What Armageddon Is
Armageddon is the death warrant of a race in revolt against God. It is the result of mankind’s rejection of God’s rule and his endeavor to govern himself. It is the destruction of every system of human government, the collapse of every human structure and institution. It is the inevitable outcome of man’s rebellion against his Maker. Page 55 On the Eve of Armageddon – Carlyle B Haynes 1924 Review and Herald Publishing.
The Signal for Armageddon
The downfall of the Turkish power will be the signal for the beginning of Armageddon. This is plainly foreseen, and definitely stated, in the prophecies of Revelation.
But before dealing with this and the factors in the present situation in the near east, let us look at the history of Turkey. The present situation as it fulfils prophecy cannot be appreciated without a brief and broad survey of the historical background.
In the territory controlled and occupied by Turkey we have a contact between the east and the west, between the orient and the occident. This contact dates back, at this particular point, four or five centuries before Christ, and has always been prolific of trouble.
The first world empires, Babylon and Medo-Persia were Eastern empires. Western ideas were introduced in the East for the fist time by Greece, the third world empire. Rome also extended her rule into Asia. With the Roman Empire the authority of the West was extended over the East clear to the valley of the upper Euphrates. To that authority the peoples of what we now call the near east submitted.
In the West, Latin Christianity was organizing it’s forces and strengthening itself by alliances with civil rulers. In the east, the Greek church was developing similarly, though in a more quiet and less aggressive manner. In But the natural conservatism of the orient was to be broke by the advent of a new religion. In the seventh century Mohammed, claiming enlightenment and authority from heaven, not only launched a new faith, but put a sword into the hands of the East for its dissemination, with the result that there was a terrible upheaval, affecting both East and West.
Triumphant of the Crescent over the Cross
By the power of that word Mohammedanism made a drive into India. It overwhelmed the churches of Northern Africa in the persons of the Saracens, or Arabs, and obtained a foothold even in Europe, as a result of it’s drive into Spain. Then the tide ebbed. But later, the Turks, superseding the Arabs, drove again toward Europe, overrunning Asia Minor, and then brough terror to all Christendom by subjugating the Balkan Peninsula, capturing Constantinople in 1453, and in 1529 besieging Vienna. That was the astonishing phase of the contest between the Crescent and the Cross, of which this generation is destined to witness the final conflict.
Mohammedanism, as an engine of good government, has failed everywhere. Its civil rule has been either good nor stable. All history testifies to this. Its Mogul empire in India collapsed. The Moors were driven out of Spain. The entire group of Moslem states in North Africa – Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Egypt – have been forced to accept Western supervision in order to save themselves from anarchic decay. The Ottoman authority broke down, slowly but surely, in the Balkans and the Near East. One by one Turkey lost control of Moldavia, Herzegovina, Dalmatia, Rumelia, Bosnia, Wallachia, Rumania, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Mesopotamia, Arabia, Palestine, and Syria. For more than a century the world has witnessed the second ebbing of the Islamic tide.
The Turk can conquer, but he cannot educate or govern according to Western standards. Along the lines suggested has little to offer that would inspire confidence. The fact that the religion of the Turks has always been propagated by the sword, forbids any hope of peace between the cross and the crescent. In short, the near east, is the point of contact between antagonistic civilizations, giving no assurance of peace.
The Quarrels and Divisions of Christendom
From the beginning of its history one of the chief sources of the strength of Islam has been found in the quarrels and divisions of Christendom. Constantinople was captured by the Turks in 1453, mainly because the Moslems were agreed about a theological unity, while their enemies were wrangling over a theological unity, while their enemies were wrangling over a theological trinity. Outside the city, the army of the infidel was one; inside the armies of the orthodox were several. It has been on such differences, sometimes religious, sometimes political, that the Turk has relied for centuries.
Three centuries ago, after a disastrous war, when the terms of peace were being discussed at the Sublime Porte, the reigning sultan, with the cooperation and approval of the Sheik ul Islam, ordered the following prayer to be recited at every sunset in every mosque in all parts of the Ottoman Empire:
“My the Angel of Discord who has always been our ally come again to our aid, and confound our enemies.”
