DiggingforTruth

Home Prophecy Spirit of Prophecy Section Book - Great Controversy (1911) GC - Chapter 18 - An American Reformer (p. 317 )

GC - Chapter 18 - Appendix

Chapter 18: An American Reformer

Appendix for Chapter 18

In the seventh chapter of Ezra the decree is found. Verses 12-26. In its completest form it was issued by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, 457 B.C. But in Ezra 6:14 the house of the Lord at Jerusalem is said to have been built "according to the commandment ["decree," margin] of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia." These three kings, in originating, reaffirming, and completing the decree, brought it to the perfection required by the prophecy to mark the beginning of the 2300 years. Taking 457 B.C., the time when the decree was completed, as the date of the commandment, every specification of the prophecy concerning the seventy weeks was seen to have been fulfilled. {GC 326.3}

Thus far every specification of the prophecies is strikingly fulfilled, and the beginning of the seventy weeks is fixed beyond question at 457 B.C., and their expiration in A.D. 34. From this data there is no difficulty in finding the termination of the 2300 days. The seventy weeks -- 490 days -- having been cut off from the 2300, there were 1810 days remaining. After the end of 490 days, the 1810 days were still to be fulfilled. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. Consequently the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 terminate in 1844. At the expiration of this great prophetic period, upon the testimony of the angel of God, "the sanctuary shall be cleansed." Thus the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary -- which was almost universally believed to take place at the second advent -- was definitely pointed out. {GC 328.2}

Miller and his associates at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year. (See Appendix.) The misapprehension of this point brought disappointment and perplexity to those who had fixed upon the earlier date as the time of the Lord's coming. But this did not in the least affect the strength of the argument showing that the 2300 days terminated in the year 1844, and that the great event represented by the cleansing of the sanctuary must then take place. {GC 328.3}

PAGES 327, 329. PROPHETIC DATES. -- ACCORDING TO JEWISH RECKONING THE FIFTH MONTH (AB) OF THE SEVENTH YEAR OF ARTAXERXES' REIGN WAS FROM JULY 23 TO AUGUST 21, 457 B.C. AFTER EZRA'S ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM IN THE AUTUMN OF THE YEAR, THE DECREE OF THE KING WENT INTO EFFECT. FOR THE CERTAINTY OF THE DATE 457 B.C. BEING THE SEVENTH YEAR OF ARTAXERXES, SEE S. H. HORN AND L. H. WOOD, THE CHRONOLOGY OF EZRA 7 (WASHINGTON, D. C.: REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSN., 1953); E. G. KRAELING, THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM ARAMAIC PAPYRI (NEW HAVEN OR LONDON, 1953), PP. 191-193; THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BIBLE COMMENTARY (WASHINGTON, D.C.: REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSN., 1954), VOL. 3, PP. 97-110. {GC 690.4}

Page 335

At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction.(See Appendix.) When it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correctness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement. Men of learning and position united with Miller, both in preaching and in publishing his views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rapidly extended. {GC 335.1}

PAGES 335, FALL OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. -- THE IMPACT OF MOSLEM TURKEY UPON EUROPE AFTER THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE IN 1453 WAS AS SEVERE AS HAD BEEN THE CATASTROPHIC CONQUESTS OF THE MOSLEM SARACENS, DURING THE CENTURY AND A HALF AFTER THE DEATH OF MOHAMMED, UPON THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE. THROUGHOUT THE REFORMATION ERA, TURKEY WAS A CONTINUAL THREAT AT THE EASTERN GATES OF EUROPEAN CHRISTENDOM; THE WRITINGS OF THE REFORMERS ARE FULL OF CONDEMNATION OF THE OTTOMAN POWER. CHRISTIAN WRITERS SINCE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH THE ROLE OF TURKEY IN FUTURE WORLD EVENTS, AND COMMENTATORS ON PROPHECY HAVE SEEN TURKISH POWER AND ITS DECLINE FORECAST IN SCRIPTURE. {GC 691.1}

FOR THE LATTER CHAPTER, UNDER THE "HOUR, DAY, MONTH, YEAR" PROPHECY, AS PART OF THE SIXTH TRUMPET, JOSIAH LITCH WORKED OUT AN APPLICATION OF THE TIME PROPHECY, TERMINATING TURKISH INDEPENDENCE IN AUGUST, 1840. LITCH'S VIEW CAN BE FOUND IN FULL IN HIS THE PROBABILITY OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST ABOUT A.D. 1843 (PUBLISHED IN JUNE, 1838); AN ADDRESS TO THE CLERGY (PUBLISHED IN THE SPRING OF 1840; A SECOND EDITION, WITH HISTORICAL DATA IN SUPPORT OF THE ACCURACY OF FORMER CALCULATIONS OF THE PROPHETIC PERIOD EXTENDING TO THE FALL OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, WAS PUBLISHED IN 1841); AND AN ARTICLE IN SIGNS OF THE TIMES AND EXPOSITOR OF PROPHECY, AUG. 1, 1840. SEE ALSO ARTICLE IN SIGNS OF THE TIMES AND EXPOSITOR OF PROPHECY, FEB. 1, 1841; AND J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, THE GREAT ADVENT MOVEMENT (1905 ED.), PP. 129-132. THE BOOK BY URIAH SMITH, THOUGHTS ON DANIEL AND THE REVELATION, REV. ED. OF 1944, DISCUSSES THE PROPHETIC TIMING OF THIS PROPHECY ON PAGES 506-517. {GC 691.2}

