THE TIME OF THE END.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 8

THE TIME OF THE END.

(By J. UDDELiL KELLY.) VH.—AKMAGEDDON: THE REIGN OF KIGHTEOUSXESS. The Coming Great War —Earthquakes and Other Disasters—Anglo-Jewish Victory—The Beast and liis Allicf Destroyed—The Coming of the Lord. Our concluding article deals with the culminating catastrophes that are to mark the end of the present "age." We have traced the predicted course of events to the active aid given by Britain in sending the Jews back to Palestine; to the "evil thought' , of Russia to invade the Holy Land and spoil the people; and to the check interposed by Great Britain and her Dominions. This challenge will lead to the most colossal conflict the. world has ever witnessed, ending in phenomenal disaster to the aggressor. In the third chapter of Joel's prophecy we read: "In that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, T will also gather all nations and bring them do\y;i into the valley of Jehoshaphat. and will plM.d with them there for my people and for my heritage, Israel. . . .

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision." The invading host is referred to in Revelation-; as an army of 200.000,----000, and as a horde of locusts. Ezekiel's statement is that the invader will have "many people" with him. "ail of them riding upon horses, a great company and a mighty army." Tins crowd of horsemen, according to St. John, will come "with fire and smoke and brimstone issuing from their mouths'"—evidently a vivid forecast of the use of firearms. Turkey will be an ally of Russia, for John says that the Beast is with "the kings of the earth and their armies."

It is probable that Germany and Japan will at lirst be in this formidable confederation that i≤ to conquer many countries, but before the war ends they will withdraw. After Russia has conquered Egypt, says Daniel (si. 40), "Tidings out of the East and out of the North shall trouble him; therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and ut terry to make away many." It appears that Russia will be hoping to attain her ends in Palestine by a mere display of force: but when the tidings arrive out of the East (Japan) and out of the North (Germany), she makes th.; furious ras.ilve to attack tho Jews, with the help of Turkey and the Mohammedan tribes.

men it is that Jehovah will '"plead with them" for His people, and a s-jer.e of unprecedented slaughter will ensue. "In that day Uny.-, Ezekiel) there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel . . .

tiie mountains shall bo thrown down, and every wall shall fall to the grntmd . . .

pestilor.ee and blood . . . overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." In view of the unarmed and dofenceless condition of the Jews, it is held by some interpreters that the invading" host will be decimated and dispersed by the direct agency of the Almigftty. " This view is supported by the fact that it is nowhere stated that Israel, with Tnrshish and her young lions, will offer armed resistance. But to the writer it is as absurd as it is unnecessary to suppose that.the Divine "pleading" will be done by other than ordinary and natural means.

The challenge will be followed by warlike measaresT*in which all the destructive engines of modern warfare will be ..employed. The defeat of . the invaders will be rendered complete by earthquake, flood, and pestilence—all of them natural agencies. Then Cog, or Russia, will "fall upon the mountains of Israel and upon the open field." He will be "turned back, and only one-sixth of him- shall be left"; and for seven months the Israelites shall 1* engaged in burying the dead left behind. The recent "disastrous earthquake in Turkey seems a precursor of. the great natural convulsions that will occur coincidently with the battle of Armageddon. After the defeat of Russia and her confederates, it is said (Joel ii., 20): "I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into land barren 'and desolate, with his face toward the east sea., and his hinder part toward the utmost sea/ When this is done, the people of Israel will be safely "gathered into their own land." with "Christ' or I "David my ' servant" to rule over them in peace 'and righteousness for 1,000 years. This restoration will not only lie a turning of the captivity of Judah; it will also lie a reunion of the longseparated kingdoms of Judah and Israel: in the words of St. Paul, "all Israel shall be saved." As the rejection of Christ by the jWs was made the occasion for the Gospel being preached to the "lost sheep" of the house of Israel, so will the termination of the "seven times" of punishment be marked by a complete reconciliation, when "Israel shall no more vex Judah nor Judah Israel." The vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel xxxvii.) refprs to'this reunion. The prophet sees the bones come together, "and they lived and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army." There is no doubt as to the interpretation of this vision, for the prophet is told that "these bones are the whole house of Israel," whom the Lord has promised to place in their own land. By a further illustration of two sticks — one standing for Judah and the other ioEphraim—the prophet is informed that these two separated branchee of the house of Ifirael will be reunited. The "children of Israel," he is further told, will be gathered from every side, and will become one nation, with one king, "David my servant."

