DANIEL 11 AND THE KING OF THE NORTH

The 'king of the north' is soon to fulfill his end time role as confirmed in Daniel 11:45. But do we know who the king of the north is and what he is going to do? This is connected with the close of probation, so it's important to understand.

When Alexander's Grecian empire was divided, the different portions of the kingdom lay 'towards the four winds of heaven.' (Daniel 11:4). That is, north, east, south and west of Palestine. So when the 'king of the north' or 'king of the south' are mentioned, it is referring to the king that occupies the territory of Alexander's divided empire to the north and to the south of Palestine.

Now when we study Daniel 11, we can clearly see that there are no prophetic symbols employed in any of the chapter. It doesn't mention any 'horns' or 'beasts' like Daniel 7 and 8. It simply speaks of secular kings and kingdoms all the way through. Therefore we are to take Daniel 11 as a literal history of kings and kingdoms. Elder James White even said himself ... "There is a line of historic prophecy in chapter eleven, where the symbols are thrown off" (James White, Review and Herald, Oct. 3, 1878). This is so important to understand, as you will not be able to come to the truth of Daniel 11 unless you discard any symbolism and take it as literal history.

Now it is the final verses that are important to us today, to show us how close we are to the close of probation mentioned in Daniel 12:1. But we need to lay some groundwork first to show that this chapter is dealing with literal kings and kingdoms of the civil realm. So we will look at a number of verses going through Daniel 11 to show you the literal nature of this chapter.

Daniel 11:1-2 ...'Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.'

Angel Gabriel is the one speaking to Daniel and he confirms that this is in the first year of Darius the Mede. Gabriel then goes on to mention that 3 kings will "yet" stand up in Persia. Cyrus was the king of Persia during the reign of Darius the Mede, so Gabriel is speaking of 3 kings that would rise after Cyrus. Those 3 kings were Cambyses, Smerdis and Darius the Persian. The fourth which was to be "far richer" was Xerxes (the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther).

Daniel 11:3-4 ...'And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.'

This mighty king who was to stand up and have his kingdom "divided toward the four winds of heaven" is none other than Alexander the Great of Greece. Alexander died in 323BC and his kingdom was divided among his four generals. Alexander's son(s) and half brother Philip were killed, which is why verse 4 above says his kingdom was not divided to his "posterity" (or family). It was Alexander's four generals who took the four parts of divided Greece. Cassander ruled Macedonia in the West; Lysimachus ruled Thrace and Asia Minor in the North; Seleucus ruled Syrian Empire in the East; and Ptolemy ruled Egypt in the South.

Daniel 11:5-6 ...'And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his 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: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.'

We are here now told that out of the four divisions of Alexander's kingdom, two of those would be strong - the "king of the south, and one of his princes." The king of the south (Ptolemy I - Egypt) did indeed become strong, by taking over many islands and cities for Egypt. But one of the other four generals was to be even stronger than Ptolemy of Egypt. That was Seleucus I Nicator of the Syrian division, who conquered Lysimachus in the north and many other territories, and thus the Seleucid empire became a vast empire. Seleucus founded the city of Antioch and made it his capital to reign from. Thus Seleucus now becomes the 'king of the north', ruling over the northern division of Alexander's empire. This is why we now see the terms 'king of the south' and 'king of the north.' As these are the two 'kings' who would be 'strong.' The two kings or kingdoms that would rule north and south of Palestine.

This is key to understanding the truth of the WHOLE of Daniel 11. The first divisions of Alexander's empire must determine the kings of the north and south from the standpoint of Palestine, and whoever rules that geographical location at the time of the particular verse given is known as the king of the north or south. Otherwise we are left with no solid application to test the prophecy.

We know that 'one of his princes' in verse 5 is speaking of Seleucus because of what verse 6 goes on to say. In verse 6 we still have the king of the south, but we also now have the king of the north. So this 'prince' in verse 5 becomes the king of the north, and we know this is the Seleucid empire because as verse 6 says, the king of the south and king of the north come together through the daughter of the king of the south.

Verse 6 says "in the end of years." So this is after the reign of Ptolemy I and Seleucus I. We know from history that this took place through Bernice, the daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (king of the south), who married Antiochus II Theos (king of the north). Through this marriage, the kings of the south and north both agreed to peace between them. This is the 'agreement' made between them as stated in verse 6. But Antiochus II was already married to Laodice, and he puts her aside to marry Bernice. But as verse 6 says, she (Bernice) shall "not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand." In revenge, Laodice had Bernice and Antiochus II killed.

