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VOL.
XXXV
BROOKLYN,
N.
Y.,
SEPTEMBER
1,
1914
THE
PRESENT
CRISIS
No.
17
,.
Ye
shull
hear
of
wars
and
rumors
of
wars;
Slce
that
yc
bE:
not
troubled,
for
all
these
things
must
come
to
pass,
but
the
end
is
not
yet.'
'-Matthew
24:
6.
The
Seri
ptures
speak
of
a
great
time
of
trouble
in
the
conclusion
of
this
Gospel
age.
Our
Lord
in
the
prophecy
re
corded
in
Matthew
24
mentions
this
great
time
of
trouble.
Under
a
figure
of
the
,]istress
of
earth
an!l
the
shaking
of
the
heavens,
etc.,
he
tells
of
the
momentous
events
of
our
day.
In
connedion
with
it
he
says,
"When
ye
see
these
things
begin
to
corne
to
pass,
then
lift
up
your
heads
and
re
joice;
for
your
re(]emption
dra
weth
nigh'
'-linking
this
great
climax
to
the
il<'1iverance
of
the
church,
their
change
from
eartlily
nature
to
heavenly
nature.
It
is
in
this
conneetion
that
our
Lord
says,
"Ye
shall
hear
of
wars
nJl(]
rumors
of
wars;
all
these
things
must
come
to
pas,s,
hut
the
end
i"
not
ye't."
These
continued
all
through
the
ngp.
\Vr~
arp
not
to
think
of
wars
as
heing
the
particular
thing
that
thp
Master
hail
in
mim]
when
he
referrpil
to
the
grpat
trouble
with
whieh
this
age
will
elose.
That
trouble
is
piptllre,]
in
Daniel's
prophecy
as
"a
time
of
trouble
such
as
was
not
sinee
there
was
a
nation.'
'-Daniel
12:
l.
Our
Lon]
speaks
of
this
snme
time
of
trouhle
and
says
that
.T
erusa]pm
shall
he
trodilen
ilown
of
the
Gentiles
until
thp
times
of
the
Gentilps
he
fulfilled.
(Luke
21:24)
These
"times
of
the
OenUles"
rppresent
a
pprio!l
during
which
the
world
wns
to
l){'
rnle!l
hy
Ocntile
nations.
The
Ocntiles
were
to
Rhow
their
skill
in
giving
the
world
a
government.
This
giving
of
the
wor],l
into
the
han,]
of
Gentile
governments
fol
lowp,]
the
taking
away
of
the
typical
kingr]om
from
typical
Israel.
With
%p,lekinh's
fall
am]
the
taking
away
of
the
crown
fr01ll
hilll,
thp
1,OI'r]
def'lared
an
overturning
of
hiR
gov
prn1llpnt
until
the
estahliRhnH'nt
of
Messiah's'
kingdom.
Ezekiel
21
:2!'i-27.
Simultaneoll~Jy,
King
Nehllehadne7.7.er
had
a
dream,
which
portrayed
tllP
(;pntile
rulp
of
earth
dnring
the
interregnllm
of
(iOI]
'R
kingdolll.
Dnllil'1
Rhowed
the
king
the
dream,
which
the
monar..]l
kH]
forgotten,
and
gave
him
the
interpretation.
The
king
har]
drPHlned
of
a
great
imnge,
the
head
of
which
rppre~entr',1
thp
Bahylonian
kingdom;
the
hreast
of
silver,
the
Medo-Persian
kingdom;
the
helly
and
thighs
of
braRs,
the
Greeian
kingr]om;
the
legs
of
iroll,
the
Roman
Empire.
The
Holy
Homnn
Empire
was
repreRente,]
in
tlw
fed,
part
of
clay
and
part
of
iron.
A
stone
wns
to
smite
thr
image
upon
the
fept,
which
werp
iron
am]
day,
an<l
hrpak
them
to
pieees.
ThiR
('rushing
of
tllP
feet,
of
t.he
image
,vas
to
eome
in
the
en<l
of
the
age,
nnd
would
be
the
preparatory
step
to
the
es
tahliRhment
of
McsRiah's
king<lom.-Danipl
2::n-45.
So
long
as
theRe
g'overnmpntR
woulr]
h"
hprp,
they
and
Messiah'R
kingdom
('oul,]
not
I'o-opprate.
