Apollyon

Revelation 9:

 1.And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

  2. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

    3. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

    4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

    5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but

    that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was

    as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

    6. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find

    it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

    7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared

    unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like

    gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

    8. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were

    as the teeth of lions.

    9. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron;

    and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of

    many horses running to battle.

    10. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were

    stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

    11. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Commentary by F G Smith:

The symbols of this trumpet are of a very peculiar character and

peculiarly combined. They are not drawn entirely from the natural world,

showing that we are not to look for their fulfilment in political events

alone; neither are they drawn from human life in any such way as to

indicate events in the religious history of the church. The leading

characters in it, however, are living, active agents of such a

destructive nature as to entitle them to the designation of a woe.

The first object presented in the vision is a "star" fallen to the

earth. Our translation conveys the idea that this star was in the act of

falling; but in the original it is different, being there represented as

having fallen, its dejection from heaven to earth being complete. The

only place that it appeared in view was on the earth, and there it is

described as fallen. A star is a symbol either of a civil ruler or of a

religious teacher, the symbols in connection deciding whether it is set

in the political or the ecclesiastical firmament. But this was not such

a star as He who walketh in the midst of the golden candle-sticks

holdeth in his right hand, but it was a _fallen_ star, indicating that

it was the propagator of a false faith.

To this star was given a key. In the Gospels the same figure is

employed, where the ministers of Christ are represented as possessing

the keys of the kingdom of heaven, showing that they acted in his name

and by his authority. How appropriate, then, is this symbol as applied

to a false teacher, who possesses, not the keys of the kingdom of

heaven, but, instead, "the key of the bottomless pit"! Thus, under the

symbol of the star and the key, we have the teacher and his authority

set forth. Armed with this authority, this false teacher "opened the

bottomless pit; and there rose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a

great furnace; and the sun and air were darkened by reason of the smoke

of the pit." In the Scriptures Jesus is represented as the Sun of

righteousness, while "the light of the _glorious gospel_ of Christ"

illuminates the world. But here we have something of the opposite

character--a dense smoke eclipsing the sun and darkening the heavens.

Have we not here a fit representation of a delusive faith proceeding

from its true source, "the bottomless pit"? And is not a fallen star an

appropriate symbol of its propagator?

In representing a system of religion by these objects from nature we

depart from the general rule first laid down--that objects of nature

symbolize political affairs, while the department of human and angelic

life is chosen to represent religious affairs. But the reader should

bear in mind one important exception to this rule--that things

prominently connected with the history of the people of God in former

ages are frequently employed (regardless of the department to which they

belong) to represent spiritual things, their interpretation being easily

seen; such as candle-sticks, altar, temple, incense, etc. When the

plague of "thick darkness" covered the land of Egypt for three days,

"the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." In the exodus the

Lord went before them "by night in a pillar of fire, to give them

light." After the erection of the tabernacle the holy place was

constantly illuminated. This natural light in the Jewish age constitutes

a beautiful type of the spiritual "light of the glorious gospel of

Christ" that has "shined in our hearts" in the Christian dispensation.

This spiritual light comes from Christ, the "Sun of righteousness," the

"true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world"; and

proceeds, also, from his people, who "shine as lights in the world." But

it is the "light of the _gospel_." This light proceeds in a special

sense from God's ministers, who are represented as "stars" (chap. 1:20)

and who possess "the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Mat. 16:19; 18:18.

How appropriate, then, that a _fallen_ "star," possessing "the key of

the bottomless pit," should be a symbol of a religious impostor, and

that the smoke which darkened the heavens, eclipsing the sun, the source

of light, should represent a prominent delusive faith! I have already

mentioned the fact that the symbols of this vision lead to a series of

events entirely separate in their nature from the spiritual history of

the church as developed under other symbols. We find its fulfilment in

Mohammed and the delusive system he promulgated. In the year 606 Mahomet

retired to a cave in Hera, near Mecca, and there received his pretended

revelations, although it was not until six years later that he began to

teach his doctrines publicly and to gain followers outside of the circle

of his own family and personal friends. Gibbon, Vol. V., p. 121.

