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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1938
Right: J a p a n e s e marines in C h in a . Below: Japanese war tank in military drill, shown at the crest of a steep incline.
Photos courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner
The Yellow Thorns of the Orient
By GEORGE DEWEY BLOMGREN* Chicago, Illinois
W AR, famine, earthquakes, floods, pestilences— all in one year—have afflicted China. Japan’s successful aggression in large areas of China brings her forth as a forest of yellow thorns, in which forest poor subdued Chinese are being forced to roam. However, the evil now going forth in the world with lightning rapidity was long ago unveiled in the Book of books. Jeremiah prophesied: “ Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation” (Jer. 25:32). It cer tainly does not take much of an observer to see that evil ^its enthroned in most nations of the world today. Japan at present is one of the foremost leaders in creating the dis tress and disturbance that cause world leaders to look with fear and trembling “ after those things which are coming on the earth” (Lk. 21:26). Our Failure to Evangelize Japan For the most part, evil rather than good has gone forth from Western nations to the Orient. The church of Jesus Christ was given a commission by our Lord nineteen hundred years ago to “ go . . . and teach all nations . . . to observe all things whatso ever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you . . .” (Matt. 28:19, 20). “ Go” was our commission. “ Lo, I am with you” was our provision. This commission has been neglected. Instead, in spite of un paralleled opportunities for entering foreign lands, Christendom has busied itself of late in preaching a social gospel. The cry has been “ Education-education!” Jesus Christ *Evangelist, author, and foreign-news correspondent.
emphasized “ Regeneration!” For years men have proclaimed reformation when our Lord taught transformation. Indeed, transforma tion by regeneration is the only message for this sin-cursed, sin-damned world in this hour. Failure, I say again, to have promul gated that message in all its fullness in Japan has allowed a forest of yellow thorns to flourish in the Orient. Japan practically can be called our prod uct. If, and when, there may be a shift of world supremacy from the Caucasian to the Mongolian peoples, the white race will find at least one explanation. That reason is that we exported our products, ideas, and educa tion to the Orient before we brought them the gospel of regeneration. The United States rejoiced in the early days of the “ open door” to Japan. When we saw our ships sail for the East loaded with cargo for the open and profitable East ern markets, we failed to comprehend the fact that those same ships carried something besides our products. They were carrying valuable designs and ideas, not alone good ideas but impressions and suggestions of different kinds as well. Within a few years, Japan had planted those new Western ideas and designs in fertile soil. Thus grew the banking systems, schools, railways, public utilities, armies, and a powerful navy. Japan rose high and grew powerful among the nations. Japan's Inability to Help China in Religion But what will Japan give to the nations of the Orient if she gains the leadership she seeks? W ill it continue to be that “ evil [ Continued on Page 276]
DR. BAUMAN’ S COMMENT Thrice blind is the man who does not see that the steel-clad nations of the earth are marching under the banners of all that is anti-Christ in this world of men— on a march that cannot possibly end otherwhere than in “ the valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:2 ) — Armaged don! Mr. Blomgren has written of Japan. But the spirits of warlike lust that possess Japan are not unlike the spirits that are ascendant in nearly all the other nations of the earth— all are but the seven spirits of the field marshal of hell who “ shall prosper till the indig nation be accomplished” (Dan. 11:36) when vast armies will indeed ride to death by gathering “ together to make war against him [Christ] that sat on the horse, and against his army” (Rev. 19:19). Japan and all the other nations are in the predicted “ distress of nations” from which there will be “ no way out” (Lk. 21:25). (The Greek word trans lated “ perplexity” means just that— “ no way out.” ) The United States plans to borrow and to spend her way out. In her rearmament program, however, she is giving strong indication that she, too, will join the nations on the mili taristic pathway to peace! What dupes of Satan the nations are! That pathway leads to Armageddon and nowhere else. But the prophetic seers of the God of Israel have revealed to us the day after Armageddon, and we are not dismayed. We look with confidence for the day in which “ the Sun of righteousness [shall] arise with healing in his wings” (Mai. 4:2). — LOUIS S. BAUMAN
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