1916_The Day of Vengeance (The Battle Of Armageddon).pdf

STUDIES

IN THE

SCRIPTURES

“The Path of the Just is as the Shining Light,

Which Shineth More and More

Unto the Perfect Day.”

SERIES IV

“The Day of Vengeance”

(pre-1912)

“The Battle of Armageddon”

(1912 and later)

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river

Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way

of the kings of the East might be prepared. And I saw three

unclean spirits...the spirits of devils, working miracles, go

forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to

gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

...And he gathered them together into a place called in the

Hebrew tongue ARMAGEDDON.”

Revelation 16:13-16

To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

IN THE INTEREST OF

HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS,

WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION,

—AND OF—

“ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE LORD,”

“THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH,”

—AND OF—

THE GROANING CREATION, TRAVAILING AND WAITING

FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD,

THIS WORK IS DEDICATED.

“To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning

of the world hath been hid in God.” “Wherein He hath abounded toward

us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the

mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which

He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation

of the fulness of the times He might

gather together in one all things,

under Christ.”

Eph. 3:4,5,9;1:8-10

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY,

BROOKLYN. N.Y., U.S.A.

Written in 1897 by Pastor Russell

Made in U.S.A.

The Battle of Armageddon

THE AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

THE FIRST EDITION of this Volume was published in 1897. It relates to the closing epoch of

this Gospel Age, the overlapping between it and the New Dispensation—a period which brings to

the world wonderful blessings, which in turn, because of unpreparedness of heart, more and more

become causes of friction, discontent, trouble. If the blessings of the last 43 years were to

continue at the present rate of increase, the discontent of humanity would likewise increase, and

the very purpose of God in the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom and the blessing of mankind

through it, would be frustrated.

For this cause, God permits the Millennial dawn to come upon the world gradually. As men are

awakening from the stupor of the past, they do not consider the Lord or acknowledge His grace

in connection with the blessings present and coming. We have estimated that these 43 years have

brought to mankind a thousand times as much wealth as was created during the six thousand

years preceding. The improved conditions of all mankind in civilized lands, the shortening of

hours of labor, etc., are offset by greater knowledge and a discontent which comes therewith.

This is in harmony with the Lord’s declaration respecting this time. Describing our day in the

prophecy of Daniel, He says: “Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.”

“The wise shall understand,” “And there shall be a Time of Trouble such as was not since there

was a nation.” Daniel 12:1-4,10.

In other words, the increase of knowledge is responsible for the increase of discontent and fear

which are bringing Armageddon, or the Day of Vengeance of God, upon the whole world. In the

present great war, we see that the large nations have been fearful of each other’s prosperity.

Although all have been

Author’s Foreword

growing fabulously rich, all are more discontented than ever before, and more fearful that

something will occur to hinder their enrichment and to turn the streams of wealth to the ports of

the competitor. Their fear of each other determined that the war must come, and the present was

chosen as the most favored opportunity, before the weaker became too strong. The same spirit is

manifest everywhere—ingratitude for the present and the past, fearfulness for the future, and a

selfishness which pays little heed to the Golden Rule. The conflict between capital and labor is

along this line, and we are to expect that such things will go rapidly from bad to worse.

The debts of the warring nations are authoritatively stated to amount to fifty-five billions of

dollars—a sum which, of course, can never be paid in gold; and everybody knows that there is

not sufficient gold to pay the interest on the debts of the world. This spells bankruptcy—as soon

as the war shall end and the issuing of bonds shall cease to provide money for the payment of the

interest on other bonds. The nations are thus falling into the chasm of bankruptcy, but it is with

them as with a human being falling, the sensations are not so bad until the falling ceases in a

demoralizing concussion. Evidently the war will not stop from lack of men to shoot and be shot,

but either from lack of food or from financial weakness. That it will be the latter is the author’s

opinion.

Already the kings, political and financial, and their advisers, are in great perplexity respecting

what shall be done after the close of the war to prevent a world-wide revolution of the

discontented. Twenty millions of men now under arms will need employment. Suppose that one-

fourth of them are retained in the army, what will be done with the remaining three-fourths? That

is the question that is puzzling many of the world’s wise men. The world is getting along without

them now, and also manufacturing vast quantities of military stores and ammunition. Evidently it

could get along without those twenty

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