The next object in the vision is the locusts that came out of the smoke,

to which was given power like scorpions, or power to inflict a deadly

sting like scorpions. To what living agents, then, did the delusion of

Mohammedanism give birth--agents of a destructive nature like scorpion

locust? Evidently, the Saracens,[6] those warrior followers of Mohammed

who flocked to his standard. These locusts received the express command

that "they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green

thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of

God in their foreheads." The successor of Mohammed, Abubeker, gave the

Saracens a command that they should "destroy no palm-trees, nor burn any

fields of grain; cut down no fruit-trees, nor do any mischief to cattle,

only such as you kill to eat." This command was singular, yet it

doubtless is not the fulfilment of the command to the locusts; for that

would be adopting a literal meaning instead of a symbolic one, and to

complete the picture we should have had literal Saracens instead of

locusts. We can not consistently make a part literal and the remainder

symbolical. In the explanation of the first trumpet (chap. 8:6, 7), we

showed that grass and trees symbolized the inhabitants of a kingdom,

grass representing the feebler and trees the stronger portions of

society. The fact, then, that these locusts were not to destroy the

green grass and trees show that they were not sent as a scourge upon the

political empire only, as was the storm of hail and fire under the first

trumpet. Had their mission been like that of natural locusts, to destroy

every green thing, we should then conclude that they were sent as a

scourge upon the empire alone, having nothing whatever to do with a

system of religion. These locusts, however, were commanded not to do

what natural locusts always do--eat green grass and trees--and were

commissioned to do what locusts never do--"hurt men," but only those who

have not the seal of God in their foreheads; that is, the worshipers of

a false, idolatrous church, who are not known unto God as his true

people. This is positive proof that the design of this vision is to set

forth some awful religious imposture; for the "men" that they were to

hurt are found in the department which by analogy represents religious

events.

[Footnote 6: "In earlier times the name of Saraceni was applied by

Greeks and Romans to the troublesome Nomad Arabs of the Syro-Arabian

desert."--_Encyclopædia Britannica_. In the Middle Ages, however,

Europeans began to call all their Moslem enemies Saracens. It is in the

limited sense that it is here applied, designating the first followers

of Mohammed before the rise of the Ottoman empire.]

The fact that their commission was to torment those "men which have not

the seal of God in their foreheads," is a proof also of the wide-spread

apostasies that had already taken place. This was the time when the pale

horseman was careering over the world carrying desolation everywhere by

his instruments of oppression--sword, pestilences, famine, and the wild

beasts of the earth. "The churches both in the Western and Eastern

empire were in the most deplorable condition, being corrupted with the

grossest ignorance and idolatry; the virgin Mary, the saints, and

miserable relics of every description being worshiped in the place of

Jehovah, and superstition reigning with sovereign power over all minds."

The Saracen warriors of Mohammed were sent as a scourge upon apostate

Christendom, overrunning the very territory where the gospel was first

preached, and were commissioned to "torment" the false professors of

Christianity.

In regard to the kind and the extent of the injury they were to inflict,

it is said that "to them it was given that they should not kill them,

but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as

the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days

shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die,

and death shall flee from them." The Saracens, as here described under

the symbol of the locusts, sustained a two-fold relation, and the

careful and perfect manner in which the symbols are selected to set it

forth is worthy of particular notice. In the first place, the Saracens

were a political body. As such, locusts would fitly represent them. But

they were also a religious body, and how could that fact be symbolically

combined with the other? It is done by the locusts' being forbidden to

act out their own nature in eating grass and trees, and their being

commanded instead to "hurt men," thus changing the field of their

operations into the department of human life--the department that is

chosen to symbolically set forth religious events. Thus the

politico-religious system of the Saracens is accurately set forth. This,

also, is nearly as clear as a demonstration that the position already

taken concerning the nature and the use of symbolic language is correct.

