The World’s Greatest Issues: Military, Diplomatic, Religious

CHAPTER VI. - THE GREAT WAR: AND THEN WHAT?

By the evidence given in the preceding chapter it is plain that upon the coming to an end of the Ottoman Empire a general war of the great powers is the only logic of the situation, is the only expectation of these powers themselves, and is that which is declared in “the Scriptures of truth.” WGI 73.1

We have seen that it was to avoid such a war in 1839-40 that the concert of the powers was created; and that this is a danger that “has not passed away.” WGI 73.2

However, it is not enough to say merely that this danger has not passed away. To think of it as the danger that then threatened, still abiding as that danger the was, is to miss the real situation. For not one of the powers most vitally concerned, stands to-day as it did in 1840. It is safe to say that of the five powers—Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, and Russia—that were involved in that danger in 1840, any one of them is stronger now than all of them were in 1840. WGI 73.3

With these powers only as strong now as they were in 1840, a war involving all of them would be dreadful enough. But, with any one of these powers as strong now as all together were in 1840, the danger is as much greater now than it was in 1840, as these powers are all greater now than they were then. Therefore it is perfectly plain that the danger that could not be risked in 1840 not only “has not passed away,” but it has grown as the powers involved have grown; and that the danger is now as much greater as all these powers are now greater. WGI 74.1

Think of the armaments, both military and naval, of 1840, as compared with them now. Think of the guns, whether small arms or artillery, of 1840, as compared with those of to-day. Think of the warships of 1840, both in numbers and in kind, as compared with those of to-day. It is scarcely too much to think that a single ship of to-day of the type of the Dreadnaught, or the Mikasa, or the Oregon, could defeat all the warships that were afloat in the world in 1840. Think also of the size of the armies in 1840 as compared with those of to-day. WGI 74.2

And think of the mighty expansion of all these powers, in point of territory and empire to-day, beyond what they were in 1840. Look again on page 39, and note the “spheres of influence” of these powers as they have extended from Constantinople over all Africa and all Asia to the farthest East; until now, in this present hour, these very powers meet face to face in the extreme East, and are now as deeply involved in maintaining the power, or partitioning the territory, of China—“The Sick Man of Asia”—as they were originally in that of Turkey—“The Sick Man of Europe.” WGI 74.3

It is thus strictly true that the perplexity of these powers with respect to China to-day, is the direct resultant of the perplexity of those very same powers with respect to Turkey in 1840. And the greater Eastern Question as it centers in Pekin to-day, is but the extension and enlargement of the original Easter Question as it has centered in Constantinople since 1840. In the nature of the case therefore, there can be no solution of the greater Eastern Question as it centers in China, which shall in any way exclude the original Eastern Question as it centers in Turkey. WGI 75.1

More than this: It was the powers of the West—Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, and Russia—that, in 1840, became the responsible ones in the original Eastern Question as it cen- in Turkey. And through the extension and enlargement of that original Easter Question as it centers in Turkey, four of these identical powers are the ones chiefly involved in the ultimate Eastern Question as it centers to-day in China. Thus it is the powers of the West that have become the chief ones of the East. Even Japan, which has become the one power of the East itself, by her alliance with Britain is the splendid means of extending and fastening in the East this power of the West. And the United States, the one power of the extreme West, by her possession of the Philippines has become one of the chief powers of the extreme East. WGI 75.2

Thus it has come about that the powers of the West are now equally the powers of the East. And, with the exception of Japan, these powers of the West are the only powers of the East. And they are also equally the powers of all the spaces between the West and the East. It is literally true, therefore, that these powers of the West, being also the powers of the East and of all between, are thus also the powers of the whole world. Look on a map, at the holdings of these powers—Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, America, and Japan—and see how truly each one is literally a power of the whole world. WGI 76.1

This is how it is that the war that must certainly follow upon the fall of the Ottoman Empire, can be nothing less than a world-war. And this is why it is, that in referring to it, those who are best informed can speak of it only in such terms as “the great war,” “a general conflagration,” “all Europe in a blaze (1878),” “all that is most powerful and civilized in Europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest (1840),” the war of Christendom. WGI 76.2

