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Adventistische Schriften über: "Prophecy concerning the fall of the Ottoman Empire"
Answer
The prophecy concerning the fall of the Ottoman Empire was primarily calculated by Josiah Litch based on the prophetic periods in Revelation 9. He predicted that the independence of the Turkish government would end on August 11, 1840, which occurred exactly 391 years and 15 days after the beginning of its dominion. The precise fulfillment of this event greatly strengthened confidence in the Adventist interpretation of prophetic time periods.
The fulfillment of the prophecy on August 11, 1840
In 1840 another remarkable fulfillment of the prophecy aroused widespread interest. Two years earlier Josiah Litch had published ... an interpretation ..., in which he predicted the fall of the Ottoman Empire and not only gave the year but the exact day on which it would occur. According to this interpretation ... the Turkish government would relinquish its independence on August 11, 1840.
This dominion of the Mohammedans over the Greeks was to ... last three hundred ninety‑one years and fifteen days. Beginning on July 27, 1449 ... the period would end on August 11, 1840. ... we [should] naturally conclude that the fall or waning of Ottoman independence would be brought about in the same way; that at the end of the appointed period, that is on August 11, 1840, the Sultan would voluntarily surrender his independence into the hands of the Christian powers.
The exact fulfillment of this prophecy on August 11, 1840, when the Turkish government gave up its independence and has since been known as “the sick man of the East,” was for many a striking proof that prophecy can be understood and that people are living in the time of the end.
I am now completely convinced that on August 11, according to the previous calculation ... the Ottoman dominion waned; and that on August 15 control of the empire passed into Christian hands ... Thus their power was broken and Christian power was restored in Constantinople.
He took the unequivocal position that the sixth trumpet would cease sounding and the Ottoman power would fall on August 11, 1840, and that this would demonstrate to the world that one day in symbolic prophecy represents one literal year of time.
- Josiah Litch 1840
- Sixth trumpet Ottoman Empire
- Prophetic time calculation 391 years
Original Sources (English)
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