It was given that they should "not kill" men. We have already shown that

killing men when used symbolically signifies the destruction of the

political or ecclesiastical organizations and institutions of society.

We could not consistently interpret it as literal slaughter, but as some

analagous destruction. Now, the Saracen power was, as already stated, a

politico-religious system, and its warriors were an infatuated set of

religious fanatics, described by historians as "carrying the sword in

one hand, and the Koran in the other." Thus, they had it in their power

to kill either religiously or politically--destroy either the church or

the empire--but they did neither, for their mission was not to kill, but

to "torment." "They made extensive conquests and gained immense numbers

of converts. But they did not overthrow the Eastern empire, although

they repeatedly attacked and besieged Constantinople, suffering,

however, uniform defeat in the attempt. Neither did they destroy the

church, corrupt and apostate as it was. To idolators and infidels they

put the alternative of the Koran or death; but allowed the Christians to

retain their church organization, laying them, however, under severe

contributions, and treating them to the ignominious appellation of

Christian dogs." Concerning the character of Mohammed, Gibbon informs us

that "he seldom trampled on a prostrate enemy, and he seems to promise,

that on the payment of a tribute, the least guilty of his unbelieving

subjects might be indulged in their worship, or at least in their

imperfect faith" (Vol. V, p. 129), and this, of course, would be the

natural tendency of his followers. The Armenian and the Greek churches

survived, and still exist in that portion of the world, but they have

indeed been greviously tormented. "The proud Moslem, glorying in his

prophet and religion, has heaped every possible insult and injury upon

the Christians," yet he suffered them to live, but live only for him to

torment. Surely the oppressions thus experienced are appropriately

described by the words, "as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh

a man." Under such torments the professed Christians might court death,

but such is not granted; and still they survive, but only to be

"tormented." The Moslem had "the Christian dog" completely under his

foot.

We now turn our attention to the period of time during which these

Saracen locusts were to continue their ravages. It is given as "five

months," or one hundred and fifty days. As this description is entirely

symbolic, we must consider the time symbolic also, for time certainly

can be symbolized as well as anything else. It is very appropriate for

days to symbolize years, for they are analagous periods of time; the

diurnal revolution of the earth being taken to represent the earth's

annual movement. Such a system of reckoning time was known centuries

ago. When Jacob complained to Laban because he had been given Leah

instead of Rachel, "Laban said, It must not be so done in our country,

to give the younger before the first-born. Fulfil her _week_, and we

will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve me yet

_seven other years_. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week ... seven

other years." Gen. 29:26-30. In this case it will be seen that a day was

used to represent a year, since seven days, or one week, represented

seven years. When the law was given, Moses recognized the week of seven

natural days, the last day of which was constituted a Sabbath of rest

for Israel; but he also instituted a week of seven years, the last year

of which was a sabbatical year of rest unto the land. This last fact

will explain such expressions as "forty days, _each day for a year_"

(Num. 14:34), and "I have appointed thee each day for a year." Ezek.

4:6.

This period, then, of "five months," or one hundred and fifty days,

would represent symbolically one hundred and fifty years. As before

stated, it was in the year A.D. 612 that Mohammed began to expound his

doctrines publicly and to gather adherents around his standard, from

which point the locusts commenced, although the smoke had been let out

of the pit a little previously. For a period of one hundred and fifty

years from this date, they continued their ravages, until A.D. 762. Then

they "built Bagdad, which became their settled seat of empire; and

henceforth they became a settled nation, making no further conquests."