Daniel 11:7 ...'But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.'

The 'branch of her' is a family member of Bernice. Does history confirm that a family member of Bernice made war with the king of the north (Seluecid empire)? Yes! Ptolemy III Euergetes, the brother of Bernice, became king of Egypt and waged war against Seleucus II (king of the north) and succeeds. The following verses up to verse 15 foretells the following battles that took place between the king of the south and the king of the north.

Can you see the foundation that has been set for this chapter? It is dealing with civil kings and kingdoms, with no symbolic language whatsoever, and the battles between them to gain control. And the kings of the north and south are those kings which control the geographical location north and south of Palestine, based on the original division of Alexander's kingdom. This is important to understand as we proceed through the chapter.

Daniel 11:16-20 ...'But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed ... and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him ... Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.'

Verses 16-30 (we have only shown a few verses, 16-20) describe the rise and battles of Rome and the verses speak of specific kings of Rome, like the few verses we have shown above. In Verse 16 we are told that he 'shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him', and that 'he' would 'stand in the glorious land.' When Rome rose to power, none could stand in it's way. But we also have a clear reference to Pompey who conquered Palestine and made Judea a province of Rome. Verse 17 mentions the 'daughter of women' being given to 'him.' This is a reference to Cleopatra being given to Julius Caesar when he enters Egypt and takes her as his concubine, 'corrupting' her and having a son by her. Then we are told of a 'raiser of taxes' which would stand in Rome. This is a clear reference to Caesar Augustus who 'taxed the world' as recorded in Luke 2:1.

The rest of the verses up to verse 30 details other exploits of Rome, including the crucifixion of Christ in verse 22, during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, the 'league' made with the Jews in verse 23, battles with Egypt (king of the south) in verses 25-26, and the final decline of Rome in verses 29-30, which is where we will take up a more detailed explanation to the end of the chapter.

You will notice that when Rome comes on the scene, the name 'king of the north' disappears. Even though Rome conquered the territory of the king of the north, Rome ruled from the WEST, which is why it never is given that name. But we will see the name come back AFTER Rome.

Daniel 11:30 ...'For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.'

The 'ships of Chittim' coming against 'him' is a reference to the barbarian tribes coming against Rome in the 4th century, dividing it up and weakening it. Three of those tribes - Huns, Vandals and Visigoths, were arian tribes that rejected the god of Rome. This is the time where church and state were uniting. Constantine was the first to unite church and state and have 'intelligence with them that forsake the covenant', namely the bishops of Rome. Then after the attack from the barbarian tribes which rejected the god of Rome, Emperor Justinian declared that the Catholic Church was to be the head of all churches and correctors of 'heretics.'

Daniel 11:31 ...'And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.'

Now this is where we need to think about what is being said, as many apply a wrong application to this verse and go astray with the rest of the verses. So verse 31 says that "arms shall stand on his part." What arms, and on who's part? The 'his' in verse 31 is referring to the 'him' and 'he' in verse 30. We learned that the 'him' and 'he' in verse 30 is Pagan Rome and its kings (emperors) during that time, with the barbarian tribes attacking 'him.' So verse 31 is saying that arms will stand on the part of Pagan Rome which was now uniting church and state to place that 'abomination' which is PAPAL Rome. Arms is a reference to another civil power giving its support to Rome, which together 'they would take away the daily and place the abomination that makes desolate' (Papal Rome).' History confirms that the conversion of king Clovis of France to Catholicism in 496AD was instrumental in supplying the 'arms' to Rome, subjecting the Arian Goths and placing the Roman Catholic Church as the head of both church and state.

So France is now on the scene and is a major player in the affairs of the world, which is why God dedicates nearly a whole chapter to France in Revelation 11. And Remember, the books of Daniel and Revelation support and explain each other!

Daniel 11:32 ...'And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.'

