How do we understand the seat of papal authority to be moved to Jerusalem since we have learned from Dan. 11:45 that it is the Turkish power that is to plant his palaces between the seas?
A READER
Have we learned this? It has been taught, it is true, that the king of the north is the Turkish power, but that is yet to be demonstrated. Did not the power which conquered the king of the north then become the king of the north? And if Rome conquered the king of the north, did not Rome itself become the king of the north? Again, the true King of the north is God, “whose throne is in the sides of the north.” The pseudo king of the north is Satan, Lucifer, the fallen day-star, who said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14:13, 14. In Rev. 12:9, Satan is called the dragon. Rev. 13:2 says that the dragon gave the beast his power and seat and great authority. In verse 4 the dragon gave power unto the beast, and the beast power is the representative of Satan here upon earth. Evidently the beast power then is the earthly king of the north.
Against the beast power the great Threefold Message warns us. Rev. 14:9-11. That warning is world-wide. It does not warn us against the Turkish power or the Mohammedan power, which is rapidly waning. It seems to the writer that there is every evidence to believe that the beast power will set up his throne in Jerusalem and there be made the arbiter of nations in religious matters. There are others who hold this to be the Turkish power. It is well for us to study the prophecy as an open prophecy still. God has greater, clearer light, we are sure, on some of the unfulfilled prophecies of His word. Simply because many good persons have believed the king of the north of Dan. 11:45 to be the Turk is no evidence that it is. Good men and good students have believed that Dan. 11:36-39 refers to France, but 2 Thess. 2:3, 4 very clearly shows that it refers to what is there called the man of sin, the son of perdition.