From that date their power began to decline. But during this one hundred

and fifty years they spread over the country like swarms of devouring

locusts. According to the well-known facts of history, "they overran

Arabia, Palestine, Persia, Egypt, and the northern shores of Africa,

from which they passed to the conquest of Portugal and Spain." These

were the countries that had been the most oppressed by a priest-ridden

church and where especially were to be found those "men which have not

the seal of God in their foreheads." Europe was trembling and filled

with apprehension at what her fate might be at the hands of these

fanatic warriors who fought with savage fury, under the promise of their

prophet that, if slain in battle, they should be immediately transported to Paradise. At the zenith of their power, and confident of success, they passed from Spain into France four hundred thousand strong. But here they exceeded their mission. The southern provinces of France contained many Christians who had the "seal of God" upon them, and this country became the seat of the Waldenses and Albigenses, of which interesting people we shall learn more hereafter. The invading host was met at Tours by Charles, grandfather of Charlemagne, who dealt them such a crushing blow that he was ever afterward designated by the surname Martel--the Hammer. This battle was one of the fiercest recorded in history. The Saracens who had scarcely ever experienced defeat fought with the fury of despair, until, according to the accounts of that age, three hundred and seventy-five thousand of their number lay upon the

field of battle with their general. This decisive victory saved Europe

from her threatened subjection to the Mohammedan faith.

The next point in the vision to claim our attention is the particular

description of these locusts. Some of the points mentioned might find a

literal fulfilment in the personal appearance of the Saracens--such as

the crowns signifying the turbans they wore, etc., but we must adhere

strictly to the symbolic mode of interpretation and look for their

fulfilment in Saracen character. Their being like war-horses denotes

their warlike disposition. The crowns on their heads signify their great

success and triumphs. Their faces of men and hair like women doubtless

signify their boldness on the one hand and their effeminateness on the

other. Their teeth as the teeth of lions show their ferocity of

character. Their breastplates of iron indicate their invincibility or

else their insensibility to injuries inflicted upon them. The sound of

their wings like horses and chariots running to battle denotes the

multitude and rapidity of their conquests. Their tails like scorpions,

containing stings with which to "hurt men"--operating in the religious

world--symbolize their position as propagators of a false faith. Thus

they are set forth in their two-fold character--as invincible warriors

and as the zealous professors of a delusion, whose sting was like that

of a scorpion when he strikes a man.

"And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless

pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue

hath his name Apollyon." The following fact of history will explain

this: "The Saracens had their Caliphs, the successors of Mohammed, who

united in themselves the supreme civil, military and ecclesiastical

powers. They were the high-priests of their religion, the commanders of

their armies, and the emperors of the nation." This king over them

signifies a succession of rulers, and they are well described as "the

angel of the bottomless pit," for that is the very place where the

delusion is said to have originated. Mahomet, as a fallen star, opened

the pit and let out the smoke, and his successors, who grasped his power

and authority, are fitly characterized as angels from the same place,

bearing the name Abaddon or Apollyon, which terms both signify

Destroyer.

Is not this a wonderful combination of symbols which can be carried out

with surprising accuracy? What human ingenuity could have ever contrived

such a marvelous series of events, and described them under such

appropriate symbols? Finally, let me ask, Where in the whole compass of

universal history can be found another series of events so perfectly

meeting every requirement of the symbols? In this we must acknowledge

the hand of God.

    12. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more

    hereafter.

This announcement, that one woe is past, meaning that the period of one

hundred and fifty years during which the Saracens were to continue their

conquests has ended, serves an important purpose in enabling us to fix

the chronology of the events described. It proves that they succeed each

other.

    13. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the

    four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

    14. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the

    four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

    15. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an

    hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third

    part of men.

    16. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred

    thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

    17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat

    on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and

    brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of

    lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and

    brimstone.

    18. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the

    fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out

    of their mouths.

    19. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for

    their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with

    them they do hurt.

    20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these

    plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they

    should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and

    brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear,

    nor walk:

    21. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their

    sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

At the sounding of the sixth trumpet, or the second woe trumpet, a voice

is heard from the four horns (all the horns) of the golden altar. This

probably denotes that the very same altar where incense was offered up

to God with the prayers of all saints was now crying out to him for

vengeance upon an apostate church. That church had reached the summit of

apostasy and iniquity, the virgin Mary, the saints, and thousands of

idols in the form of miserable relics being worshiped more than God.

