Celebrating 140 years of Hope
PEACE IN THE MIDST OF FEAR
In this issue October 2026 WHAT IN THE WORLD 04 1886: OUR FIRST PAPER 08
The inspiration, goals and dreams for this magazine remain the same 140 years on.
1894: FROM CILICIA TO SYRIA 12
Sharing hope with others looked a little different back then.
1912: WHEN THE “UNSINKABLE” SHIPS SINK Passengers trusted the Titanic so much, they refused to abandon it.
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HEALTH NEWS 22 1936: PEACE IN THE MIDST OF FEAR 24
A message of hope for people fearing disease, crime and a looming war.
1940: DISTRESS OF THE NATIONS 30
How we viewed the world while living in the middle of what history will come to call “World War 2”.
1957: I’M HOMESICK FOR MY HEAVENLY HOME 38
One man’s longing for a life without death or sorrow.
1966: LONELINESS 42
How an increasingly impersonal world could leave us lonelier than ever.
1986: THE PRAYER COW 46
Yet they became victims of the very things they were preaching against.
2005: NO LIMBS, NO LIMITS 54
Born without limbs, yet determined to live a meaningful life.
YOUR BIBLE QUESTIONS ANSWERED 60 SUDOKU AND CROSSWORD PUZZLE 62
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SUPPLIED IMAGE & WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
1989: HOW THE BEATLES CHANGED THE WORLD
Winding back 140 years
In June 1885, a group of 11 Americans set foot on Australian soil for the first time. Among their number were evangelists, missionaries and printers. Their purpose? To expand the missionary work of the Seventhday Adventist Church. Within a few weeks, Bible studies began in private homes, but progress in the busy city of Melbourne was slow. So they set up a printing press. The newly-founded Echo Publishing Company soon made its home in North Fitzroy, Melbourne, and one of the first publications was released in January 1886. Its name was Bible Echo and Signs of the Times. We’re still here, 140 years later. This issue, we look to the past and celebrate where we’ve come from. In this special issue, we’re republishing articles from across our history. Some may feel quaint. Some may surprise you. Others may remind you that, despite the time difference, we continue to wrestle with many of the same fears, desires and questions. What makes a good life? Why do we suffer? Is there life beyond death? Where is God when everything seems to be falling apart? For 140 years, Signs has wrestled with these questions. Things may look different, yet the conviction at the heart of this magazine remains: the Bible still has the power to speak to us today, Jesus still offers hope to a troubled world and faith should make a practical difference to our health, relationships and communities. The year 2026 would be unrecognisable to our first readers. Yet I suspect they would recognise many of our anxieties—and, I hope, the message of faith contained in these pages. This issue is also special for another reason: it is my last with Signs. It is an honour to finish with an issue celebrating its origins. Thank you for joining me through the years and as you continue the journey with Signs, I hope you continue to be uplifted. JESSE HERFORD Associate Editor
VOL 140 NO 9
ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Melody Tan ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jesse Herford ASSISTANT EDITOR Zanita Fletcher COPYEDITORS Melody Tan Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Talia Valderrama PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsmag.com WEBSITE signsmag.com ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A28/$NZ30; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical. Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs. Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide. COVER IMAGE: 1973 Signs of the Times
what in the world
From its earliest days, Signs has captured glimpses of a changing world. This column has shared stories of inventions, discoveries, heroic acts and events making history, under titles including “Secular”, “From Every Land”, “Our Changing World” and “Window on the World”.
A submarine boat eight hours under water During experiments at Cherbourg, France, two navy sailors spent eight hours underwater at a depth of 10 metres, on board the submarine torpedo boat Goubet. The commission of examination were enabled by telephone, minute-by-minute, to receive the impressions of the men who were quite fresh when they came up. Not a drop of water entered the boat and not the faintest odour was perceptible. There seems every likelihood that submarine navigation will soon be adopted for torpedo use. 4
SIGNSMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2026
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
1890
A new colour for the Eiffel Tower
First Black American to dine in the White House
The Eiffel Tower presents a fresh appearance after being repainted in five graduated shades, from yellow-orange at the base to light yellow at the summit. Nearly 60 tons of paint was used in the work.
President Roosevelt is being boycotted by Southerners for his stand in defence of the Black community, following his 1901 invitation to educator Booker T Washington to dine at the White House—a move that angered many white Southerners.
1899
The future of air travel 1920
A Leipzig telegram reports that the largest aeroplane in the world has just carried out its first flights. Built by the Aviatik Works of Leipzig, the giant aircraft is capable of carrying one commander, two navigators, two mechanics, one steward and 18 passengers with luggage.
1903
Introducing foldable umbrellas 1928
Folding umbrellas may be available soon, following a design just patented. Collapsible hinged ribs and a telescoping handle permit the new umbrella to be reduced to a length and size that will fit easily into a small travelling bag or pocket. OCTOBER 2026 • SIGNSMAG.COM
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Ban on women’s hosiery 1941
Despite rumours to the contrary, there will be no nylon hose for American women until the war in Europe is ended. The National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers has issued a statement declaring that nylon yarn “is serving a necessary purpose more important than stockings. Gliders and defence balloons need strong, pliable cables, and there are other important military uses, such as parachutes, to which all present supplies are being diverted”.
New animals for Australia 1945
Forty-nine Canadian animals, reptiles and birds will soon sail from Canada to Australia. They will include a pair of Virginia deer, three black bear cubs, four beavers, six woodchucks, two raccoons, two skunks (deodorised), four black squirrels, eight chipmunks, two possums, two hawks, two vultures, four snapping turtles and eight plain turtles. The creatures are a gift from the Toronto Zoo to Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney.
The birth of Ikea 1946
Sweden is experimenting with “packet-furniture”. Tables, chairs, sideboards and other essential pieces for home furnishing are made in birch, complete with upholstery, to pack flat. Then the parts are bolted together when they reach their destination.
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SIGNSMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2026
Eight to Mars
New Dead Sea Scroll
A plan has been prepared in America to send an eight-man mission to Mars by 1971. The journey would take 259 days and a wait of 475 days would be necessary before the position of Earth and Mars would make the return possible.
A Dead Sea Scroll containing 36 Old Testament psalms in Hebrew, including the apocryphal Psalm 151, was recently unrolled at the Archaeological Museum in Jordanheld Old Jerusalem. Scholars at the Hebrew University hailed the disclosure as “of the utmost importance”. The newly unrolled scroll is believed to be the Book of Psalms used by the Essenes, a Jewish sect living on the west coast of the Dead Sea. Discovered in 1956, it dates from the first century AD.
1963
1963
A fixed Easter? 1963
A costly flop for NYC 1977
There are some red faces around New York City after the shiny new double-decker buses arrived from Britain. It seems someone forgot to measure the bridges beneath which they are meant to pass, as the $US98,000 buses are a foot too tall. OCTOBER 2026 • SIGNSMAG.COM
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Proposals recently came up before the Roman Catholic Ecumenical Council in Rome to establish a fixed date for the celebration of Easter. The current method of determining the date ties it to the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, meaning Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25. The plan envisaged would involve changing the whole world calendar. It proposes that the year consist of four equal quarters of 13 weeks, each beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday. Under this scheme, Easter Sunday would always fall on April 8.
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