chapter 36.

5. What was to take place under the third trumpet?

“And the third angel sounded, and _there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp_, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called _Wormwood_: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; _and many men died of the waters_, because they were made bitter.” Verses 10, 11.

NOTES.—The harassing invasions and conquests of Attila, the Hun, are foretold here. His conquests were characterized by fire; sword, and pillage along the Rhine, in Gaul, and northern Italy. He claimed descent from Nimrod, styled himself the “Scourge of God” and the “Dread of the World,” and boasted that grass would never grow again where his horse had trod. His greatest battle was at Chalons, in Gaul, 451 A.D., where of his 700,000 men from 100,000 to 300,000 are said to have been left dead on the field. See Gibbon’s Rome, chapter 35, and “Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World,” by Sir Edward Creasy, chapter 6.

Says Gibbon (chapter 34), “In the reign of Attila, the Huns again became the terror of the world;” and he proceeds to describe “the character and actions of that formidable barbarian, who,” he says, “alternately insulted and invaded the East and the West, and urged the rapid downfall of the Roman Empire.”

6. What was to occur under the fourth trumpet?

“And the fourth angel sounded, and _the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars_; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” Verse 12.

NOTE.—This trumpet brings us to the fall of Western Rome, in 476 A.D., when the Herulian barbarians, under the leadership of Odoacer, took possession of the city and scepter of Rome; and the great empire which had hitherto been the empress of the world was reduced to a poor dukedom, tributary to the exarch of Ravenna. Its luminaries, or civil rulers, were smitten, and ceased to shine. “Italy now became in effect a province of the empire of the East. The Roman Empire in the West had come to an end, after an existence from the founding of Rome of 1,229 years.”—_Myers’s __“__General History,__”__ page 348._

7. What was to be the character of the last three trumpets?

“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, _Woe, woe, woe_, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Verse 13.

The Seven Trumpets.

8. After the fall of Western Rome, what power in the East arose to harass and overrun the Roman world, East and West?

Mohammedanism, commonly known as the Turkish or Ottoman power, which arose in Arabia, with Mohammed, in 622 A.D.

9. How is the fifth trumpet, or first woe, introduced?

“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw _a star fall from heaven unto the earth_: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; _and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit_. And there came out of the smoke _locusts_ upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” Rev. 9:1-3.

NOTES.—Attila is symbolized by the star of the third trumpet (Rev. 8:10, 11); Mohammed, by the star of this trumpet. The bottomless pit doubtless refers to the wastes of the Arabian desert, from which came forth the Mohammedans, or Saracens of Arabia, like swarms of locusts. The darkening caused by the smoke from this pit fitly represents the spread of Mohammedanism and its doctrines over Asia, Africa, and portions of Europe. Their power as scorpions is strikingly seen in their vigorous and speedy attacks upon, and overthrow of, their enemies.

“Over a large part of Spain, over north Africa, Egypt, Syria, Babylonia, Persia, north India, and portions of Central Asia were spread—to the more or less perfect exclusion of native customs, speech, and worship—the manners, the language, and the religion of the Arabian conquerors.”—_Myers’s __“__General History,__”__ page 401._

10. What command was given these locusts?

“And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” Verse 4.

NOTES.—When the Arabian tribes were gathered for the conquest of Syria, 633 A.D., the caliph Abu-Bekr, the successor of Mohammed, instructed the chiefs of his army not to allow their victory to be “stained with the blood of women and children;” to “destroy no palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn;” to “cut down no fruit-trees, nor do any mischief to cattle;” and to spare those religious persons “who live retired in monasteries, and propose to themselves to serve God in that way;” but, he said, “you will find another sort of people that belong to the synagogue of Satan, who have shaven crowns: be sure you cleave their skulls and give them no quarter till they either turn Mohammedan or pay tribute.” In this, Mohammedanism, itself a false religion, is revealed as a scourge to apostate Christianity.

“In a short time they [the Mohammedan Saracens] had taken from the Aryans all the principal old Semitic lands,—Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Babylonia. To these was soon added Egypt.”—_Encyclopedia Britannica, article __“__Mohammedanism.__”_

11. What were these locusts said to have over them?

“And they had _a king_ over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [margin, a destroyer].” Verse 11.

