Rome, Turkey and Jerusalem Part 1

Rome, Turkey and Jerusalem.

by Edward h.o.a.re.

FOREWORD TO FOURTH IMPRESSION.

Those of us who have been watching political events from the prophetical standpoint, have seen during the last thirty years the steady drying up of that overflowing river which once flooded Europe. Turkey's fate we knew to be certain, but there were fluctuations so we had to be patient.

Two years ago when writing the Foreword and notes to the first reprint of this little book, I drew attention to the "amazing collapse" of Turkey's power "during the last few months." Half a year later it seemed as if only a thread of littoral would be left to Turkey in Europe; then came a certain apparent return of vigour as when the ebbing tide sends back a wave that seems to claim once more part of the dominion it had lost; just in the same way Turkey regained some of the territory wrested from it during the Balkan War, and we who were watching wondered for how long this would be.

One year and a half has pa.s.sed and now it really seems as if the clock had struck. Only a few days ago the daily papers told the world that Turkey, deluded, or bribed, or both, had thrown in her lot with Germany.

In a leading article dated Nov. 2, "The Times" summed up the matter thus-"Whatever may be the immediate consequences of Turkish intervention, there is a general consensus of opinion throughout the world that it means the end of Turkey." Bible students grasped the situation at once recognizing the immense significance of the event, and on the same day at the C.M.S. Anniversary at Exeter I pointed out the overwhelming importance of this intelligence, in connection with Missionary work, the future of the Jewish Nation and our Lord's Return. I have heard from Jerusalem of the keen excitement of the Jews there, and of the hope often expressed that England would take action on their behalf. The secular press in many quarters is already suggesting that the Allies at the conclusion of the War might well establish the Jews in Palestine as a buffer-state; this is exactly what some of us have for many years pointed out, from the study of prophecy, as a likely solution of the near Eastern question. Perhaps, it may be so-G.o.d's promises unfold very quickly when the time for their appearance is ripe. Our business is to watch and pray, giving the Lord no rest till He establish and until He make Jerusalem a praise on the earth, and above all constantly sending forth the cry of His waiting Church-"even so, come Lord Jesus."

J. H. T.

_November 20th_, _1914_.

FORWARD

It is now thirty-six years since these remarkable sermons were preached by the late Canon h.o.a.re. Published at the time, they had a very large circulation and pa.s.sed through several editions. An earnest desire having been manifested for their re-issue with the addition of some footnotes bringing them up to date, I have consented to undertake that simple office. With happy memories of work under the beloved Vicar long ago (187781) there is, to me, something indescribable in being permitted once more in this unexpected way to unite with one who now within the Veil walks not by faith but by sight and who instead of knowing but in part now _knows_ even as also he is known.

It is a great tribute to the sagacity of the preacher, his deep knowledge of Scripture, and his keen prophetic instincts, that these sermons need no alteration, and only the necessary additions demanded by the history of pa.s.sing years.

The advance has been all along the exact lines which he as a diligent student of the prophetic Scriptures was able to lay down. "The wise shall understand" (Daniel xii. 10) is a promise which we see here strikingly fulfilled.

Could the venerable preacher have seen the extraordinary developments that have taken place in Jerusalem and the Holy Land during the last few years, or the amazing collapse of the Mohammedan power which Europe has witnessed in the past few months, how his heart would have rejoiced at the fulfilment of Scriptural predictions, and how earnestly would he have proclaimed afresh His Master's Words-"When ye shall see these things, know that He is nigh, even at the doors."

_December_, 1912.

ROME.

I.

THE OUTLINE.

It is impossible to imagine anything more delightful than the prospect of the promised return of our most blessed Saviour. How do the father and the mother feel when they welcome their long-absent son from India? How will many an English wife feel when she welcomes her husband from the Arctic Expedition? And how must the Church of G.o.d feel when, after her long night of toil and difficulty, she stands face to face before Him whom her soul loveth, and enters into the full enjoyment of the promise, 'So shall we ever be with the Lord?' There will be no tears then, for there will be no sorrow; no death then, for there will be no more curse; no sin then, for we shall see Him as He is, and shall be like Him. Then will be the time of resurrection, when all the firstborn of G.o.d shall awake to a life without decay and without corruption; and then the time of reunion, when the whole company of G.o.d's elect shall stand together before the Lord, never again to shed a tear over each other's grave; and then will be the time when those who have loved and longed after Him, as they have journeyed on alone in their pilgrimage, will find themselves on the right hand of His throne, and hear His delightful words, 'Come, ye blessed children of my Father: inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!'

No wonder then that the people of G.o.d are waiting with anxious hearts for the Advent; and no wonder that many are ready to say, 'Lord, how long?'

and to ask, What hope is there of His quick return? Have we, or have we not, any reason to look out for it soon? To this inquiry I would endeavour to draw your attention this morning; and in doing so, I do not intend to examine into what are usually called 'the signs of the times,'

but to study the great prophetic sketch of the world's history as given to us by the prophet Daniel. This may be termed the backbone of prophecy, and almost all the great prophecies of Holy Scripture fit into it at some point or other; so that, if we wish to understand them, we must begin by studying it. I fear I may not interest those who aim simply to have their hearts warmed by the ministry. But they must remember that the real study of G.o.d's Word requires work, and that work, though it lays the best possible foundation for feeling, does not at the time excite it. To-day, then, we are to work, and I hope the Lord may so bless His Word, that through work we may be led to feel.

