Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-02-28
THE EASTERN QUESTION.

and most remarkable or It's klnu III dil TIC
Scriptures. Beginning with the first year
Of Darius the Mede, it passes through the
remainder of Persian history (verse - the
brief reign Of Alexander the Great CVerse
80. followed by the long contests between
the Kings of Syria and Egypt, the former
called the King of the North. and the lat
ter the King of the South these countries
being respectfully north and south of Jer-
usalem oversees 5-15). 1t then passed into
Roman history oversees 1920. notices the
crucifxion of Christ Verse 22), touches
upon the work of the ApOstasy oversees 90
33) the Reformation Verse 3D, and then
introduces and ends with the closing por-
ton of the history OF the Turkish empire,
this empire now including. as part of its
domain. the identical territory of the old
Assvrian Kingdom and for this reason re-
ceiving the name of the King of the North
oversees 4O-i5). 1t is the introduction of the
Turkish empire that connects the proph-
ecy with the eastern question Tor the east
ern question is simply the question Of how
the now nearly defunct Turkish empire
shall be disposed OF.
A definite point in the prophecy sufi-
GENTLY far back to include all that Is said
about the eastern question, Is found In
verse 35. With that we begin the investi-
CATION. The three prominent things
brought TO view in verse 80 are: first
period Of persecution; second, the fact
that this persecution is measured by a
prophetic period-a time appointed; and
third. that this prophetic period brings us
TO a season called the time Of the end.
There are but two instances Of persecu-
ton Of such nature. the persecution I'M
der Decoletian. from a. d. 3O2 to 3l2, ten
DAYS (years-Rev. H.. 1-10), but this Is too
far in the past TO reach anywhere near
TO the time of the end, and can not be the
one here intended The second is tho
great period during which the beast
was to make war upon and wear out the
saint of the most High dan. vii, p; Rev
xiii. 10. a period which the prophets five
times mention as containing 1860 years
Dan ill.,. -: xii. :; Rev. xii, 6-l4; Kill, o..
which commenced in A. d. 53S and ended
IN 1885 This we find ourselves located by
verse 81 in the year 179s at the nd OF the
1860 year. and a the beginning of a period
called the time of the end Prophecy
next brings to view king or nation which
in its national capacity should take upon
itself the profession of atheism Oversees 30
30.
France has taken such a position, and |
Il alone of all nations Of which any men !
ton is made in history, and this was dur |
ing the great French revolution-the reign |
of terror 1893 to 1898 oversees $3.50. The !
prophecy dwels on that power down 30 |
verse 40. The change noticed I'm verse Is
is the introduction OF "a new worship and |
a strange God. whom their fathers knew |
not. This was fulfilled by the Introduction |
Of the worship of reason i'm the person Of |
a lewd woman. which the historian calls /
another insane feature Of those insane |
times. and shall divide the land for /
gain" Verse 800. This was literally full |
filed in the confscation Of the estates of |
the nobility by the revolutlonists and IN |
the selling out of these estates in small !
lots TO a multitu5e Of Frcnchmen. The
result was to placA more than seven hun
dred million pounds sterling i'm the de-
pleted French treasury (See Allison, vol.
4. y. 15D. the time OF the end l19S, as in
troduced in verse 4O). The King of the
South or Egypt (verse j-1O pushes or
mails a feeble resistance against him
that is the Atheistical King Of the North
because it occupies the same territory
everywhere else in the prophecy called the
King Of the North. Verse 40 calls for the
breaking out of hostilties between Egypt
and France and between Turkey and
France. all in the year 179S. History testi-
fies that these very events did occur I'm
that very year Napoleon, on the strength
of fancied Egyptian provocation entered
81 1a Cnrinr-
of 1925 and was making an easy conquest
Of the country when Turkey, through |
jealousy of the French fostered by Eng
lish diplomats. declared war against I
France on the Cd of September of that /
year England and Russia were in a.- /
lance with Turkey in this struggle. and .
their navies furnished the many ships of /
the prophecy. while their aid added TO th" /
whirlwind onset Of the Turks. Verse 800
indicates that one Of the parties engaged /
In this conflict would emerge from 10 DID /
great triumph. The victorious party I'm |
this struggle was the Turks. The French /
under Napoleon found the Turkish forces |
strongly entrenched at Are. I'm Palestine /
on the Mediterranean. After sixty days
spent I'm fruitless labor to dislodge them /
Napoleon was obliged 10 sound the note |
of retreat and lead his forces back 10 |
Egypt. Additional reverses soon COM |
PEELED the French to retire to their own /
country. leaving Egypt in possession OF ,
the Turks In the light Of these facts 70 |
Is impossible to apply the latter part or
verse 40 to any but the Turks. Egypt
twice Frustrated by the French and first
by the Turks. certainly did not overflow
and pass over. The French. retracing their
steps to their own land. did not fulfill this /
specification. But the Turks. victorious
over the French and lords of Egypt, GER
tainly did.
The Turks thus came 10 take the lead
ing position in the occurrence of the times, |
and now the prophecy drops the French. !
transfers the burden of it's testimony 70
the victorious Turks and traces his his
tory from this point on to the end. Verses
4-i3 relate TO the advantage gained by
the Turks I'm that war Of 179S-lSOl They
recovered all the places taken by the /
French in the glorious land-Palcstuc /
They did not turn aside eastward to over /.
run Eden and Moab and Ammon. but did /
enter Egypt. put it under heavy tribut" 7
and received embassies Of friendship and T.
congratulation from the Libyans and .
Philippians.
Verse a points 10 another war I'm TN"
present century excited by the threaten |
ing attitude Of nations on the east and /
north of Turkey which was fulfilled IN /
the Crimeau war of 1s53-iS56. which orig /
mated from the threatening attitude OF /
Persia on the east of Turkey 9nd Russia /
on the north Dr Clark closing mis- COM
mentary on the Old Testament In lS27 !
MIR, r,,,,,nrtirr, ON this Vnren sid. III