It is our opinion that any power that reigns over Syria is – for the time being – “the king of the north,” spoken of [in] Daniel XI; hence that the Turkish Dynasty is now [1854] that power. If Russia, Austria, England, or France should become possessed of supreme power over Syria, then it – which ever it might be – would become “the king of the north.” Till then none but the Turkish Dynasty occupies that position, in our opinion. James White, Review and Herald, Dec. 12, 1854
Let us take a brief view of the line of prophecy four times spanned in the book of Daniel. It will be admitted that the same ground is passed over in chapters two, seven, eight, and eleven, with this exception, that Babylon is left out of chapters eight and eleven. We first pass down the great image of chapter 2, where Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome are represented by the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron. All agree that these feet are not Turkish but Roman. And as we pass down to the lion, the bear, the leopard, and the beast with ten horns, representing the same as the great image, again all will agree that it is not Turkey that is cast into the burning flame, but the Roman beast. So of chapter 8, all agree that the little horn that stood up against the Prince of princes is not Turkey but Rome. In all these lines thus far Rome is the last form of government mentioned. Review and Herald of November 29, 1877
Error:
Elder Smith has given a very fine talk on the eleventh chapter of Daniel, and his interpretation seems plausible, but IF the legs of iron, and the feet of iron and clay in the second chapter represent Rome, and IF the nondescript, ten horned beast, and the little horn of the seventh chapter represent Rome, and IF the little horn which waxed great of the eighth chapter represents Rome, the King of the North represents Rome also. These are four parallel prophecies, brethren, reaching down to the coming of our Lord. (Quoted in King of the North, by M. C. Wilcox, Mountain View, California, 1910, page 44.) (Cited from The King of the North at Jerusalem by Pastor Louis Were, p. 12. 1949)
He said “the symbols are thrown off“, which can only mean that he understood the whole Chapter to be literal, although he still believed the last power, known as The King of the North, would be Roman.
About a year before his death, James White again presented his version of Daniel 11 He wrote:
The field of Danielʼs prophecy embraces five universal kingdoms. These are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, and the eternal kingdom of God. The ground of the four perishable kingdoms, reaching to, and introducing the immortal kingdom, is covered by four distinct lines of prophecy. These are given in chapters two, seven, eight, and eleven. The eleventh chapter of Daniel closes with the fourth monarchy with these words: [Dan. 11:45 and 12:1-3 are then quoted]. The student of prophecy is thus borne down the stream of time from Babylon in the height of the glory of that kingdom, past Media and Persia, the kingdom of Grecia, and the Roman Empire which comes to its end at the second coming of Christ. July 22, 1880 issue of Signs of the Times.
My husband had some ideas on some points differing from the views taken by his brethren. [This statement should tell us something.] I was shown that however true his views were, God did not call him to put them in front before his brethren and create differences of ideas. While he might hold these views subordinate himself, once [they are] made public, minds would seize [upon them], and just because others believe differently would make these differences the whole burden of the message, and get up contention and variance. (emphasis supplied). CW 76-77
The issue was that God did not want James Whiteʼs views presented at that time because it would have been impossible to see how the two seemingly opposite views could be harmonized.
“We can see how the dream of the Isalmic Caliphate is being realised, Allah willing by Dr Muhammed and his brothers . We can see how this great dream shared by all of the United Arab states will be restored Allah willing. The United Aram states will be restored by this man and his supporters. The capital of the Caliphate – the capital of the United Arab states will be Jerusalem Allah willing!! Mursi will liberate Gaza tomorrow. I’m Egyptian and proud of it. Our capital will not be Cairo, Mecca or Medina it will be Jerusalem! Our cry will be millions of martyrs march toward Jerusalem. Millions of martyrs march towards Jerusalem. Banish the sleep from the eyes of the Jews. Come on you lovers of martydom, you are all Hamas (speaking to Egyptians). Banish the sleep from the eyes of the Jews. Brandish your weapons, say you prayers and pray to the Lord. Forget about the rest of the world, forget about their conferences. Come on, you lovers of martydom. Indeed, all the lovers of martyrdom are Hamas. Yes, Jerusalem is our goal or else we shall die as martyrs on it’s threshhold.”