NOTES.—For hundreds of years the Mohammedans and invading Tartar tribes, like the locusts (Prov. 30:27), had no general government or king over them, but were divided into bands, or factions, under separate leaders. But in the twelfth century Temuljin, king of the Mongols, or Moguls, who is described as “the most terrible scourge that ever afflicted the human race,” built up an empire “at the cost,” it is estimated, says Myers in his “General History,” page 461, of “fifty thousand cities and towns and five million lives.” This was followed by the more permanent Tartar empire founded by Othman a century later, commonly known as the Ottoman Empire, and ruled by the sultan.

From the first, the great characteristic of the Turkish government has been that of a “destroyer.” Speaking of a war by the Turks upon the Byzantine Empire in 1050, Gibbon (chapter 57) says: “The myriads of Turkish horse overspread a frontier of six hundred miles from Tauris to Erzeroum, and the blood of one hundred and thirty thousand Christians was a grateful sacrifice to the Arabian prophet.”

In 1058 the Turks wrested the Holy Land from the Saracens, desecrated the holy places, and treated the pilgrims to Jerusalem with cruelty. This brought on the nine unsuccessful crusades of the next two centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land.

12. What definite period is mentioned under this trumpet?

“And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men _five months_.” Verse 10. See also verse 5.

NOTES.—“It was on the twenty-seventh of July, in the year 1299,” says Gibbon, “that Othman first invaded the territory of Nicomedia,” in Asia Minor, “and the singular accuracy of the date,” he adds, “seems to disclose some foresight of the rapid and destructive growth of the monster.”—_“__Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,__”__ chap. 64, par. 14_ This, then, we take to be the beginning of the period referred to.

A Bible month consists of thirty days; five months would be 150 days. Allowing a day for a year, 150 years from July 27, 1299, would reach to July 27, 1449. During this period the Turks were engaged in almost constant warfare with the Greek Empire, and yet without conquering it.

13. With what statement does the fifth trumpet close?

“One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” Verse 12.

14. What command is given under the sixth trumpet?

“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, _Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates_.” Verses 13, 14.

NOTES.—These four angels are understood to refer to the four leading Turkish sultanies—Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Bagdad—of which the Ottoman Empire was composed, situated in the country watered by the river Euphrates.

As a striking parallel it may be noted that under the sixth plague (Rev. 16:12-16), the four angels of Rev. 7:1-3 will loose the winds of war, the waters of the river Euphrates (the Turkish Empire) will be dried up, and the armies of the nations will assemble for the battle of Armageddon.

15. What warlike scene is given under this trumpet?

“The number of the armies of the horsemen was _twice ten thousand times ten thousand_: ... and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and _out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone_.” Verses 16, 17, R. V.

NOTES.—“In the year 1453, Mohammed II, the Great, sultan of the Ottomans, laid siege to the capital [Constantinople], with an army of over 200,000 men. After a short investment, the place was taken by storm. The cross, which since the time of Constantine the Great had surmounted the dome of St. Sophia, was replaced by the crescent, which remains to this day.”—_Myers’s __“__General History,__”__ edition 1902, pages 462, 463._

Thus Constantinople, the eastern seat of the Roman Empire since the days of Constantine, was captured by the Turks.

Reference also seems to be made here to the use of firearms, which began to be employed by the Turks toward the close of the thirteenth century, and which, discharged from horseback, would give the appearance of fire and smoke issuing from the horses’ mouths. In the battle of Armageddon, to which allusion may here be made, an army of “twice ten thousand times ten thousand,” or two hundred million, will doubtless be assembled.

16. What was the result of this warfare by means of “fire and smoke and brimstone”?

“By these three was the third part of men killed.” Verse 18.

NOTE.—This shows the deadly effect of this new means of warfare. “Constantinople was subdued, her empire subverted, and her religion trampled in the dust by the Moslem conquerors.”—_Elliott’s __“__Horæ Apocalypticæ,__”__ Vol. I, page 484._

17. What definite period is mentioned under this trumpet?

“And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an _hour_, and a _day_, and a _month_; and a _year_, for to slay the third part of men.” Verse 15.

