Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-03-27
APPROACHING ARMAGEnn0N

10 the editor:
What is the meaning of this cata
: clysm of the nations? What mean,
: the beating of this flail of death on
the quivering flesh of civilization? Ii
1t only step in human evolution
' Is 1t the wreck of civilization? Is il
. the long expected Armageddon oi
: Biblical prophecy?
Yesterday this world was a neigh.
. borhood; today it is slaughterhouse
charnel, a cyclone, a cemetery.
Yesterday there was comparative
peace and prosperity, confidence,
friendly intercourse, and kindly min
istration; today there is turmoil and
famine, distrust, hatred, malevolence,
ruin, dismay, and a mutual desire to
injure and to kill. Does it mean moth
ing to this race but the changing of a
few rules and the making of new
boundary lines?
1t means much more. Civilization
J as guarantor of peace has proved
itself broken reed. The hand that
leaned upon it has been pierced by
it.; and the innocent victims of that
trust are watering the storm-swept soil
with their tears and their blood.
Centuries ago this world was warm
| cd ba@ Io
call to war would go ringing through
the earth, and the nations would re-
spond.
Certain religious leaders have been
teaching the world for years that
we were soon to enter upon millen-
ium of peace. They have deluded
themselves and their hearers with
the belief that some of the wishes of
the human heart are the very oracles
of God. They have wanted wars to
cease, and have declared that they
would cease. God has recol Ged their
declaration; and then they have de-
clared that Gods recor. of their de-
claration in this matter WAS God g
own declaration to the human race of
what he purposed should be. THIS
utterance from Isaiah they have
thus interpreted:
"And he (God) shall judge among
the nations, and shall rebuke many
people; and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation shat
not lift up sword against nation
neither shall they learn war any
more" Isaiah "a.
1t is essential that we know who
is saying this. The verse immediate
ly preceding the one quoted reads:
"And many people shall go and
SAY, Come We, and let US &C up to
the mountain of the Lord, to the
house of the God of Jacob; and he ,
will teach us of his ways, and we
will walk i'm his paths; for out of
zion shall go foi tt the Law ard the
word of the Lori from Jerusalem.
Who says it. Many people And
they are saying it now. And what
else are they saying?-.that They
shall beat their swords into plow- r
shares, and their spears INTO pruning ,
hooks" and that nation shall not
lift up sword against nat IN, neither !.
shall they learn war any more"
When are they saying it? The Sec r
;ond verse of the same chapter tells
is that lit shall come to pass In the
asst days. etc. :
Them ''in the last days" we are to !.
rear much talk of an epoch of peace, :
and prosperity; much :,
ak of regulating all human conduct r.,
" divine law: much talk of the :
hurch regulating all the affairs of
he world; much talk of the speedy -
nd perpetual elimination of war =,
rom the activities of this world. If
va had no other proof that we are
wing in the last days, present-day
acts fulfilling that prophecy would l..
o proof enough. That scripture de- -
cribes our times, and our times full
III that scripture.
Now what Ia the truth of the mat
or? In the same chapter We learn
hat the true conditions will be In
ne last days. 1t portrays a condi- be
on of terror In the world: n pe
ENTER into the rock, and hide thee be
/ the dust, for the fear of the Lord, OF
nd for the glory of hismajesty. The IN
fifty looks of man shall be humbled, tn
nd the haughtiness of men shall be W. w.
owed down, and the Lord alone be
nall be exalted in that day. For the a,
ay of the Lord of hosts shall be up do
n every one that is proud and lofty, II;
nd upon every one that is lifted up;
nd he shall be brought low. Br
nd they shah go into the holes of
lie rocks, and into the caves of the
nj Nf nrI nj far