We all know "the stick of Judah," but where are we to look for "the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel his companions"? It in now unnecessary to adduce arguments in sujjport of the view that Britain and her Dominions represent the descendants of Ephraim. For over forty years (in the writer's recollection) this has been -tau*ht, and millions have accepted the truth, despite the tierce objections of ethnologists, philoI logists, historians, folklorists, and all the i other "wise and prudent" ones. Other

tribes are represented by Germany, Switzerland, parts of Austria and France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United States of America, and probably Japan. The great majority are unwilling to admit their identity with Israel. Blindness has happened to them, and will continue until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Britain, which was the first country to cease persecuting the Jews, will be the first to recognise the descent of its people. The United States will folJoTv, and will perhaps be found among the "young lions" at the battle of. Armageddon. Germany's recognition will come later. Japan (probably ilanasseh) will own the relationship later stiH.

Japan's neutrality at the time of the decisive struggle seems to be hinted at by Ezekiel, in a reference to "them that dwell carelessly in the isles." For their abstention they arc to be punished by a "lire" that will involve both them and ißussia, but ultimately "all Israel" must

be united and rule the world in right-eousn-\-v.. Britain being part of 1-r.icl. it is impossible for h'"r to inert with disaster in the war. though slip may have initial r:-vcivps. i , . i.-- through the British Royal Family that the r-eeptre ha*, been kept in thp hinds of Judah, and there it must remain '"until Shiloh come.' .

Ac to tin- raanncr of ClirUt** coming, it is not desirable to discuss it nt length in a secular journal. Thin much, however. I would imprcrii with regard to this, US with regard to all other predicted events —we need not necessarily look for anything supernatural or miraculous as n concomitant of the Coming. When He came to earth 2,000 years ago only a very few people were aware of the fart. I When He came some years ago "in the clouds of heaven" there was nothing to "make earth-dwellers cognisant of the fact that He had ascended the Throne of Judgment. So, when He comes to take the earthly throne He will not come "with observation." King David of England will be crowned King of the Jews at Jerusalem in quite ordinary fashion. When the spirit of Christ enters him no outward miracle will attest the fact. But his reign of love and wisdom will bo the proof to his people, and to all the world, that God's faithful promise haa been fulfilled, tha,t the "former thing* have passed away," and that "there shall be no more sea" (unrest), for the new heaven and the new earth will have arrived, in the shape of the Thousand Years' Reign of Righteousness.

Lot mo say, by way of concluding note, that, while 1 have written of the coming Reign as lasting for a thousand years, there is reason lo believe that it "'ill extend to a much longer period. The probability of this is strengthened by the fact that Christ's Kingdom is sometimes spoken of as "an everlasting kingdom."' It is, however, distinctly stated by John that the earthly Kingdom to be set up after the destruction of the Beast will not be everlasting, but. «Tt the close of the Millennium, Satan will once more be loosed and will go out :to deceive {he nations. Still, the presumption is that the Kingdom of Christ on earth will endure for such a long period ac to be, in popular language, •'everlasting." If asked to be more explicit, 1 should reply that the duration of the Eejjm will be three hundred and sixty thousand years. Thi3 conclusion is reached by remembering that, throughout the Revelation, John i>; employing prophetic mcaeurement of time —one day for a year. Thus h;s "forty-ttt-o months'' of heathen domination over Jerusalem are equivalent to, the 1260 "days" (years) of Daniel. On this basis. <t "year" w equal to 3GO years, and the. Reign of Peace aiul Righteousness will therefore endure for 360.000 i yea re.

Auckland, August, 1912. (.The End.)

(Copies of these articles in booklet form, price Gd, post free, may be had from J. Liddcll Kelly, "Waiariki," Eden Crescent, Auckland. Special terms for quantities.)