That which in 1878 would have been even “all Europe in a blaze,” can now be nothing less than all the world in a blaze. That which in 1840 would have been all that was then “most powerful and civilized in Europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest, can now be nothing less than all that is most powerful and civilized in the world in a more dangerous and more calamitous contest. And when in 1840, and since, it has been “for the peace of Christendom” that it was resolved that the Ottoman Empire should stand, it is now literally the war of Christendom that must follow “on the heels of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.” WGI 77.1

No wonder that the powers dread it! No wonder that the world’s statesmen stand aghast at it, and labor most strenuously to avoid it! No wonder that publicists contemplate it only with perplexity! If ever there was a time when prayers should be “for kings and for all that are in authority,” it is now. If ever there was a time when those who know what it is to pray, could with sincerity of heart pray “for kings and for all in authority,” it is now. WGI 77.2

And yet, the present situation of the powers of the world, and the condition of things now prevailing, is only that which the Scripture says would be. Read it in Revelation 16:12: “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.” WGI 78.1

As for the literal river Euphrates that flows from the mountains of Armenia and empties into the Persian Gulf, it has been crossed and recrossed many times, even at the flood, through all the ages, without any special difficulty, by kings and armies both of the East and the West. It can not, therefore, be the literal flowing waters of the river Euphrates that is here spoken of. But since waters are plainly stated in the very next chapter to signify “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15), it is evident that the word “water” in this place signifies the people or the power that dominates the territory of the Euphrates. And this is none other than the Turkish power, which comes to his end when none helps him. WGI 78.2

The coming to an end of the Turkish power is declared to be in order “that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared.” And, with the exception of America and Japan, these “kings of the East” are the identical kings that have been the principal cause and the very substance of the Eastern Question from its origin, August 11, 1840, and in all its bearings, unto the present hour; and that “for the peace of Christendom” have literally kept the Ottoman Empire in existence unto the present hour. “The kings of the East,” whose “way” is to be “prepared” by the extinction of the Ottoman power are the very kings who are solely responsible for the existence of that power. WGI 79.1

How, alone, then, can the Ottoman Empire come to its end? How, alone, can the “water” of “the great river Euphrates” be “dried up?”—Evidently only by the consent and concert of these very powers, whose concert alone has so long given to that empire even existence. WGI 79.2

And then comes the world-war of the world-powers. WGI 79.3

And then what? WGI 79.4

This is now the one great question; and it is the only remaining question. WGI 79.5

There is no question as to the fact of the Turkish government’s leaving Europe: as to that there remains question only as to the time when it shall be. And all know that it must be soon; for all things are now almost ready. WGI 79.6

There is no question as to the fact or the character of the great war that must follow the collapse of the Ottoman Empire: as to that there is now only the question, What shall follow this great war? WGI 80.1

In answer to this question there are two views presented: and yet two views only from a certain point. Among all who have studied the question enough to be really acquainted with it, there is general agreement that this war will be the utter breaking up and breaking down of the present order of things on the earth. It is agreed that all definitions, alignments, and boundaries, of the powers and the nations as now existing will be annihilated. The map of the world will be gone. WGI 80.2

But beyond this, on the one hand it is argued that out of what shall remain after the great war, there will be evolved a new order of things as to society, States, and nations, whose definitions, boundaries, etc., of course, can not now be known: there must be a new map of the world. WGI 80.3

It is evident that the foregoing view is founded on a confidence in humanity that springs from the theory of evolution, and that shuts the eyes to plain and important considerations. For when the highest result of the civilization and society of the world in the present order of things, is just this mighty war that breaks to pieces all that has been built up, then it must be a very blind confidence indeed that would look to the remains of this very civilization and society for such a regeneration as would give to the world any new order of things that could possibly be of any permanent value. If the present civilization and society can not bring about such a new order of things when it is in the fulness of its strength and glory, and has everything its own way, how can it be expected to do all this when its strength and glory shall have been annihilated? Such hope is evidently “a spider’s web.” WGI 80.4