Our business, then, is to endeavour to discover whether the great prophetic sketch of history, given through the prophet Daniel, encourages the blessed hope that the coming of the Lord may be near. Daniel gives a prophecy of the history of political power from his own day till the time when 'the Ancient of Days shall sit,' and describes a succession of events which must take place in the interval. It is clear that our business is to ascertain how many of these events have taken place, or, in other words, how far we have advanced in the series.

In the study of our subject we have the advantage of looking at two sides of the picture, for it has pleased G.o.d to give us the same series as seen in two different aspects. In the second and seventh chapters you will find predictions of the same events under different figures. In the second chapter the prophecy is given as a vision to a proud, idolatrous monarch. So the different kingdoms about to arise appear to him as the several parts of a mighty image, with himself as the head of gold. It was given in just such a shape as should coincide with his idolatry and his pride. Whereas, in the seventh chapter, the vision is given to one of G.o.d's people, and he sees in all this glory nothing better than a series of wild beasts coming up one after another to devour. How different is the estimate of the world from that of G.o.d! The world regards Babylon as the head of gold, the summit of glory and greatness, while G.o.d looks on it as a savage beast, to be dreaded by His saints!

The same difference of character may be observed in the visions of the coming of the Lord. To the great king it appeared as a triumphant kingdom, to the captive prophet as a manifestation of the Son of man.

The one saw a kingdom, the other a person; the one, the overthrow of power, the other, the advent of the Lord of Glory.

But now let us look at the series. In both prophecies there is a description of four kingdoms which should in succession be supreme in political power, and which should fill up an interval between Daniel and the Advent.

1. There is the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar's image, the same as the lion in the vision of Daniel. The most precious of metals corresponding to the king of beasts.

2. There is next the breast and arms of silver, corresponding to the bear of Daniel.

3. After that the belly and thighs of bra.s.s, representing the same nation as the leopard of the prophet.

4. And following them is the last kingdom of the four, represented to Nebuchadnezzar as the 'legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay,' and to Daniel as a beast, 'dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly.'

It is interesting to observe how the same iron character is attributed to this last power in both visions. In the one we read of it, chap. ii. 40, 'The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all things, shall it break in pieces and bruise.' And in the other, chap. vii. 7, it is said to be 'strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it.'

Such is the series of kingdoms that were to hold the chief political power of the world, and fill up the whole interval between the date of the prophecy and the advent of the Lord. Now the remarkable, and I believe I may say the indisputable, fact, is that, according to the prophecy, all these four kingdoms have arisen. They have followed each other exactly as it was predicted. Babylon was the head of gold, or the lion. The Medes and Persians were the breast of silver, or the bear.

Greece, always called 'the brazen armed,' in cla.s.sic poetry, was the belly and the thighs of bra.s.s, or the leopard. And then the mighty power of Rome, far exceeding all the others in its terrible strength, with the legs of iron in the royal image, and the teeth of iron in the prophetic beast. Thus far there is an agreement almost unanimous among the students of prophetic Scripture; and the conclusion certainly is, that we have already been a long time under the last of the four successive empires of the world. So far then as those four empires are concerned, we are encouraged to entertain the strong hope that, as we have reached the last kingdom in the succession, we may begin hopefully to look out for the end. We have pa.s.sed the last station on the line, so now we may begin to prepare for home.

But again. There is one remarkable difference between the fourth kingdom and the other three, viz., this, that its history is divided into two periods, during the first of which it appears as an undivided power, and during the second split up into ten. In chap. ii. 41, it says, 'the kingdom shall be divided.' In this divided period it is represented by the ten toes on the image, and the ten horns on the beast. The ten toes are described as kings, or kingdoms in chap. ii. 44; and so are the ten horns in chap. vii. 24, where it is said, 'The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.' So then the prophecy teaches us that when Rome had overpowered Greece it would go on for a time as one mighty undivided empire, but that after a time it would break up into a cl.u.s.ter of kingdoms, and that this cl.u.s.ter would retain amongst them the supremacy of the world. It does not describe any fresh shift of political supremacy to any new kingdom that should arise, or the loss or decay of that supremacy. But it teaches that there would be a division in the kingdom, that the parts should fall asunder, and that, while the iron of the fourth kingdom would remain amongst them, there should be so much clay mixed up with it, that it should never again be united under a single head.