NOTE.—An hour in prophetic time is equal to fifteen days; a day stands for a year, a month for thirty years, a year for 360 years. Added together, these amount to 391 years and fifteen days, the time allotted for the Ottoman supremacy. Commencing July 27, 1449, the date of the close of the fifth trumpet, this period would end Aug. 11, 1840. In exact fulfilment of the words of inspiration, this date marks the fall of the Ottoman Empire as an independent power. His empire wasted beyond hope of recovery in a war with Mohammed Ali, pasha of Egypt, the sultan of Turkey submitted to the dictates of the then four great powers of Europe, and his minister, Rifat Bey, on that very day, Aug. 11, 1840, reached Alexandria, bearing, not the sultan’s ultimatum, but that of the powers, to place in the hands of the rebellious pasha. Since then Turkey has existed only by the help or sufferance of the great powers of Europe, and has commonly been referred to as “the Sick Man of the East.”

18. With what announcement does the sixth trumpet close?

“The second woe is past; and, behold, _the third woe cometh quickly_.” Rev. 11:14.

NOTE.—The definite period under the sixth trumpet brings us to 1840, when Turkey lost her independence. Her final downfall, we understand, will come at the opening of the seventh trumpet.

19. What is to be finished when the seventh trumpet is about to sound?

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished _the mystery of God_, according to the good tidings which He declared to His servants the prophets.” Rev. 10:7, R. V.

NOTE.—The mystery of God is the gospel. Eph. 3:3-6; Gal. 1:11, 12, When this trumpet is about to sound, therefore, the gospel will close, and the end will come. The “time of trouble,” of Dan. 12:1, and the seven last plagues and the battle of Armageddon, spoken of in Revelation 16, will take place when this trumpet begins to sound.

20. What event marks the sounding of the seventh trumpet?

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, _The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever._ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned.” Rev. 11:15-17.

NOTE.—The seventh trumpet, therefore, brings us to the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom.

21. What is the condition of the nations, and what other events are due or impending at this time?

“And _the nations were angry_, and _Thy wrath is come_, and _the time of the dead, that they should be judged_, and that Thou shouldest _give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints_, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest _destroy them which destroy the earth_.” Verse 18.

NOTES.—The closing scenes of this world’s history and the judgment are clearly brought to view here. Ever since the loss of independence by the Ottoman Empire in 1840, the nations have been preparing for war as never before, in view of international complications and a world war which all fear is inevitable upon the dissolution of Turkey and the final disposition of its territory. Towering above all others, the Eastern question has been the one of paramount concern to them.

The investigative judgment began in heaven in 1844, at the close of the prophetic period of 2300 days. See readings on pages 230-253. When this is finished, the time of reward will have arrived, the end will have come, and the saints will themselves sit in judgment. See Rev. 20:4; 1 Cor. 6:1-3.

22. What scene in heaven was presented to the prophet as the seventh trumpet was about to sound?

“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.” Rev. 11:19.

NOTES.—This forcibly calls attention to the closing work of Christ in the second apartment, or most holy place, of the sanctuary in heaven, which began in 1844. See readings referred to in preceding note. The reference to the ark of God’s testament is a forcible reminder also of that which is to be the standard in the judgment,—the law of God, or ten commandments. See Eccl. 12:13, 14; Rom. 2:12, 13; James 2:8-12.

From its closing words—the reference to “great hail”—the seventh trumpet evidently embraces the seven last plagues (see Rev. 16:17, 18); and from its opening words—“the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord”—it marks the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom.

The Eastern Question

The Bosporus. "He shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Dan. 11:45.

1. What, briefly stated, is the Eastern question?

The driving out of Turkey from Europe, and the final extinction of the Turkish Empire, with the world-embracing events that follow. It has been otherwise described as “the driving of the Turk into Asia, and a scramble for his territory.”

2. What scriptures are devoted to the Turkish power?

Dan. 11:40-45; Revelation 9; and Rev. 16:12.

NOTE.—In the eleventh chapter of Daniel, Turkey is dealt with under the title of the “king of the north;” in Revelation 9, under the sounding of the fifth and sixth “trumpets;” and in Revelation 16, under the symbol of the drying up of the water of the chief river of the Turkish Asiatic possessions, “the great river Euphrates.” The actual drying up of the river Euphrates was the signal for the overthrow of ancient Babylon.

