After many years of waiting to make sure that the seventh trumpet harmonizes with the first six, and the third woe harmonizes with the first two woes, the fifth and sixth trumpets, I do not have to wait any longer. The "King of the North" is indeed Turkey. It is not only the correct understanding of the seven trumpets in Revelation, but also the fulfillment of Daniel 11:45 which we can see happening before our very eyes. "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."
 

Who is this that darkeneth counsel?

Why the long wait when we could see what was happening in Europe and Turkey? Because to err would be to bring into question the correct teaching of the gospel of grace which is of much more importance than the interpretation of the prophecies in the Book of Daniel. Satan has been so successful with his false gospels that much of professing Christianity, including God's last church, has been deceived as to what it means to be converted, to have eternal life. God is not pleased when men open their mouths and speak things that pervert His truths. Job did that and the first Words to Him from God were a rebuke to his ramblings that contradicted God's truth. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,  Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" Job 38:1,2. Yes, Job not only perverted God's truth, he sinned which is something the church has been unwilling to teach. Another example of how deceptions have come into God's church. How can teachers ignore simple truth such as we read in Job chapter forty, verses one through eight?

"Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further." 

Yes, Job sinned, unless we want to say that reproving God is not sin. We can reason that Job was self righteous, can we not? Some will still argue just as we see with many other theological issues in the church, when they ignore such simple truth. Does God make it even more clear that Job was self righteous? Yes, He does. First He sent His faithful servant Elihu to reprove Job and his three friends. And what did Elihu have to say about Job, that he was self righteous.

"For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity." Job 34:5-10. Yes, Elihu said the same as did God, that Job was self righteous.

Wilt thou condemn me?

Or is it too hard a thing to see the truth? Do you who still reject truth want more of it? God made it perfectly clear that Job was self righteous, not when He said he was perfect and hated evil, but after he fell from grace and started feeling sorry for himself. Listen to the Bible tell us the truth about Job when he took his eyes off of God.

"Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?" Job 40:6-8.

Yes, Job sinned, unless disannulling God's judgment is not sin. Why would Job do such things? Why would Job condemn God?  God spoke out of the whirlwind and tells us why.  "....that thou mayest be righteous." Yes, God said it. Job was self righteous. Some will still reject truth even though the Bible tells us that God said Job sinned and was self righteous. In order to continue on in apostasy, some in the church will argue on no matter how much truth is presented to them. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and they have no spiritual discernment because they are not abiding in Christ and He in them. In other words, many even in leadership positions in the church are not converted. They remain in a Laodicean condition. Jesus loves sinners, even when unrepentant. He comes to them saying "Repent, I stand at the door of your heart, open the door."

Some will not be converted, and are swine, or wolves in sheep's clothing. We are warned, to cast not your pearls before swine, or else they will often mingle in that truth to deceive the very elect if possible. But, it is not possible, because the elect love Jesus supremely and have spiritual discernment since they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, all who are born of the Spirit are filled with the Spirit. All who are born of the flesh are flesh and can do no good thing until born of the Spirit. For self is evil and all works are then tainted with selfishness.

Did Job continue on in sin when reproved by God? How could anyone who like Job loved God as he did,

I abhor myself, and repent

not be brought to repentance after all that God said to Job. Chapter after chapter of reproof! Yes, Job repented of his sins. "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." job 2:6.  And just as Elihu said He would, God forgave Job. "He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light." Job 33:27,28. Yes, God forgave and greatly blessed his man Job, when he repented of his sins.

Now, back to Rome and God's warning today to Babylon. How could I teach error and displease the God I love? I could not teach that Turkey was the King of the North until I could see it was so. The seven trumpets reveal that God warned pagan Rome, papal Rome, Eastern Rome (Constantinople), and Babylon of judgments that would come if she would not turn back from her persecution of the saints. She did not yield up her evil ways. God used barbarians to inflict judgment upon pagan Rome in the West. This is revealed in the first four trumpets in Revelation. then in the fifth and sixth trumpets which are called the first and second woes, God warned Western Rome and Eastern Rome (Constantinople), to turn from her false religion and persecution of Christians. The Bible clearly points out that Islam would rise up against both apostate religions. The barbarians sacked pagan Rome and brought her to her end. Islam sacked Northern Africa and Southern Europe, Catholic territory, and was knocking at the door of Rome when the papal army was redirected from destroying the Protestant Reformation to protecting Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. Yes, God used Islam to further the success of the Protestant Reformation. Without Islam, there would be no Protestant Church. Papal power would have slaughtered the Protestant Princes along with the reformers of that day.

As Seventh-day Adventists we are without excuse for not knowing this is the correct interpretation of the

Many of our people have been blind

trumpets. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that the Book Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith contains truths that we need to understand.