The
Gpntile
go\'
Pl'lllTlentR
nrp
haser]
011
sl'lfishneRs
alII]
eoen·ion;
Christ's
king
<lom
will
],e
hnsp,1
on
.illsti('p,
10\'(',
nle]'('y,
llm]er
the
Prince
of
Pellee.
Thp
two
('oldd
not
rull'
at
the
snmp
time.
Hen('e
it
wa~
forptold
thnt
Mp~si:J11
nt
his
sr'I'on,]
eoming
,,-ill
first
hi/H]
the
"strollg
man"
of
(ientilp
SUpTPlTlacy,
allt]
on
the
ruills
of
pnrthl.v
r]OIliiniou..;
est:lhliRh
a
righteous
(iovernment.
TIll'
pl'espllt
terrihlp
,vnr
is
llOt
thp
great
time
of
trouhle
in
till'
fllllp~t
sPlise
of
thp
worl],
hut
nH'rely
its
forenmner.
The
grellt
tillll'
of
tl'olll,le
of
tlIP
Seril'tureR
will
he
brollght
on
hy
anan'hy-the
g'P
II
I'l'al
uprising
of
the
people;
ns
the
Prophet
S:lYS,
",'\,pry
llIau's
hHlu]
ngainst
his
neighbor,
no
))(':)('e
to
him
that
godh
out
or
to
him
that
cometh
in.'
'-
Zeehariah
8
:10.
FRUIT
OF
THE
VINE
OF
THE
EARTH
'fhe
Lor<l
dpcln]'('s
that
he
has
a
hau<l
in
theRe
matters
that
arc
a
natural
out('OUH'
of
hllman
RelfishnesR,
aggressive
Ilt'SS
nllt]
grePll.
'rlIP
Lord
has
to
do
with
all
this,
in
that
at
the
apJlropriab'
time
he
grantpr]
to
thl'
world
the
knowledge
which
is
Rtirring
tlwm
np.
In
other
,von]s.
men
with
sin
and
selfishneRs
in
thpir
heartR
arc
not
in
a
JloRition
to
use
knowl
edge
wisply,
rightly.
\VitllOUt
reflecting
upon
any
person
or
class
we
can
sec
that
if
tlw
knowlpr]ge
that
is
in
the
world
should
eontinue
to
in('J'ease,
a
certnin
few,
hy
that
increase
of
knowledge,
woul(]
get
far
ahear]
of
the
others-until
finally
the
wenlth
would
be
massed
in
the
hands
of
the
very
few,
and
the
whole
worl,]
would
l,ecolTle
the
serfs
of
these
few.
The
money
in
the
halltls
of
the
,vealthy
increaseR
rapidly.
On
the
other
han<l
the
popul:1tion
rlouhles
in
a
eentury.
Who
cannot
sre
that
11ll1]pr
pre~Pllt
(,Ol},]itions
there
\vould
eventually
be
nothillg
hnt
slawry
fo!'
the
mnRses,
governed
by
an
autocracy~
As
long
as
go\'('rnmentR
arc
strong,
their
overthrow
will
he
ilTlpossi
bk.
Our
thoug1Jt,
often
presented
in
these
columnR,
is
that
n
grpat
war
will
weaken
the
nations,
preparatory
to
t1'e
I)('rio,]
of
annrellY.
Such
a
great
war,
crippling
the
wo1'\11
financially
and
discrediting
the
rulprs
in
the
eyes
of
their
peo
ples,
will
open
the
way
for
the
anarchy.
The
people
of
former
times
looked
upon
their
rulers
as
demi-gods.
This
veneration
for
authority
still
obtains
to
some
extpnt,
especially
in
Russia,
where
the
people
almost
worship
thp
C7.ar-exeept
those
who
are
anarchists.
'fhe
present
war
is
the
one
we
have
expecte!l.
It
will
drain
the
world
of
blood
am]
treasllI'e.
Then
the
na
tions,
sick,
weak,
faint,
will
fall
a
prey
to
Socialism,
whieh
will
become
anarehy.
ThuR
in
accord
,vith
the
Bihle
prellid.ions
earth
will
be
prepnrer]
to
weleome
:Messiah's
king,]olll
ns
"thl'
desire
of
all
peoples.
'
'-Hag.
2:
7.