3. When did Turkey take Constantinople, and thus the northern division of ancient Greece and Rome?

In A.D. 1453, under Mohammed II. See pages 293, 294.

NOTE.—After the death of Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire was divided by his four leading generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy, into four parts,—east, west, north, and south,—the first three of which were shortly afterward absorbed into one kingdom, the kingdom of the north, Egypt remaining the king, or kingdom, of the south. In the breaking up of the Roman Empire, the Turks gained possession of the Holy Land in A.D. 1058, and finally of Constantinople, and considerable portions of eastern Europe,—the kingdom of the north,—in 1453, to which, with varying fortunes and shrinking geographical boundaries, it has held ever since.

4. How has Turkey been regarded by European nations?

“The Turks have ever remained quite insensible to the influences of European civilization, and their government has been a perfect blight and curse to the countries subject to their rule. They have always been looked upon _as intruders_ in Europe, and their presence there has led to several of the most sanguinary wars of modern times. Gradually they have been pushed out from their European possessions, and the time is probably not very far distant when they will be driven back across the Bosporus.”—_Myers’s __“__General History,__”__ edition 1902, page 468._

5. When did the independence of Turkey cease?

In 1840, at the close of a two years’ war between Turkey and Egypt, when the fate of Turkey was placed in the hands of four great powers of Europe,—England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. See page 294, under question 19.

6. What is one of the last predictions of the prophecy of Daniel concerning the king of the north?

“But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.” Dan. 11:44.

NOTE.—Upon this, Dr. Adam Clarke, writing in 1825, said: “If the Turkish power be understood, as in the preceding verses, it may mean that the Persians on the _east_ and the Russians on the _north_ will at some time greatly embarrass the Ottoman government.” Such indeed was the case, and these conditions brought on the Crimean war of 1853-56, between Russia and Turkey. In this war England and France came to the help of Turkey, and prevented Russia from grasping Constantinople, her coveted prize, and thus gaining access to the Dardanelles and the Mediterranean and so possessing herself of the gateway of commerce between Europe Asia. Without an outlet to the sea, Russia cannot be a strong naval power. In his celebrated will, Peter the Great of Russia (1672-1725) admonished his countrymen thus: “Take every possible means of gaining Constantinople and the Indies, for,” said he, “he who rules there will be the true sovereign of the world; excite war continually in Turkey and Persia; ... get control of the sea by degrees; ... advance to the Indies, which are the great depot of the world. Once there, we can do without the gold of England.” The authenticity of this will has been questioned, but it outlines a policy which Russia has quite faithfully pursued.

7. What since 1840 has saved Turkey from complete overthrow?

The help and interference of various European powers.

NOTE.—“It is not too much to say that England has twice saved Turkey from complete subjection since 1853. It is largely—mainly—due to our action that she now exists at all as an independent power. On both these occasions we dragged the powers of Europe along with us in maintaining the Ottoman government.”—_Duke of Argyle (1895), in __“__The Turkish-Armenian Question,__”__ page 17._

8. Why have these powers thus helped Turkey?

Not from love for Turkey, but for fear of the international complications that its downfall might entail.

NOTES.—In his Mansion House speech, Nov. 9, 1895, Lord Salisbury, responding to a wide-spread demand for the overthrow of the Turkish power, said: “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 be 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 civilized in Europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest_. That was a danger that was present to the minds of our fathers when they resolved to make the integrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire a matter of European treaty, _and that is a danger_ WHICH HAS NOT PASSED AWAY.”

“The Balkan, or Near Eastern, question has been one of the most complicated political problems of the world’s history for half a century. ... For four centuries and a half, or ever since the conquering Turk crossed the Bosporus and took Constantinople, the grim contest has been on to dislodge him by war and diplomacy.”—_American Review of Reviews, November, 1912._

Nearly a century ago, Napoleon, while a prisoner on St. Helena, explained that when emperor of France, he would not consent for Alexander, the czar of Russia, to have Constantinople, “foreseeing that the equilibrium of Europe would be destroyed.”

9. What is the divine prediction regarding the future and final downfall of the king of the north?

“And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas _in the glorious holy mountain: yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him_.” Dan. 11:45.