Because of these abominable idolatries, a voice is heard crying from the

golden altar for the avenging judgments of Heaven, which were the

loosing of the four angels bound in the river Euphrates. The symbols of

this vision are also of peculiar character and drawn from different

departments. We have four angels bound in the Euphrates, an immense army

of horsemen, then a large number of horses with heads as of lions, and

fire, smoke, and brimstone issuing from their mouths. The horses thus

particularly described are evidently intended to have a definite

symbolical signification, and being objects of nature, they would

indicate a political or military power. The horsemen, being objects from

human life, would point us to some religious body; while the angels

signify the leaders that have control of these agencies. Their being

commissioned "to slay the third part of men" show that they will

overthrow some of the established institutions of society. We are to

look, therefore, for some politico-religious power that should invade

and overthrow the empire. We are, of course, directed to the Eastern

empire; for the Western division was subverted under the symbols of the

first four trumpets. With these specifications before us, we shall have

no difficulty in identifying the power intended--_the Turkish, or

Ottoman, empire_. Its agreement with the symbolic representations of the

vision will be manifest from a statement of the facts of history.

"The Turks were of Tartar or Scythian origin, from the northern regions

of Asia, whence also the Huns hived upon Europe during the fourth and

fifth centuries. The latter passed to the north of the Black sea from

Russia, and swept the regions of the Danube and the Rhine. The Turks,

passing to the east of the same, fell upon the empire from that quarter.

They took possession of Armenia Major in the ninth century, where they

increased, and in the space of two hundred years became a formidable

power, being at the end of this period combined into four Sultanies, the

heads of which were at Bagdad, Damascus, Aleppo, and Iconium. The first

of these was erected A.D. 1055; the two next A.D. 1079, and the last

A.D. 1080--all of them within twenty-five years, and the three last

within two."

These four Sultanies are doubtless signified by "the four angels" that

were bound in the river Euphrates. The Euphrates here is employed as a

symbol, not of the Turks themselves--for the horsemen are their symbol,

as we shall see--but of the binding of the angels. The use of this word

as a symbol is derived from a fact of history, being the object,

according to Herodotus, that kept Cyrus back from entering the city of

Babylon. While the Persian monarch surrounded the walls of that ancient

metropolis of the Babylonian empire, with his army, he was held in

restraint by the river Euphrates; and it was not until he had diverted

its waters into an artificial channel that he gained an entrance. So,

also, these Sultanies, or leaders of the Turks, were held under

restraint as if bound by the river Euphrates, until the time appointed

for them to go forth on their mission of conquest. Different causes held

them back. For a long time they were involved in fierce and almost

continuous wars with the neighboring Tartar tribes on the east and the

north, and at the same time the Crusaders of Europe were carrying on a

determined war with the Saracens for the possession of the Holy Land.

For two centuries the armies of Christendom poured into Syria and

Palestine to recover from the hands of the "infidels," as they were

called, the holy sepulchre and the country that gave birth to

Christianity; but when Europe finally abandoned the project, then went

forth the command to loose the four angels, "which were prepared for an

hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of

man." To kill men symbolically, I have already shown, signifies the

destruction either of an empire as a political body or of the church

(that is, the so-called church) as a religious body. The locusts under

the fifth trumpet were to do neither; but the symbolic characters of

this vision are "to slay the third part of men," by which is set forth

the fall and subjugation of the Eastern empire and church; just as,

under the fifth trumpet, the fall of the Western empire was described by

the darkening of a third part of the sun, moon, and stars.

Before considering the time-prophecy in this vision, we will pass on to

notice a few particulars respecting the horses and their riders. The

horsemen possessed breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone; while

out of the mouths of the horses proceeded fire, smoke, and brimstone.

There is evidently a special design in distinguishing between the horses

and their riders. These symbols, being drawn from different sources--the

former from the natural world and the latter from human life--point out

the two characteristics of the Turks as a politico-religious power. The

symbolic description of the two is almost identical. The horsemen had

breastplates of fire, jacinth (purplish or reddish blue), and brimstone.