"Wait
ye
upon
me,
saith
the
Lord,
until
that
day
w111'n
I
rise
up
to
the
prey;
for
my
detprminntion
iR
to
gather
the
nations,
that
I
may
bring
the
nations
together
to
]>our
nl'0n
them
mine
inrlignation,
even
all
lIly
fierl'e
anger;
for
thp
whole
rsoPial)
earth
shall
be
!levonrpd
hy
the
til'('
of
mine
anger.
And
then
'will
I
turn
unto
the
peoplp
a
pure
message.'
'
Zephnniah
il
:8,
9.
What
did
.IPllOvah
mean
hy
"wait
yp.?"
He
meant
thnt
we
are
to
wait
for
his
time.
He
told
us
of
the
general
level
ing
of
the
thingR
of
this
world;
he
declare,]
that
all
the
king
doms
will
be
suhmergcr]
in
general
ananhy.
There
will
he
a
fervency
of
hent,
discussion,
tumult,
Rtrifp,
and
at
this
time
the
nations
of
the
world
will
"melt'
'-go
down
quickl~"
\Ve
believe
t.his.
We
arc
not
thinking
of
Christians
as
contending
with
the
s\yord;
for
those
who
t.n
I,p
the
sword
are
to
]Ierish
by
it,
0111'
Lon]
said.
God's
l'eople
arc
to
stand
nloof,
re,··
ognizing
that'
'the
1'0\YI'rs
thnt
hp
fire
onlainetl
of
C:o,!."
in
that
he
permits
them.
while
he
haR
full
]>mycr
to
mal,,'
chnllc;es.
If
he
permits
them,
it
is
not
for
us
to
seek
to
ovprthrow
tlleul.
This
sym
holie
lmrning
of
tlle
worl,]
is
sometinH's
refprred
to
hy
sec;llar
"riterR.
Tn
th,'
nell'spapers
,yp
fre(l1H'ntl~'
rpad
ahout
"the
great
conflagration
"--sp"nking
of
this
fire
of
trouhle,
strife.
eonfusion.
The
denH'lltR
that
will"
mPlt
\dth
fervent
heflt"
will
he
the
lahOl'
clement.
the
artisan
el('J11ent,
the
eapitalistic
elenH'nt,
the
relig'iouR
clement,
et('.
The
Lord
haR
bpen
~athering
the
nations,
as
he
Rairl
he
woul,]
in
this
"r]ny'
'-within
the
last
forty
years.
This
gathering
means
the
drawing
of
the
nations
together.
A
II
the
nntions
of
Enr
ope-and
even
China-nre
nenrer
to
us
totlav
thnn
Chi('ago
wns
Reventy
years
ago.
The
nations
are
(1rn,~n
"losely
together
hy
the
Atl:mtic
and
Pacific
cah]es,
RO
tllnt
China
amI
.lapan
are
within
a
few
hours'
communication
with
us,
and
a
financial
panic
affects
the
whole
world
within
twpnt~'-four
hours.
While
the
Lorrl
has
heen
doing
this
,vork,
WP
are
not
to
think
that
he
is
l'itting
theRe
nations
againRt
eaeh
other.
He
has
]'prmitted
them
to
work
out
their
sPlfish
proppnsitieR,
am]
the
resnlt
is
Rtrife.
Knowledge
iR
doing
this-hringing
on
the
l'l'st
le8s
social
f"OJHlition.
.
THE
FINAL
OUTLOOK
\Ve
SI'P
thnt
this
"ar
has
heen
brought
on
by
very
Iwruliar
r·ircumstaJH'eR.
Hnssia
am]
Anstrin
have
earh
loug
heen
anxious
to
hnve
an
opeuing
to
the
:Mctliterranean;
hut
they
have
heen
fearful
tlwt
a
,grpat
w'ar
wonl,]
reRult
froJ11
any
attpm]lt
to
secure
it.
They
hnw
morp
or
less
"egger]
on"
the
Rmaller
states-tlH'
Balk:m
States.
They
hnye
done
everything
that
they
could
to
wen
ken
eaph
other's
influence
in
these
stntes
the
"Buffer
Stah'R,"
aR
they
arc
called.
Paid
agents
have
heen
sent
into
that
region
by
one
nation
to
ereate
antagoniRm
against
the
other.
Austria
thought
that
she
had
a
good
('X('URe
for
war
against
Servia
on
account
of
the
ass:lssination
of
the
heir
to
the
Aus
trian
throne
by
a
Servinn.
