The London Islamic terrorist attacks and wrestling with the thought of how such an atrocity could happen when many of the attackers previously had been identified, has overshadowed prophetic developments in the Middle East to which we should be paying close attention. The gathering together in Syria of many of the nations involved in the Ezekiel 38 prophecy about a colossal end time battle points to important prophetic implications found in the Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 8 prophecies where two current opposing powers, Iran (Persia) and Turkey (Magog), are facing one another. A close reading and study of the Biblical text shows how these prophecies are related and that, contrary to traditional teachings, both remain unfulfilled.
Daniel Chapter 8 describes how a ram with two horns charged toward the west, north and south and did as it pleased. Then a goat with a prominent horn came from the west and attacked the ram, shattering its two horns. The goat then became very powerful, but at the height of its power its horn was broken off. Then it grew four horns, and out of them came a small horn that grew in power. Many scholars have interpreted this prophecy as fulfilled when Alexander the Great conquered Media-Persia and his empire was divided into four parts after his death. This is not, however, how Gabriel interpreted Daniel’s vision in the text. Gabriel’s interpretation, a contextual misinterpretation of the word “Grecia” in the passage, and current events in the Middle East are key ingredients to the possible unfolding of prophecy.
In Daniel 8:19, Gabriel says, “Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia.” Strong’s Concordance interprets the word “Grecia” in Hebrew as “Yavan, a son of Japheth (the third son of Noah),” his descendants and their land. The Genesis 10 table of nations indicates this area was not only Greece (as Bible interpretations imply), but also the Eastern Mediterranean, including key parts of today’s Turkey. Other sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Tubal, Meshek, and Tiras-many settled in ancient areas of Turkey which are mentioned in Ezekiel 38.
Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s vision of “what shall be in the last end” and “for at the time appointed the end shall be” is clearly an end-time prophecy, which was not fulfilled by Alexander the Great and his generals as is widely taught. These events are yet to occur for the little horn to rise to power. Currently, Iran has control over much of Iraq and Syria. Turkey is counterbalancing that control through ISIS and pressure from its allies, including the US and European Union. Turkey “President,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan, recently attained dictatorship-level authority and made it clear that he seeks to be the leader of the Islamic world. For Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 8 to be fulfilled, Turkey and Iran must come into alignment. We may be seeing this playing out as these nations and their proxies face one another in Syria.