Back in verse 30, we learned that Rome, in the person(s) of Constantine and the likes of Justinian had "intelligence with them [bishops of Rome] who forsake the holy covenant." So it was the bishops of Rome who forsook the holy covenant of God. And now in verse 32 it says that "such as do wickedly against the covenant", pointing to the bishops and popes of Rome, shall 'he' corrupt with flatteries. Who is the 'he'? Who has the 'he' and 'him' and 'kings' been right throughout the chapter? Civil rulers. Who is the main civil ruler which came onto the scene and was the champion of the Catholic Church during this time and through the 'dark ages'? France! French kings like Pepin, Charlemagne and their successors helped the popes more than any other nation throughout this time. But the "people that know their God", God's true people like the Waldenses and Albigenses "did exploits" in spreading the scriptures and God's truth.

Daniel 11:33-35 ...'And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.'

Even though God's true people who "did exploits" in "instructing many" in the Word of God, they were heavily persecuted, because they exposed the evils and errors of the Roman Catholic Church and the kings who supported her. The 'many days' points to the 1260 years that the Papacy ruled with the support of the kings of the earth, especially France during this time. Verses 33-35 explain the trials and tribulations that God's people went through during the 1260 years, including the great Protestant reformation and the protest of the princes which helped God's people "with a little help." And this was to take place "to the time of the end", which was the "appointed time" in which God was going to bring about the "mortal wound" to the Papacy.

Daniel 11:36 ...'And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.'

Now this is where there is a parting of belief between many in the church today due to the understanding of who this 'king' is in verse 36. But there need not be any confusion if we would just take the Bible as it reads in the context of what is being said. What have we learned regarding 'kings' mentioned all throughout this chapter? That they are civil kings. To say this king is the pope or Papacy does not fit with the context of the whole chapter. Yes, the Papacy is there in the background, which was that "abomination of desolation" which the civil kings put in place. But this king cannot be the Papacy, which we will give reasons further down.

So who is this king in verse 36? Well, who was now on the scene as the main supporter of the Catholic Church? France. Now what did verse 35 say regarding making the saints "white" and to "try them"? That this would take place "to the time of the end." The time of the end is 1798. Keep that in mind. Now when we look at verse 36, it says this king would do according to his will, and magnify himself and prosper "until the indignation be accomplished." That word 'indignation' literally means, fierce anger. Do we have anyting in history showing a king/kingdom which would bring about this "indignation" around the "time of the end"? Yes! France, with that indignation being the French revolution, which was brought about by the destruction of Protestantism and lifting up the Papacy. Look at the following quote from the Spirit of Prophecy:

"In no land had the spirit of enmity against Christ and the truth been more strikingly displayed than in giddy and godless France. Nowhere had the gospel encountered more bitter and cruel opposition. In the streets of Paris, Christ had indeed been crucified in the person of his saints. The world still recalls with shuddering horror the scenes of that most cowardly and cruel onslaught, the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. The king of France, urged on by Romish priests and prelates, lent his sanction to the dreadful work. The palace bell, tolling at midnight, gave the signal for the slaughter to begin. Protestants by thousands, sleeping quietly in their homes, trusting to the plighted honor of their king, were dragged forth without a warning, and murdered in cold blood ... In France arose an atheistical power that openly declared war against the authority of Heaven. Men threw off all restraint. The law of God was trampled under foot. Those who could engage in the most Heaven-daring blasphemy and the most abominable wickedness were most highly exalted ... Terrible indeed was the condition of infidel France." (Spirit of Prophecy, Vol.4, p.191-192).

Surely this is the indignation that was to be accomplished towards the time of the end (1798) by France. Some apply the king of verse 36 to King Louis XVI, who was the last king of France and the one who brought about the French revolution which began in 1789 and lasted until 1798-1799. But whether this can be applied to king Louis specifically or not, we can with certainty apply this king to France. God devotes nearly a whole chapter to the scenes that took place in France in Revelation 11, and this matches with what we see in Daniel 11. What was the other result of the indignation being accomplished by France at the end of the revolution around 1798? The Papacy received its mortal wound. At the hands of who? Yes, you guessed it! France!