On the other hands there stands the very important truth that the whole history of the world teaches that in every instance of the break down of the dominant civilization and society, the people by whom it was destroyed have been, without exception, new, simple, rude, and physically and civilly vigorous nations, untried in the experience of empire. Invariably it has been such as this to whom has fallen the task of restoring the equilibrium, renewing society, and maintaining government and civilization. But nowhere are there now any such new peoples in the world, to do the like thing again after the crisis that comes in the world-war that now impends. The supply has been long ago exhausted: and, as already made plain, the powers now involved in this mighty question are strictly all-embracing powers of the whole world. WGI 81.1

Further, throughout history it has always been that the decayed civilization and society was swept away as with a flood by the new and vigorous peoples, in tides of war rolling upon it. But now, instead of any such thing as that, and instead of there being even any room for any such thing, the highest developments of society and civilization embracing the whole world, actually sink themselves in a perfect maelstrom of war with one another. WGI 82.1

Wherefore, since it is both morally and physically impossible for either that destroyed civilization, or that exhausted society, to renew itself, it is perfectly plain that there is absolutely no prospect and no true ground of hope of any revival, or any new order of things, from this world, after that war. Therefore we are simply shut up to the one thing—the one inevitable thing—that this awful maelstrom of the world’s war will be nothing less and nothing else than the very end of things in this present world. This is as certain as that that war shall come. And that war is certainly coming. There is no escaping it: and equally there is no escaping the truth that with it, and in it, comes the end of all things in this world. WGI 82.2

And again so says the Scripture: even to the very particular of this expected war itself. Read again from Revelation 16:12, the words already quoted and those which follow in immediate connection:— WGI 83.1

“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. 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. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 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.” Verses 12-19. WGI 83.2

Note the order here given— WGI 84.1

(a) It is “the way of the kings of the East” that is “prepared” by the drying up of the “water” of the Euphrates—the ending of the Ottoman Empire. WGI 84.2

(b) When these kings of the East are gathered into that “way” that is thus “prepared,” they are “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” that are gathered to battle; and this battle is the battle of Armageddon, “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” WGI 84.3

(d) Then there is the great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth; the cities of the nations fell; and every mountain and island are moved out of their places. Revelation 16:20; 6:14-17. WGI 84.5

These items make it perfectly plain that the impending war culminates only in the battle of Armageddon, which is the battle of that great day of God Almighty, with which comes the end of all things in this present world. WGI 84.6

This one passage in Revelation is not by any means all the Scripture that tells of this. This great event is one of the things about which most is said in the Bible. Note that in the Scripture quoted from Revelation 16 this awful whirlwind of a world-war is immediately caused by “the spirits of devils,” the “unclean spirits” of every kind of evil, destruction, and devastation, going forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to battle. As long ago as the days of Jeremiah this very thing was told. Read it: “Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth.” At that time also it was said, “The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation.” Jeremiah 25:30-33. Read it also in Joel 3:9-16; and Isaiah 2:19-22. WGI 85.1

Note also that in the midst of the statement quoted from Revelation 16 concerning the gathering of these powers to that battle, there stand the words of the Lord Jesus himself, saying, “Behold, I come as a thief.” And Revelation 19:11-21 describes the fact of his coming at the time of that battle. There he is seen coming “upon a white horse” as “King of kings and Lord of lords” with the armies of heaven following him, also “upon white horses.” “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” The end of the world has come. WGI 85.2

Yes, following this war of Christendom, beyond all doubt there comes a new order of things. But it is certain that the new order cannot arise from the ruins of the old, nor from this world anywhere. This certain new order of society and government comes from Heaven only. It will not be through the rise of any new kingdoms of this world; but only by the setting up of the Kingdom of God: as it is written, “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom;” and “The saints of the Most High shall take the Kingdom.” WGI 86.1

There is, therefore no room for any question at all that the end of that great war in its ultimate battle is only the end of the world. And this is now near enough to make it important that the people should be getting ready for it. Are you ready? WGI 86.2

“Get ready, get ready, get ready!” WGI 86.3