FOR THE EARLIER HISTORY OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND THE DECLINE OF THE TURKISH POWER, SEE ALSO WILLIAM MILLER, THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND ITS SUCCESSORS, 1801-1927 (CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND: UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1936); GEORGE G. S. L. EVERSLEY, THE TURKISH EMPIRE FROM 1288 TO 1914 (LONDON : T. FISHER UNWIN, LTD., 2D ED., 1923); JOSEPH VON HAMMER-PURGSTALL, GESCHICHTE DES OSMANNISCHEN REICHES (PESTH: C. A. HARTLEBEN, 2D ED., 1834-36), 4 VOLS.; HERBERT A. GIBBONS, FOUNDATION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, 1300-1403 (OXFORD: UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1916); ARNOLD J. TOYNBEE AND KENNETH B. KIRKWOOD, TURKEY (LONDON, 1926). {GC 691.3}

Additional Reading Suggested by Webmaster

Daniel and the Revelation- Uriah Smith ( Chapter 9 )

Page 340

As the arguments from the prophetic periods were found to be impregnable, opposers endeavored to discourage investigation of the subject by teaching that the prophecies were sealed. Thus Protestants followed in the steps of Romanists. While the papal church withholds the Bible (see Appendix) from the people, Protestant churches claimed that an important part of the Sacred Word -- and that the part which brings to view truths specially applicable to our time -- could not be understood. Great Controversy, page 340.2 {Chapter 18}

PAGE 340. WITHHOLDING THE BIBLE FROM THE PEOPLE -- THE READER WILL RECOGNIZE THAT THE TEXT OF THIS VOLUME WAS WRITTEN PRIOR TO VATICAN COUNCIL II, WITH ITS SOMEWHAT ALTERED POLICIES IN REGARD TO THE READING OF THE SCRIPTURES. {GC 691.4}

THROUGH THE CENTURIES, THE ATTITUDE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TOWARD CIRCULATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES IN VERNACULAR VERSIONS AMONG THE LAITY SHOWS UP AS NEGATIVE. SEE FOR EXAMPLE G. P. FISHER, THE REFORMATION, CH. 15, PAR. 16 (1873 ED., PP. 530-532); J. CARDINAL GIBBONS, THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS, CH. 8 (49TH ED., 1897), PP. 98-117; JOHN DOWLING, HISTORY OF ROMANISM, B. 7, CH. 2, SEC. 14; AND B. 9, CH. 3, SECS. 24-27 (1871 ED., PP. 491-496, 621-625); L. F. BUNGENER, HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, PP. 101-110 (2D EDINBURGH ED., 1853, TRANSLATED BY D. D. SCOTT); G. H. PUTNAM, BOOKS AND THEIR MAKERS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES, VOL. 1, PT. 2, CH. 2, PARS. 49, 54-56. SEE ALSO INDEX OF PROHIBITED BOOKS (VATICAN POLYGLOT PRESS, 1930), PP. IX, X; TIMOTHY HURLEY, A COMMENTARY ON THE PRESENT INDEX LEGISLATION (NEW YORK: BENZIGER BROTHERS, 1908), P. 71; TRANSLATION OF THE GREAT ENCYCLICAL LETTERS OF LEO XIII (NEW YORK: BENZIGER BROTHERS, 1903), P. 413. {GC 691.5}

BUT IN RECENT YEARS A DRAMATIC AND POSITIVE CHANGE HAS OCCURRED IN THIS RESPECT. ON THE ONE HAND, THE CHURCH HAS APPROVED SEVERAL VERSIONS PREPARED ON THE BASIS OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES; ON THE OTHER, IT HAS PROMOTED THE STUDY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES BY MEANS OF FREE DISTRIBUTION AND BIBLE INSTITUTES. THE CHURCH, HOWEVER, CONTINUES TO RESERVE FOR HERSELF THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE IN THE LIGHT OF HER OWN TRADITION, THUS JUSTIFYING THOSE DOCTRINES THAT DO NOT HARMONIZE WITH BIBLICAL TEACHINGS. {GC 692.1}

Additional information

Return to Chapter 18 of The Great Controversy

diggingfortruth.org