Italy, France and Britain all rule over Mohammedan populations – Great Britain over one hundred million of them. The number of Moslems in the world is at least two hundred million. They have failed in statesmanship. They have failed in education. They have failed in political government. But they are a solid unit in religion, holding a common faith, and their Christian rulers deal with them very gently and wearily.
There has not been a day for the last three quarters of a century when Turkey as a political entity could not easily have been destroyed. During that time, the Ottoman Empire has not existed by it’s own strength, but wholly by the sufferance and deliberate choice of the great powers of Europe.
The condition of Turkey is accurately stated in a pamphlet issued by the Armenian Society of London:
“It is impossible to talk of the Ottoman Empire as if it were a nation like the United States or like Holland. It is an artificial create of treaties that is kept in existence by the powers for their own convenience.”
While it would have been an easy matter to have eliminated Turkey altogether as a civil state, the powers have kept it in existence in order to avoid war among themselves. Because of the desire of every great power for the acquisition of Turkish territory, and the danger that it’s destruction will result in an appalling scramble for it’s assets, the nations have dealt most carefully with the Turkish, or Eastern Question. This has been going on for three quarters of a century, and is frankly admitted by statesmen.
Lord Salisbury, when prime minister of England, in his Mansion House speech, November 9, 1895 said:
“Turkey is in remarkable position that it has now stood for half a century, mainly because the great powers have resolved for half a century, mainly because the great powers 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 fell, 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 involved 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 integrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire a matter of European treaty, and that is a danger which has not passed away.”
The Complicated Eastern Question
And that is about the situation today. The world stands trembling for fear that any attempted solution of the vexing Eastern Question may result in a war which will sweep civilization into the discard. And the Scriptures reveal that all this is to take place at the very end of the world, under the sounding of the seventh angel (Revelation 11:15), when the “kingdoms of this world” become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ.”
When the time comes for the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the end of the world, God’s mercy is past, and His wrath is poured out upon the last generation of human beings, who have rejected all the accumulated light of His revealed Word. Concerning what happens then we read:
Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. 5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
This striking scripture is but an introduction to the most terrific judgements of God that ever have been, or ever will be, visited upon this earth, – the seven last plagues. It should be noted that during the pouring out of these plagues no one can enter the temple of God. This means that when the plagues begin to fall, probation is past.
The Sixth Plague
The most severe trouble, woe, and distress which ever have been, or ever will be on the earth, will come under these plagues. They are the seven last plagues. The sixth plague is the last even to take place before the second coming of our Lord. Of this we read:
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.13 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. 14 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. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Rotherham translates this passage as follows:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river the Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be prepared of the kings who were from the rising of the sun… for they are the spirits of demons doing signs, which are to go forth unto the kings of the whole habitable earth to gather them together unto the battle of the great day of God the Almighty… And he gathered them together unto the place that is called in Hebrew Har Magedon.
Sawyer renders the passage thus:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth poured out his bowl on the river, the great Euphrates; and it’s water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the East might be prepared… for [these] are spirits of demons that perform miracles, that go to the kings of all the world, to assemble them for the battle of that great day of God Almighty… and they assembled them in the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.
The ”Emphatic Diaglott” has this translation:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water dried up , so that the way of those kings who are form the sun-rising might be prepared…. For they are spirits of demons, working signs, which go forth to the kings of the whole habitable, to gather them together for the war of that great day of the omnipotent God… and he gathered them together into that place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon.
Fenton translates the passage thus:
Revelation 16:12-16 Then the sixth emptied his vial upon the mighty river Euphrates: and its water was dried up, so that a road might be prepared for the kings from the rising sun… For they are spirits of demons – producing signs which they cause to be sent out to the kings of the whole habitable world, to muser them for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty!… They accordingly mustered them to the place which in Hebrew is named Har-Meggeddon.
Moffatt renders the passage:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and it’s waters were dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east… Demon spirits performing miracles, who come out to muster the kings of the whole world for battle on the great day of almighty God… And they were mustered at the spot called (in Hebrew) Harmagedon.
Weymouth translates the passage:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth angel poured his bowl into that great river, the Euphrates; and it’s stream was dried up in order to clear the way for the kings who are to come from the east… For they are the spirits of demons working marvels – spirits that go out to control the kings of the whole earth, to assemble them for the battle which is to take place on the great day of God, the Ruler of all… And assemble them they did at the place called in ‘Hebrew ‘Har-Magedon.’
