“And many shall join themselves to them with flattery (in hypocrisy), and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:34b-35)
Earlier this week when speaking on the phone to Pope Francis President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked the Pope to support sanctions against Israel, saying Palestinians will continue to be “massacred” as long as the international community does not punish Israel. President Erdogan also said that “continued messages and reactions” from Francis in support of Palestinians would be of great importance for the “mobilization of the Christian world and of the international community,” according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications directorate.
During their conversation, President Erdogan also renewed a call for the international community to take concrete steps to show Israel the “dissuasive reaction and lesson it deserves,” according to the statement. The Turkish leader has been engaged in a telephone diplomacy bid to end as he calls it “Israel’s use of force.” Last week when he got in touch with Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh he stated; “Turkey will mobilize the whole world, especially the Islamic world, in order to stop “Israel’s terror and occupation.” During his address to the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) last Sunday he also stated; “Israel is the only party responsible for the ongoing tensions with the Palestinians and the humanitarian crisis in the region and must be held accountable for its crimes.”
It seems he not only wants the whole Islamic world to “gang up” on Israel but is also “fishing” for support from Christendom. While the man from Turkey has already shown his apparent distain for Christians by turning the Hagia Sofia Basilica in Istanbul back into a Mosque and leading the prayers in the Church itself, he is now befriending’ the Pope in Rome to support the so called ‘Palestinian’ cause against the Jewish people.
It seems to be a clear case of Taqiya on the part of the Turkish leader. It seems that getting the Pope onside would gain more supporters for the so called ‘Palestinian’ cause from wider Christendom. According to one news report Erdogan told Pope Francis the international community should “teach Israel the deterrent lesson it deserves.” He also underlined that Palestinians would continue to be subjected to massacre as long as the international community did not punish Israel – which is “committing humanitarian crimes – with sanctions,” he said. He also emphasised that the continued messages from Pope Francis carried great importance in mobilising the Christian world and international community. His vitriol agaisnt Israel knows no bounds it seems! He is no friend of Israel.
In all of this conflict we need to see what is happening in the unseen spiritual realm. Satan knows that the Second Coming of the Messiah our Lord Jesus depends on the existence of Israel because the scriptures clearly show that the Messiah must come back to reign from Jerusalem. Satan thinks that if he can destroy Israel as a nation then it will prevent the Second Coming of the Messiah our Lord Jesus. Satan will use all means at his disposal to achieve this end but of course he has already lost the war. As we read in God’s Word; “After disarming the principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in Him (by the cross NIV).” (Colossians 2:15)
While Satan is using the man from Turkey to turn the nations against Israel he also knows that a powerful agent in achieving his purpose is to get Christendom to also side against Israel. Satan knows from the past the atrocities that have been committed against the Jews by Christendom especially within the long history of Roman Catholicism. Of course we also know that within historic Protestantism that Jews were also persecuted. The reformers, by and large, were advocates of Replacement Theology which teaches that the Christian Church had now replaced Israel. Luther for one was anti-Semitic, writing a book titled, “The Jews and Their Lies.” It has been said that Luther influenced Adolph Hitler in his hate and persecution of the Jews. Adolph Hitler was a Lutheran by religious affiliation.
Pope Francis is no stranger to entering into agreements with Islam. He signed the Human Fraternity document with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Al Sharif on February 4, 2019, in Abu Dhabi.” On February 5, 2019, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced that the milestone visit of the pontiff and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb would be commemorated with the construction of a building dedicated to inter-faith harmony. The Abrahamic Family House, in Abu Dhabi, was to act as a symbol of co-existence between people of all denominations and backgrounds.
The Abrahamic Family House is being built in tribute to the Abrahamic religions, being Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The three pillars of the Abrahamic religions are in the form of three structures, a mosque, a church and a synagogue, all leading to a central garden under which will sit a museum and centre for education. It is due for completion next year.
Ultimately born again, Israel supporting, Bible believing, blood washed, Spirit-filled believers in the Lord Jesus will be betrayed by false brethren within wider Christendom. (Matthew 24:9-10) (Luke 21:16-19) With all of this interfaith dialogue and ecumenical unity faithful Bible believers are already being betrayed. The two people groups Satan hates the most is Jews and born again Christians. You see the faithful Body of the Messiah is spiritually connected to Israel. What happens to the Jews happens to Christians. The man of sin called “the little horn” will wear down the saints of the Most High God we are told in the book of Daniel. “He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High.” (Daniel 7:25a)
When we see, not only the Pope, but Protestant and even evangelical leaders and churches turning against Israel in favour of the so called ‘Palestinian cause’ and many into Replacement and kingdom Dominion theology, they are playing into the hands of Islam which persecutes Christians as 600 years of Turkish Ottoman rule has shown especially when you consider the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by and large on the Armenian Christian community.
