| News and Views | September 1945 |
“Into the Midst of the Sea”
NEWS events of the last few weeks have been dramatic and history-making: the conference of the “big three” world leaders at Potsdam; the overthrow of the Churchill government in Great Britain, which interrupted the deliberation at Potsdam until Britain’s new premier had arrived; the announcement of the atomic bomb; and finally the surrender of the Japanese, bringing the war in the Far East to an end. Directly or indirectly the lives of all of us will be affected by these events. Students of prophecy will now watch with interest for the changes which have been wrought in the social structure of the world by the impact of war. Undoubtedly the global struggle between “leftist” and “rightist” elements of society will continue and become even more manifest now that the “war” with Japan as well as with Germany has ended.
The Psalmist, in a symbolic prophecy, describes the socialization and communization of the world as we of this generation are witnessing it, saying, “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”—Psalm 46:2,3
When Jesus was asked by His disciples what sign would mark the end of this age and the time of His coming (Greek, parousia, meaning presence), among the things He mentioned in His answer were: “Distress of nations, with perplexity;” and “men’s hearts failing them for fear” as they looked forward to the things coming upon the earth. The Master then used the same symbols as the Psalmist to illustrate the distress of nations, saying that the “sea and the waves” would be roaring. (Luke 21:25; Matt. 24:3) Jesus also said of this same time that “the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”—Luke 21:26
The Prophet Isaiah furnishes a “key” to the meaning of much of this symbolism. He wrote: “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty [margin, ‘many’] waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters; but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.”—Isaiah 17:12,13
The Psalmist also gives us clearly to understand what he means by the removal of mountains and their being carried into the midst of the sea, for a few verses farther on in this same prophecy he speaks in plain phrase; and instead of “mountains” being “carried into the midst of the sea,” he describes raging nations (mistranslated “heathen”) and the removal of kingdoms. And then the prophet indicates that all this commotion results from the fact that God “uttered His voice” of command, causing the symbolic earth to melt.—Psalm 46:6
Thus is described the disintegration of the pre-1914 world, or “earth,” with the gradual passing of all its one-time bulwarks, even the powerful ecclesiastical controls—symbolized by Jesus as the “powers of heaven”—being finally “shaken” so that they are unable to prevent the “mountains” from being carried into the midst of the sea.
All of this results in what men consider lamentable “desolation,” but it is God who takes the responsibility for it, because by this He will cause “wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” (Psalm 46:8,9) Finally, His “voice” of intervention will be heard above the clamoring of the nations, saying, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen [nations], I will be exalted in the earth.”—Psalm 46:10
There is every reason to have confidence that we are now living in the end of the age, and therefore in the time of Christ’s second presence when we should expect to see these and other prophecies in course of fulfillment. Comparing the symbology contained in these prophetic statements with developments we have witnessed throughout the world, particularly since the year 1914, the relationship is at once apparent.
As both the Psalmist and Isaiah explain, it is the raging nations that are represented by the roaring of the sea and the waves; and as Jesus reveals, the “distress” of the nations is caused by this turbulent condition of the symbolic “waters.” Hence, the “mountains” being carried into the midst of the sea represent the mountain-like old-world governments gradually succumbing to the demands of the masses and thus being brought down into the hands of the people.
The mighty force which has been largely responsible for stirring up the “sea,” causing its surging “waves” persistently to continue lashing at the strongholds of the pre-1914 civilization, is the great “increase of knowledge” of these last days. (Dan. 12:4) Because of the increasing enlightenment, the people are no longer satisfied with the condition of serfdom which was their lot in the past, hence they are now clamoring for their just share of earth’s bounties.
There are many prophecies to show that this great time of trouble would be a “short work,” that the end of the old order would be “sudden.” (Rom. 9:28; I Thess. 5:3; Luke 21:34,35) But it is well to remember that this suddenness is from the Lord’s standpoint, and is sudden when compared with the thousands of years previous, during which nothing seemingly was done to liberate the masses from economic slavery. And when we realize how strongly entrenched were the old-world despotic kingdoms, the disintegration which we have witnessed in recent years is indeed “sudden,” and especially so in view of the many recent world changes.
Fulfillment of prophecy along this line has been highlighted recently by the overthrow of Great Britain’s conservative government headed by Winston Churchill. In itself, this is a tremendous turnover, a terrific shaking of that powerful kingdom by the up surging of the people; and when viewed from the standpoint of the effect it will have upon world developments as a whole, the importance of the laborite victory in Great Britain becomes even more interesting to students of prophecy.
According to an Associated Press dispatch from Washington, the overthrow of the Churchill government by the labor party of Great Britain leaves the United States the only remaining major power of the world functioning wholly as a capitalistic nation. This doesn’t mean, of course, that capitalism is dead in Great Britain, nor in Russia and other European countries.