"Patriarchs and Prophets, Daniel and the Revelation, and The Great Controversy are needed now as never before. They should be widely circulated because the truths they emphasize will open many blind eyes.... Many of our people have been blind to the importance of the very books that were most needed." The Review and Herald, February 16, 1905. 

The light given specifically on Islam and the fifth and sixth trumpets in the Spirit of Prophecy confirms Islam's involvement in the "woes" which came upon Constantinople, which included the downfall of the Byzantine Empire. Also the sixth trumpet reveals the date of the end of the rule of the Ottoman Empire.

"In the year 1840 another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman Empire. According to his calculations, this power was to be overthrown “in A.D. 1840, sometime in the month of August;” and only a few days previous to its accomplishment he wrote: “Allowing the first period, 150 years, to have been exactly fulfilled before Deacozes ascended the throne by permission of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at the close of the first period, it will end on the 11th of August, 1840, when the Ottoman power in Constantinople may be expected to be broken. And this, I believe, will be found to be the case.”—Josiah Litch, in Signs of the Times, and Expositor of Prophecy, August 1, 1840.
 
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."  The Great Controversy, pg 334.

Those seeking light that they may bring honor and glory to God have much to be thankful for. Prophecy has been fulfilling in front of us. The light given to God's church is opened before us that we might understand it, preferably  before it happens as Josiah Litch did.

When we understand that Apostate Rome is the central figure in the seven trumpets, we will better understand that we need not make her the King of the North in Daniel 11:45. She is not. Then who is? Just as we read in the book Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith, it is Turkey. She occupies the position today of the King of the North. Therefore, she is the King of the North.

Fifteen years ago when I was forced to argue against those taking other positions, because I could see they were not correct, I began to study what was written by Smith regarding Daniel 11:45. I was not convinced he was right about the King of the North, but I could not say he was wrong, neither did I want to considering what was written in the Spirit of Prophecy about his book. But, I did not believe that everything written in the book had to be true. Neither could I reject any of what was written without knowing it was wrong. It was then that I began to study and pray in order to know who was King of the North.

My studies took me to the seven trumpets in the Book of Revelation. Why did I go there? The prophet had confirmed the fifth and sixth trumpets involved Islam (Turkey).  Constantinople was the headquarters of the Ottoman Empire after it was conquered by the Muslims. Today it is no longer called Constantinople, but by some Greeks, and some Eastern Orthodox Christians that hope to regain

Rome sits at the center

possession of the city. It is now called Istanbul.

Let us take a look at Daniel 11:45 which will help us understand the third woe which is the seventh trumpet. Daniel and Revelation can be better understood if we realize it is really one book. When the Book of Daniel, which was sealed when given to Daniel was unsealed in 1798, the light shined brightly on the Book of Revelation. The seven trumpets and Daniel 11:45 are revealing the same thing. Rome sits at the center of both, but again, she is not the King of the North.

In Daniel 11:45, we see a third religious power who will finally be put out of her suffering. Israel brought a curse upon herself when Jesus was brought before Pilot. When he gave them an opportunity to set their King free, they rejected his offer. He then asked what he should do with Jesus. The leaders and people of Israel cried out "His blood be on us and on our children." Matthew 27:25. This curse will follow them until the end of time. And so it has. There will be a great work done for the Jews in our day. Many will see Jesus as their Messiah and accept Him as Savior before Israel as a nation is taken over by Turkey.

The end nears as we read in Daniel 11:45. "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. 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." Daniel 11:44,45. The "glorius holy mountain" is Jerusalem. Can you imagine Turkey going into Jerusalem? Impossible you say? Not any more, but 15 years ago who would

The new Islamic State of Turkey

have thought such a thing? I did, and others like me who have studied the book Daniel and the Revelation with spiritual discernment. What has changed in 15 years?

Turkey, a member of NATO is no longer a western leaning republic with separation between church and state. She is now an Islamic state destined to rebuild the Ottoman Empire and lead Islam as a powerful caliphate. In order to be a caliphate there must be a caliph. No problem. Turkey knows who he is, and the Muslim world is fast learning who he is. His name is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is head of the new Islamic State of Turkey. He has successfully purged the nation's institutions of all who would oppose him. There is no freedom of the press and the military that kept the nation from the dangers of church and state rule, failed in their coup and have been purged of any opposition.

Keep your eyes on Turkey, trouble is brewing, prophecy is being fulfilled right in front of our eyes. The West and Turkey cannot share their secrets in NATO any longer. Turkey will set up shop in Jerusalem and the Bible tells us what will happen to her. Will not God tell us what will happen to Turkey?  "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth His secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7.