NOTE.—It would seem natural that the Ottoman government should make its last stand at Jerusalem. Around the city of the Holy Sepulcher and the tombs of the “saints” has been waged for long years a war between the followers of Islam and the believers in the Christian religion. In this place, many Bible students believe, Turkey will come to her end in fulfilment of this scripture.

10. Under which of the seven last plagues is the water of the Euphrates (Turkey) to be dried up, and for what purpose?

“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_.” Rev. 16:12.

NOTE.—For years the drying-up process of the Turkish Empire has been in progress, as may be seen from the following:—

(1) In 1783 Turkey was compelled to surrender to Russia the territory of the Crimea, including all the countries east of the Caspian Sea.

(2) In 1828 Greece secured her independence.

(3) In 1830 Algeria was ceded to France.

(4) In 1867 Turkey was forced to recognize the independence of Egypt.

(5) In the same year Turkey lost possession of Servia and Bosnia.

(6) In 1878 the Treaty of Berlin granted autonomous government to Bulgaria, and independence to Roumelia, Roumania, and Montenegro.

(7) In 1912 Tripoli was taken over by Italy.

(8) In 1912 and 1913 the Balkan States and Greece dispossessed Turkey of nearly all of her remaining territory in Europe.

11. Under this plague, what incites the nations to war?

“And I saw _three unclean spirits_ like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and 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_.” Verses 13, 14.

12. At this time, what event is near at hand?

“_Behold, I come as a thief._ Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Verse 15.

13. To what place will the nations be gathered for battle?

“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue _Armageddon_.” Verse 16.

NOTE.—Armageddon consists of a great triangular plain in northern Palestine, twelve by fifteen by eighteen miles, extending southeast from Mt. Carmel, otherwise known as the plain of Esdraelon, or valley of Jezreel. It has been the scene of many great battles, such as that of Gideon’s overthrow of the Midianites (Judges 6, 7), when “the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow;” of Saul’s defeat by the Philistines (1 Sam. 29: 1; 1 Chronicles 10); and of Josiah’s defeat by Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:20-24): and, as this scripture indicates, it is the place where, under the influence of evil spirits just preceding Christ’s second coming, the great armies of the world will be gathered for their final struggle and utter destruction under the seventh plague.

14. When the king of the north comes to his end, what, according to the prophecy, is to take place?

“And _at that time shall Michael stand up_, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and _there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation_ even to that same time: and _at that time thy people shall be delivered_, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1.

NOTE.—The expression “stand up” occurs eight times in this line of prophecy (Daniel 11 and 12), and in each case means _to reign_. See Dan. 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 20, 21; 12:1. Michael is Christ, as will be seen by comparing Jude 9, 1 Thess. 4:16, and John 5:25. When the Turkish Empire is brought to an end, therefore, the time will have come for Christ to receive His kingdom (Luke 19:11-15), and begin His reign. This great change will be ushered in by the downfall, not only of Turkey, but of all nations (Rev. 11:15); by the time of trouble here spoken of; by the seven last plagues described in Revelation 16; and by the deliverance of all God’s people,—those whose names are found written in the book of life (Rev. 3:5; 20:12),—which shows that probation and the investigative judgment will then be past.

15. What will take place at this time?

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Verse 2.

NOTES.—At the resurrection of Christ there was a special resurrection, when many of the saints were raised from the dead, were seen of many, and were taken to heaven with Christ at His ascension. Matt. 27:52, 53; Eph. 4:8. So, just prior to Christ’s second coming and the general resurrection of the righteous, many of the sleeping saints, and some colossal sinners (those that “pierced Him,” Rev. 1:7), it seems, will be raised to witness His coming, and hear God’s covenant of peace with His people.

This line of prophecy, therefore, brings us down to the resurrection of the righteous, which takes place at the second advent.

16. What false message will go forth before destruction comes upon those unprepared for Christ’s coming and kingdom?

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. _For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them_, ... and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5:2, 3.

