Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-07-05

THE following curious theory, identifying Sebas,
topol with the Arnageddon of Revelations appears
In late English journal. Our readers will fDd /,
amusing, II nothing more ]
To the Editor of Eddooss Shrewsbury Journal
SIK: This question has lately been raised. On
prophecy unfulhlcd, or only in course Of fulfil
ment, II becomes US to PROFOUND our opinions
with difidence but sssuredly this does not pre-
clude the exercise Of humble and devout inquiry
In this view, permit me to throw out for consider
alton the following hints:
Commentators, writing before the present war.
have, believe, generally drawn their explanation
Of the word Armagcddon from its first syllable.
ar, signifying mountain; but this has thrown
no real light upon the text. There is another He.
brew word, having the same sound (Ar,) though
formed from different letter. This Arsignifeaa
city. Joining to It IL the word Aageddoa, which,
in Hebrew, signifies pre-eminent or illusrious, We
get Arnageddon--the iuatrious city. Now, Sebas.
top, is compounded of two Greek words, which,
together, signify the same thing-the august or
illustrious city This as far as know, is in sub
stance, the discovery suggested by the present
extraordinary siege. The coincidence is at least,
curious; but the point admits offurther eucidaton.
st. John wrote in Greek, and, If he had not in
the passage under consideration forsaken the Greek
for the Hebrew, that passage would have run thus
in our English translation:
And he gathered them together into place
called, In the Greek tongue, Sebastopol.'
But this would have been too plain for propheccv
which employs enigmatical devices for the purpose
of presenting truth, as it we're looming in mist,
to the eye of faith, while il conceals the precise
event foreshsdowed from certain knowledge until
| the proper period for its development. In this
| instance the enigma consists in substituting the
Hebrew word Ar7aageddos, for the plain name OF
the place Se6asfopoi. It deserves remark, that,
had St. John used the Greek word ,Se6dstopoi,
this too, might have equally hidden his meaning.
up to the time when the Russians gained fraudn-.
lent possession of the Crimea, but no longer The
Tartar name Of the place was Aktiar Dir. Clarke,
in his travels, published in 1910, auding to this
change in the designation Of the city, says:
eve, reached the great bay of Aktiar, upon
which place the Russans in the time Of Catharine
| IL, bestowed the fantastic name of Scbastopol"
| At that time the new name was fantasies but
| 1t may enhance our reverence for divine inspirs-
ton to reflect that not only was II foreseen that
the place Of gathering should ages after be called
in human pride by fantastic name, but that II
should, in short period, by the course Of Prov-
dence, vindcatc its title to be considered really
| illustrious. For what can be better entitled to
| such term than that very place on which the
eyes of the world are now fixed? The two great
est nations Of Europe putting forth, and, rs yet
vainly, their mighty resources to take 1t, and the
immense Empire Of Russia 80 obstinately and be-
yond all calculation, defending 1t. It IL truly the
illustrous city, the Sebdstopoi, the Armageddon-
call II which we will
Learned interpreters Of prophecy, (Mr. Elliot,
for instance,) some years ago brought down, from
totally independent considerations, our present
chronological position to the outpourng of the
sixth vial. Under that vial the battle Of Armaged-
don takes place. SO that we ought now 10 be look
ing out for Armageddon--and f we ask where II w.
Sebastopol marvelously answers the question.
| II Is very curious that there Is valley In the
Crimea, In the neighborhood Of Sebastopol, known
| by the name Of the Valley Of Jehoshaphat. The
Prophet Joel, speaking Of the restoration Of the
Jews-an event which the Christian world now
looks for as near-describes the gathering of po-
| tions to the valley Of Jehoshaphat. The whole
passage (Joel Ill., Is worthy Of deep consideration
and of close comparison with other scriptures.
Your readers can refer TO IL and some of them
may be surprised TO learn that DIR. Clarke describes
o colony Of tho Karaite Jews in that part of the
Crimea, about the valley Of Jehoshaphat, as r.
markable for their purity, integrity and truth.
Connect this with the prophetic fact that the Lord
| Is to vindcate his people, the Jews, at the valley
Of Jeboshaphat Bishop Louth, expounding the
Prophet Joel, thus expressed himself many yeais
ago: "The prophets speak Of general discou
future of Gods enemies in some decisive battle b.,
| fore the general judgment; such, pre-
badly, is the battle Of Cog and ,Nagog described
in Ezekiel Ixxir, and that Of Armageddon in Rev.
wi. The place of this remarkable action Is hers
called the Valley Of Jehoshaphat.'
In Revelations xvi, the gathering to Armaged.
don Is to be BY three spirits like frogs, coming out
ofthe mouth the Dragon, the Beast and the Fslse
Prophet II would corroborate the identity OF
Sebdstopoi and drmageddon II the present gather
ing round Sebastopol can be traced to the sort Of
| instgation thus intimated. The Dragon is unques-
tonsbly, as explained in the Apocalypse, " that
old serpent the Devil Something Characteristic
OF Satan ought, therefore, to find in one Of the
chief actors In the contest. How art thou fallen
from heaven, o Lucifer, son Of the morning" Us.
xiv, 12.) Thus speaks the prophet in allusion TO
the King Of Babylon, whose pride was instgated
| by Satan. The fall Of Satan, the prince Of the
| apostate angels Il also sometimes alluded to by
the prophets when they threaten destruction TO
proud and insoIent tyrants, who, in imitation OF
| the pride Of the Devil eIalt themselves against
God and his truth, and are the instruments OF Ss-
tan in promoting idolatry and wickednsss In the
world" (Louth.) Does not this remind us Of tie
proud, ambitious Gar and Of his protectoratc OF
the idolatrous Greek ChurchY Then there is the
fact that Satan's primal temptation was that 4
human pair by grasping at an unlawful acquisition
might become as gods. IL ia notorious, that by
cognate motives the policy Of Russia has for ages
been animated to umighteous ACKNOWLEDGEMENT,
and that the same lust Of territorial extension on
the part Of Nicholas coupled with bis ambition 10
oyerrule the Sultan in the government Of his Greek
subjects as though he would lift up himself 70 Goo
like elevation in the world has issued in the pres
ent war. The frog out Of the mouth Of the Dragon
has undoubtedly whispered into the ear Of the Ar-
tocrat just AZ Milton describes Satan in similar
form whispering in the ear Of Eve.
The Beast leads our thoughts to Popery The
Dragon which svsyed the old Pagan Roman En-
pire gave his seat (Rome) to the Beast. See Rev.
Iii, for this and other evidences that the Beat
images Popery. The frog out Of the mouth Of tie
Beast may without difficulty be interpreted Of that
inspiration which has gathered France into the
struggle. The qu,rrel actually began In dispute
between the Latin and Greek pilgrims for certain
advantages in their superstitious worship at the
holy places In Palestine France, long since re
garded as the protecting power Of the Latin or
Popish Pilgrims, has certainly maintained that
character In the diplomacy connected with the
present contest. She had obtained distinct sdvan.
tsges for those Roman or Popish Pilgrims by
hrman from the Porte. This reused the jealousy
Of Russia, the protector Of the Greek pilgrims,
and according TO formal public documents the adj