This describes the character of the Turks as a religious system. Out of

the horses' mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and brimstone, which

represents the Moslems as a political power. The only difference is that

the smoke is substituted for the jacinth, but they very nearly agree in

color. We are thus brought to the conclusion that the political and the

religious power of the Turks is in harmony and agreement with each

other--united in the closest manner possible, like a horse and its

rider, and both animated by the same spirit. That spirit is perhaps

their fierce, fanatical, aggressive, intolerant character.

The tails of the horses were like serpents with heads, their power being

in their mouth and in their tails--the one a lion, the other a serpent.

It was by the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone that came from their

lion-heads that the third part of men was killed, or their conquests

were made; then with their serpent-like tails would they torment or

"hurt" all those who would not adopt the Moslem faith, being in this

respect like the scorpion locusts. Their lion-heads would denote their

invincible strength and courage; and their serpent-tails, the tormenting

sting inflicted upon those whom they subdued but who would not accept

their religion. It is not said that the riders were the direct agents of

destruction--not the Moslem faith as a religion--but it was the horses

that accomplished the deadly work--the Ottomans as a political body.

This was the power that extended conquests and established their empire,

although it was accompanied by the religious system, working in perfect

harmony.

It is said that the "rest of the men which were not killed by these

plagues" repented not. This expression doubtless signifies the Western,

or Latin, church. They saw these judgments of the Euphratean horsemen on

the Eastern empire, and the triumph of the Moslem sword and faith (the

woe fell as a judgment upon the Eastern church); still, they continued

as before in their abominable idolatries, by which is probably meant

their worship of the virgin Mary, saints, relics, and images. There was

no reformation. Error, superstition, and ecclesiastical usurpation

prevailed as before.

The Turks obtained their first victory over the Christians of the

Eastern, or Greek, empire in A.D. 1281. Within ten years the Latins who

inhabited Palestine were entirely overthrown (see Gibbon, Vol. VI, p.

47), and the way was now clear for Turkish aggression against the Greek

empire. Before the end of the century the four Sultanies mentioned were

combined into one consolidated empire under Osman (corrupted by

Europeans into Ottoman) and from him took the name which it still

retains--the Ottoman empire. From the time they were let loose, the

Turks continued their aggressions until A.D. 1453, when Constantinople

fell before their victorious arms, and the Eastern empire, with the last

of the Constantines, sunk to rise no more. "The Turkish sword and the

religion of the Koran were enthroned in the Christian metropolis of the

Roman emperors; and the proud Moslem had the Christian dog completely

under his foot." The Ottoman power, however, continued to grow and make

new conquests until the year A.D. 1672, when they conducted a successful

campaign against Poland, in which forty-eight towns and villages were

ceded to the Sultan, with promise of an annual tribute of two hundred

and twenty thousand ducats. See Encyclopædia Britannica, Art. Turkey.

This was the last victory they ever gained wherein the Ottoman empire

obtained any advantage. A little later they marched against Vienna, but

sustained a miserable defeat. "Venice and Russia now declared war

against Turkey; misfortune followed misfortune; city after city was rent

away from the empire; the Austrians were in possession of almost the

whole of Hungary, the Italians of almost all the Morea." Encyclopædia

Britannica, Art. Turkey. So the power of the Ottomans to extend their

conquests and to add to their empire, ended with the victory over the

Poles in A.D. 1672. This fact is even admitted by Demetrius Cantemir,

prince of Moldavia, one of their historians, in the following language:

"This was the _last_ victory by which any advantage accrued to the

Othman state, or any city or province was annexed to the ancient bounds

of the empire." In accordance with this statement, the same historian

entitles the first part of his history up to the victory over the Poles

in 1672 the History of _the Growth of the Othman Empire_, and the

remaining portion, _The Decay of the Othman Empire_.

Calculating now the time during which these horsemen were prepared to

extend their conquests--"an hour, and a day, and a month, and a

year"--we find according to prophetic, or symbolic, time--thirty days in

a month, three hundred and sixty in a year--that it signifies three

hundred and ninety-one years and fifteen days. This is exactly the

period of time that elapsed between their first victory in A.D. 1281 and

their last conquest in A.D. 1672. I can not verify the fifteen days,

because no history at my command states the exact days of the month on

which these victories occurred.