Verses 36 to 39 go on to say that this 'king' would "magnify himself above every god" (vs.36) and "not regard the god of his fathers" (vs.37) and then go on to "do in the strong holds with a strange god" (vs.39). This, as Revelation 11 does, is speaking of the conditions leading up to and including the French revolution, in which France lifted itself up above every god and regarded not the god of his fathers by completely rejecting the God of heaven in the revolution and then honoring a strange god by introducing the 'goddess of reason.' Now how can this be applied to the Papacy? The Popes at this time continued to honor the god of their fathers (the trinity). And the Popes did not go on to then introduce a 'strange god.' Yes, the trinity is a 'strange god,' but the point is, the popes did not adopt a strange god that their fathers knew not. They simply continued worshipping their false god right from the very early centuries. So this doesn't match the Papacy. But it matches France in every way!

Remember, Daniel 11 is a literal history of civil kings and kingdoms.

Daniel 11:40 ...'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.'

So now we have both the king of the south and the king of the north come back into play. When do they come back into play? At the "time of the end", which is the end of the 1260 years of Papal Rule, 1798. Now clearly, we have three powers at play in verse 40. We have the 'him', which is the 'king' from the previous verses (France). And we have the king of the south and the king of the north. Remember, the name 'king of the north' was never applied to Rome, which is why this name vanished when Rome came to power and even had control over the northern division of Alexander's empire. Because Rome ruled from the WEST.

So both the king of the south and the king of the north come against France at the time of the end in 1798. Did this happen in history? Yes! During this time, Egypt (king of the south) was ruled by the Mamelukes, and Napoleon of France invaded Egypt, and therefore Egypt "pushed at him." This then brought about the wrath of the Turks (king of the north - Turkey), who were now ruling from that northern division and they came against France, aided by British and Russian fleets, like a whirlwind. And history records that the Turks came out triumphant from this battle, in fulfillment of verse 40 which says "he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over."

Verse 41 says that "He shall enter ALSO into the glorious land and many countries shall be overthrown." The fact that it says 'he shall ALSO,' means it is continuing with that power which came out victorious from verse 40, which were the Turks, the king of the north. PLEASE NOTE: Notice that it says he enters into the 'glorious land.' We were told in verse 16 of Daniel 11 that Rome stood 'in the glorious land.' And this is taken literally to mean Palestine, which everyone agrees on. So thus we must also take the 'glorious land' in verse 41 to be literal Palestine, otherwise we do great damage to the context and language of Daniel 11. This cannot be symbolic as some try to apply it. It has to be literal, and the Turks fulfilled this by entering into Palestine. Verses 41-43 then go on to record further conquests of the Turks - the Ottoman Empire (king of the north).

Daniel 11:44 ...'But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.'

The tidings, or reports, that came out of the east and north, were the reports of Persia and Russia conspiring together to destroy the Ottoman Empire. Thus 'he', the king of the north (Ottoman Empire) went forth with fury to destroy. This was fulfilled in the Crimean war of the 1850's, in which Russia and Persia failed in their attempt to destroy the Ottoman Empire.

This is where we stand today, with only verse 45 to be fulfilled.

Daniel 11:45 ...'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.'

The 'tabernacles of his palace' means the 'seat of government' of the Turkish kingdom. And where does this last verse say the 'seat of government' of the Turkish [Islamic] power will be moved to? "Between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain,". Now remember, Rome entered the 'glorious land' in verse 16, which referred to literal Palestine, which everyone agrees with. But for some strange reason, many people today turn the 'glorious land' and 'glorious holy mountain' into symbols, which Elder James White said were 'cast off' in this chapter, and which we can clearly see from reading it ourselves. Now if the glorious land is Israel, then what is the 'glorious holy mountain' going to be? Jerusalem!

Daniel 6:10 ...'Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.'

At this point in time, Israel had been captured by Babylon and Jerusalem had been destroyed. And yet! Daniel still prayed towards Jerusalem. Why? Because he understood Jerusalem to be the 'glorious holy mountain' within the 'glorious land'. And what place on earth will New Jerusalem rest upon? Jerusalem! We must therefore look for the Turks to move their seat of government to Jerusalem. And what did Gabriel say to Daniel concerning chapter 11?

Daniel 10:14 ...'Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.'

And what did Moses tell the Israelites regarding the 'latter days'? ... Deuteronomy 31:29 ...'For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.'

Another destruction is coming to the nation of Israel, from this move of Turkey and Islam. And the move of Turkey and Islam upon Israel, specifically Jerusalem, will be their last move, and when Turkey does this, they then come to their end, and none help them. Other nations have helped Turkey in past wars, but when the Turks make this final move, she will be on her own and the result will be the end of the Turkish, Islamic kingdom. Thus the prophecy of Daniel 11:45 points to a movement on the part of Turkey and Islam into Jerusalem.