NOTE.—The so-called Christian nations will not go to Palestine merely to expel the Turks from the land. As in the crusades of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the idea will be to rescue the Holy Land from the Mohammedans, and make Jerusalem the center of a glorious kingdom, with Christ as king. The Papacy itself, it is thought by some, will at this time remove its seat to Jerusalem, and issue a great peace proclamation, directing the nations to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks, and calling upon all to come up to the mountain of the Lord, as described in Isa. 2:2-5 and Micah 4:1-5. Infatuated by the doctrine of a temporal millennium, many nations will join in the call, and say, “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Isa. 2:3. But this will be but the signal for the battle of Armageddon and the “sudden destruction” that is to overtake the world and bring to an end the present order of things. See Rev. 19:17-21; Eze. 38:14-23; 39:17-22. Toward this consummation passing events all indicate we are rapidly hastening.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Watchman on the walls of Zion, What, O tell us, of the night? Is the day-star now arising? Will the morn soon greet our sight? O’er your vision shine there now some rays of light?

Tell, O tell us, are the landmarks On our voyage all passed by? Are we nearing now the haven? Can we e’en the land descry? Do we truly see the heavenly kingdom nigh?

The Seven Last Plagues

Marshaling Of The Nations. "And he gathered them together into a place called ... Armageddon." Rev. 16:16.

1. What is God’s final warning against false worship?

“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, _the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation_; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” Rev. 14:9, 10.

NOTE.—During probationary time God’s wrath is always tempered, or mingled, with mercy. Thus the prophet Habakkuk prays, “In wrath remember mercy.” Hab. 3:2. God’s wrath unmixed with mercy is visited only when mercy has done its final work and evil has gone to the limit, so that there is “no remedy.” See Gen. 6:3; 15:16; 19:12, 13; 2 Chron. 36:16; Matt. 23:37, 38; Luke 19:42-44; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7.

2. In what is the wrath of God filled up?

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having _the seven last plagues_; for _in them is filled up the wrath of God_.” Rev. 15:1.

3. How does Joel describe the day of the Lord?

“Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” “For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” Joel 1:15; 2:11.

4. What has Daniel said of this time?

“And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1. See Eze. 7:15-19.

NOTE.—The seven last plagues will be the most terrible scourges ever visited upon man. As Ahab accused Elijah of being the cause of Israel’s calamities (1 Kings 18:17, 18), so, in the time of trouble, the wicked and those who have departed from God will be enraged at the righteous, will accuse them as being the cause of the plagues, and will seek to destroy them as did Haman the Jews. See Esther 3:8-14. But God will miraculously deliver His people at this time as He did then.

5. What will be the first plague, and upon whom will it fall?

“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon _the earth_; and _there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image_.” Rev. 16:2.

6. What will constitute the second plague?

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon _the sea_; and _it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea_.” Verse 3.

7. What will be the third plague?

“And the third angel poured out his vial upon _the rivers and fountains of waters_; and _they became blood_.” Verse 4.

NOTE.—The second plague affects the sea. The third plague comes closer to the habitations of men, and affects the land. The water supplies are contaminated.

8. Why, under these plagues, does the Lord give men blood to drink?

“_For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets_, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” Verse 6.

NOTE.—In this is shown God’s abhorrence of oppression and persecution. The plagues are God’s rebukes against colossal forms of sin.

9. What will be the fourth plague?

“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon _the sun_; and _power was given unto him to scorch men with fire_.” Verse 8. See Joel 1:16-20.

NOTE.—Sun-worship is the most ancient and wide-spread of all forms of idolatry. In this plague God manifests His displeasure at this form of idolatry. That which men have worshiped as a god, becomes a plague and tormentor. Thus it was in the plagues of Egypt. Those things which the Egyptians had worshiped became scourges to them instead of benefactors and blessings. See “The Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation,” by “An American Citizen,” chapter 3.

10. Will even this terrible judgment lead men to repent?

“And men were scorched with great heat, and _blasphemed the name of God_, which hath power over these plagues: and _they repented not to give Him glory_.” Verse 9.

11. What will be the fifth plague?

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon _the seat of the beast_; and _his kingdom was full of darkness_; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.” Verse 10.

NOTE.—This plague strikes at the very seat of the great apostasy of the latter days, the Papacy. It will doubtless be similar in effect to the like plague in Egypt, which was a darkness that could “be felt.” Ex. 10:21-23. By this plague that iniquitous, haughty, and apostate spiritual despotism which has set itself up as possessing all truth, and as being the light of the world, is enshrouded in midnight darkness.

