The Blackfoot optimist., 1916-06-22
A GREATER WAR TO FOL-
Low PRESENT CONFLICT
To the Editor:

AOW Fh68GNV CONkLICV
To the Editor:
''And the nations were angry This
wonderful prediction of the prophecy
of Revelation is made under tie sound
ing OF the seventh angel. Concern
ing the time, we learn that when tho
seventh angel begins TO sound, or early
in the sounding of the seventh angel,
that the mystery of God-that is, the
work of the gospel, "Christ in you, the
hope of glory ''-'' shou:d be finished,
as He hath declared to His servants,
the prophets Rev. 1857; ll:15-l9.
The anger of the nations is coupled,
il the prophecy, with the wrath of God,
which is the prelude to TIE Judgment of
the world. 1t comes in connection with
the judging of the dead. the reward of
the righteous, and the destruction Of
the wicked. Rev. 1l:15-19.
There can be no doubt at all that the
prediction of the prophecy is today in
process of fulfillment. The nations are
angry; and since 1914, when the sew.
enth angel began it's sounding, and
more particularly since lS4s, one of the
plainest truths of the day has been that
the temper of the nations was one Of
anger. Their attitude has constantly
exemplifed it. During all this time the
rulers Of the great nations have put
forth strong effort, have been com
PEELED to use extreme caution, i'll order
to avoid a universal war.
At the same time, we must remember
that the prophecy concerning Turkey
indicates its waning, particularly from
the time of the prophecy; that is, from
August IL, 1910, after which the Turk.
ish government would exist only by
the sufferance Of the European powers.
That was the date specified in the
prophecy; and true to the prediction,
upon that day, August IL, 1S4O the
powers notified the Turkish sultan that
they would henceforth attend to his
ease. And without any question about
1t, from that day until the present war,
they have been attending to his case
Were it not for an agreement among
the powers, the Turkish government
would have vanished long ago.
Thus the nations have attempted, ar.
tficially, if you please, to prevent war;
but today they are in conflict, and more
than ever we realize the truth of that
prediction of the prophecy which de-
scribes accurately their state of wrath.
They have seemed to realize that this
spirit of wrath. if once let loose, would
carry them utterly beyond themselves.
Realizing it, and stating it to the world,
they have tried to make Turkey a buf-
fer state. as it were, to hold them from
each others throat. Or as some one
has put it, Turkey is the bone, and each
of the nations, while watching the bone,
has not dared to seize it for fear OF
bringing the others on him in a great
dogs fight, so to speak, for the posses
sion of the Mohammedan prize.
This bonesof contention, the territory
Of the Turk, has been described as a
section that "might and ought to be
one of the most nourishing on the face
of the earth.' Almost every nation of
Europe involved in the present conflict
is deeply interested in who shall pos
sess this territory. No one nation can
gain control of it without tremendous
ly affecting the others. There are Eng
lands possessions in Egypt and India.
There are the possessions of France and
of Italy in the near East. Russia is
almost dependent for her very life upon
the free passage of the Dardanelles
Austria and Germany want straight
avenue down through the Balkans and
Turkey into the rich Mesopotamian val
ley. Greece is deeply anxious about it,
because she lies SO close to CONSTANT.
nopie and environs. Italy has no good
harbOrs, and looks across the sea to
Albania and the well sh h.ltered places of
that coast as security for her navies
and her ships of commerce.
The present war is an Intellectual cf-
fort fn Str inh hfou suf hn
tion, which has been precipitated upon
the nations before they desired it.
From studies of the prophecies, | do
not believe that the present war will
solve the problem. Some sort of tenn
porary arrangement will be made, Civ
ing a short period of peace, in which
Gods work i'll the earth will be finished.
Then will come another war, known in
the prophecies as Armageddon; and aft
er that, the end of the world.
But Armageddon is located in Pales.
tine, within the territory Of the Turk.
So that war, too. will be an attempt at
the .sulving of the Eastern question.
And it will be the last attempt the ma
tions of the earth will ever make; for
Armageddon ends the struggle of the
nations, and marks the ushering in OF
the Kingdom or Christ. with the de-
struction of all those things which are
foreign to the righteousness and peace
of Him whose right it is to rule the
world.
The nations are angry. Soon God
wrath will come and the Judgmnet
Day, even as the prophecy of Revela
tion XI clearly predicts.
Very sincerely yours,
r. W. CROSkREY.