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain: yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Dan. 11:45
If the prophecy had been fulfilled in their (the pioneers) day, “the Turk, [may have been] driven from Europe” (Constantinople) by Russia or some other power. Today he will be “driven from Europe” by his own irrational compulsion to destroy Israel and the United States.
The power now represented by “the Turk” will be proved to be the restored Ottoman Empire, or, in other words, the Caliphate. Their seat of power will be established in Constantinople before they quickly move to Jerusalem. Some people donʼt think the Caliphate can ever be resurrected because of the deep schisms between the Sunnis, the Shias, and the Wahhabis, but they will unite under the common goal of destroying Israel and Christianity. The Muslims have an ancient axiom: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. All this will be documented further in the following chapters.
In Jesusʼ day there was a seemingly irreconcilable division between the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians, but they cast aside their differences and confederated together to destroy Jesus.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the driving power behind the rise of the Caliphate, is hardly noticed because they work behind the scenes, and try to mask their true intentions, until it is time for them to strike, just like the papacy. The Brotherhood is occasionally mentioned in the news, but their nefarious, deep laid plots are completely overlooked, or ignored. The “politically correct” response is to preach “tolerance”, “understanding”, and “dialogue”. The world will sleep on until it is too late to escape the snare, but we are to be not of the night, but of the day. Some of their villainous plans will be disclosed in the next chapter.
The papacy received a deadly wound in 1798. The Ottoman Empire received a deadly wound in 1840 and was seemingly put out of existence in the first World War, but the ideology they embraced continues to burn in the hearts of the Muslim Brotherhood. Just as the papacy is growing to power and is on the verge of rivaling her former glory, so is the Caliphate and both will fail in their final objective.
Comments (2)
Stephen Billiter (@stevebilliter) - 30/01/2020
Ellen White was not silent on Daniel 11:40-45. Pastor Stephen Bohr has figured out something about this. We go to Daniel 12:1 in the Great Controversy and work backwards and we find her commentary on these verses–she did not quote them. She wanted to preserve unity in the church and that’s why she did not come public to support her husband who was correct. Islam has nothing to do with the king of the north–it is the papacy. Why would all the other lines of prophecy prophesy the papacy as the final power against God’s people, but Daniel 11_40-45 the king of the north is Islam? No way. it is the papacy.
Le traducteur - 31/01/2020
Hello Stephen, we are sorry that Pastor Borh believes and teaches as he does. But regardless of the commonly accepted understanding upon this subject among SDAs, we cannot escape the fact that starting from the beginning of Daniel chapter 11, the prophecy here brought to view can only make sense by a literal understanding, which then inevitably leads us to the logical conclusion that the power which, in the time of the end, holds the original geographical position held by “the king of the north” in the beginning of the prophecy (that is, Asia Minor) will be “the king of the north” at the end of Daniel 11. That power today is Turkey, therefore Turkey is the king of the north.
We hold to this view because the evidence in its favor is overwhelming. Among a few of the studies which show this to be true:
https://sabbathsermons.com/2014/03/31/the-king-of-the-north-gene-brown/
https://sabbathsermons.com/2014/10/19/is-the-papacy-the-king-of-the-north/
https://sabbathsermons.com/2014/10/17/the-eastern-question-willie-white/
This study shows undoubtedly Sister White’s endorsment of Uriah Smith’s book, which presents the literal understanding of Daniel 11:
https://sabbathsermons.com/2010/04/26/the-book-the-author-and-the-colporteur/
What Did the Early Adventist Church Teach About the Eastern Question?
https://sabbathsermons.com/2011/08/04/what-did-the-early-adventist-church-teach-about-the-eastern-question/
A beautiful study by George Burnside (The King of the North Is Not the Papacy):
https://sabbathsermons.com/2010/07/21/the-king-of-the-north-by-george-burnside/