12. What takes place under the sixth plague?

“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.” Verse 12.

NOTE.—This, we understand, refers to the drying up of the Turkish Empire by the great world powers preparatory to the battle of Armageddon. See preceding reading.

13. What gathers the nations to the battle of Armageddon?

“And I saw _three unclean spirits_ like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and 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.... And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Verses 13-16.

NOTE.—This scripture shows that it is the spirit of Satan which incites men to war, and explains why the great nations of the world are now making such preparations for war. The dragon represents paganism; the beast, the Papacy; and the false prophet, apostate Protestantism,—the three great religious apostasies since the flood. The plain Esdraelon, in southwestern Galilee, is the Armageddon here referred to. See note on page 99.

14. At this time what event is imminent?

“_Behold, I come as a thief._ Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Verse 15.

15. What takes place under the seventh plague?

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into _the air_.... 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_.” Verses 17-19.

16. What accompanies the earthquake?

“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.” Verse 21. See Job 38:22, 23; Ps. 7:11-13.

17. What will the Lord be to His people at this time?

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: _but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel_.” Joel 3:16. See Jer. 25:30, 31; Haggai 2:21; Heb.12:26; Ps. 91:5-10.

NOTE.—To prepare His people and the world for these terrible judgments, the Lord, as in the days of Noah, sends a warning message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. See Rev. 14:6-10.

18. Just before the pouring out of the plagues, what call does God send to His people still in Babylon?

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, _Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues_. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Rev. 18:4, 5. See Gen. 19:12-17; Jer. 51:6; and page 254.

NOTE.—As before the flood, many of God’s people will doubtless be laid away to rest shortly before the time of trouble. See Isa. 57:1; Rev. 14:13. Referring to the time before the flood, an ancient book says: “And all men who walked in the ways of the Lord, died in those days, before the Lord brought the evil upon man which He had declared, for this was from the Lord, that they should not see the evil which the Lord spoke of concerning the sons of men.”—_Book of Jasher 4:20._ See also chapter 5:21 of the same book.

19. How suddenly will the plagues come upon modern Babylon?

“Therefore shall her plagues come _in one day_, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.... For in _one hour_ is thy judgment come.” Rev. 18:8-10.

20. What famine will come at this time upon those who have rejected God’s messages of mercy?

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that _I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord_: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12. See Luke 13:25; Prov. 1:24-26; Heb. 12:15-17.

21. What announcement is made under the seventh plague?

“And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, _It is done_.” Rev. 16:17.

NOTE.—God made man to bless him. Gen. 1:28. When His blessings are abused, He withholds them, to teach men their source and their proper use. Haggai 1:7-11. Judgments are sent that men may “learn righteousness.” Isa. 25:9; 1 Kings 17:1. That men do not repent under the plagues is no evidence that God has ceased to be merciful and forgiving. They simply demonstrate that all have determined their destiny, and that even the severest judgments of God will not move the ungodly and impenitent to repentance.

22. Just preceding Christ’s second coming, what solemn decree will go forth showing that the cases of all have been decided?

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:11, 12.

23. What psalms seem to have been written especially for the comfort and encouragement of God’s people during the time of the seven last plagues?

Psalms 91 and 46. See also Isa. 33:13-17.

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The great decisive day is at hand! The day when Christ will come, To call His children home And to seal the sinner’s doom, Is at hand.

Where will the sinner hide in that day? It will be in vain to call, “Ye mountains on us fall,” For His hand will find out all In that day.

The Mystery Of God Finished

Watchman, What Of The Night? "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ." Rev. 11:15.

1. Following his description of the sixth trumpet, what did John see?

“And I saw _another mighty angel come down from heaven_, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun.” Rev. 10:1.

2. What did he have in his hand?

“And he had in his hand _a little book open_.” Verse 2.

NOTE.—The book of Daniel, which was to be “sealed,” or closed, till the time of the end, is doubtless referred to here. See Dan. 12:4, 9.

3. What solemn announcement did this angel make?

“And the angel which I saw ... lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, ... _that there should be time no longer_.” Rev. 10:5, 6.

NOTE.—Not literal nor probationary time, but prophetic time. The 2300-day period, which ended in 1844, must be alluded to here. See page 230. No prophetic period in the Bible reaches beyond this.