She
hoped
t.hat
thiR
excuse
would
R('el11
to
be
Rutlicient.
She
hoped
that
Russia
would
say
noth
ing;
or
that,
othprwise,
Germany's
slwken
fist.
would
deter
her.
But
this
time
it
rlir]
not
work.
Russia
detprmined
to
support
the
Servians,
who
arc
her
kinsfolk;
and
this
has
hrought
in
the
other
nations.
Apparently
the
great
European
kings
and
emperors
realize
that
their
own
thrones
are
tottering,
:Ind
alRo
that
thiR
war
may
unify
Heir
people.
The
willingness
of
the
people
iR
an
important
factor
in
eonllPrtion
with
any
war.
A
war
with
another
nntion
is
preferahle
to
the
civil
strife
of
a
Rocial
n].l·
heava].
Their
judgment
iR
approveil
hy
farts.
A
Socialist
in
Paris
the
other
day
said
something
against
the
war,
and
he
was
assassinated
immediately.
Our
thought
is
that
this
war
will
so
weakpn
all
the
nations,
RO
impoverish
thl'm,
aR
to
make
thpl11
J'(,:1(]y
for
the
anarchy
which
the
Bible
portrays.
TI](,
rlishal1r]ing
of
thp
troops
and
111e
retnrning
of
thelll
to
thl'ir
hOllll'';.
rlisappoint,.·,I.
rlissatisfi.'rl
[5526]
Vou. XXXV BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 1, 1914 No. 17 THE PRESENT CRISIS ‘*Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; sce that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.’’—Matthew 24:6, The Seriptures speak of a great time of trouble in the conclusion of this Gospel age. Our Lord in the prophecy recorded in Matthew 24 mentions this great time of trouble. Under a figure of the distress of earth and the shaking of the heavens, ete., he tells of the momentous events of our day. In eonnertion with it he says, ‘‘When ye see these things begin to come to pass, then lift up your heads and rejoice; for your redemption draweth nigh’’—linking this great climax to the deliverance of the church, their change from earthly nature to heavenly nature. It is in this connection that our Lord says, ‘‘Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.’’? These continued all through the age. We are not to think of wars as being the particular thing that the Master had in mind when he referred to the great trouble with which this age will close. That trouble is pietured in Daniel’s prophecy as ‘‘a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.’’—Daniel 12:1. Our Lord speaks of this same time of trouble and says that Jerusalem shall he trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24) These ““times of the Gentiles’? represent a period during which the world was to be ruled by Gentile nations. The Gentiles were to show their skill in giving the world a government. This giving of the world into the hand of Gentile governments followed the taking away of the typical kingdom from typical Tsrael With Zedekiah’s fall and the taking away of the crown from him, the Lord declared an overturning of his government until the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom.— Ezekiel 21:25-27, Simultancously, King Nebuchadnezzer had a dream, whieh portrayed the Gentile rule of earth during the interregnum of iod’s kingdom. TDanicl showed the king the dream, which the monarch had forgotten, and gave him the interpretation. The king had dreamed of a great image, the head of which represented the Babylonian kingdom; the breast of silver, the Medo-Persian kingdom; the belly and thighs of brass, the Grecian kingdom; the legs of iron, the Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire was represented in the feet, part of clay and part of iron. A stone was to smite the image upon the feet, which were iron and elay, and break them to pieces. This crushing of the feet of the image was to come in the end of the age, and would be the preparatory step to the estahblishment of Messiah’s kingdom.—Daniel 2:31-45. So long as these governments would be here, they and Messiah’s kingdom could not co-operate. The Gentile governments are based on selfishness and coercion; Christ’s kingdom will he based on justiee, love, mercy, under the Prince of Peaee. The two could not rule at the same time. Hence it was foretold that Messiah at his seeond coming will first hind the ‘‘strong man’! of Gentile supremacy, and on the ruins of earthly dominions establish a righteous Government. The present terrible war is not the great time of trouble in the fullest sense of the word, but merely its forerunner. The great time of trouble of the Seriptures will be brought on by anarehy—the general uprising of the people; as the Prophet says, ‘fevery man’s hand against his neighbor, no peace to him that goeth out or to him that cometh in.’’