While the Pope of Rome can “shake hands” with the man from Turkey does the Pope really know what he is dealing with? If Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had no qualms about hijacking the Hagia Sofia and leading the prayers in it what do you think he will do if he can get control of the Vatican? Already the Islamic Trojan Horse is well ensconced in Europe and getting stronger every day. Erdogan has no qualms about Islamic migrants flooding Europe and encourages and endorses it. Clearly, the man from Turkey wants to resurrect the Turkish Ottoman Empire and with it the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood which wants to see an Islamic empire of global proportions.
The Turkish leader wants an empire that exceeds all former Ottoman Empires of the past in splendour, opulence, political power and with religious obedience to the Islamic creed. His ultimate goal is to get control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. He knows that if he gets control of that then the whole Muslim world “will wonder after this beast empire” that has been established at Jerusalem.
Historically, when Antiochus Epiphanies the Seleucid Greek General entered into Israel many of the religious Jewish leaders compromised their faith to appease him and to avoid being persecuted and killed. This brought about the persecution and martyrdom of multitudes of faithful Jews, who would not be forced into obeying Antiochus who himself forbade the reading of Torah, stopped the Temple sacrifices, sought to impose Greek customs and religious beliefs on the Jews and to change their laws as set forth in the Torah. (Daniel 8:9-12) His name actually meant “god-manifest.” He was also called “the madman.” What Antiochus did in this regard the man of sin will do when he and his Islamic army invade Israel. (Daniel 7:25) (Daniel 8:24) He will meet his demise in Israel and that not by human agency but by the direct power of the Messiah our Lord Jesus. (Daniel 8:25) (Daniel 9:27b) (Daniel 11:45) (2 Thessalonians 2:8) His kingdom and all of the nations that have followed the man of sin will be crushed all together at once and swept away in the floodtide of the Messiah’s power! (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45)
Around 160 years after the time of Antiochus the Lord Jesus said that what happened in the past with Antiochus would happen again at the end of this age. He was referring to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. (Matthew 24:15) What happened when the man from Turkey knelt to lead prayers in the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul is a pre-curser or harbinger of what the man of sin will do on the temple Mount at Jerusalem when he makes himself to be God and worshipped as God. (Daniel 11:36) (2 Thessalonians 2:4) The Apostasy will pave the way for this man of sin. (2 Thessalonians 2:9)
The current war between Gaza and Israel is another machination of Satan to destroy Israel, and though this conflict, get the whole world by and large, to turn against Israel. Satan is “upping the ante” on his fixation on the wholesale destruction of the Jewish people (Biblically they are Israelites) Satan knows that his time on earth is coming to an end. (Revelation 12:12) While the Pope preaches peace and tolerance between Jews and Arabs “when push comes to shove” will Pope Francis and anti-Israel Protestant leaders in the end betray the Jewish people and the faithful Body of the Messiah who are spiritually engrafted into the Commonwealth of Israel?
When the despot Antiochus ruled in Jerusalem he and his forces were resisted by the Maccabees resistance fighters who eventually kicked him and his forces out of Israel and reconsecrated the Temple. However, many so called supporters joined the ranks of the Maccabee resistance fighters in hypocrisy and betrayed many of them to Antiochus’ forces. (Daniel 11:31-35) This “betrayal” is happening again today when we see the largest religious body within western Christendom shaking hands with the sworn enemies of the cross of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and all that it means for the salvation of men.
Tough times are ahead for Israel and by extension and inclusion the faithful Body of the Messiah and for the whole world at large. However, there will be those who shine as stars in the universe as they hold out the word of life. Even though many of these wise ones in the Lord Jesus will stumble because of persecution, will through this, be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, when at the sound of the last trumpet they will be raptured and resurrected, made immortal and inherit the Kingdom of God prepared for them from the foundation of the world! (Philippians 2:15) (Daniel 11:33-35) (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) (Revelation 11:15) (Matthew 25:34)
So then when we see the Pope “shaking hands” as it were with the man from Turkey, we see the betrayal of the faithful remnant in full swing. And so Daniel writes; “And many shall join themselves to them with flattery (in hypocrisy), and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:34b-35)
