A. G. DANIELLS by A. G. DANIELLS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 23, 1913

A. G. DANIELLS

By A. G. DANIELLS

Does the History of Turkey and Egypt Since 1798 Fulfil the Prophecy of Dan. 11:40-44? — No. 4

A. G. DANIELLS

“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with many chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” Dan. 11:40.

WE have come in the study of this prophecy to the “king of the north.” It is at “the time of the end” that this king is now brought into the prophecy. He is at war with another power, and comes out of the conflict the victor. But later, trouble overtakes him, and presses upon him until he comes to “his end.” “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.”

Thus the king of the north continued to be the subject of this prophecy through to its close, when he comes to his end. And from the standpoint of this prophecy, the final overthrow and utter extinction of the king of the north will be the signal for the overthrow and destruction of all the kingdoms of the world, and the beginning of the eternal reign of Christ.

These considerations should impress every one who attempts an explanation of this part of the prophecy with the importance of proceeding with the greatest care and candor. The supreme desire should be to know the exact truth and to reach true and sound conclusions. In the desire to maintain traditional views, the eyes must not be closed to facts. On the other hand, this is not the time and place to venture into speculative theories. The facts, Scriptural and historical, alone are of value, and are what are wanted now.

As pointed out in the first article of this series, the first step to take in ascertaining the meaning of any part of a prophecy is to study all the other parts of that same prophecy. The next step is to study other prophecies relating to the subject under investigation, and with this study of the Scriptures search the history that fulfils the prophecy.

This is the method of procedure in the study and interpretation of the other prophecies recorded in the second, seventh, and eighth chapters of Daniel. In the prophecy of chapter 2, the metallic parts of the great image, and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, are placed before us as symbols of great meaning. Where do we go first for information regarding their meaning?—To other parts of the same prophecy. There we get the key to the true interpretation. The same is true of the prophecy recorded in the seventh chapter. Without going outside of the prophecy, we get the interpretation of the four beasts, the ten horns, and the little horn. To this information we add what we find in other lines of prophecy, and in the history of the nations and powers that have fulfilled the prophecy.

Following this course in the study of the king of the north brought forward in verse 40, we shall give attention first to the entire prophecy of which this is a part. And we are not long in finding data for our guidance. We find the king of the north brought to view in the first part of the prophecy as follows: “And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement.” Verse 6. This power designated the king of the north is one of the principal subjects of the prophecy from verse 6 to verse 15.

Now, is there any relation between the king of the north in these verses and the king of the north in verse 40? Why not? The perfectly natural conclusion to reach is that they are one and the same. And without plain, reliable evidence to the contrary we are forced to hold that the king of the north of the first part of the prophecy is the king of the north through the entire prophecy. It is taking unwarranted liberty with the prophecy to apply the same designation in the same prophecy to entirely different powers. We maintain, therefore, that in verse 5 we find the king of the north of verse 40. We believe that the information given regarding the origin, location, etc., of the king of the north in the first part of the prophecy will help in reaching true conclusions concerning the king of the north in the closing part of the prophecy.

Tracing the origin of the king of the north, we find that it was one of the divisions of the Grecian Empire. The details of the prophecy are these: After the death of the “mighty king,” the “great dominion” of Grecia was to be “broken,” and “divided toward the four winds of heaven,” not to “his posterity,” but for “others besides those.” Verses 3, 4.

The brief paragraphs of history quoted in last week’s article record the fulfilment of every detail foretold in these verses. The facts stated are these: (1) The battle of Ipsus, B. C. 301, resulted in the division of the vast empire founded by Alexander the Great into four parts; (2) within twenty-two years from Alexander’s death the whole of his family and all his relatives perished;

(3) the four divisions formed were, Egypt, with Ptolemy as king, in the south; Babylon and Syria, with Seleucus as king, in the east; Thrace and Asia Minor, with Lysimachus as king, in the north; and Macedon and Greece, with Cassander as king, in the west. Thus the prophecy was fulfilled with the nicest accuracy. The kingdom was divided toward the four winds of the heavens,—east, west, north, south,—and not to Alexander’s posterity.

But another important change was to be made in this territory: two of the divisions drop out of sight, while the other two occupy the entire field of the prophecy for a long period. After foretelling the divisions into four parts, the prophet immediately adds:—

“And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his [Alexander’s] princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement.” Verses 5, 6.

The history of these two kingdoms from the division of the empire is full of interest, and sustains the prophetic utterances in every particular. Egypt, the kingdom of the south, founded by Ptolemy, became strong, but the kingdom founded and enlarged by Seleucus became greater and stronger. Of Egypt, the king of the south, the historian says:—

“When the empire of Alexander was parcelled out among his generals, the most desirable lot perhaps was that which fell to the share of Ptolemy. That astute general chose Egypt for his portion, and despite the efforts of his rivals, he was able, thanks in part to the isolated geographical position, to retain it, and ultimately to become its recognized sovereign and the founder of a dynasty of kings which was to hold unbroken sway there for the long period of three hundred years. . . . It was a curious and interesting revival through which Egypt, which for some centuries had ceased to play an important part in the great game of the nations, came to be again the center of culture of the entire world, even though this time it bore an exotic and not an indigenous culture.”—Historians’ History of the World, Vol. IV, chap. 66, pages 562, 563.