p. 3 | A. G. DANIELLS by Arthur G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 6, 1913

A. G. DANIELLS

By Arthur G. Daniells

Does the History of Turkey and Egypt Since 1798 Fulfil the Prophecy of Dan. 11:40-44? — No. 7

A. G. DANIELLS

It may be helpful at this point to take a fresh look at the text upon which these studies are based.

“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 chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” Dan. 11:40.

The distinct points in this statement are these:—

1. “At the time of the end.” This particular period of time began in the year 1798 A. D., at the expiration of the twelve hundred sixty years allotted to the supremacy of the Papacy. In that year the papal church received a deadly wound dealt by the hand of France, which broke for a time and to a degree its supremacy over the consciences and liberties of men.

2. “Shall the king of the south push at him.” This king of the south is the one whose origin and history are so fully and clearly foretold in Dan. 11:5-15. This kingdom was founded by Ptolemy, in B. C. 301. It became a Roman province in B. C. 30, passed into the hands of the Arabs in 639 A. D., was conquered by the Fatimite Arabs in 969, became the empire of the Mamelukes in 1171, was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1517, but gradually passed back under the control of the Mamelukes, who were the “real lords and tyrants over the country” at the time of the end—1798 A. D.

3. “And the king of the north shall come against him.” The king of the north is inseparably connected in the prophecy with the king of the south. It is the kingdom founded by Seleucus, in B. C. 281, which extended from the Bosporus and Dardanelles to Persia, beyond the Euphrates and Tigris. It was conquered by Rome in B. C. 65, and gradually passed into the hands of the Turks, who began their invasion of eastern Rome in 637 A. D. In 1453 they took Constantinople, and completed the destruction of the Eastern Empire of Rome. Thus, Turkey became the king of the north of Daniel’s prophecy, and has held that place, without interruption, to the present time.

If the interpretation of these predictions as here given is correct, it is plain that in 1798 there was to begin a sharp conflict between Egypt and Turkey and a power designated by the pronoun “him.” The fact that just such a conflict as this prophecy foretells was begun in the year 1798, between Egypt and Turkey and France, leads us to believe and confidently to affirm that France is the power referred to by the pronoun “him” in verse 40.

This position is sustained by the undeniable facts of history which meet the specifications of this prophecy. In this we follow the course we pursue in the interpretation of the other parts of this prophecy. The subject of verses 5-15 are the kingdoms of the north and the south. Verse 15 tells of the “king of the north” being at war with the armies of the south, and verse 16 says: “But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will.” Who is the antecedent of the pronoun “he” in verse 16? Is it the king of the north or the king of the south? These are the two powers specified in the preceding verse.

From the use of the pronoun “he” in this verse, one would naturally suppose that it points to the king of the north of verse 15. But it does not. It refers to Rome, a power not mentioned in verse 15. Here a world power slips into the prophecy by a little pronoun with no antecedent expressed in the preceding verse.

Our ground for the claim that Rome is the antecedent of the pronoun “he” in verse 16, is because it is Rome that meets the specifications of that verse and of those that follow to the point where another power is introduced. In this we take into account more than the construction of the language. We give due regard to all the specifications mentioned, to the history of the times, and to other prophecies relating to Rome and the period of time covered by its history.

Another instance similar to this occurs in verse 31, where a transition is made from the Roman Empire to the Papacy, without any indication whatever in the language. The pronouns “his” and “they” in verse 31 seem to refer to Rome, the subject of the preceding verse, but they do not. They point to the Papacy, a power not once mentioned before in this prophecy. This we know by the specifications that follow, and by other prophecies of the Papacy, and by its history. Thus an entire change is made, and a wholly new power is introduced by a pronoun, the same as in verse 16, where, without a word of warning, a change is made by a pronoun from the kings of Syria and Egypt to Rome. So in verse 31, the papal church takes the place of the Roman Empire without any change in the language to indicate it. In reaching conclusions as to the meaning of these passages, we are guided more by the specifications and the history that fulfils them than by the nouns and pronouns.

The prophecy points to a definite, specific time, and declares that “at the

time” which it designates there will be conflict between powers that we know to be Egypt and Turkey with another power. The time referred to came in 1798, and the conflict came also. In that very year France began the conquest of Egypt and Turkey. Egypt resisted,—pushed at him,—but was conquered. Turkey’s fate, however, was different. Turkey triumphed over the armies of France, and overflowed and passed over just as the prophecy said would be done. The full history of the invasions, the resistances, the victories, and the defeats of that war which began in 1798, meets every specification of the prophecy, and this is the only history of nations that answers to these predictions. If those events did not fulfil the prophecy, it is still unfulfilled, and we are thrown into great uncertainty and confusion regarding the meaning of the closing part of this great line of prophecy. We shall now trace the history of Egypt and Turkey which fulfils the last part of this prophecy.