p. 476Reference has been made, in notes appended to the Preface, to Dr. Thomas’ wonderful political prevision on the basis of the prophetic word. A few words may be added here on the progress of the world during the past fifty years in the direction definitely anticipated by the expositions of Elpis Israel.
As has been abundantly shown therein, the prophets delineate the uprise in “the latter-days” of two great Rival Empires of the North and South; the leading powers in each being Russia and Britain respectively. Glancing back upon the developments of these rival powers during the last half-century, we cannot but be impressed with the truth declared in the Scriptures that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men” to the working out of His purpose in the earth.
“The King of the North,” or Russo-Assyrian Power of the latter-days, has steadily continued its slow and resistless march during the past fifty years, fully illustrating the career of “the proud man” of Habakkuk’s prophecy (ch. ii. 5), who “keepeth not at home, but enlargeth his desire as sheol, and is as death and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.” Sir Edward Dicey, in the leading article in the Nineteenth Century for December, 1903, entitled “The Rival Empires,” paints a sombre picture of Russian aggression, without in any way designing to illustrate the prophets. Indeed he declares that, as concerning “the supervision of Providence” in the matter, he feels himself “utterly incompetent to express an opinion one way or the other.” But he illustrates it all the same. He points out that the Crimean War (anticipated by Elpis Israel—pp. 115, 383, &c.), did nothing to cripple Russia, and that the Congress of Berlin, “the last united effort made by Europe to set limits to the advance of Russia,” has been entirely abortive, for, during the past quarter of a century, “every one of these limitations have been set aside.” Further, that Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Holland are so fettered by various political necessities as to entirely dispose of “the idea of any Continental p. 477 coalition, either directly or indirectly of an anti-Russian character.”
Speaking of the beginning of Russian headship in Europe, Sir Edward says: “It was at Olmutz, in 1850, that the Czar Nicholas imposed his will on Austria and Prussia in respect of the Hesse-Cassel constitutional controversy, and thereby vindicated his claim to be considered as the Supreme Arbiter of Europe.” From 1850 to 1899 is a good stride, but at the end of it we see Czar Nicholas II. figuring as Supreme Arbiter in the celebrated Peace Congress at the Hague, the true inwardness of which Sir Edward very clearly discerns.
Russian supremacy in the Balkan States is too notorious now to need more than a passing mention, and it is admitted on all hands that she has Constantinople in the hollow of her hand. Similarly in the Far East Russia is pursuing a policy of aggression that is at the present time threatening the peace of the world. In this connection it is to be remarked that the Asiatic development of Russia, and her great railway enterprise in Siberia, is an entirely modern development. When Elpis Israel was written, Russian domination of Europe was clearly foreseen and expounded in the most interesting section dealing with “Gogue and Magogue” (p. 421). But the full extent of her Asiatic dominion was not perceived. Looking back now we perceive that “Magogue,” or the Scythæ of the Greeks, indicates an Asiatic as well as a European dominion. Ptolomy, in his map about A.D. 150, delineates “Scythia intra Imaum” and “Scythia extra Imaum”; that is, Scythia this side the Imaus mountains (of Central Asia), and Scythia beyond the Imaus. The first would denote roughly Russia in Europe and Western Asia, while the second points indefinitely North East in the direction of Mongolia, Manchuria and Siberia. These Asiatic Scythæ must not be left out of the argument (see Elpis Israel, p. 428). As a matter of fact “Gog of the Land of Magog” is now seen to represent a great dominion stretching right across Europe and Asia from the North Sea to the Pacific Ocean. And it is not a little significant that Col. Conder, in his lecture on “The Future of Palestine” (1892), should, in connection with some remarks on Har-Megiddon, quietly argue as to the best line of “defence of southern Palestine from a Scythian invasion” in the future!
Similarly, the “King of the South” or British-Egyptian Power of the latter days has been the subject of a vast development p. 478 during the past half-century. The British occupation of Egypt was explicitly foreseen by Elpis Israel (page 445). But the full extent of Britain’s Empire, and the final grouping of “All the young lions thereof,” was of course hidden from view. The past fifty years, however, have greatly elucidated matters. The Revolt of Arabi Pasha was followed by the withdrawal of the French, and the occupation of Egypt by the British in 1882. The fall of Khartoum and the death of Gen. Gordon, that so raised public opinion in 1885, has been followed by the re-conquest of the Soudan and the re-taking of the city by Lord Kitchener in 1898. Thus Britain is more firmly established upon “the rivers of Cush,” the Atbara, Blue and White Niles, etc. When Dr. Thomas wrote Elpis Israel, his attention was mainly confined to the eastern Cush, and the great Indian Dominion beyond the Euphrates and Tigris (page 443). Now, however, by the events above alluded to, and by the more recent Boer War, still further to the South, Britain has become more conspicuously than ever before “the land shadowing with wings which is beyond the rivers of Cush” (Isa. xviii. 1). It has also been pointed out by an esteemed fellow-labourer, that as no creature flies with an odd number of wings, we might regard these great military operations, in conjunction with Australian federation as well, as the perfecting of the four wings of the Empire, namely its American, Asian, African and Australian Dominions.
