The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-01-23
The Signs of the Times.

The eyes of more than 100000
Seyenth-day 'Adventists are watching
eagerly the war now being waged in
Turkey for they see in the driving out
of the Turk from Europe a fulfillment
of the prophecy which declares that
the Ottoman Empire is to be destroyed,
and that it's downfall with be the sig
nal that the end of all things is i'm
pending. The Adventists also believe
that when this prophecy is fulfilled,
time of trouble such as never was will
be ushered in, and the close of all hui
man history will be here.
In speaking of the belief of Advent
lists. and how they view the war in
Turkey, Elder A. G.. Daniels of Wash
ington, D. G., said:
Just now the eyes of all the world
are focused upon the great struggle
that is going on between the Balkan
troops and Turkey For several de-
cades Turkey has been called the
Sick man of the East" and ere this
her possessions in Europe would have
been wrested from her if the powers
could have agreed concerning the re-
mains of this Sick Man
TO 100000 Seventh-day Adyentists
scattered over the world. the struggle
there is of special interest They see
in it a step toward the fulfillment of
prophecy. For nearly a half century
they have looked upon the driving out
Of the Turk, and the drying up If the
Ottoman Empire, as direct fulfiilment
of the prophecies. and one of the last
events in the drama of the world.
Turkey occupies a prominent place
with other nations in the prophecies of
the Scriptures Its rise and triumphs
are clearly foretold in the 9th chaptt +
of Revelation. Also in the great cham
of prophecy recorded in the tn chap
| ter of Daniel, which gives an outline
OF its history, Turkey holds an i'm
portant place under the symbol of
The King of the North. After many
years of war, revolutions, and chances,
Turkey came into possession of neal ly
all that territory originally occupied
by The king of the North, and thus it.
sell became King of the North. BY
the King of the North or Kingdom OF
the North, is meant that territory ly-
ing north of Palestine; for Palestine
is where the prophet was when he
spoke this prophetic word.
At one time Turkey had a territor-
ial area of 100000 square miles, and
Il population of 100000. 1t is at
this time that Turkey comes into the
prophecy of Daniel as the King of the
North The prophecy of Revelation
foretells the rise and development of
the Turkish Empire, and the prophecy
of Daniel foretels its downfall and
extinction. But the prophecy in Rev
elation speaks of time when the
Turkish Empire would be dried up.
In this prophecy Turkey is introduced
under the symbol of the river Eu-
pirates, and the drying up of a river
is natural symbol Turkey has been
drying up. In 1928 Greece was broken
off and she established her independ-
ence. Algeria in 1850, with 1000 600
was taken from her Egypt, with g.
100000, became independent in 1867;
and the same year Servia and Bosnia
with a combined population of $780,
600 became independent provinces In
1878 the independence Of Bulgaria and
Roumelia. with 100000 inhabitants,
was declared, as also was that of Rou-
mania with 100000 and Montenegro
with 100000 Last year Tripoli, with
100000, was taken by Italy.
There has. therefore, been a grad
ual disntergration, drying up, of
this power known in prophecy as the
King of the North. In the last CEN
tury, therefore, Turkey has lost all
her possessions in Africa and Europe,
save Constantnople, the capital She
now has only about one half of her
former possessions in Europe. The
prophet of God foretold her decline and
fall, her drying up. The past cen
fury has fulfilled much of the prop
hecy.
More than 80 years ago the
Seventh-day Adventist denomination,
on the strength of this prophecy, took
the position that the Ottoman Empire
would finally be crushed, blotted out,
and would plant its capital Between
the seas in the glorious holy noun
TAIN or Palestine, as the prophecy of
Daniel has said. And the events in the
Far East at the present time seem to