THE CRASH OF NATIONS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 31 May 1915, Page 7

THE CRASH OF NATIONS

In his address a.t the Oddfellows' Hall < last, night, Mr T. H. Salmon, evauge-< list, gave an interesting discourse on I the Image of Daniel 1., chapter 2.'The i speaker said that the great'imago, composed of gold, silver., brass and iron^ gives a remarkable picture of the course of the great Gentile world powers, which from the times of Israel's captivity to Babylon down to the present time have numbered four and only four —Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The head of gold stands for Babylon, the breast ana arms of silver for Medo-Persia, the'belly and sides of brass for Greece, and the legs of iron for the gr.eat Roman empire. And it is a fact that these four empires have riven and run their course in the same order and exactly as was foretold in Daniel's propheeiesy "The whole of this wonderful prophecy has been fulfilled in every part, from the head to the feet near the toes; and that is where we are at the present time, m the feet near the toes. History stows that it \vaa by great wars that all the changes into the different parts of the image were brought about. It was that changed the gold to silver, silver to brass, brass to iron. The feet are composed of iron and clay. The clay represents democracy, which, as a ruling element, began at the French Revolution. So we see that it-was great wars also that developed the feet of the image. Because of all this we believed that the next great change would also be brought in by war —a great European war. And whereas the feet began about 120 years ago, we see clearly that we are now near the time toy the toes to appear. About the year 395 the Roman empire was divided into twp parts. This twofokl division- ot" the empire; into east, arid . wo3G fulfils the two iejgsv of the image. I believe the ultimate outcome of the present- war in- Europe will be the sju&r. den re-appearance of the'old Roman kingdom cut up into ten divisions. This will be the ten toes of the image. In the diagram Nebuchadnezzar's name is at the head. Daniel said to him: "Thou are this head of gold." Then Darius the Median took the kingdom; here is the neck. Soon the Medes and Persians are united and ruling together.;' this fulfils the two shoulders. Then Alexander the Great, with his Greek armies, conquered the Medo-Per-sian empire, until his kingdom was in turn conquered by the Romans. This fourth kingdom was ruling at the time of our Lord's life on earth. About A.D. 395 the kingdom was divided into east and west, as already mentioned. This is the beginning of the legs of the image. The iron that the legs are composed of stands for monarchy in its strongest though basest form, just as iron is the strongest though basest of all the four metalß. But even it could not stand for ever, and the French Revolution was the first- successful blow against those iron legs. Now the clay comes in and is seen ruling together with the iron through the feet and toes. The clay is democracy; but whereas the ten toes are composed of iron as well as clay right to the end, it shows that before the socialists can accomplish their ambitions the end comes. There will never be a time when the clay will rule alone. We have put Napoleon's name at the commencement of the feet. He arose out of the French Revolution, and reigned from 1795 to 1815. Napoleon tried to conquer the world, but failed. If he had succeeded, this prophecy would have broken down. To-day we see the Kaiser attempting to do the same thing, but he also will fail. Out of this great war the predicted ten kingdoms will, I believe, arise. Then, and not till then, will come a man who will succeed in doing all that NapdTeon and the Kaiser have vainly tried to do. But his awful career will be short, for we read that a stone smites the image and smashes it all to pieces. The stone is the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4-11 says, "This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, foi there • is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." The stone smiting the image on the feet is God dealing in judgment with the nations. All the nations will be dealt with for their national sins. For many years all these nations that are now at war have been forgetting God and turning their backs against Him. But God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man (or a nation) soweth, that shall he also reap. Nothing but a national confession of sin and a turning back to God can possibly save them. Their national existence is at stake, for is it not written, "the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God?" (Psalm 9-17). I believe that this prophecy proves beyond any shadow of doubt that the end of the age is almost upon us. Mr Salmon speaks to-night at 7.30 at Gospel Hall, and also at same place on Tuesday night. To-night's subject will be "The Federation of Nations," and on Tuesday nijfbt "The Coming Great World Ruler." ***