synthesis
"Mutual contradiction being reconciled on a higher level of truth"

Introduction
The synthesis mailing list includes many wonderful people of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and even Deist religious persuasions, from various countries, in both the northern and southern hemispheres. We are honored and humbled that each one of you is willing to listen to our religious perspectives and we pray that each of you will be blessed and benefited by something you read in these weekly presentations. This week we dig deep into a never-before published jewel of a scholarly prophetic perspective that we found buried in the archives at Andrews University, in Berrien Springs, Michigan, some time ago. But it's more than just a provoking perspective. If correct, it helps support our conviction that there is a much-ignored Bible truth in the bowels of Adventism that will soon impact every inhabitant of earth regardless of religious persuasion. 

Food For Thought
"I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations … They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth." - John Adams, Second President of the United States (From a letter to F. A. Van der Kemp [Feb. 16, 1808] Pennsylvania Historical Society)

The Sixth Trumpet of Revelation
 S ome weeks back, we began to consider how William Miller's nineteenth century prophecy lectures mushroomed into a full-blown, intra-church, inter-denominational revival movement after the prophecy of Revelation 6:13 was fulfilled in spectacular fashion. That prophecy is part of the sixth seal that unfolded before John the Revelator.

John's visions are made up of many cryptic scenes that unfold like surreal stories. They include seven churches, seven seals, and seven trumpets.

Like the Protestant students of scripture before him, William Miller interpreted these prophecies as history written in advance. This is now referred to as the historicist model of prophetic interpretation.

Wycliffe, Luther, and Knox all contributed to the historicist understanding of Daniel and John's prophecies, and these prophetic understandings gave character and credence to the Reformation in the eyes of the royalty and the "commoners" of medieval Europe, who esteemed the Bible as the Word of God.

Attack!
The historicist interpretation of the major prophecies has been under a brilliantly coordinated attack ever since the days of the counter-reformation.

Even many of the principle spiritual children of the Millerite Movement, (Seventh-day Adventists), now doubt the historicity of the trumpets of Revelation, even though they featured very prominently for a few years of the Movement, when the sixth trumpet appeared to have been fulfilled in accordance with Miller's predictions in the year 1840.

Here is what happened:

"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 publishing his views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rapidly extended." (1)

This prophetic fulfillment seemed so well documented at the time that "men of learning and position united with Miller," and a "wonderful impetus" was given to the Movement. So then, it is ironic that this fulfillment, that so impressed intelligent men and women of the day, should later come under such question that, as far as I know, it is essentially avoided today in most public prophecy seminars conducted by Adventists. 

New Evidence Unearthed From the Dust of the Past
The following observations come from the personal, unpublished papers of Grace Amadon, a Seventh-day Adventist scholar who lived in the early part of the 20th century. Unfortunately some of the footnote pages are missing so I do not have access to all the original references she quotes from.

But her brilliant and thorough scholarship should still be enough to convince the open and honest mind that God has spoken to us through the trumpets of Revelation to announce many events that are now history, and at least one which is right on the horizon, and will soon affect every person alive on planet earth.

"In the third decade of the nineteenth century, William Miller fixed upon the year 1839 as the time for the 'third woe' to begin. He based his calculation on a 1298-beginning of the Turkish aggression. He later rejected the historical authorities he had consulted, and thereupon looked forward to the year 1840 as the probable date, in harmony with Edward Gibbon's date concerning the Ottoman invasion of Nicomedia. Miller had an unusually clear and appealing interpretation of the symbolism of the prophecy. He was definitely looking for the 'final overthrow of the Ottoman power.' To Litch also, the end of the prophecy would be the 'great battle of God Almighty.' In their minds, the hosts of Europe, Asia, and Africa were about to muster for dreadful scenes of slaughter and blood. This did not happen." (2)

Besides mistaking what was the true meaning of the "cleansing of the sanctuary" that was to take place at the end of the prophetic 2300 days of Daniel 8:14, they, (like most inhabitants of earth still do to this day), mistook the true meaning of Armageddon. But these are fascinating subjects for another day.

