Ottoman

     “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, Aug. 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.   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.    

     William Miller possessed strong mental powers, disciplined by thought and study; and he added to these the wisdom of heaven by connecting himself with the Source of wisdom. He was a man of sterling worth, who could not but command respect and esteem wherever integrity of character and moral excellence were valued. Uniting true kindness of heart with Christian humility and the power of self-control, he was attentive and affable to all, ready to listen to the opinions of others and to weigh their arguments. Without passion or excitement he tested all theories and doctrines by the word of God, and his sound reasoning and thorough knowledge of the Scriptures enabled him to refute error and expose falsehood.”  

GC 334-335  

     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.    

     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 SECOND 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.    

     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, 

GC 691