The Medical Missionary, vol. 15
August 28, 1906
“The Eastern Question. Preparation to Escape” The Medical Missionary, 15, ns. 9, pp. 75-77.
ALONZO T. JONES
WHO shall escape the battle and the destruction, of that great day and of Armageddon? MEDM August 28, 1906, page 75.1
For, though the kings of the earth and the whole world, and their armies, go to the battle; and though all the remnant of the nations will meet destruction in the awful earthquake and “with the brightness of His coming;” yet there will be those who will escape it all, and who in the midst of the terrors of universal upheaval and destruction will, in perfect Christian calmness, “sing for the majesty of the Lord,” and will gladly exclaim: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 75.2
Who, then, are these? Who are they who can be so sure of this safety and deliverance?—They are those, and only those, whose names are in the Book of Life. For it is written: “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.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 75.3
But we have found by the Scriptures that the seven last plagues are inseparably connected with that great day of battle and war—and this “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.” And we have found that these plagues begin, and give of them pass, before the kings of the East and of the earth and the whole world are gathered to that battle. Who shall escape the plagues? is therefore a question of equal importance with that of Who shall escape the battle and destruction of that great day? MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.1
Who then shall escape the plagues? MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.2
Notice that the first plague falls “upon the men that had the mark of the beast and upon them that worshiped his image.” To escape the worship of the beast and his image therefore, is in itself to escape the plagues. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.3
This is confirmed in the positive words of the Scripture in the world-wide message of the Third Angel of Revelation 14: “The Third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 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 without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.4
We have seen that the ending of the Ottoman Empire, and the preparing of the “way” of the kings of the East and of the earth and of the whole world to be gathered to the battle of that great day and Armageddon, is near. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.5
We have seen that since this gathering to the battle occurs under the sixth plague; and that since five of the plagues are past before this one comes; it, therefore, follows that the falling of the plagues is nearer. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.6
And now, since the very first plague falls on them that had the mark of the beast and that worshiped his image, we see that the domination and the worship of the beast and his image is nearest of all. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.7
Therefore, the first question of all is, Who shall escape the worship of the beast and his image? for, whosoever escapes the worship of the beast and his image, escapes the seven last plagues; and whosoever escapes the seven last plagues, escapes the battle and destruction of that great day and of Armageddon. The battle and destruction of that great day and of Armageddon, is inseparable from the seven last plagues; and the seven last plagues and this battle and destruction are inseparable from the worship of the beast and his image. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.8
Therefore, the first consideration of all, both in time and in importance, the nearest of all these things to us, is “the beast and his image,” their domination and their worship. And the first of all questions, both in time and importance, is, Who shall escape the worship of the beast and his image? MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.9
And to this all-important question, again the answer is, Only they whose names are in the Book of Life. For it is written: “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.10
But the worship of the beast and his image, is an enforced worship. The mark is an enforced mark: enforced by governmental power, under pains and penalties of imprisonment, confiscation of goods, and death. Therefore, to have our names in the Book of Life, just this one single item, is not all that there is of the story. The loyalty of all these to God and the Lamb will be tested to the uttermost. And while the worship of the beast and his image and the receiving of that mark, is being enforced upon all by all the force of governmental power and deceiving miracles, those whose names are in the Book of Life stand true and loyal to God and the Lamb by worshiping Him who made Heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters and by keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. For the scripture that gives the world-wide warning against the worship of the beast and his image, tells also that those whose names are in the Book of Life of the Lamb, and who are faithful and true, get “the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name,” and says of them, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.11
In preparation, therefore, to escape the plagues and the battle and destruction of that great day and of Armageddon, the first of all things is a spiritual experience that knows that our name is in the Book of Life of the Lamb; and that manifests unswerving loyalty to God and Christ in the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, against all pressure and all penalties of all opposing powers. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.12
But this preparation cannot stop here. The plagues strike the physical, as the false worship of the beast and his image, which brings the plagues, strikes the spiritual. There must therefore, be a preparation physically, as well as spiritually. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.13
Anybody who will read Joel 1, 2 and 3:9-16, and Isaiah 24, with Revelation 16, can readily see that the seven last plagues are the last throes of the dying world,—everything on the earth is perishing, the very air is sick with pestilence, death is everywhere and in all things of earth. This, therefore, demands of everyone, such a physical preparation as shall cleanse flesh and blood from all possible impurity, excess or intemperance; and build up a sound, clean, healthy body, capable of passing safely through times of pestilence, dearth and death. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.14
For in that time, of nothing that is of the earth will it be safe to eat; because death will be in everything earthly. Then it will be that those who are loyal to God shall be fed from Heaven as of old; for it is written: “He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.... That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.15
In that time, when the wine and the strong drink have grown bitter and altogether undrinkable, what will those do who have been accustomed to those drinks? In that time, when flesh-meats have become only disease-breeding and death-dealing, what will those do who are accustomed only to a flesh dietary? In that time when only water will be fit to drink, or can be drunk, and this even only from the hand of God, as to Elijah, what then will those do who simply “must have” tea or coffee? Ah, in that time all these will do exactly as did the “mixed multitude” that left Egypt: they will murmur against God, and also will be cut off as were they. All those having made no preparation, and having no faith nor heart in any such thing, could not endure the change from the “flesh pots of Egypt” to the bread and water, even though it were fresh from the hand of God. They murmured, and rebelled, and “fell in the wilderness.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.16
And all these things were “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” And this means really us now; for we are in the very presence of the events with which comes the end of the world: and that end so near that we can see straight through to it. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.17
Therefore, of all the things that were ever justified in this world; of all the things that ever in this world had a sound and tangible basis in truest physical and spiritual things; the system that embodies the principles of health, of temperance, of a pure dietary, and of simple and plain living, that is advocated in the MEDICAL MISSIONARY and illustrated in the Battle Creek Sanitarium and affiliated sanitariums the world over, is the one. Of all the things that people can least afford to despise or ignore, this is the one. Instead of its being an invention or a fad of some man, it is God’s saving truth, yea, his “saving health,” for this time. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 76.18
God has revealed the awful events of the Eastern Question as that world’s question culminates in the battle of that great day and of Armageddon. He has revealed the wicked work and worship of the beast and his image and the awful judgments of the plagues that are the consequence. And shall He reveal no way of escape from all these terrible things? MEDM August 28, 1906, page 77.1
He has revealed the way of escape: and this is that way. This is the way, and the only way, to be prepared and “counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” when he shall appear in His glory in that great day. This is the way, and the only way to that “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,” and which must be attained by all who shall live to meet Him in that great day. MEDM August 28, 1906, page 77.2
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 77.3
“God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; that Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations.” MEDM August 28, 1906, page 77.4