Not Armageddon
Although a bloody Armageddon did not happen in 1840, as they expected it might, their other expectation did happen. And the way Grace Amadon has confirmed the fulfillment of this prophecy is enough to inspire awe in the God who inspired these prophecies.

"The earliest forecast of [a Millerite named] Litch,  in 1838, had predicted the event to end 'sometime in the month of August.' Just a few days previous to the time of expectancy in 1840, he pointed to the 11th of August as a possible terminus. But he did not actually predict this date, for at the same time he wrote: 'But still there is no positive evidence that the first period [under the fifth trumpet] was exactly to a day, fulfilled; nor yet that the second period [under the six trumpet] began, to a day, where the first closed. If they began and ended so, the above calculation [as given in the Signs of the Times, and also in Great Controversy], will be correct. If they did not, then there will be a variation in the conclusion; but the evidence is clear that there cannot be a year's variation in the conclusion, so we wait patiently for the issue." (3)

Amazing Accuracy Recognized
It is encouraging to note the humility and lack of dogmatism of these Millerite Bible students.

"The Millerites did not at first contend that the 'event' for which they had looked agreed exactly with their calculation of the prophecy. 'True,' they wrote editorially in the Signs of the Times, 'the Turkish envoy did not have an audience with the Pasha until the 14th, and did not receive his answer until the 15th.' Yet, they counted it 'a very striking fulfillment of the calculation' that the meeting between Rifat Bay and Mehemet Ali was supposedly but four days after the '11th of August.' It was concluded that 'the like singular accuracy in the fulfillment of a prophetic period cannot be found in history.' They counted the prophecy as the most definite of any in the Bible, 'even descending to the days' for its final ending." (4) 

Dates Confirmed in History
There is not enough space to deal with all the amazing scholarship of Grace Amadon on this subject, but she deeply researched and confirmed the historical accuracy of the July 27, 1299 starting date for the fifth trumpet that is the basis for calculating the "hour, and a day, and a month, and a year" (5) which, in  prophetic day-for-a-year time, equals 391 years and 15 days. This time period starts on July 27, 1449, at the end of the "five months," or 150 years, of the fifth trumpet that began on July 27, 1299. (6)

August 17, Not August 11
But the crown jewel of her efforts is the brilliant method she used to confirm the historicity of the sixth trumpet prophecy down to the very calendar day. We will look at that in just a minute. But first we need to understand a bit more about the circumstances of this prophetic fulfillment. In the private, never-before published, scholarly paper we have been drawing from, she continues:

"The Revelation 9 prophecy has for a long time been incorporated into Seventh-day Adventist teaching, and for the most part, Millerite arguments have been used in the interpretation. As early as 1914, A. G. Daniels pointed out in the columns of the Review and Herald that the official report, pertaining to the reform Treaty between Turkey and the powers of Europe was presented to Mehemet Ali by the representative ambassadors on August 17, 1840, rather than on August 11. The Millerites could not be informed of this date until the Great Britain House of Commons reports were in print, and the sessional papers for 1840 did not go into circulation until after the year 1841. When they did finally reach America, the Adventists were almost wholly absorbed with the 2300-year prophecy." (7)

Islamic Power Over Turkish Christians Broken
She points out that at least four independent historical authorities all agree that the multi-national convention between the major Christian powers of Europe and Moslem Turkey effectively brought Turkish sovereignty to an end. That convention, (or multilateral treaty), having been signed by Turkey and the European powers, was presented to the Pasha of Egypt, who was militarily threatening Turkey, on the 17th of August, 1840. Turkey was now officially under the protection of these Christian European powers, having confessed her inability to adequately rule and protect her own borders without help.