Now this is exactly what has happened. In the days of the Caesars united Rome was supreme in the pomp of the iron empire. Its body was Europe, and its heart was the emperor. It was one as much as Babylon had been one under Nebuchadnezzar. But look at it now. There is all the old power; for Europe and its races practically govern the world. It has not lost its iron. But there is no one kingdom that embodies all. The power is vested in a cl.u.s.ter of independent nations. Many attempts have been made to combine them: some by conquest, as in the case of Napoleon; some by negotiation, as in the case of the Spanish marriages. But all in vain, for the toes are irrecoverably divided, and whatever is done, though as an aggregate they retain their power, as individual nations they are always distinct. I have no time to enter into detail, but I regard this division as a most remarkable fulfilment of the prophetic word. {10} More than five hundred years before the coming of the Lord there was a captive in Babylon, and G.o.d so directed that man's mind, as through him to communicate to the world even then the present position of modern Europe. With such a fact before us who can doubt the inspiration of the prophet, or the statement of St. Peter, that 'holy men of G.o.d spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost?'

But, without stopping to consider the wonders of the prophecy, let us learn the lesson which it teaches us with reference to the nearness of the Advent. We have already found that we have long since reached the fourth kingdom of the series; and now we are led a step further, and find that we have long since reached the second period of that kingdom. It is difficult with accuracy to a.s.sign a date, for the transition was gradual; but we shall be sufficiently near if we say that it practically took place between twelve and fourteen hundred years ago. And when we reflect on such a promise as that in Daniel ii. 44, in which G.o.d a.s.sures us of a kingdom that shall be set up in the days of these kings, and never be destroyed: when we consider that those kings have already been reigning through that lengthened period, it is surely time that we begin to look out for that which is to come; for the happy and blessed day when we shall welcome the kingdom which shall never be moved, and when Christ Himself shall reign in glory.

But this is not all, for, although we shall learn no more from the vision of the king, we may gather much more from that of the prophet, for in it we find a most important additional prophecy. I can perfectly understand why it was given by the prophet, and not by the king, for I believe it to refer to the religious history of Europe, and the king of course had no concern with that. He did not care for religion, or for the saints of G.o.d. I allude to the prophecy of the little horn rising in the midst of the other ten. I have no time to discuss arguments, and can merely state conclusions. All, therefore, that I can do now is to express my own convictions on two points:

1. That the little horn diverse from all the rest is the Papal power.

2. That the time, times, and dividing of a time, which is to be the limit of its power, stands in prophetic figure for 1260 years.

If this be correct it gives some idea as to the duration of the second division of the last kingdom, for it shows that it must last at least 1260 years. Still more, as the Papacy is to be destroyed at the approach of the Ancient of Days, if we could only ascertain the date of its commencement we might calculate the date of the Advent. But here is the difficulty, for who can say when a horn begins to grow? and who can determine the date of the first swelling of Papal pride? It is impossible to make any such calculation, and I believe it would be wrong to attempt it. But we may still be led by the great outline to hope for the approach of that most blessed day. The horn has been growing a long time, and it is impossible to read European history without believing that the 1260 years cannot be very far from its close. Everything therefore looks like an approaching end. We have long since reached the fourth kingdom; long since reached its second, or divided period; and, though we cannot say when it took place, we have long since seen the commencement of the 1260 years of the little horn. Surely then it is high time that we be looking out for the coming of the Lord, high time that we be watching with our loins girt and our lamps burning, and we ourselves as those that wait for their Lord.

With these facts before us, I may fairly ask any thinking person, whether there is not good ground for the hope that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh? You observe I have not dwelt on minute and isolated points. I have taken the great outline of the world's history, and compared it with the great outline of the word of prophecy. I see that the two exactly correspond. I thank G.o.d from the bottom of my heart for the evidence given of the inspiration of Scripture, for no such prophecy could have had its origin with man; and, while I thank G.o.d for such a confirmation of the faith, I cannot resist the conclusion that we have nearly reached the end of the series, that we are living in the last part of the last period of the last kingdom, and that the next great event of this prophecy is nothing else than the sitting of the Ancient of Days, the glorious kingdom of the Son of Man.

But do we all desire it? Are we all looking out with loving and longing hearts for the appearance of our beloved Redeemer? I fear that many would be very far from glad if they thought it would come to-morrow.

Their own consciences tell them they are not ready, and in such a case how can they desire it? You might say to them, as in the words of the prophet, 'To what end is the day of the Lord to you? the day of the Lord is darkness and not light.' I believe it to be impossible for any man really to desire the coming of Christ as his king until in his own soul he is personally acquainted with Him as his sin-offering or atonement.

Thus I believe that you will find very few really desire the Advent who have not practically and experimentally drunk in the great doctrine of justification by faith. If you are reconciled through the precious blood of Christ; if you are justified in the righteousness of Christ; if you are preserved and sanctified by the loving Spirit of Christ, then of course you will be ready to say, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus; come quickly.' But if you are still living for the world, content with the world's gifts and the world's enjoyments; or even if you are still toiling, and struggling on to reach Him you know not how, and know not whether you may trust Him to place you on the right hand of the throne or not, how is it possible that you should be happy in waiting for Him?

Never rest, therefore, till you stand accepted in Him; till you have good reason to believe that you are safe, and not safe only, but beloved.

Then you may wait for Him, then you may welcome Him, then He cannot come too soon to please you; and if His sign is seen even to-night you will be able to say, 'This is our G.o.d; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.'

II.

THE CONSUMPTION.