While Americans are wrapped around the axel of daily political drama, the prophecy clock is moving forward in the Middle East. Many Christian Americans tend to examine prophecy from a Western-centric, non-Jewish worldview, when in reality, prophecy’s timepiece is Israel and how it is impacted by those neighboring nations found and emanating from the table of nations in Genesis 10. For example, Noah’s grandsons from Japheth-Gomer, Magog, Meshech, Tubal are specifically mentioned in the end time prophecy of Ezekiel 38 as part of a coalition led by Gog of Magog against Israel. All these nations are located in what is now modern Turkey. And Turkey is making some prophetic news today.
Three recent events by Turkey’s leadership may have an impact on moving prophecy forward. First, Turkey’s “president” Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has attained near dictatorial powers in Turkey, on July 23 visited Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to defuse tensions in the region over Qator’s fostering ties with Shiite Iran. Erdogan seeks to position himself as the region’s powerbroker, patron and peacemaker, counterbalancing Iran. Then on July 25, he proclaimed that all Muslims should visit and protect Jerusalem. He was referring to the Temple Mount where he accused Israeli Jews of “attempting to take the Mosque from Muslim hands on the pretext of fighting terrorism.” Then Sunday, July 30, Erdogan organized thousands in Istanbul to protest Israel’s Temple Mount actions and to show solidarity with the “Palestinian” people.
This could be a type and shadow of Daniel 8. 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.
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, therefore, could not have been completely fulfilled by Alexander the Great and his generals as is widely taught. These events are yet to occur for the little horn (antichrist) to rise to power. Currently, Iran has control over much of Iraq and Syria. Turkey is challenging that control through ISIS and pressure from its allies, including the US and European Union. For Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 8 to be fulfilled, Iran must come into alignment with Iran submitting to Turkey’s leadership against Israel. Erdogan is continuously positioning Turkey for such a role, as recent events demonstrate. Despite all the political turmoil in the US, these prophetic types and shadows are advancing.