4. What did the angel say was to be finished when the seventh trumpet was about to sound?

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, _the mystery of God_ should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.” Verse 7.

NOTE.—The mystery of God is the gospel. Eph. 3:1-6; Gal. 1:11, 12. The gospel, then, is to be finished as the seventh trumpet is about to sound.

5. What was John told to do with the little book?

“Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel ... and _eat it up_.” Verses 8, 9.

6. What was to be the result of the eating of this book?

“It shall _make thy belly bitter_, but it shall be _in thy mouth sweet as honey_.” Verse 9, last part.

7. What does the apostle say of his experience in this matter?

“And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth _sweet as honey_: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was _bitter_.” Verse 10.

NOTE.—In this is most strikingly foretold the experience of those who proclaimed the advent and judgment-hour message of 1843-44. Joyous in the hope that Christ was coming then, like the early disciples regarding His first advent (Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6, 7), they were bitterly disappointed, and found that there was still a work on earth for them to do, as did the early disciples following the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.

8. What words of the angel to John show that both literal and probationary time were to continue yet for a time, and that God had a still further message for the world?

“And he said unto me, _Thou must prophesy again_ before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Verse 11.

NOTE.—The message of Revelation 10 is the same as that of Rev. 14:6, 7; and the later messages of Rev. 14:8-12 answer to the instruction, “Thou must _prophesy again_,” of Rev. 10:11. But all are last-day messages, and indicate that the end of all things is near at hand.

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How long, O Lord our Saviour, Wilt Thou remain away? Our hearts are growing weary Of Thy so long delay. O when shall come the moment When, brighter far than morn, The sunshine of Thy glory Shall on Thy people dawn?

How long, O gracious Master, Wilt Thou Thy household leave? So long hast Thou now tarried, Few Thy return believe. Immersed in sloth and folly, Thy servants, Lord, we see; And few of us stand ready With joy to welcome Thee.

O, wake Thy slumbering people; Send forth the solemn cry; Let all the saints repeat it,— “The Saviour draweth nigh!” May all our lamps be burning, Our loins well girded be, Each longing heart preparing With joy Thy face to see.

Great Lines of Prophecy

*The Great Image of Daniel 2.* This prophecy, written over twenty-five hundred years ago, is one of the greatest, briefest, and most comprehensive prophecies in the Bible. Under the symbol of a great metallic image, the rise and fall of nations is outlined till the end of time and the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom. See reading on page 204.

*The Four Beasts of Daniel 7.* This line of prophecy covers the same ground as that of Daniel 2, but with additional features introduced, especially that concerning the development and work of the “little horn” power of the fourth beast, under which God’s people were to be oppressed until delivered and placed in possession of the kingdom “forever and ever.” See reading on page 213.

*The 2300 Days of Daniel 8.* This prophecy, after tracing the course of empire down through Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, introduces the longest prophetic period in the Bible, reaching from the beginning of the movement to restore and build Jerusalem before Christ’s first advent, to a similar work to be performed by God’s people in the last days preparatory to Christ’s second advent. See reading on page 230.

*The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9.* This prophecy fixes the date of the beginning of the 2300 days, of which the seventy weeks are a part; definitely marks the time of Christ’s first advent; and briefly refers to the “consummation” and the overthrow of the last of earthly kingdoms. See pages 232-236.

*The Standing Up of Michael—Daniel 11 and 12.* A literal prophecy tracing the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms from the early rulers of Persia in the sixth century B.C., to the overthrow of Turkey, the “king of the north,” and the “standing up,” or reign, of Michael, the Great Prince, which is Christ. See page 296.

*The Prophecies of the Revelation.* These are supplemental to the prophecies of Daniel. Under the Seven Churches, the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, the Great Red Dragon, the Leopard Beast, and the Two-Horned Beast, the history and experience of the church and of earthly kingdoms are traced during the Christian era, to the end of the age. See pages 301-310.

*Christ’s Great Prophecy.* Christ’s claim to being a prophet, and the greatest of all prophets, is fully established by His prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. In this He depicts minutely the destruction of Jerusalem, the great tribulation of the Dark Ages, and the signs that were to herald His second coming. See pages 311-325.