The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-07-03
CLAIM THAT PRESENT WAR
HAS LONG BEEN FORESEEN
Walter z. Burgan Gives His Views
on Present Conflict and Results.

lister OF the Seventh Day
denomination have been united in
their prediction that a universal war
would take place in Europe. They
declare that for sixty years the ma
tions have been concerned over what
is known as the Eastern Question"
which in a word is that Russia desires
the control of European Turkey. The
Adventists contend that students of
Bible prophecy have been looking for
the present crisis, and are of the be-
lief that while Turkey is not now di-
rectly involved in the great struggle
she will eventually, and, when driven
out of Europe will set up her king
dom in Jerusalem where the Bible
predicted battle of Armageddon will
be fought and then Christ will make
his second return.
The Adventists believe that this
battle in which all the nations of the
world will be involved will be fought
in this generation; and that while 1t
is in progress Christ will return.
They have for years predicted a gen
eral war among the nations. The Ad-
ventists base their prediction upon
Gods prophetic word which declares
that "the battle of Armageddon" in
volving all the nations of the world
was to be fought just before Christ's
second coming. Christ himself in
giving the immediate signs of his re-
turn whereby the world was to know
that glorious and intensely significant
event "even at the door" said, There
shall be signs in the heavens above
and in the earth beneath-upon the
earth distress of nations with per-
plexity and mems hearts failing
them for fear and for looking after
those things which are coming on the
earth, and after these things, CON
tinued Christ, shall they see the Son
of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory.-Luke 21:25-27..
The Bible says, in the last days
men will cry, peace, peace, but there
shall be no peace. Armed peace that
is purchased yearly at the price OF
billions, and maintained by the power
of dynamite and through rival ag-
erosion in gigantic war preparations
is false peace and cannot last long.
The affairs of the world are reaching
an unavoidable crisis. They are
reaping the fruitage of their wv
sowing. For years the nations have
been whetting their swords, and arm
ing to the limit, thereby creating a
condition of unrest and uncertainty
and banishing the future possibility
Of peace.
All Europe has been sitting, as it
were, over the crater of a mighty
volcano that was quaking and heav-
ing and ready to belch forth and pro-
duce the greatest CONFUSION and
death struggle among the nations the
world has ever een Yet they are
yearly adding to the powder maya,
zine and moving it nearer to the
sparks of fire. Never in the history
of the world were the nations equip
ped with such terribly destructive
missiles for warfare; and when these
war demons are once let loose in con-
certed action, there will be no pause
until earth's thrones topple and fall,
and the earth is strewn with the slain
and refuses to cover them any more.
John the Revelator was shown in
holy vision that his Satanic majesty
would be in control of the nations just
before the coming of the Lord Jesus.
He describes the final outcome in still
more graphic language than is record
ed in the prophecies of Daniel. Just
before the end of all things in their
present arrangement, John says: 81
saw the spirits of devils working
miracles, go forth unto the kings of
the earth, and of the whole world to
gather them to the battle of the great
day of God Almighty, and they gath
cred into a place called in the He
brew tongue Armageddon."-Revela-
tions 1914, 16. Immediately follow
ing this scene, John depicts the terri
BILE scenes of the day of Gods wrath
and the desolation of the whole earth
for a period of one thousand years, at
the end of which period the everlast-
ing kingdom of God is to be set up.
The "battle of Armageddon" is a
Bible phrase and will be fought in
Palestine instead of Europe. Arma-
estine and refers to the mountain
mel to Jerusalem according to the He
brew language and geography OF BIZ
bile times. John the R%evelator was
shown that the Turks would be driven
out of Europe and their empire "dried
versal scramble for his territory am
ong the nations. To decide the issue
all nations were to gather their arm
les dG AIlldSC Of VII lily
mountains round about Jerusalem"
The present battles are not the battle
of Armageddon, but may lead to the
battle of Armageddon-the last and
greatest battle that the nations will
ever fight, thereby seal their eternal
doom.
Thus will end the history of this
sin cursed earth. For the unprepar-
ed is pictured a fearful end; for the
righteous is portrayed a most glori-
Gus beginning with an infnity of days
and unalloied joys. May the promise
of God concerning the faithful cause
a bright star of hope to spring up in
the hearts of sin-despairing souls; for
there is still mercy with God. But
soon the lid of Che great Ledger in
heaven will be folded, and if our
names are not then written in the
Book of Life of the Lamb of God we
will forever be excluded from the joys