By Louis F. Were
There has long been a controversy, especially in Seventh-day Adventist circles, about a number of issues surrounding Daniel’s prophecy of the King of the North (Dan. 11:45). The author seeks to clear the fog and find the truth in reference to this prophecy: what Mrs. White herself and other pioneers believed regarding it, and how the controversy with Uriah Smith over its interpretation was handled, and why it was handled in the manner it was. The purpose of this booklet is not a criticism of any person, but a vindication of truth.
Why is this important? In today’s world, there is an ever-increasing tendency to look at the political matters of a deteriorating earth and point to this nation or that political leader as being a fulfillment of prophecy. That is exactly what Uriah Smith did in regard to identifying the King of the North as prophesied in Daniel 11 with the overthrow of Turkey and other political elements adjacent to the physical River Euphrates.
Also of significance is the manner in which Mrs. White handled this controversy with Uriah Smith (and other misunderstandings of Scripture in his writings, particularly in Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation). Never wavering from the position held by the Advent pioneers, she dealt directly with Uriah Smith on the real root of the matter: the attitude of pride that was deep in his heart. While church leaders, including James White, were eager to go head-to-head with Smith with public rebuke and argument over his interpretation of prophecy, Mrs. White counseled an approach that would not split the church over a relatively minor issue, but would hope to draw Uriah Smith back into union with the church, rather than alienate him further. The nearness of Christ’s coming should remain their focus.
An interesting and informative read, especially applicable today in light of the current widely accepted futuristic interpretations of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. And the matter still comes down to where our heart lies. Are we confident in our own abilities to interpret the Scriptures, or are we humbly and prayerfully led by the Spirit, with a teachable and surrendered heart?
Paper, 34 pages.
Table of Contents:
1. Mrs. E. G. White and the King of the North
2. Mrs. E. G. White and Uriah Smith
3. The Spirit of Prophecy and Uriah Smith’s Expositions
4. Uriah Smith’s Attitude Toward the Spirit of Prophecy in the 1888 Crisis
5. Righteousness by Faith and the Final Conflict
6. Mrs. E. G. White Wrote a Number of Testimonies Concerning Uriah Smith
7. Uriah Smith, after Sixteen Years Teaching the Pioneers’ Belief—The Papal King of the North—Changed to Turkey
8. A Modern Preacher Misrepresents the Facts
9. Why Mrs. White Counseled Her Husband at That Time