When we speak of the capitalistic system the reference usually is to the competitive system of ownership and operation of all industries. It is this that is gradually being replaced by government ownership and control in practically all countries of the world except the United States. This, in the broad sense, is socialism, and the present labor government of Great Britain is pledged to carry out the principles of socialism as they affect the major industries of the nations, such as mining, railroading, banking; and even the steel industry. Where the government thus takes over, the competitive system of capitalism comes to an end.
Yes, the “common people” of Great Britain have spoken, and the reverberations are heard and felt the world around. The election results were announced when the “big three” in international affairs—Truman, Churchill, and Stalin—were holding their history-making conference in Potsdam, a conference destined to go a long way in determining the future trend of events in Europe and Asia.
But one of the “big three” was suddenly made to realize that the masses of Great Britain for whom he assumed to speak were destined to have the final say at that conference, rather than himself, for he was compelled to give up his seat to their representative, Clement Richard Attlee, who is now the new guiding star in British diplomacy.
That this sudden and dramatic change made a difference in the final decisions taken at that conference, there can be no doubt. The influence of the labor party’s representative at the Potsdam conference is most apparent in the decision and declaration concerning the Franco government of Spain. It was especially singled out as wholly unacceptable for membership in the United Nations.
This was like serving notice on Dictator Franco that he would have to step down and allow the people’s representatives to form a new government in Spain if that country is to have its rightful place in the post war world. Churchill was catering to Franco, and it is exceedingly doubtful if such a definite stand would have been taken and publicly announced against him if Churchill could have held the British reins of control.
This announced decision concerning Spain is still more remarkable when we remember that Papacy has been one of Franco’s staunch supporters. With one of the “big three” being an irreligious communist, another a representative of a socialist government in Great Britain, and the third a New Deal democrat of America, the indications are that they intend to do what they can to assure the continuation and the increase of the “leftist” conception of the flame of liberty and social equality that is now flickering throughout the world irrespective of how it may affect the interests of status quo politicians or politico-religious interests.
Twelve million Britishers, by voting into power a labor government in Great Britain in this critical time, have helped to give the “green light” to their compatriots the world over. The Churchill-sponsored provisional government of Greece realized the significance of what occurred in Great Britain, and will probably sooner or later have to step down in favor of the “leftists.” Leopold of Belgium saw in it the fading of his slim chances of ever returning to his country as king.
What those twelve million socialistically inclined men and women of Great Britain have done by their votes is to align their country—one of the three great powers of the earth—against the few remaining “islands of resistance” opposing the liberal landslide in Europe instead of supporting them, as was the case under the Churchill regime.
As long as Great Britain was on the side of the remaining “rightist” elements of Europe, the United States wavered more or less in its position, and to a large extent had to serve in a conciliatory role between Russia and Great Britain. Now that has changed. Great Britain, with Clement Attlee holding the reins of control, will go farther down the road of social change with Russia, and go faster than the United States is now ready to do; although we doubt if Mr. Truman will hold back to any considerable extent.
Another statement issued at the conclusion of the Potsdam conference is to the effect that so far as possible, the same political and social arrangements will be established by the United Nations throughout all the zones of occupation in Germany. We wonder if the sudden change of government in Great Britain didn’t have something to do with this decision. Anyway, we can hardly imagine Mr. Stalin and Mr. Churchill agreeing as to what sort of political and social arrangements would be best for all Germany.
The overthrow of the Churchill government has given hope to Zionists that now Palestine may be opened up to the Jews. In December, 1944, the British labor party passed a resolution affirming the right of the Jews to return to Palestine. The Arabs fear this, and have served notice on Attlee and his colleagues that if the Jews are permitted to return it will mean serious trouble with the Arab world. Here is an interesting situation to watch. God has decreed that the Jewish nation shall repossess Palestine, and they will. It is there that Christ’s Kingdom will first be manifested to the world, and when the due time for that manifestation comes, there won’t be anything the Arabs can do to hinder it.
So the “sea” and the “waves” continue to roar. The upsurging of “leftwingism” is rapidly reaching tidal wave proportions which will result in all the remaining strongholds of conservatism being swept into the midst of the “sea.” The spirit of change is in the air, and the people can no longer be denied. The war has hastened these changes. But it is well to remember that the Kingdom of Christ will not be established by a vote of the people. The people imagine that ultimately they can secure what they desire by their own efforts, but in this they are foredoomed to disappointment. By clamoring for their real and fancied rights they are helping to “shake all nations,” but not until the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” will the “desire of all nations come.”—Psalm. 46:10; Haggai 2:7