Similarly, when Dr. Thomas wrote Elpis Israel, the Indian Empire looming so large before him, and the Australian, Canadian, and African dominions, being all still hid in the future, his attention was confined to the Semitic “Sheba and Dedan,” who, in the tenth generation of Shem’s sons, gave their names to Arabian countries. But, looking back now, we notice that in the third generation of Ham’s sons, “Sheba and Dedan” figure, connecting their names with the African Cush, or Ethiopia, where now Britain is so securely settled. Indeed Sir John Tenniel has gone so far, as to combine the elements of John Bull, the British Lion, and the Sphinx, in a cartoon in Punch, November, 1898, entitled “A fixture,” representing the dominion of John Bull in the land of the pyramids. By and bye this will need revising, for it is written in Dan. xi. 42, that “The land of Egypt shall not escape” the King of the North. But, for the present at any rate, for “Sheba and Dedan” of Ezek. xxxviii. 13 we may read British power on both sides of the Red Sea.
So also with regard to “the lions of Tarshish”; when Dr. Thomas wrote 50 years ago, the most that was visible was the p. 479 Indian contingent thereof. Now, however, it is different, and the prophetic phrase, “All the young lions thereof” (of Tarshish), is seen to have application to the four wings of the great dominion already defined. The Egyptian campaign of 1882, the Boer War of 1899-1900, and Australian federation have all helped to reveal “the young lions.” Sir John Tenniel’s cartoons in Punch, March, 1891 (on the occasion of Sir Henry Parkes’ suggestion of Australian federation), and June, 1897 (on the occasion of the great Naval Review at Spithead, in the year of the Diamond Jubilee), both graphically represent “the young lions” of the prophetic imagery of Ezekiel nearly six hundred years before Christ.
Turkish decline, which is the subject of the Lord’s prophecy of “the sixth vial” (Rev. xvi. 12-16), has progressed steadily during the past half-century. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877 resulted in a further great loss of territory to Turkey, including Roumania, Servia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Batoum, etc. Cyprus was ceded to Britain in 1878, the Egyptian insurrection of 1882 led to the British occupation of Egypt. In 1883 came the annexation of Tunis by the French. The Armenian atrocities of 1895 and 1896 were followed in 1897 by the Greco-Turkish War, in which, though “the Sick Man” recovered sufficiently to triumph over his tiny rival, he was not permitted by his stronger neighbours to enjoy the fruits of victory. They even installed Prince George of Greece as Governor-General of Crete, whence also the shadow of Turkish domination has departed. In fact, as Sir Edward Dicey points out in the article aforesaid, though “the refusal of Lord Beaconsfield to sanction the Treaty of San Stefano has prolonged the nominal independence of Turkey, yet, owing to the indifference of Europe and to the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire under a ruler of supreme incapacity, Russia has made herself the virtual ruler of Turkey in Europe.” On page 395 Dr. Thomas reckons the setting up of the abomination of desolation as dating from the Justinian epoch, 1,290 years from which ends in 1821, but it seems probable that it is more correctly to be dated from the Phocan epoch of 606-10, 1,290 years from which, brings us to 1896-1900, when, as we see, the disintegration of the Turkish Empire is much more advanced, and its European power reduced almost to a vanishing point.
Concurrently with the decline of the Turk, comes the hopeful and beautiful sign of the uprise of a JEWISH STATE. When Elpis Israel was written there was no sign whatever of that “pre-adventual p. 480 colonization of the Holy Land” by the Jews, which its author so clearly discerned from the prophecy of Ezekiel. During the last half-century, however, anti-Semitic excesses in almost all the States of Europe have forced the situation. In a small way Jewish colonization has been attempted almost from 1860. The survey of Palestine in the seventies by the Palestine Exploration Society was another sign of the times, but it was not until 1895 that the Jewish Question became a first-class one in the world. In that year Dr. Herzl published his pamphlet, “A Jewish State, an attempt at the modern solution of the Jewish Question.” Out of this arose the movement that is now so well known over all the earth as ZIONISM. The aim is to secure in Palestine “a publicly and legally assured home” in which the Israelites of the second exodus may find rest from their oppressors and found a new Jewish State. As a result of this, the first Zionist Congress was held at Basle, Switzerland, in 1897, and six of these Jewish parliaments have now been held; the fourth being in London in August, 1900, and indicating the friendship prophetically decreed, between “the land shadowing with wings” and the “scattered and peeled” nation of Israel (Isa. xviii.). This phase of matters has been even more clearly revealed, in the sixth Congress held at Basle in 1903. The British Government offered the Jews a grant of land in British East Africa, with power to form a small Jewish State under British suzerainty. This will, of course, be but a stepping stone towards the re-settlement of the Jews in Palestine, as defined by the prophets.
Time would fail to trace the developments of the past half-century in the various other notable channels of European history in their bearing upon the signs of the times. The foregoing remarks may be regarded as hints to intelligent seekers after the Kingdom of God, and proofs that in this book the way of God is rightly indicated.
(The foregoing was written in 1903).