“I know where you live-where Satan has his throne…in your city where Satan lives” (Revelation 2:13).
Four days ago on February 24th Russia invaded Ukraine. At present Putin has his military infrastructure on Nuclear Alert with nuclear warheads primed and ready to launch. According to a report in the online Publication Middle East Eye on the same day Russia invaded Ukraine it stated that Russia condemned Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights after Israel expressed support for Ukraine in the unfolding crisis. Now many Bible prophecy teachers undoubtedly are seeing in this invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s attitude towards Israel as the forerunner of the Ezekiel Chapter 38 invasion of Israel that they say will be spearheaded by Russia, but are they correct?
When you look at virtually all of the geographical regions and nations associated with Bible Prophecy they are specifically named and are all Islamic nations today. I would like to suggest that it is not Russia that will invade Israel but Turkey and that the Antichrist will come out of Turkey and not Russia. Let’s very briefly look at this.
1. Turkey is the bridge linking East and West.
Turkey has always been a bridge linking the east and the west. It was the Turkish Ottoman Empire that ruled the whole of the Middle-East and also much of Europe including most of North Africa and the empire itself lasted for 600 years. It was the empire that toppled the Empire of Rome Today Erdogan of Turkey is a globetrotting ‘caliph’ portraying himself as a ‘peace-maker’ of sorts and his most recent foray for peace was to try to mediate between Russia and Ukraine before Russia invaded Ukraine.
While portraying himself as a kind of global ‘peace-maker’ there is war in his heart because of his strict adherence to the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood which clearly advocates a global Islamic Empire bound by Sharia law and the Qur’an. His distain of Israel is public knowledge and even though he is seeking some kind of relationship with Israel he cannot be trusted. We know that the Bible says that the Antichrist “by peace will destroy many.”
2. Turkey and not Russia will lead the Ezekiel 38 invasion force that attacks Israel in these last days.
In Ezekiel Chapter 38:1-1-6 there are eight locations that were specified in the Gog prophecy and five of them were located in modern day Turkey. They appear on ancient geographical maps of the Middle-East. These were Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Togormah and Gomer. The fact that the geographical location of the bulk of these locations were in the geographical region of modern day Turkey would indicate that Turkey is a major player in the invasion force and in Bible Prophecy as we will see from other passages in God’s Word.
3. Turkey is the seventh and eight king who are both mentioned in Revelation Chapter 17.
In Revelation Chapter 17:9-11 we see eight kings mentioned. Historically seven of these have already passed. These seven empires were 1. Egypt 2. Assyria 3. Babylon 4. Medo-Persia 6. The Greco-Roman Empire 7. The Turkish Ottoman Empire. However there is an eighth king who was to come and today it is here. The Turkish Ottoman Empire the seventh king has been resurrected, in the eighth kingdom of the Islamic Antichrist who as yet has not been revealed all though Erdogan of Turkey is a likely contender having all the marks of the prophesied Antichrist to come. We are told that this eighth king belongs to, or is of the seven.
4. Turkey was where the Syrian and Arab Auxiliaries came from that torched the temple in Jerusalem in 70AD.
In Daniel Chapter 9:26 we are told that “the people of the prince to come” would destroy the Jewish temple which occurred in 70AD by Titus the Roman General and the armies of Rome. The primary group that carried out the destruction of the Temple was the 10th Legion (Legion X Fretensis) which was stationed at Antioch. The soldiers were primarily Syrians and Arabs. Today, Antioch is located within the borders of Turkey, on the south-western corner of Turkey near Syria. Apparently the Syrian and Arab auxiliaries were so anti-Semitic that they took great satisfaction in torching the temple.
Titus tried to stop them doing this but his command to them came too late as the damage was done so furiously hateful of the Jews were these Syrian and Arab Auxiliaries. This same hatred of the Jews continues to this day. Erdogan of Turkey has already stated that the Temple Mount belongs to Muslims and not to the Jews. His public distain of the Jews is clear and even though he pretends Turkey wants to have economic ties with Israel, his ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood remains and the ideology does not include the nation of Israel.
5. Turkey and its ruler is the King of the North.
In Daniel Chapter 11:31 we see the Antichrist prefigured by Antiochus Epiphanies the “King of the North” or the ruler of the Seleucid Division of the Greek Empire. The Antichrist will come from within the region of the former Seleucid Empire which covered a large portion of modern day Turkey.
6. Turkey and its Caliph is called “the Assyrian.”
In Micah Chapter 5:5-6 we see “the Assyrian” mentioned and in its prophetic context he is the Antichrist who is to be confronted by the Messiah. In the Bible the kings of Assyria were types and foreshadows of the Antichrist to come as were also the kings of Babylon. The Ancient Assyrian Empire actually engulfed a large portion of modern day Turkey.
7. Turkey will fight the Messiah and the people of Israel.
In Zechariah 9:9-17 we see that God will “rouse His sons of Zion against the sons of Greece” and make the sons of Zion like a warriors sword.” The Lord will have returned and will be fighting the armies of the Antichrist with the remnant of Israel fighting alongside of Him against the Antichrist and his armies. The “sons of Zion” are the surviving Jewish remnant chosen by God’s grace to be saved. They will fight at Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:14)
Now the “sons of Greece” are not from modern day Greece. The Hebrew word for “Greece” is “Yavan” or “Ionia.” Yavan was a descendent of Noah who came to live on the western coast of Asia Minor, or modern day Turkey, in the area that came to be known as Ionia. (See also Joel 3:6). Zechariah Chapter 9 can only be applying to the last days and the return of the Messiah our Lord Jesus. When the Messiah comes back He will take the fight to the Islamic empire until He has completely destroyed it and its leader the Muslim Antichrist along with the false prophet also a Muslim.
