the southward, comes Britain; next, Italy; next, France. And now, with Britain and Germany, as well as by her own new possession of the Philippines, there comes in also the United States as one of these “kings of the East.” ^{7February 27, 1900, Washington correspondence of the New York Tribune, reporting from “a high authority of the State Department,” gave, upon “authority, this statement:” “By the Treaty of Paris we came into possession of the Philippine Islands; and, from having purely commercial interests in the Far East, we came an Eastern Power, and an active participator in Asiatic politics.} Thus the kings of the East are NOW the very ones which have always been the kings of the West; yea, the powers of the extreme West have now become the powers of the extreme East.MON 36.2

Now read that verse again: “The water thereof [of the Euphrates] was dried up, that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” The power in the Euphrates country ceases to exist “that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared.” And, when they come, how many come? the kings of how much of the world come?—“The kings of the earth and of the whole world.” Ah, the kings of the East are the kings of the West; and the kings of the West are the kings of the East! And the same identical kings are the kings of the whole world—even as at the beginning of this pamphlet was pointed out and mapped.MON 37.1

Thus the very powers concerned in this Turkish affair are the powers that are now turning their attention to the dividing up of China, and so are become the kings of the East. And in all this, these mighty nations are simply stepping into their places in the marshaling of the nations for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”MON 38.1

Read: “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” And immediately after that word, comes this warning: “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”MON 38.2

In the midst of all this, the wiping out of Turkey, the marshaling of the nations—the kings of the West and the East—to the battle of the great day, the warning of given that the Lord is coming. All of these things are but the tokens of the coming of the Lord. These world-movements of the great nations are but the marshaling of those mighty nations preparatory to their coming up to the battle of that great day. And at that time the “great voice” will be uttered from the heavenly temple from the throne, announcing the end in the words, “It is done.” And at that time every one shall be delivered whose name is found written in the book.MON 38.3

Is your name in the book of life? That is the question, the question of all questions—now, as never before in the world. Salvation from sin is always a mighty thing, but salvation from sin to-day is doubly a mighty thing, because it is salvation from sin, and salvation from destruction at the coming of the Lord. It is deliverance from the guilt and the power of sin, and it is deliverance from the fearful destruction that comes upon the nations because of their iniquities.MON 38.4