(Daniel 11:40) “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships.”
According to a very recent report on the Israel Today Website an article appeared titled; “Turkey’s Meddling Threatens Middle East Peace.” The sub-head read; “Turkish leader has vision of new Islamic empire, starting with Jerusalem.” An extract from the article clearly revealed Erdogan’s intentions. “Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not giving up on his dream to establish a new ‘Ottoman Empire’ in the Middle East despite a huge economic crisis in the Muslim country. The plan includes increasing Turkey’s influence over the Arab population of Jerusalem and turn Arabs there into Islamists, while Turkey also tries to infiltrate the Waqf, the Islamic trust that controls daily affairs on the Temple Mount and in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This week the Erdogan regime opened a new Islamic centre near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The centre had been renovated by TIKA, a Turkish government aid organization that runs several Islamic projects in Arab Jerusalem. The Islamic centre by the name of Khan Abu Khadija will host Arabs with existing ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and who regard the Erdogan regime favourably.
Khan Abu Khadiija is promoting the Ottoman Empire by airing a film about Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who committed the genocide on the Armenian people at the beginning of the last century. The Islamic centre also screens clips of Erdogan’s speeches in which he refers to Jerusalem as “occupied territory,” and has ties to the now-outlawed Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement and its leaders Sheikh Raed Salah and Kamal Khatib. According to Middle East expert Mordechai Kedar, Khan Abu Khadiija is nothing less than “another foothold of revolutionary Islam” in the centre of Jerusalem.”
There is no doubt that Turkey is on the move and Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s dream of a resurrected Turkish Ottoman Caliphate seems to be forming even if it is at somewhat of an embryonic stage at present. His latest move against Israel is causing reconciliation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as between Jordan and the oil-rich kingdom. Jordan and the Saudis are worried about Turkey’s expansionist agenda. Jordan is afraid that Erdogan will instigate a complete take-over of the Waqf and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. At present Turkey is involved in conflict with Syria, in the Libyan war and making provocative moves against Cyprus and Greece by drilling for oil and gas in parts of the sea that nobody recognizes as part of Turkey’s territorial waters.
According to the report “The Egyptian government of President Abdel Fateh al-Sisi succeeded in cobbling together an international coalition that is supposed to prevent further provocative Turkish moves in the Mediterranean Sea. The anti-Turkey coalition consists of Egypt, France, Greece, Cyprus, and the United Arab Emirates, but you could add Israel also to the list since it has the same concerns over Erdogan’s illegal moves in the Mediterranean Sea and the other imperialistic Turkish moves. This expansionist movement by Turkey, despite warnings by the European Union also shows that Cairo is extremely worried about the Turkish dictator’s aspirations.”
The Prophet Daniel spoke of a future war between the king of the north with the king of the south. In Daniel Chapter 11:1-35 we see several wars historically that were fought between the Ptolemy’s of Egypt in the south with the Seleucid Greeks in the North. History has confirmed these details. Then in verses 31-35 we see described the Seleucid Greek General Antiochus Epiphanies who was opposed by Rome but succeeded in invading Israel and desecrating the Temple with the abomination of desolation being a pig slaughtered on the altar of sacrifice and an image to Zeus erected in the temple as Daniel had prophesied centuries before. (Vs 29-31)
Antiochus is a major type of the man of sin in scripture. What he did teaches us about what the man of sin will do when he takes his final ride across the pages of history and occupies Israel for three and a half years and defiles the Temple a rebuilt temple (Matthew 24:15) (Daniel 12:7). Past history itself has confirmed this prophecy of Daniel concerning the war between the Ptolemy’s and Seleucids and the rise of Antiochus to be 100% accurate as all the Hebrew prophets were. However, between verses 35 and 36 of Daniel chapter 11 there is ‘a time leap’ or ‘time gap’ in the Hebrew text and we see in these verses one coming at the end of this age with the same character traits that Antiochus had and this man will turn out to be the man of sin “who will do as he pleases and will exult himself above every god and will say unheard of things against the God of gods.” (Vs 11:36) As Paul also writes; “Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god— (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
This man of sin will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of his foreign God (Allah) (Daniel 11:39). He, having the same type of character as Antiochus, will be the last king of the north and will fight against the king of the south which will be Egypt and its allies which we see forming today to resist Turkey and its allies which Erdogan for years has been gearing up to support him. Antiochus’ military forces came up out of Syria and Turkey’s military forces and its allies will also come out of Syria once the Assad regime has been removed and Damascus has become a total ruinous heap. (Isaiah 17:1) Most likely the Turkish led invasion of Israel will come over the Golan Heights. Having said this, the man of sin and his military forces will be opposed by other nations. (Daniel 11:40) (Ezekiel 28:6-10) Turkey will find itself possibly fighting against China and Russia. (Daniel 11:44) Possibly this war between the two kings will draw other nations into this arena to take sides as we saw in WW1 and WW2. Possibly America will also be involved in this war and would fight on the side of Egypt and its allies. The rift between Presidents Erdogan and Trump would be very clear.