Ballantine, in his “Riverside New Testament,” renders the passage:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and it’s water was dried up to make a road ready for the kings from the sun-rising… They are the spirits of demons who work miracles, and they go forth to the kings of the whole habitable world to gather them for the battle of the great day of God the Almighty… The spirits gathered them to the place called Hebrew Har-Magedon.
Goodspeed translates the passage:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth emptied his bowl upon the great river Euphrates and its waters dried up to make way ready for the kings from the east… They are demon spirits that perform wonders, and they go out to the kings all over the world to muster them for battle on the great day of God almighty… So they mustered the kings at the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.
The Famous Mosque of St Sophia
Under the sixth plague the river Euphrates is to be dried up. And this is to be done “so that a road might be prepared for the kings of the rising sun.”
The Drying Up of the Euphrates
This certainly cannot refer to the literal drying up of the waters of the literal river. This river flows down from the mountains of Armenia into the Persian Gulf. It has been flowing at least ever since the flood. And during all this time it has been crossed and recrossed by mighty armies, even when it was at flood, and no army ever found it necessary to have it dried up in order to cross it. So this language cannot refer to the literal river.
What is meant by the waters of the river, we learn from the following passage, which interprets the symbol:
Revelation 17:15 He saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest,… are peoples, and multitudes and nations and tongues.
The water of the river is a symbol of that power which occupies the territory in that part of the earth drained by the river Euphrates. The drying up of the waters of the river would mean the setting aside or destruction of the power. And that power is Turkey. Turkey, then according to the Word of God, is to be overthrown and destroyed.
But it may be objected that Turkey now controls only a part of the territory drained by the upper Euphrates. Very true; but a stream can be dried up only by driving up it’s source. When, a quarter of a century ago, it was decided to change the direction of the flow of the Chicago River so that instead of emptying into Lake Michigan, its polluted waters should be discharged through the south fork into the Des Plaines River, finally reaching the Mississippi by way of the Illinois River, this was not done by raising the mouth of the Chicago River, but by lowering its source, so that its waters would naturally flow south instead of north. Even so, if the course of the Euphrates is to be changed or its waters dried up, the change must be wrought, not at it’s mouth, but at its source, still controlled by the Turk.
When the Euphrates is dried up, or, dropping the figure, when Turkey is destroyed, there will be a scramble for his territory, resulting in general war. This will be the certain result, both in the opinion of world statesmen, and also in the teachings of the Bible.
As a result of the downfall of Turkey, “the kings of the earth, and of the whole world,” will be gathered to Armageddon.
Resulting from the downfall of Turkey, there will be a repercussion throughout all the East, and a “road” will be “prepared for the kings from the rising sun”to attack the war-weakened powers of the West.
They will come up with “the kings of the whole habitable world,” mustered for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
An International, Interracial, Interreligious Conflict
Who are these kings from the rising sun, the “kings of the east”? they are the nations lying east of Palestine, the heathen nations, the colored races, the uncivilized, the barbarous nations of the world, constituting more than half the population of the earth.
Here, then, is outlined the real “yellow peril,” long foreseen and feared by the West. Here, indeed is “the rising tide of color.” Armageddon will not be merely an international conflict, it will be interracial and inter-religious, as well.
In connection with Armageddon there will be the pouring out of the seventh, and final, plague:
Revelation 16:17 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. 18 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.19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 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.
As a result of Armageddon, human governments as now constituted, will pass out of existence forever. Man, with his works, his cities, his kingdoms, his glory, and all his pomp, pageantry, and pride, will be overthrown.
At Armageddon international, interracial and inter-religious strife will give place to that phase of man’s effort to retain the dominion of this earth described in Revelation 19:19 as a contest between the armies of earth and the armies of heaven. The war between nations will be interrupted by the personal visible return of Jesus Christ in power and great glory, for it is then that He comes to “break” the nations with a rod of iron” and “dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Psalms 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
On the Eve of Armageddon – Carlyle B Haynes 1924 Review and Herald Publishing.
