(Daniel 8:25) “Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands.”
According to the Israel 7 News website on Wednesday last week it was reported that Erdogan of Turkey gave a flush warning to Greece over its purported deployment of armourised units in the Greek Islands of Lesbos and Samos dubbing the Greek deployment ‘a covert occupation.’ Erdogan said; “We know very well the intentions of those who provoked Greece to attack us. We will not compromise on the defence of our country on land, at sea and in the air. But we will not be discouraged by dirty scenarios that aim to distract our time, energy and attention. The weapons piled up in Western Thrace and on the islands make no sense to us because our power is far beyond them, but we remind you that this means a covert occupation of that country (Greece).” The Turkish leader went on to insist that Ankara is not interested in escalating the situation ‘vis-a-vis’ its western neighbours while at the same time ridiculing Greek expectations related to western guarantees. Erdogan also stated; “Do you think the support from the US and Europe will save you? It will not. You simply spin your wheels; it does nothing else!”
Today the media and the leaders of the western democracies have been pre-occupied with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and with the expansionist and increasing militancy mindset of China. Even the ‘little rocket man’ from North Korea has tested three more ballistic missiles causing some consternation to the leaders in South Korea and Japan. Then you have Iran continuing to financially support terror organizations such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen and through the Houthis Iran is fighting a proxy war against Saudi Arabia that they undoubtedly see as “the harlot of Islam” because of its compromise with the west through its oil which Iran does not like.
In light of the seeming indolence of the Biden Administration and the European Union, the totalitarian Iranian regime is also thumbing their noses up at western democracy and moving swiftly to become a nuclear power, much to the chagrin of Saudi Arabia and the other Arab states (kingdoms) located on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula across the gulf from Iran. While Israel is aware of Iran’s plans to go nuclear, and the ongoing conflict Israel is having with Hezbollah and Hamas, the current residing leadership in Israel is not strong. Yair Lapid, the current Prime Minister of Israel is already seeking to comply with and approve that two-state solution from hell much to the anger of many Israelis.
Having said this, the man from Turkey is increasing his militancy and upping the ante on his real agenda to see the resurrection of the former Turkish Ottoman Empire that toppled Byzantium, the last vestige of the Ancient Roman Empire, that fell to the Ottoman Turks that ruled for 600 years throughout the whole Middle-East until its demise after Turkey’s defeat in WW1. This defeat and dismantling of the Ottoman rule has never been forgotten by Erdogan, an advocate of the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, a fanatical believer in the restored Ottoman caliphate and whose agenda is the global domination of Islam shared by the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Turkey is mentioned in Bible prophecy. It will be Turkey that will lead the Ezekiel 38 invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-6). On ancient maps of the Middle-East Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Beth Togarmah are all located in modern day Turkey. Gog from the land of Magog is the Antichrist. The Lord Jesus gave His letters to the seven churches through John and these assemblies were all located in modern day Turkey. The seven churches prophetically can apply to the church corporately in every age of Church history as well as apply to the corporate church at end of this present age. It is clear from God’s Word that the end-time Body of the Messiah will face the Antichrist who will be Turkish (Revelation 2:13).
It is interesting that it is Islam that is dominating the nations through infiltration via refuges and migration and taking up citizenship in the western democracies. The Islamic “Trojan Horse” is well ensconced within the western democracies and expanding every day, an ‘invasion’ that the leaders of Europe cannot stop especially in Germany and France. Russia is hard-pressed now and seemingly bogged down with the war in Ukraine. China is waiting in the wings to see how far American support will go for Taiwan if China decides to invade the island.
The man from Turkey has already shown his contempt for Israel, even though at present he is seeking an alliance with the Israelis, but when you look at the string of public statements he has made out rightly condemning Israel, it is clear he has another agenda up his sleeve and it is not in the best interests of Israel. He also has shown some contempt for Christianity, especially when he re-converted the Hagia Sofia back into a mosque and led the prayers in the Basilica which was the Vatican of eastern orthodox Christendom for centuries until the Christian Byzantine Empire fell to Islam.