The movement on the part of Turkey and Islam is the SIGNAL for the standing up of Michael and the end of probation (Daniel 12:1). It marks the order of events. Yes, the Papacy is the antichrist and will, through America cause the world to take it's mark. But when Turkey and Islam move into Jerusalem to take control, we will know that the next event will be the close of probation and the end is at the door! This is the whole purpose of Daniel 11.

"Turkey stands as a national guidepost to the world, that men may know what is going on in the sanctuary above." (Stephen Haskell, The Story of Daniel the Prophet, 1901, p.248)

Daniel 12:1 says that 'at that time,' at the time that the king of the north goes for Jerusalem and comes to his end, 'Michael will stand up,' which is the close of probation and the beginning of the time of trouble. This is why Turkey stands as a 'guidepost,' to let us know when the close of probation is about to take place.

REASON 1: Rome is mentioned in numerous verses of Daniel 11, but not once is Rome spoken of as the 'king of the north.' And the reason for this is the fact that Rome ruled from the WEST, which shows again the LITERAL nature of Daniel 11. So if the Roman Empire itself was never spoken of as the 'king of the north', why would the Papacy, which took over from Imperial Rome be called by that title? It makes no sense.

REASON 2: In verse 37 we are told that the 'king' would not regard "any god." In verse 38 it says the 'king' shall "honor a god his fathers knew not." Then in verse 39 it says the 'king' would hold to a "strange god." These things cannot be said of the popes during this time (heading towards the time of the end - 1798), as they all lifted up the god of their fathers, the trinity god. REMEMBER, we already were given the history of the 1260 years with the Protestant reformation in verses 33-35. In verse 37 we are heading towards the 'time of the end' (1798). So in no way can we say during this time that the popes did not regard any god, or lifted up a god their fathers knew not, or introduced a strange god. No, they continued worshipping the trinity god which was confirmed way back in the Catholic counsels of the 4th century. Only the nation of France fulfills these requirements.

REASON 3: Daniel 11 is clearly a literal account of history with no symbols, which our pioneers believed as you will see further down the page. And yet to apply the Papacy to the king of the north, you have to employ much symbolism, which goes against the structure of Daniel 11. Verse 40 is interpreted the following way by modern preachers: "The king of the south (France) pushes at the Papacy by bringing the Papacy to and end in 1798, and then the Papacy (king of the north) comes against 'him' (atheism) like a whirlwind". Do you see a problem with this? It is literal France that pushes at the Papacy, and then the Papacy responds not to France, but to 'atheism'. In one verse they go from applying the king of the south to literal France, to applying the king of the south to 'symbolic' Egypt and atheism! This is what happens when you do not use the proper rules of interpretation that William Miller clearly set forward, where he says that 'if it makes good sense' and 'does no damage' then accept it. But as you can see from the above, the current interpretation of the Papacy being the king of the north does great damage to the context and makes no sense whatsoever!

URIAH SMITH - "But if Turkey, now occupying the territory which constituted the northern division of Alexander's empire, is not the king of the north of this prophecy, then we are left without any principle to guide us in the interpretation. And we presume all will be agreed that there is no room for the introduction of any other power here." (Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, 1882, p.370)

"Elder Smith spoke in the morning upon the Eastern Question. The subject was of special interest, and the people listened with the most earnest attention." (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 4, p.279)

A.T.JONES - "So, when we come to the fortieth verse of the eleventh of Daniel, we are not reading of affairs away back in the days of the empire of Greece, nor of the affairs of Rome, but of affairs down here at 'the time of the end,' as mentioned in the thirty-fifth verse. Other verses also show the same thing. And bear in mind that the king of the South is always in Egypt, and the king of the North is always the power occupying the territory of which Constantinople is the center. And all the world knows that since 1453 A. D., the territory of which Constantinople is the center, has been held and ruled by the Turks. Then the king of the North at the time of the end is the Turkish dominion." (A.T.Jones, The Marshaling of the Nations, p.30-31)

