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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
March, 1938
THE FINAL CONFLICTS OF THE END-TIME POWERS ¿"•[Continued, from page 97] Fascist, power as does the empire of Great Britain. In fact, no other great power has anything vital in jeopardy in the Mediter ranean. But to England the very fate of her great empire is at stake. It is the path to India, Egypt, Arabia, the Palestine man date, Mosul oil, and her other eastern re sources. Discovering at last from the Ethiopian adventure that the Fascist dic tator cannot be stopped by any mere threats or protests, Great Britain is turning to the only argument left—the argument of force. With practically no internal opposition, she has embarked on an armament program with an estimated cost of seven billions of dollars. One of these days the “king of the south” will be ready. In the face of these perils, it is interest ing to note that the democratic nations, those peoples who do not want war, are drawing more closely together for mutual protection against the thing they fear, both commercially and in a military way. Even Russia pays lip service to the principles of democracy, not because she has any love for democracy, but because she hopes to see the democratic nations unite for the pur pose of opposing Fascism which she fears and hates. Attack from the North IV. Seizing the opportunity ¡while the Roman power is engaged in conflict with the southern power, the northern power will launch a terrific military offensive against the Willful King. The attack will be swift — “ like a whirlwind”— and with vast re sources:, ¿‘with chariots, and with horse men, and with many ships” (v. 40). Soviet Russia does not want war today. She is not yet ready. But she is getting ready. On last November 7 a Red army numbering 1,300,000 trained soldiers marched through the famous Square, 7,200 men each minute, flanked with massed tanks and cannon, an earnest of the final army from the north. And the defiant shout of the Commissar of Defense, “ If we are attacked we shall an swer with an offensive never seen in the history of the world,” was intended for the edification of the Fascist dictator at Rome. According to a high French authority, quoted by Karl H. Von Wiegand, “Russia is building the largest and most powerful war machine the world has ever known. It staggers the imagination.” The goal of Stalin’s present five-year program is to make Russia stronger in soldiers, planes, pilots, tanks, machine guns, artillery, and motorization, than Italy, Germany, Japan, or any combination of border states. The reported goal is fifteen million trained men and ten thousand warplanes in the first line, with the entire nation geared to the production of the needed supplies for such an army. Armed thus, the King of the North will wait for the southern power to strike first at the Fascist front. Supremacy of the Revived Roman Empire V. Against these thrusts from two di rections, the Roman power apparently will
be successful in his opposition to both the northern and southern powers. “ He shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land [Palestine], and many coun tries shall be overthrown” (Dan. 11:40, 41). Here after much study I must insist that, by every contextual consideration, the pronoun “he” refers not to the “ king o f the north,” but to the W illful K ing who is the main subject throughout the entire passage. The Kings o f the North and South only enter the record briefly in verse 40 as his opponents. Looking now at the present situation, does it seem incredible that the Fascist power would be able successfully to resist the military forces of both England and Russia? A few years ago such a sugges tion would have been dismissed as too foolish for serious consideration. But not today. In the first place, the Fascist em pire will have the tremendous advantage of being on the defense. Other things being equal, the invader is always at a great dis advantage in military operations. Again, the Roman power will have the advantage of location. The Mediterranean Sea is not large and has but three entrances, each one a mere neck of the sea. It can be domi nated absolutely by plane and submarine, types of weapons which require bases near to the place of attack, and by strategically placed land fortifications. Let the reader recall the disastrous attempts of the Allies to take the Dardanelles from the Turks. It is highly significant that Italy last month passed France in submarine power, thus becoming first in this respect among all the great powers. According to Gius- tizia e Liberta, an Italian paper published in Paris with an uncanny reputation for reporting the Fascist war plans with ac curacy, in January Italy had 4,000 modern planes and a force of 10,000 pilots, one-fifth composed of veterans. Furthermore, Italy will have the assistance of those lesser Mediterranean powers which are now turn ing toward the spell of Fascism. And the number is increasing. But it is possible that in the final phase of the conflict the deciding factor will be the entrance of the armed forces of the eastern power of the last days on the side of Rome. This leads to my last point.
move into the vortex which will center on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. In Revelation 16:12 this power is spoken of as “the kings of the east,” which many in terpreters are seeing in the rising empire of Japan with its puppet rulers in China. Japan hates Communist Russia and already has secret understandings with the Fascist rulers in Europe. The moment Russia at tacks Rome, the opportunity of Japan will arrive; and she probably will strike with out delay. Perhaps first she will attack on the eastern Siberian frontier, and then send aid to her Fascist allies on the Mediter ranean. This may prove, humanly speak ing, the factor that will turn the tide tem porarily in favor of Rome. The armies of the North will be crushed utterly (see Ezekiel 38 and 39), the forces of the South ern power will be turned back, and for a brief space of time Rome will rise su preme, until the Stone (Dan. 2:34, 35, 45) falls from heaven to the destruction of man’s empire and the establishment of God’s blessed kingdom on earth. * # * W e should never forget that the final stages of these powers and their conflicts will take place after the translation of the true church. “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Lk. 21:28),( “ Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pet. 3:14). Biola’s World-W ide Prayer Circle For spiritual and material blessings that the Lord has brought to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in recent weeks, members of Biola’s W orld-W ide Prayer Circle are offering grateful praise to God. For many months hundreds of friends of the school have been pledged to spend a specific hour each week in intercessory prayer for Biola. Among subjects for rejoicing are the spirit ual impetus received during the Torrey Memorial Bible Conference by students and friends from more than twenty-six states in attendance, and the loyal interest of these friends in maintaining the testimony of the school radiantly until the Lord comes. Persons desiring to join the Prayer Circle are invited to address the Secretary, Miss Christina J. Braskamp, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.
The Eastern Power
VI. At some place in the final series of conflicts this great Oriental Power will
This Biola Bible class, supervised by Christina J. Braskamp, of the Institute's Field Depart ment, meets each Thursday evening at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, Calif. When this-photograph was taken on December 23, 1937, President Paul W. Rood had been giving one of a series of lectures on the Book of Genesis.
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