"Palestine was as of old the battle field for the king of the north and the king of the south. . . . The history of these times is lost in its details." - Ninth edition, Vol. XV, art. "Macedonian Empire," p. 144.

We shall not follow the details of this contest as foretold in the prophecy, nor yet the outline of events after the coming of the Roman power ended the rivalry between Syria and Egypt. It is necessary only that we fix the events and geographic terms of this early portion of the prophecy. Then we shall have the key to the closing portion, dealing with events of the last days, when the king of the north again appears.

The Modern King of the North

In the last verses of the chapter we find the king of the north a chief actor in this same region, "at the time of the end." Verse 40. And we are told that when this power comes to its end, it is the signal that the great day of God is at hand. (See Dan. 12: 1.)

It becomes a vital question, therefore, what power in these last days is the king of the north, whose end is the signal of the swift ending of the world. Inspiration gives the basis for the answer. The king of the north in the early portion of the prophecy was the power that ruled in Syria and Asia Minor, from the Euphrates to the shores of the Dardanelles. The king of the north, then, of the later portion of the prophecy, must be the power that has been ruling in this same region during the time of the end.

What power has held dominion over this territory in modern times? The Turkish or Ottoman Empire. At this time Turkey holds almost the identical dominion of the ancient king of the north-from the Euphrates to the sea, and northward over Asia Minor and the shores of the Dardanelles. Then today Turkey is certainly the king of the north, according to the prophecy of Daniel 11.

Of the later history of the king of the north and his end and the events following it, the prophecy says:

"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.

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and

there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 11:44, 45; 12: 1.

The opening verse of this scripture describes exactly the history of Turkey in modern times. Turkey's disquietude has come because of tidings out of the east and out of the north. In both these directions there has been a pushing back of the Turkish frontier, particularly in the north. Again

and again, during this time of the end, Turkey has gone forth with fury to resist these encroachments and prevent the loss of territory.

The prophecy indicates that in some of these struggles the king of the north will yet transfer his capital:

"He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain."

Removal to Jerusalem

This prophecy can mean nothing else than that the king of the north will eventually set up his headquarters in Jerusalem; for Jerusalem is "the holy mountain" of the Scriptures. Zech. 8:3.

It is a wise counsel that says, "Tread lightly in the details of unfulfilled prophecy." Just how events are to turn, by what route or processes the steps are to be taken, it is useless to conjecture. But there the prophecy stands. Every word of the early portion of the prophetic outline has been fulfilled to the letter in the history of the ancient empires battling century after century over this region. Every word spoken of the final scenes will as certainly be fulfilled.

In view of this prophecy,- that Jerusalem is yet to be made the headquarters of the king of the north,- it becomes highly significant that the Mohammedans regard Jerusalem as a sacred city. According to Mohammedan tradition, Jerusalem is to play a leading part in the closing history of that people. Hughes, in his "Dictionary of Islam," article "Jerusalem," summarizes the teaching:

"In the last days there will be a general flight to Jerusalem." Speaking of Jerusalem, an old Arab commentator on the Koran, Mukaddasi (A. D. 985), said:

"As to the excellence of the city. Why, is not this to be the place of marshaling on the day of judgment, where the gathering together and the appointment will take place? Verily Makkah [Mecca] and Al Madina have their superiority by reason of the Ka'abah and the prophet,— the blessing of Allah be upon him and his family! - but, in truth, on the

day of judgment both cities will come to Jerusalem, and the excellencies of them all will then be united."- Le Strange, "Palestine under the Moslems," p. 85.

Thus Moslem doctrinal teaching and tradition both point out Jerusalem as the rallying place of Moslems before the end. Again and again in recent years, as the pressure has threat

ened the Turkish hold on Constantinople, the thoughts of Moslems have turned toward Jerusalem as a possible capital. A few years ago a Seventh-day Adventist missionary in Constantinople wrote to his home board:

"Within the past few months quite a company of people from the Transcaucasus district have come to Ismid,-old Nicodemia,- bringing all they possess with them. Some of them possess considerable wealth. When asked if they were going to settle in Ismid, they replied that they would settle nowhere permanently at present. They stated that they had come to be prepared to go with their leader when he left Constantinople to go to Jerusalem."

Wherever the capital may first be set up following the forsaking of Constantinople,- and Turkish authorities, we are