As the Nile
stood for Egypt, and the Tiber for Rome, so in all modern times the
Euphrates has stood for Turkey. The "drying up" of the Euphrates must
mean the ending of the Turkish power. And in the verses immediately
following, Revelation pictures the gathering of the nations of the whole
world to Armageddon--"the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
Following Turkey's end comes the final clash of nations. The earth
quakes, the cities of the nations fall, and the last judgments of God
come upon a warring world.
Here, as in Daniel 12, is pictured a time of trouble for the nations
such as never was, and the end of the world, when the power ruling in
Syria, by the Euphrates, comes to its end.
The Approaching End
For years statesmen and observers have discussed the approaching
dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Travelers in Turkey have reported
that thoughtful Turkish people held the conviction that the crisis of
their nation was near at hand. Years ago Mr. Charles MacFarlane wrote:
"The Turks themselves seem generally to be convinced that their
final hour is approaching.
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