John also mentions that Pergamum that it was the city “where Satan has his throne” and the city “where Satan lives.” The martyrdom of Antipas Jesus’ faithful witness is also mentioned. Both in the Book of Daniel and Revelation we are specifically told that the Antichrist’s beast system or empire will persecute the saints and that the persecution will only cease when God’s judgements seats in heaven are set and the Lord Jesus comes back (Daniel 7:20-27; 12:7) (Revelation 12:17; 13:5-7).
At present we see Erdogan militating against Greece because he wants the disputed territories under Turkish control as part of his expansionist empire causing political and military tensions with Greece and Cyprus over exploration rights in planning to drill for natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean. Erdogan’s extended plans for a resurrected Turkish Ottoman empire seem by and large to pass under the radar of the western political leaders, or something they choose to ignore. In its heyday the Turkish Ottoman Empire stretched from North Africa, right through the Middle–East and reached into much of Europe.
Erdogan it seems plans to establish an Islamic Turkish Ottoman Empire like nothing seen in previous history, an empire that exceeds in power and breadth geographically than the one established by Suleiman the Magnificent when the Ottoman Empire was at the zenith of its power. Erdogan does not like European dominance and that Greece is one of the member states of the European Union. Erdogan has a global agenda for Islamic conquest enforced by the imposition of Sharia Law. The disputed islands are part of this agenda as they were with his Ottoman forebears. The island of Cyprus became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1571.
Most western leaders in the European have shown their weakness to challenge Islam by supporting the Iranian nuclear deal as has the Biden Administration, which it seems is the lackey of Obama who brokered the initial nuclear deal with Iran back in 2015, clearly showing his disdain for America and for the ongoing security of Israel. In Daniel Chapter Ten we are told that after the principality behind Persia (Iran) has attacked Israel but lost that war that Turkey will then come against Israel and the context is the last days (Daniel 10:12-14,20-21). In this passage we see Daniel’s prayer being hindered by this principality over Persia (Iran) and that it takes the power of the Messiah with the help of Michael the Archangel to prevail after 21 days of conflict in the unseen spiritual realm. Not only was this conflict happening in the time of Daniel before the incarnation of the Messiah our Lord Jesus, but in eternity it was also happening in the last days concerning Israel (Daniel 12:1).
Now we are also told in Daniel Chapter 10 that after the principality of Iran has come that the Messiah and Michael will engage the principality of Greece (Grecia KJV). The Hebrew translation of this world is “Yavan” or “Ionia” The region of Ionia was part of Alexander the Great’s Middle-eastern Empire which today is modern day Turkey. Ionia today is Turkey! The whole context prophetically relates to the last days (Vs 14). Ultimately the man from Turkey wants to conquer Israel and take the city of Jerusalem for Islam. His militancy with Greece is territorial and economically centred but behind this seemingly outward agenda there is a dark and sinister desire in practicing taqiyyah, which in Islam is a form of religious dissimulation or legal dispensation in which believers deny their faith or even commit blasphemous acts as a deception if they are seriously threatened or at risk of persecution. We know that the Antichrist will be one “who understands dark sentences” (Daniel 8:23 KJV). He will be motivated and empowered supernaturally by the power of the occult (Satan himself).
Also we are told in Daniel that “through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands” (Daniel 8:25). Islamic subterfuge in its stealth will show subservience until it has the upper hand and then strike with the force of a deadly adder.
Turkeys spat with Greece is a spat with Europe, with western democracy and with Christendom, and if the truth be told, Erdogan has set his sights ultimately on the conquest of Jerusalem for Islam and once he has captured the city to pitch his headquarters there, to reign from Jerusalem and receive the homage of the whole Muslim world on the Temple Mount. We see this dark desire foreshadowed when he led the prayers in the Hagia Sofia, a rather blatant ‘slap in the face’ for Christendom. Is Erdogan the Antichrist? Time will tell, however, Turkey is ultimately the main player on the field of Biblical Prophecy! It is at Jerusalem where the Antichrist, his headquarters and his Islamic beast army with its Islamic confederacy of ten nations will be destroyed forever! (Daniel 11:45).
As John writes; “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:12-14)
As has been said previously “the winning bet” is on the Rider on the White Horse accompanied by the resurrected saints and the armies of heaven! (Revelation 19:11-21) (Jude 1:14-15).
