Signs in the Political World by L. L. C.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 6, 1916

Signs in the Political World

By L. L. C.

Signs of Christ’s Coming — No. 5

Signs in the Political World

CHRIST said, “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” It is difficult to obtain any adequate conception of the dreadful loss of life through war. We quote some statistics taken from Haydn’s “Dictionary of Dates and Universal Reference,” concerning those killed in war from the time of the destruction of Jerusalem till the Franco-German War of 1870:—

“In the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, according to Josephus, 1,100,000 Jews perished. In the war with the Romans, sixty-five years later, on the occasion of the rebellion led by Barochab, 580,000 Jews fell by the sword, according to Dion Cassius. At Cyrene the Jews slew 220,000 Greeks and Romans; and in Egypt and Cyprus, during the reign of Trajan, 240,000. . . . The numbers slain by Attila the Hun are appalling; in the battle which resulted in his defeat at Châlons there perished 300,000. When the Saracens invaded Syria in 651, they slaughtered 60,000; when the Goths took Milan, they put to death 300,000. In 734 the Saracens slaughtered in Spain 370,000. In the battle of Fontenay 100,000 perished; in that of Yermock, 150,000; in that of Tours, between Martel and the Mohammedans, 350,000; in the battle of Muret, in 1213, 32,000; in that of Crécy, 50,000; in that of Agincourt, 20,000; in that of Towton, in 1461, 37,000; in that of Lepanto, in 1571, 25,000; at the siege of Vienna, in 1683, 70,000; at the siege of Acre, 300,000. Coming down to modern times, in the battle of Leipzig, 330,000 allies fought against 260,000 French; the former lost in killed and wounded 48,000 and the latter 45,000. In the battle of Moscow the Russians had 130,000 and the French 134,000; the former lost 58,000 and the latter 50,000. At Wagram the losses were 42,000; at Austerlitz, 31,000; at Waterloo, 56,000. In the comparatively recent Franco-German War of 1870, the French lost 350,000, the Germans 17,570 killed in battle, and 10,707 afterward died of their wounds. Yet all this represents but a small part of those who have perished in war.”—Edition 1895; art. “War.”

War has always been in the world, and according to the Scripture will continue to be as long as the world shall last. With the work of the “peace advocate” we have the sincerest sympathy; and we should be inclined to hope with him that through some means war might be banished from the earth, were this possible. But as expressed in the words of another,—

“God seems to be teaching mankind that neither the shuttle, nor the plow, nor the pen, nor the merchant ship, nor the commercial treaty can stave off war or inaugurate the reign of peace. The spring of war is too deep for any or all of these to touch. Facts demonstrate the experiment has failed in this respect, however well it has succeeded in accomplishing other and important results. It is time we turned to older though less popular prescriptions. The Spirit of peace poured into the hearts of mankind, or the Prince of Peace returned to reign, alone will lay the tempests that convulse the world by extirpating the passions in which they have their birth. The Saviour tells us that when the world is nearest its end, and commerce should have accomplished all its enthusiastic promoters have predicted, wars will rage with their intensest fury, and nation rise up against nation with unprecedented animosities.”—“The Destiny of Nations as Indicated in Prophecy,” by Rev. Dr. Cumming, p. 16. Hurst and Blackett, publishers, London.

The Scriptures point out that there will be a “peace and safety” cry (Micah 4:2-5), but the apostle Paul admonishes us:—

“Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety;’ then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” I Thess. 5:1-3.

Let us not be deceived by the “peace and safety” cry. Many reasons were given why the present war could not occur. Some thought the financiers of the world would refuse to furnish the necessary funds; others thought that the invention of death-dealing instruments had made fighting so deadly and war so awful that it could not break out, or if it did come the struggle could not long continue. But the present war has come, and has now lasted one year and two thirds of another, and still no end is in view. The expenditures have been enormous, and the loss of life has been appalling. According to the Washington Post of March 26, the total loss in men has been 13,033,000, and the estimated total expenditure $39,500,000,000.

Let us recognize the present world conditions as evidences of the near approach of Christ’s coming. Though this war end and peace be restored, it can be but for a short time. No permanent peace will be established until the setting up of the eternal kingdom of the Prince of Peace. L. L. C.