In the Book of Revelation we see a war that will see a third of the world’s population perish. (Revelation 9:13-19) At present in 2020 there are approximately 7.8 Billion people in 2020 and a third of that number would be 2.600 Billion. Daniel chapter 11 ends with the man of sin making his headquarters in Jerusalem and there ultimately meeting his end at the hands of the Messiah when He returns. (Vs.45) Paul also writes about his end and that of his empire. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord [Jesus] will kill with the breath of His mouth and render powerless by the manifestation of His coming,( 2 Thessalonians 2:8)
Egypt and its allies France, Greece, Cyprus, and the United Arab Emirates and possibly Israel are now forming as Turkey is shoring up its allies in Iran, Libya, Pakistan and other Islamic nations committed to following the Mahdi when he arrives centre stage in world affairs. If the man from Turkey succeeds in establishing himself as the supreme caliph of the Islamic world then he would be hailed as the prophesied Mahdi. Already Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been touted by some leading Islamic clergy as the prophesied Mahdi who will unite Islam and engage in the greatest Jihad history has ever seen. The man from Turkey would have no trouble raising a 200 million Islamic army to perpetrate a war unparalleled in the annuls of past history and usher in the Time of the Big Trouble. (Daniel 12:1) Israel will be centre stage but will be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:1-10)
To be honest the world is finished and the only redeeming factor is that born again believers are witnessing and working for the Lord Jesus while they can in the power of the Holy Spirit. Multitudes in the nations in the third world countries and in those countries where persecution is common place today are coming to salvation in the Lord Jesus. The blessed Holy Spirit is restraining the man of sin but the time will come when the Holy Spirit will no longer restrain him. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) For three and a half years the Time of the Big Trouble will hit the world, however for the sake of the elect saints and for the survival of the world those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:21-22) God measures time differently than we do. (2 Peter 3:8)
As believers we have only one purpose on earth and that is to be involved in the harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God and to do the will of God. The Gospel of the Kingdom being preached as a witness to the whole world will be the last great sign before the end comes. (Matthew 24:14) See also (Joel 2:28-32) Following this will come God’s judgement of the nations that have rebelled against Him and oppressed and persecuted His people Israel and by extension and inclusion the faithful Church. Let the king of the North collide head on with the king of the south and let the nations go to war but the final battle will be the Lord’s and He will end it all at Jerusalem! (Joel 3:1-312-16) (Daniel 11:45) (Zechariah 12:1-9; 14:1-5)
Brothers and sisters the end of this present age is approaching. How far it is down the track we cannot tell but the ‘birth pains’ of the Messianic Kingdom to be born on earth are now increasing in frequency and intensity. (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21) It is easy to keep our eyes fixed on ‘the contractions’ but let’s raise our sights to fix our eyes on ‘the birth.’ Once ‘the baby’ is here who remembers ‘the contractions?’ Let’s keep standing strait, looking upwards to the heavens with expectant faith, staying spiritually alert, having on the garments of salvation and clothed with the robe of Jesus’ righteousness because He is coming soon as He has promised to all who have loved His appearing. His reward will be with Him for those who have endured to the end. (Revelation 22:12) (Matthew 14:13)
In this life as followers of our Lord Jesus we have been destined for tribulation, trials, afflictions and persecutions and through these things made ready to enter the kingdom of God. (1 Thessalonians 3:3) (Acts 14:22) The reality of this fallen world in rebellion against its creator is that things are going to get worse before they get better but the rescue is coming! Let’s not forget that God still has everything under control and He does you know. “And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:27-28) God will say to Satan, as He has always said to him; “this far and no more!” and then the Lord Jesus will come back!
As Paul writes; “Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinrthians 4:16-18)
