THE ARMAGEDDON OF THE SCRIPTURES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 1 February 1913, Page 6

THE ARMAGEDDON OF THE SCRIPTURES

PASTOR RUSSELL'S ASTOUNDING VIEWS.

(Published By Arrangement with tho Pastor Russell Institute.) Brooklyn, N.Y., November Sth.— The 1 Brooklyn Academy ot Music was crowded to the limit to-day to hear the discourse of Pastor Russell ot 1;h London Tabernacle, on the Battle ot Armageddon." His text was: Ho gathered them together unto a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev. xvi. 16). The speaker said: . r , . Armageddon in the Hebrew signifies the Hill of Megiddo, or Mount of Destruction. It was famous a,s the battlefield on wliidh Gideon vanquished the Midianites, also for the defeat ot King Saul in 'his battle with the I bustines. and for the defeat of Aliab in the battle of Jezreel. AH those battles were typical. - Gideon and his little band, breaking their pitchers in tho night and letting tho light shine out, alarmed and discomfited the Midianites. (who deseroyed one another in their flight), and thus released the people of Israel from bondage. Gideon and his bail a typified Christ and his Little Fleck. The death of Saul and the overthrow of his kingdom I>y tho Philistines opened the way for the reign of David, who typified Messiah. King Ahab typified the civil government, symbolically called the "Dragon" in Revelation Queen Jezebel,. Ahab's wife, symbolically foreshadowed the great harlot, "Babylon," of Revelation, and as •such she is mentioned by name (Rev. ii. 20). The Lord ha-; seen lit to associate the name of this great battlefield, Armageddon, with the great controv* ersy between Truth and Error, Right and Wrong, God and Mammon, with which this age will close —perish, and the New Age of Messiah's glory be ushered in.

Tho Lord lias purposely used highly symbolical figures of speech in the last

book of the. Bible. Evidently this was with a view to hide certain important

j truths until the due time for their revealment. T!ie Pastor, speaking very solemnly, declared that ho chose his" subject," not of preference, but | by request, and uoc.mse he liciievcd ' it to 1)0 due time for presentation. He \ claimed no infallibility, nor special reI velation. He spoke merely a,> a Bible student to Bible students, not expecting that others than the ''wise virgins" of Jesus' parable would comprehend it. He feared that he might hurt the feelings both of friends and foes, but he would neither villify in the present life, nor condemn to torment in the next life, those who she;.! disagree with him. UNCLEAN SPIRITS LIKE FROGS: Those three unclean spirits t according to the context, will proceed from , the moutlis of the Beast, the Dragon, v and the False Prophet., and will assemble all tiiie kings and their armies on one side, for the great Armageddon battle. In this highly-symbolical language doctrines or teachings are represented''as "frogs." The Pastor discussed frog characteristics —pompousne«'S, inflation of dignity, 4>ud croaking. Thus read, the symibol .signifies that these three Systems will send I forth, similar teachings, i They will inflate themselves and apI pear before the public much greater than they really are. They will look wise, and see little as respects differences between them. They will prate on Apostolic authority and the Divine prerogatives of the clergy and the civil power. They will croak alarmingly respecting tHie dire results of personal and press liberties. They will thus alarm intelligent, thinking peoj pie, and cause tlhe wheels of progress j and liberty to turn backward towards mediaeval conditions.

The kings and their enemies • were discussed. Briefly, there are kings, princes, and retainers —political, commercial, ar.d religious. Each of these realms will marshal millions of humanity to their banner to their 'Support for protection. The croaking of the "unclean spirits" or doctrines will bring these to the pitch of frenzy, and nothing w"ill be left undone ✓to make strong this great host for the A rmageddon ibattle. The Pastor wished it to be clearly understood l that he was not making attacks upon people, good or bad, but merely giving Jiia interpretation of Divinely-furnished symbols which relate to systems and not to individuals. He believed that aft Bible students would agree with liim that the Dragon of Revelation symbolically represents the Civil, power. Many Protestants would agree with Mm that the leopard Beast of Revelation xiii. 1, 2 represents Papacy; but few perhaps - would be ready to concede with him that the False Proplhet of the context is but another name for the Image of the' Beast of chapter xiii. 14, 15, and that both refer to Federated. Protestantism. Good and wise people in these three great Systems, the Pastor believes, as well as amongst the kings of the earth, are being unwillingly, and surely without tlie least appreciation of the fact that they are preparing to "fight against God."

WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDJC. The foretelling of evil, especially of evils coming to the professed people* of God 1 , <as did Jeremiah of old, is neither an ea.sv nor a pleasant task. Nevertheless, the Pastor believes that now the time has come to "cry aloud and spare not," to show God's people fclio errors iii which ire have become

, involved, and to warn them against 1 ' enlisting on, the wrong side of the | Armageddon battle, for which the 'hosts of civilisation are already lining up, in sympathy with the croaking.; ' already beginning. i A pcional strength of character will be reouired in order to stand against the mighty and imposing influences, which Mammon will marshall on this battlefield. The Bible, indeed, declares that God has committed to the Gentile Governments the privilege of ruling tho earth and showing what they can accomplish for '2,020 years, "The Time-; of the Gentiles"—now expiring. The.v call the kingdoms of this world "Christendom," and delude themselves into thinking that their dreadnoughts, great guns, and armies are preparing to fight the good fight of Christ Mii warfare. They preserve "a form of godliness" and truth, praying, "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth," while rejecting tho King and his Kingdom, and marshalling Christendom ro fight against its establishment. The pomp, show, and boast fulness wiil be of short duration. The combined forces will sit upon the safety valve, and rejoice that the.v hear "no longer the his-ing sounds of escaping steam of public sentiment. Then, suddenly, "in one. hour" (Kev. xviii. 10). tho most terrible. Revolution tho earth has ever known will occur. This is pictured in the context (Rev. xvi. 18) as a "great earthquake." Freedom of speech, orally and,through the Press, will be restrained in response to the croakings. The masses will submit quietly, and hope for victory through the ballot. It will be when this - final recourse shall have failed, and despair has taken the place of hope, that the Social explosion will bring the mcst terrible of all troubles —anarchy. This tlip Prophet, Daniel foretold, saying, "There shall bo a time of trouble such as never was since there was p nation" (Dan. xii. 1). Our Lord added: "And .except tlio.se days should bo shortened there would be no flesh saved." (Matt, xxiv. 21. 22). But those days will bo shortened: for the Elect, changed by the First Resurrection, and in association with their glorious' Head. will establish th? Messianic Kingdom, which will bring order out of confusion, and instal a condition of blessing, symbolically'- styled "the New Heavens and the ,New Earth"—the new Ecclesiasticism and the new Social order, under • Christ.