One more point of importance must be considered before we conclude this

chapter, and that is the continuance of the Ottoman power. The first, or

Saracen, woe had power to torment men "five months," or one hundred and

fifty years, during which time they continued their ravages. The second

woe began when the command was given to loose the four angels, or the

beginning of the Ottoman conquests. "An hour, and a day, and a month,

and a year," or three hundred and ninety-one years, marked the time

during which they were "prepared" to extend their conquests. But it is

not stated that the woe itself, or the Ottoman power, would then cease;

for it is not represented as ending until after the death and the

resurrection of the witnesses (chap. 11:14), immediately following which

the coming of Christ and the general judgment, or the third woe, is

described. Verses 15-18. The Turkish power has made no advance for

centuries, but has been on the decline; yet it will endure for its

allotted time. It furnishes us a way-mark by which we can determine our

position along the pathway of time; for when it falls, we may rest

assured that the coming of Christ is imminent.

For nearly two centuries it has been the wonder of civilized nations how

that corrupt, tyrannical government, which has been described as a

"despotism tempered by assassination," could exist in the increased

light and onward advance of modern civilization. Concerning its position

in Europe, Judson, in his recent history of Europe in the Nineteenth

Century, says: "The Turkish empire has been an element of unrest in

Europe. It has long been plain to all that it is not permanent. It has

taken no root. The Turks are merely encamped in Europe; and it is merely

a question of time when the last of them must return across the

Bosphorus." Pp. 269, 270. But Turkey will continue to hold this

territory of the old Greek empire until the time appointed by the Father

for her overthrow. The nations of Europe have often conspired for her

overthrow. This is what is known as the great Eastern Question, which

has been described by one writer as "the expulsion of the Turk from

Europe, and the scramble for his territory." But it has not yet been

accomplished, for the very reason doubtless, that it _could not_ take

place before the resurrection of the witnesses, of which we will speak

later. Judson thus continues his account of the matter: "As soon as this

idea was realized [that Turkish power in Europe must fall] by the

Western nations, in place of the dread of the Turk which had so long

been part and parcel of European thinking, the question of the disposal

to be made of the Turkish possessions became matter of live interest.

And this is the Eastern Question. The Greek empire vanished forever when

the last Constantine fell in 1453. The only problem is one of partition.

And the heart of it all is the disposal to be made of Constantinople.

That imperial city is a site that, in strong hands, means power and

wealth. What shall become of it? Russia early formed designs of

conquest.... The empress Catherine ... had a grand scheme for a

restoration of the Greek empire under a Russian prince. Alexander I., at

Tilsit, planned a partition of the Ottoman empire with Napoleon, but the

latter declined to see Constantinople in Russian hands.

'Constantinople,' said he, 'is the empire of the world.' In 1844

Nicholas visited England and made guarded suggestions to the

prime-minister about the Turkish lands. The Ottoman empire, said he, was

a sick man, nearly at the last extremity.... England declined to plan

for a share of the inheritance, and nothing was done. In 1853 Nicholas

resumed the subject with the British ambassador at St. Petersburg. The

sick man, he now held, was at the point of death.... But again England

declined and, indeed, the next year went to war with Russia to save the

sick man from a premature end at the hands of the would-be administrator

of the estate. Another power doubly interested in the future of the

Turkish dominions is Austria. That empire has been the traditional enemy

of the Turk, and at the end of the seventeenth century was the actual

bulwark of Europe against Mohammedan conquest. When the tide of war

rolled the other way, Austria was ready to share in the spoils. Twice

near the end of the eighteenth century, was an alliance made between

Russia and Austria for the partition of Turkey," etc. Pp. 270, 271.

Thus, we find that these designs of nations for the overthrow of Turkey

have so far been overruled; for God will not allow that power to come to

"a _premature end_."