13. What will be popularly taught in the last days?
“But in the last days ... many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; ... and He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Micah 4:1-3. See also Isa. 2:2-5.
Note.—Notice, this is not what the Lord says, but what the Lord says many nations shall say in the last days. And this is the very message [pg 350] now heard in every land,—a great world's peace movement; a call for all nations to disarm, to go to war no more, and to profess religion.
14. What message indicates the true condition of things?
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:9, 10.
Note.—On this question of preparing for war, note the following:—
Armies of the World
| Regular Standing Army (1909) | National Army Including Reserves | |
| Austria-Hungary | 409,000 | 5,840,000 |
| Belgium | 45,000 | 125,000 |
| British Empire | 250,000 | 1,050,000 |
| China | 60,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Denmark | 14,000 | 68,000 |
| France | 630,000 | 4,350,000 |
| Germany | 617,000 | 3,000,000 |
| Greece | 28,000 | 178,000 |
| Italy | 264,000 | 3,200,000 |
| Japan | 225,000 | 600,000 |
| Netherlands | 40,000 | 500,000 |
| Norway | 30,000 | 95,000 |
| Persia | 24,500 | 105,000 |
| Portugal | 30,000 | 175,000 |
| Russia | 1,100,000 | 5,200,000 |
| Servia | 35,000 | 353,000 |
| Spain | 100,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Sweden | 62,000 | 500,000 |
| Switzerland | 140,000 | 275,000 |
| Turkey | 350,000 | 1,500,000 |
| United States | 89,128 | 208,054 |
| Total | 4,542,628 | 29,322,054 |
Naval Expenditures of the Great Powers for Ten Years—1902-11.
| Expenditure | New Construction | |
| Great Britain | $1,761,500,000 | $589,875,000 |
| Germany | 737,695,000 | 351,010,000 |
| France | 660,695,000 | 236,430,000 |
| Russia | 556,730,000 | 164,280,000 |
| Italy | 301,145,000 | 82,750,000 |
| Austria | 154,070,000 | 74,165,000 |
| United States | 1,150,680,000 | 367,050,000 |
| Japan | 288,505,000 | 76,155,000 |
| Total | $5,611,320,000 | $1,941,715,000 |