—— Zechariah 8:10. FRUIT OF THE VINE OF THE EARTH The Lord declares that he has a hand in these matters that are a natural outcome of human selfishness, aggressiveness and greed. The Lord has to do with all this, in that at the appropriate time he granted to the world the knowledge which is stirring them up. In other words, men with sin and selfishness in their hearts are not in a position to use knowledge wisely, rightly. Without reflecting upon any person or class we can sec that if the knowledge that is in the world should continue to increase, a certain few, by that increase of knowledge, would get far ahead of the others—until finally the wealth would be massed in the hands of the very few, and the whole world would Lecome the serfs of these few. The money in the hands of the wealthy increases rapidly. On the other hand the population doubles in a century. Who cannot see that under present conditions there would eventually be nothing but slavery for the masses, governed by an autocracy? As long as governments are strong, their overthrow will be impossible. Our thought, often presented in these columns, is that a great war will weaken the nations, preparatory to the period of anarchy. Such a great war, crippling the world (259-260) financially and diserediting the rujers in the eyes of their peoples, will open the way for the anarchy. The people of former times looked upon their rulers as demi-gods. This veneration for authority still obtains to some extent, especially in Russia, where the people almost worship the Czar—exeept those who are anarchists. The present war is the one we have expected. It will drain the world of blood and treasure. Then the nations, sick, weak, faint, will fall a prey to Socialism, which will beeome anarchy. Thus in aceord with the Bible predictions earth will be prepared to welcome Messiah’s kingdom as ‘‘ the desire of all peoples.’’—Hag. 2:7. “Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until that day when T rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may bring the nations together to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for the whole [social] earth shall be devoured hy the fire of mine anger. And then will IT turn unto the people a pure message.’’— Zephaniah 3:8, 9. What did Jchovah mean by ‘‘wait ye?’’ We meant that we are to wait for his time. He told us of the general leveling of the things of this world; he declared that all the kingdoms will be submerged in general anarchy. There will he a fervency of heat, discussion, tumult, strife, and at this time the nations of the world will ‘‘melt’’—go down quickly. We believe this. We are not thinking of Christians as contending with the sword; for those who take the sword are to perish by it, our Lord said. God’s people are to stand aloof, recognizing that ‘‘the powers that he are ordained of God,'’ in that he permits them, while he has full power to make changes, If he permits them, it is not for us to seck to overthrow them. This symbolic burning of the world is sometimes referred to by secular writers. Tn the newspapers we frequently read about ‘‘the great conflagration’’—-speaking of this fire of trouble, strife, confusion. The elements that will ‘(melt with fervent heat’’ will be the labor clement, the artisan element, the capitalistic element, the religions clement, ete. The Lord has been gathering the nations, as he said he would in this ‘“day’’—-within the last forty years. This gathering means the drawing of the nations together. All the nations of Europe—and even China—are nearer to us today than Chieago was seventy years ago. The nations are drawn closely together by the Atlantie and Pacific cables, so that China and Japan are within a few hours’ communication with us, and a financial panic affects the whole world within twenty-four hours. While the Lord has heen doing this work, we are not to think that he is pitting these nations against each other. He has permitted them to work out their selfish propensities, and the result is strife. Knowledge is doing this—hringing on the restless socia] condition. THE FINAL OUTLOOK We sce that this war has heen brought on by very pecunar cireumstanées. Russia and Austria have cach long been anxious to have an opening to the Mediterrancan; but they have been fearful that a great war would result from any attempt to secure it. They have more or less ‘‘egged on’’ the smaller states—the Balkan States. They have done everything that they could to weaken each other’s influence in these states— the ‘‘Buffer States,’’ as they are called. Paid agents have heen sent into that region by one nation to create antagonism against the other. Austria thought that she had a good oexeuse for war against Servia on account of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne by a Servian. She hoped that this excuse would seem to be sufficient. She hoped that Russia would say nothing; or that, otherwise, Germany’s shaken fist would deter her. But this time it did not work. Russia determined to support the Servians, who are her kinsfolk; and this has brought in the other nations. Apparently the great European kings and emperors realize that their own thrones are tottering, and also that this war may unify their people. The willingness of the people is an important factor in connection with any war. <A war with another nation is preferable to the civil strife of a social upheaval. Their judgment is approved by facets. A Socialist in Paris the other day said something against the war, and he was assassinated immediately. Our thought is that this war will so weaken all the nations, so impoverish them, as to make them ready for the anarchy which the Bible portrays. The disbanding of the troops and the returning of them to their homes. disappointed, dissatisfied 5526)
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