Ionia was part of the eastern leg of the empire of Alexander the great being located in modern day Turkey. In Bible prophecy we are dealing with an Islamic Antichrist who will come from Turkey which is the bridge linking the east and the west which would make him both a Middle-Eastern as well as a European dictator, but his origin will be from the Muslim world, not from the west. The extent of his empire with its boundaries will be vast encompassing all of the Middle East, much of Europe which today is heavily populated by Muslims, and occupying much of North Africa.
8. Turkey is the place where Satan lives and has his throne.
In Revelation 2:12-13 we see the Lord Jesus speaking to seven churches (assemblies) which historically located along the west coast of Asia Minor or modern day Turkey. When writing to the assembly at Pergamum He mentions that it was the place “where Satan lives” and “where Satan has his throne.” In its historical context there was a massive structure that stood on top of a hilltop at Pergamum. The Greeks originally built this temple to their god “Zeus” in the second century BC. It became known as “the Pergamum Altar.” Zeus was the chief deity over all of the other deities.
The Lord Jesus did not refer to this throne as the throne of Pergamum or Zeus but referred to it as the throne of Satan. In the Bible all worship of idols is the worship of demons (Deuteronomy 32:16-17). Zeus being the chief ‘god’ is a reference to Satan who controls and rules over the world of fallen spirits and angels which are also referred to as ‘gods’ (Psalm 82:5-7).
Why Turkey?
Why did the Lord Jesus write personal letters to seven assemblies in Turkey? Why not Rome or to assemblies located in some other part of the world or to assemblies located in Europe or even Rome for that matter? Why Turkey?
The Seven Assemblies (Churches)
When you look at the seven assemblies (churches) in revelation Chapters 2 & 3 they represent seven literal churches that existed in John’s time. Prophetically they can represent seven types of churches that have existed down through history even to the present day. They can also represent seven periods of Church history as the names of the churches suggest this. Also they can represent seven types of churches that will exist in the last days.
When we look at these Churches in the context of the Book of Revelation we see that not only has the faithful Church had to face many antichrists and tribulation and persecution throughout history but that in the last days the faithful Church will face the Antichrist and suffer persecution in the time of Great Tribulation (Daniel 7:21; 12:7b) (Revelation 13:5-7). Today we see persecution of faithful New Covenant believers in North Korea, China and even in Russia but the bulk of the persecution against faithful believers is in Islamic countries.
The seven churches can also represent the faithful Church as a whole, the number seven representing a complete work of God. Turkey represents the source of the persecution. Today Erdogan persecutes faithful New Covenant believers. Last year after converting the Hagia Sofia, a Christian church (basilica) into a Mosque, he sat in the temple and led the prayers. Originally the Hagia Sofia was the Vatican of Eastern Orthodox Christendom. This act in itself foreshadows the Antichrist sitting in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem only he will demand to be worshipped as God on earth (Matthew 24:15) (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). He will be a man of war, his god the god of fortresses, or the ideology of the sword! (Daniel 11:36-38-39). On Islamic banners and flags you will see the crossed scimitars pointing upwards signifying conquest by the sword. This is foundational to Islamic ideology.
“The Spirit and Glory of God”
When the faithful church is confronted by the Antichrist and his empire the supernatural power of God will rest mightily upon the faithful bond slaves of the Lord Jesus who serve Him faithfully in the power of the Holy Spirit. Did not the Apostle Peter write…
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of the Messiah, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1 Peter 4:12-14).
Persecuting “the People of the Book”
While every eye is on Russia at present the Bible says nothing about Russia but it says quite a deal about Turkey and Islam that in these last days will be the main protagonists that will confront the redeemed Body of the Messiah, the faithful Church. Persecution of the seven churches existed in the time of John and this foreshadows the persecution in these last days of the faithful Assemblies of New Covenant believers by the Antichrist and his beast empire. The two people groups that Satan hates most and that Islam despises are “the people of the Book”, Jews and Christians.
Coming out of Great Tribulation.
Biblically the faithful Church is spiritually grafted into the commonwealth of Israel and partakers of the blessings of the New Covenant made with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah. Messianic believers are the objects of Satan’s persecution but also the objects of God’s love who has redeemed them forever by the blood of the Messiah our Lord Jesus. These will be those who are seen coming out of Great Tribulation. As John writes…
“These are the ones who come out of great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes’ (Revelation 7:14-17).
The Winning Bet!
If the man from Turkey turns out to be the man of sin he may well establish a Caliphate of global proportions but his end will come, his empire obliterated forever and that by the Rider on the White Horse followed by the armies of heaven! In that day the man of sin will come to his end and no one will help him. He will not be destroyed by any human agency but at the command of the Messiah Himself! (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; 2:8). He who bets on the Rider on the White Horse has the winning bet! With these things in view let us take on board what the Lord Jesus said about Turkey and the City of Pergamum where Emperor worship really kicked in with the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus having himself deified in that same city “where Satan has his throne” and “the city where Satan lives.”
