Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 79

From the first, the great characteristic of the Turkish government has been that of a "destroyer." Speaking of a war by the Turks upon the Byzantine Empire in 1050, Gibbon (chapter 57) says: "The myriads of Turkish horse overspread a frontier of six hundred miles from Tauris to Erzeroum, and the blood of one hundred and thirty thousand Christians was a grateful sacrifice to the Arabian prophet."

In 1058 the Turks wrested the Holy Land from the Saracens, desecrated the holy places, and treated the pilgrims to Jerusalem with cruelty. This brought on the nine unsuccessful crusades of the next two centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land.

12. What definite period is mentioned under this trumpet?

"And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men _five months_." Verse 10. See also verse 5.

NOTES.-"It was on the twenty-seventh of July, in the year 1299,"

says Gibbon, "that Othman first invaded the territory of Nicomedia," in Asia Minor, "and the singular accuracy of the date," he adds, "seems to disclose some foresight of the rapid and destructive growth of the monster."-_"__Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,__"__ chap. 64, par. 14_ This, then, we take to be the beginning of the period referred to.

A Bible month consists of thirty days; five months would be 150 days. Allowing a day for a year, 150 years from July 27, 1299, would reach to July 27, 1449. During this period the Turks were engaged in almost constant warfare with the Greek Empire, and yet without conquering it.

13. With what statement does the fifth trumpet close?

"One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." Verse 12.

14. What command is given under the sixth trumpet?

"And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before G.o.d, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, _Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates_." Verses 13, 14.

NOTES.-These four angels are understood to refer to the four leading Turkish sultanies-Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Bagdad-of which the Ottoman Empire was composed, situated in the country watered by the river Euphrates.

As a striking parallel it may be noted that under the sixth plague (Rev. 16:12-16), the four angels of Rev. 7:1-3 will loose the winds of war, the waters of the river Euphrates (the Turkish Empire) will be dried up, and the armies of the nations will a.s.semble for the battle of Armageddon.

15. What warlike scene is given under this trumpet?

"The number of the armies of the hors.e.m.e.n was _twice ten thousand times ten thousand_: ... and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and _out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone_." Verses 16, 17, R. V.

NOTES.-"In the year 1453, Mohammed II, the Great, sultan of the Ottomans, laid siege to the capital [Constantinople], with an army of over 200,000 men. After a short investment, the place was taken by storm. The cross, which since the time of Constantine the Great had surmounted the dome of St. Sophia, was replaced by the crescent, which remains to this day."-_Myers's __"__General History,__"__ edition 1902, pages 462, 463._

Thus Constantinople, the eastern seat of the Roman Empire since the days of Constantine, was captured by the Turks.

Reference also seems to be made here to the use of firearms, which began to be employed by the Turks toward the close of the thirteenth century, and which, discharged from horseback, would give the appearance of fire and smoke issuing from the horses'

mouths. In the battle of Armageddon, to which allusion may here be made, an army of "twice ten thousand times ten thousand," or two hundred million, will doubtless be a.s.sembled.

16. What was the result of this warfare by means of "fire and smoke and brimstone"?

"By these three was the third part of men killed." Verse 18.

NOTE.-This shows the deadly effect of this new means of warfare.

"Constantinople was subdued, her empire subverted, and her religion trampled in the dust by the Moslem conquerors."-_Elliott's __"__Horae Apocalypticae,__"__ Vol. I, page 484._

17. What definite period is mentioned under this trumpet?

"And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an _hour_, and a _day_, and a _month_; and a _year_, for to slay the third part of men."

Verse 15.

NOTE.-An hour in prophetic time is equal to fifteen days; a day stands for a year, a month for thirty years, a year for 360 years.

Added together, these amount to 391 years and fifteen days, the time allotted for the Ottoman supremacy. Commencing July 27, 1449, the date of the close of the fifth trumpet, this period would end Aug. 11, 1840. In exact fulfilment of the words of inspiration, this date marks the fall of the Ottoman Empire as an independent power. His empire wasted beyond hope of recovery in a war with Mohammed Ali, pasha of Egypt, the sultan of Turkey submitted to the dictates of the then four great powers of Europe, and his minister, Rifat Bey, on that very day, Aug. 11, 1840, reached Alexandria, bearing, not the sultan's ultimatum, but that of the powers, to place in the hands of the rebellious pasha. Since then Turkey has existed only by the help or sufferance of the great powers of Europe, and has commonly been referred to as "the Sick Man of the East."

18. With what announcement does the sixth trumpet close?

"The second woe is past; and, behold, _the third woe cometh quickly_."

Rev. 11:14.

NOTE.-The definite period under the sixth trumpet brings us to 1840, when Turkey lost her independence. Her final downfall, we understand, will come at the opening of the seventh trumpet.

19. What is to be finished when the seventh trumpet is about to sound?

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished _the mystery of G.o.d_, according to the good tidings which He declared to His servants the prophets." Rev. 10:7, R. V.

NOTE.-The mystery of G.o.d is the gospel. Eph. 3:3-6; Gal. 1:11, 12, When this trumpet is about to sound, therefore, the gospel will close, and the end will come. The "time of trouble," of Dan. 12:1, and the seven last plagues and the battle of Armageddon, spoken of in Revelation 16, will take place when this trumpet begins to sound.

20. What event marks the sounding of the seventh trumpet?

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, _The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever._ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before G.o.d on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped G.o.d, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord G.o.d Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned." Rev. 11:15-17.

NOTE.-The seventh trumpet, therefore, brings us to the setting up of G.o.d's everlasting kingdom.

21. What is the condition of the nations, and what other events are due or impending at this time?

"And _the nations were angry_, and _Thy wrath is come_, and _the time of the dead, that they should be judged_, and that Thou shouldest _give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints_, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest _destroy them which destroy the earth_." Verse 18.

NOTES.-The closing scenes of this world's history and the judgment are clearly brought to view here. Ever since the loss of independence by the Ottoman Empire in 1840, the nations have been preparing for war as never before, in view of international complications and a world war which all fear is inevitable upon the dissolution of Turkey and the final disposition of its territory. Towering above all others, the Eastern question has been the one of paramount concern to them.

The investigative judgment began in heaven in 1844, at the close of the prophetic period of 2300 days. See readings on pages 230-253. When this is finished, the time of reward will have arrived, the end will have come, and the saints will themselves sit in judgment. See Rev. 20:4; 1 Cor. 6:1-3.

22. What scene in heaven was presented to the prophet as the seventh trumpet was about to sound?