IT is written in the Scriptures of truth that the things which happened in old time were for examples and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Then of all times in the world’s history, now is the time in which the things written in the Scriptures are of importance to the world, and must be told to the world.
Of all the parts of the Scriptures, those parts which relate to the nations and kingdoms of the world are of the most particular interest in this time of our day. There is much scripture that touches individual experience: this is of equal value at all times and to all people. There is also much scripture that concerns national destiny: this in the case of each particular nation, in its own particular time in the past, was all-important for that time as the message of God; and being a national example is of particular interest in instruction and warning to every nation that follows. And when the world has come to the time of the end, then all these national examples cited in the Word of God stand with their lessons of instruction and admonition as a manifold message to the nations of to-day whose guilt and ruin must be the greater as they despise and reject the manifold message of the Word of God.
The history and fall of Israel, of Assyria, of Babylon, of Medo-Persia, of Grecia, and of Rome, has all been recorded in the Bible, for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come, and for the admonition of the nations of the earth in this time of the end. And the lessons of instruction and admonition, which are in these historical records in the Bible must be, and they will be, given definitely and distinctly to the people and the nations that are upon the earth in this time of the end.
God has put into his Word messages that concern nations, as well as messages that are to individuals. It was so in Israel, it was so in the empire of Assyria, it was so in the empire of Babylon, it was so in the empire of Persia, of Grecia, and of Rome. Some of the kings of Judah; one of the kings of Assyria; Nebuchadnezzar of [611] Babylon; Darius the Mede; and Cyrus and Darius, and Xerxes and Artaxerxes the Persians, listened to the messages of God. The kings of Israel, and the last ones of Judah, Belshazzar the last one of Babylon, the last ones of Persia, none of the Greek empire and none of the Roman paid any attention to the messages of God to them, nor to those concerning their time.
It came about, in the order of God, that the rulers of all these nations that the truth of God in such a way as to be responsible for its rejection and for the consequences which followed to themselves and to their respective nations and empires. Belshazzar, Alexander, and Nero, are but examples in bold relief on the one side, as are Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Cyrus on the other, of what the Lord has ever done and is ever doing to rulers; and especially in times of crisis. But the great difficulty has ever been, and still is, that in the vast majority of instances these messages of God are passed by as nothing more than mere incidents, and many times is hardly even that. Nevertheless those rulers in so doing rejected the message of God to them, and for their day and nation; and were responsible for the consequences that might have been avoided, and which at the very least were hastened by there unheeding course.
And the United States to-day is not an exception. Evils are flooding this nation to-day, concerning which the national responsible authorities were plainly and repeatedly warned. Those authorities were told of these things at the opportune time, when by heading the message they could have cleared themselves of all responsibility for any coming evil, could have honored God, themselves, and their position, and at the very least could have stayed the tide of evil. And this must, and will, still go on.
It is true that there will be those who will say, as there have been those who have said, that that is “meddling with politics.” But it is nothing of the kind. Was Daniel meddling with politics when he gave to Nebuchadnezzar, to Belshazzar, to Darius and to Cyrus the message of God as it was in the Word of God? Was the high priest at Jerusalem meddling in politics when he gave to Alexander the Great the message of God written for that very time? Were the Christians in the Roman empire meddling in politics when they gave the message of God as in his Word, concerning the coming ruin of that empire and the planting of the ten kingdoms? Were they guilty of treason in telling to all people that the empire would certainly go to utter ruin, that the Barbarians would certainly triumph, and that every soul must seek God with all the heart to escape that certain ruin? They were so charged of course; but was it fair so to charge? Were they guilty?
No more were these men in our day meddling in politics when they presented time and again to State legislatures and governors, and to the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress, and to the President, the message of God in counsel and warning against the evils that would certainly come, upon the rejecting of the law of God and the principles of justice and human liberty.
And still this work must go on, and still it will not be in any sense meddling in politics. To hold forth, by tongue and pen, to people and rulers, the message of God as he has given it in his Word and portrayed it in the course and in the of the great empires of history, can not possibly be meddling in politics; it can not possibly be treason, nor can it truly be said that it is interfering in affairs of government with which religion has nothing to do. Not to do so, is nothing less than to see the sword, and the people be not warned. But God has set watchmen to see the sword coming, and to warn the people. And he says that if the watchmen see the sword come, and, because of a cry of “meddling in politics” or for any other “reason,” he blow not the trumpet and the people be not warned, whosoever is taken away by the sword, “his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” And if the watchmen be such, or stood in such an attitude, as not to see any sword coming, the result is the same to him and to the other wicked.
No, history has not occurred in vain. Neither have its vital lessons been set down in the Word of God in vain. And if in this all-important time those who know these things should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out. And if those who in this time professed to know these things, or have opportunity to know them, be yet unknowing, then shall the message and deliverance arise from another place, and these will be overwhelmed in the destruction that overtakes all them that be asleep in this startling time.
Blow the trumpet and warn the people. Tell them Thus saith the Lord God: whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. And in so doing thou hast delivered thy soul.
A. T. J.