A.T.JONES - "The last verses of Daniel 11 relate to Turkey, which, as 'the king of the north,' with its center at Constantinople, occupies, in direct decent, the place of the original 'king of the north' in the division of the empire of Alexander the Great, as in verses 4-15 of Daniel 11. And of this Power it is written: '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." (A.T.Jones, The Great Nations of To-day, 1901, p.98)

S.HASKELL - "Every eye is centered on that one spot, and has been for years. Turkey is known universally as the 'Sick Man of the East,' and the only reason he does not die is because intoxicants are administered, figuratively speaking, by first one nation then another. The time will come when he will remove from Constantinople, and take up his abode in Palestine; that is, plant his tabernacle between the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Time and again the world has been brought to realize that the end of all things is near at hand, for all know that when the Turk steps out of Constantinople, there will be a general breaking up of Europe. They may not name this impending conflict the battle of Armageddon, but God has so named it." (S.Haskell, Story of Daniel the Prophet, p.245-249)

J.N.LOUGHBOROUGH - "I have just completed a careful reading of Brother H. E. Robinson's book, "The Eastern Question". From its title, one would hardly form an idea of the various important questions which are treated in the book, but they all have a bearing on the final settlement of the Eastern question, which question really is, "What disposition is to be finally made of the Turkish power? and what is ultimately to be done with the territory which he now occupies?" The various theories on that subject are carefully examined in the book, and the Bible settlement of the case is clearly presented. Let all secure and read the book. They will be amply repaid for so doing." (J.N.Loughborough, Review and Herald, Jan.25, 1898, Vol.75, No.4)

H.E.ROBINSON - "For more complete information concerning the recent history of Turkey, we turn to Daniel 11. This is a literal prophecy of great interest, where, under the title 'king of the north,' the same power is represented ... the power called the 'king of the north' must be the one which occupies the northern portion of Alexander's empire ... Turkey now occupies the northern division of the Grecian Empire; therefore Turkey is the 'king of the north' when the prophecy comes down to modern times." (H.E.Robinson, The Eastern Question, p.157-159)

B.G.WILKINSON - "Furnished with this Bible interpretation, one can readily see that the waters of the Euphrates would be the peoples and nations filling the territories of that river. A glance on the map will fix the attention upon the Turk as occupying those territories now. But not much longer will he be tenant of those lands. The decree of God has gone forth. The Turk, with all others who bar the path, will be wiped away before the invading hosts as they draw toward the plains of Armageddon." (B.G.Wilkinson, THE EASTERN QUESTION AND THE SIXTH PLAGUE, Review and Herald, Jan.15, 1901, Vol.78, No.3)

Take a look at these recent news articles regarding a possible 'move' of Turkey and her desire to conquer Jerusalem and make it an Islamic capital:

Turkish Newspaper Close To President Erdogan Calls To Form Joint Islamic Army To Fight Israel

Turkey President Erdogan: 'Liberate Jerusalem' from the Jews

Turkish President Erdogan calls on all Muslims to 'protect' Jerusalem holy site

Turkish President Erdogan tells his citizens that Muslims need to assert dominance over Jerusalem

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stressed that Jerusalem belongs to the Muslims and not to the Jews

Turkish Govenor declares that Turkey's forces would soon march into Jerusalem!

Erdogan is trying to make Jerusalem his own city and for that he will spare no money nor hardship

So as you can see, the 'eastern question' of Daniel 11:45 is very much stirring. There are signs that the leadership of Turkey are making plans to do the very thing Daniel 11:45 said they would. And that is to 'plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain' - JERUSALEM! And as we have said, this event is a guidepost to show how close we are to the close of probation. When the Islamic power moves it's base to Jerusalem to take control, then the battle of Armageddon (a literal battle of world powers) will take place. And the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will then take place.

As we said above. This prophecy is not to take our focus off the role of the Papacy and America in the last days. Yes, the mark of the beast will be enforced by America and it's image to the Papacy. Yes, the 'kings of the earth' will give their power to the Papacy to enforce her dogmas upon the world. But Daniel 11:45 and the king of the north (Turkey - Islam) is simply a 'sign' that Jesus is about to 'stand up' and the close of probation has arrived. So what should our focus be, when we see signs that Islam is to take Jerusalem as it's own? BE READY in Christ.

Daniel 12:1 ...'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: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.'

Will your name still be in the book of life when Christ stands up? Make sure it is by surrendering all to the Lord!