"The civil arm of Turkey was taken over by the powers of Europe, who assumed the responsibility of her disorderly government. The approach had come from Turkey herself. However, it was not the work of a day to reform this impotent nation. The time was long, and the decades which followed were characterized by almost unbroken war and illegalities with the concert of Europe. The 1840 treaty lasted throughout the remainder of the ninetenth century and until the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. But with every war, Turkey kept losing territory. In the eyes of statesmen, her empire was fallen, and her glory extinguished. Nevertheless, the 1840 covenant deferred for almost a century the actual dissolution of Turkish empire, and instead, separated the civil and religious institutions of Turkey by placing her power of state under foreign tutelage." (8)

 Although the 1840 treaty kept the Turkish empire from falling apart immediately, it instituted immediate reforms to the way the government related to Christians within her borders. The power of Islam was broken over Christ's Church in Turkey. This is the principle point of the sixth trumpet. And this is why the prophetic time period ended on July 17, 1840 and not one hundred years later.

 "The completion of the treaty on August 17, 1840, was obviously the historical answer to John's announcement, 'And the four angels were loosed.' [This was a symbol used by the Ottoman Muslims themselves]. It was the divine judgement of God upon a nation who had been prepared to kill her own subjects for nearly four centuries, on account of their antagonistic religions."

The Crown Jewel
And now for the crown jewel that confirms the astounding accuracy of the dates and the prophetic time of this prophecy based on the Biblical day-for-a-year principle.

"It is possible to show the refined accuracy according to which the prophet John outlined these Muslim periods. There are two limiting historical dates in this remarkable prediction in Revelation nine: 1. July 27, 1299, when the Turks began their attack on the Byzantine border; and 2. August 17, 1840, when the terms of the London treaty were completed between Turkey and the European powers. Our problem is to compare the actual number of days between these two dates inclusive, and the number of days in the combined periods of the fifth and sixth trumpets. The simplest method of computation is by means of the Julian Day Numbers, which easily demonstrate the precise number of days between any two dates in any era.

J.D.N. for July 26,* 1299 = 2195724 (subtract)
J.D.N. for August 17, 1840 = 2393335
Number of days in period = 197611 days

*In order to include July 27 in the reckoning, we subtract the J. D. N. for July 26.

"Our next step is to find the actual number of days in the two periods of the fifth and sixth trumpets--150 years + 391 years and 15 days, or 541 years and 15 calendar days. The problem is dealing with literal solar years. The annual solar constant is 365.2421987 days. The decimal part takes care of all the leap years. Hence the number of days in the combined period of the two trumpets is:

(541 x 365.2421987 days) plus 15 days or 197611 days in all." (9)

197611 days in the prophetic time periods of the fifth and sixth trumpets. 197611 days between the two historical dates that start and end the predicted history. Now if that is not the most sublime example of the "Wonderful Numberer" of heaven at work, then I don't know what it is.

The Historicity of the Trumpets
The evidence just presented is wonderful evidence that the day-for-a-year principle is the correct method of interpreting the prophetic time periods of Daniel and Revelation. It also is evidence for an historical application of the first six trumpets of Revelation.

It is not, however, confirmation that all the traditional historical interpretations of the first four trumpets are correct. (To read an explanation of those traditional historical interpretations, click here.)

Ms. Amadon presents persuasive reasons why those other interpretations may be flawed. She presents alternative interpretations that coincide with the Great Controversy account of history from the destruction of Jerusalem onward.

But even if we never figure it all out this side of eternity, we have enough evidence that the trumpets, like the seven churches and seven seals, do have an historical application. We can know that the sixth trumpet ended in 1840.

Armageddon and the Seventh Trumpet
The seventh trumpet is yet future. And we have good Biblical reason to believe that all seven trumpets may be repeated under the seventh trumpet, and possibly quite soon--and in a way that will affect the entire earth and all its inhabitants.

That fascinating subject we will begin to examine next week, Lord willing. 

References:
1. Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 334, 335.
2. Grace Amadon Collection (Collection 154), Adventist Heritage Center, James White Library, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5.Revelation 9:15
6. Revelation 9:10
7. Grace Amadon Collection (Collection 154)
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.

synthesis is e-published on Friday (USA) of each week by New Reformation Ministries, Intl.  

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