God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible
Page 52
Map 4: Map of the Seleucid Division of the Greek Empire
5. ISAIAH AND MICAH CONFIRM AN ASSYRIAN ROLL
We also studied the great emphasis that the prophets Isaiah and Micah placed on the future conflict between the Messiah and the Assyrian, who was a type of Antichrist. These prophecies also point us to the regions of the former Assyrian Empire, which engulfed a large portion of modern Turkey.
Map 5: The Assyrian Empire
6. ZECHARIAH CONFIRMS TURKEY’S LEADERSHIP ROLE
Zechariah 9 clearly lists Yavan/Ionia (Turkey) as the primary player in the Last-Days attack against Israel. Many will have missed this prophecy due to a commonly used yet misleading translation: “I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece (Yavan, Ionia).” The key aspect of this passage is the reference to the sons of a place called Zion (Jews) fighting against the sons of a place called Yavan (Turks). Yavan was a descendant 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 9 is clearly speaking in terms that only can be applicable to the Last-Days, and the return of Jesus the Messiah “Jehovah will appear over them.” After this time, the Messiah will rule Israel and her land will be far greater than it is today:
“He (the Messiah) will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece [Yavan, Ionia], and make you like a warrior’s sword. Then Jehovah will appear over them; His arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Jehovah will sound the trumpet; He will march in the storms of the South, and Jehovah Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with clingstones… Jehovah their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people. They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be!” (Zechariah 9)
Map 6: Javan/Ionia
7. THE THRONE OF SATAN IS IN TURKEY
In Revelation chapter 2, Jesus is speaking to seven historical churches that were all situated along the west coast of Asia Minor, or modern day Turkey: “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:12-13).
Map 7: Pergamum, the Location of “the Throne of Satan”
To many, this may be a strange question: Was there an actual literal geographic location where Satan had “a throne”? In a certain sense, yes. The verse is referring to a massive structure that sat atop a high hilltop in Pergamum. The Greeks originally built this gigantic structure in the 2nd century B.C. as a temple dedicated to Zeus. This in itself is interesting. Certain continuity exists between the various gods of beast empires. For instance, in ancient Egypt they worshipped Ra, the Sun god. In Babylon, there was Murdock, the Sun god and Sin, the Moon god (or goddess). The Greeks worshipped many gods, but viewed Zeus—the god of the sky and thunder—as the king over all of the other astral deities. Later, the Romans also worshipped Zeus under the name Jupiter. There is significant evidence to view the Allah of the Muslims as the Arab counterpart to Baal, Sin, Zeus, or Jupiter. In pre-Islamic times, Allah-worship, as well as the worship of Baal, were both astral religions in the sense that they involved the worship of the sun, the moon, and the stars.1
But notice that Jesus did not refer to the Pergamum Altar as the throne of Zeus, but rather as the throne of Satan. We can assume that Jesus made this point for a reason. While the various Beast Empires worshipped an assortment of gods under different names, Jesus actually referred to Zeus—the chief god of the ruling beast empire—as Satan. Zeus was Satan dressed in a Greek toga. This point is crucial as we attempt to understand the nature of the work of Satan in the earth in the Last-Days. We have already identified the re-emerging Islamic Empire as the final Beast Empire. We may also now identify Allah as Satan. This time, however, Satan is masquerading as the God of the Bible.
Not only does Jesus equate Zeus (or Jupiter) with Satan, but he also states that Satan’s “throne”, or spiritual base, was geographically located in Turkey. As unusual as this may sound, Satan may actually establish a geographical stronghold or a spiritual capital of sorts. This is not surprising. As late as the 19th century, this throne remained in Turkey, also the location of the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Beyond this, Pergamum was relatively close to Ionia (roughly one hundred miles north). All factors considered, this passage, by naming Turkey as the location of Satan’s throne, also confirms Turkey’s significant role in the Last-Days Antichrist Empire.
SATAN’S NEW HOME?
In two campaigns, starting in 1879, Satan’s throne, or the Pergamum Altar, as it is now called, was excavated by a German archeological team. The altar was shipped out of the Ottoman Empire from the original location and was reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin in the 19th century. Today, the altar still sits in Berlin where it can be seen alongside other monumental structures such as the Ishtar Gate from Babylon.
In 1934, Adolph Hitler became the dictator of Germany. Hitler ordered construction of the Tribune at Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg specifically for the purpose of his Nazi rallies. Several volumes have been written detailing the deeply occultist nature of the Nazi regime. Not surprisingly, then the Nazi architect of the Zeppelintribune, Albert Speer, actually used the Pergamum Altar as the model for what essentially became the premier Nazi pulpit. The Fuhrer’s podium was located in the middle of the replica of the Pergamum Altar. In light of Hitler’s brazen anti-Semitic spirit, and the horrors of the holocaust that accompanied his career, one can only conclude that Hitler did indeed conjure up a measure of that Satanic spirit that was present in Pergamum.
SATAN IS COMING HOME TO TURKEY
What is also interesting about all of this is that in March of 2006, the nation of Turkey, after failing to convince Germany to return the Altar decided to rebuild a perfect replica of the ancient Altar on the same ancient hill in Bergama, the location of ancient Pergamum. In March 2006, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc stated that, “There is no chance of having the altar returned from Germany, because we have no legal right. But now we have a new project. The exact copies (replicas) of those historical artifacts will be built on the original sites.”2
This certainly makes one wonder if the same dark anti-Semitic spirit that seems to have followed this ancient Satanic altar to Germany, will now also find a welcome home in Turkey. In fact, there are many reasons to believe that this is already the case.
Let’s examine the modern Nation of Turkey to see if she matches several other important political and military requirements to qualify as the leader of the Antichrist coalition.
QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ANTICHRIST
The first requirement the head nation of the Antichrist Empire must fulfill is the political capital to fill the role of mediator and guarantor of a comprehensive peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding nations that represent a threat to her: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’” (Daniel 9:26).
In order to mediate such a covenant or treaty, this nation needs to have the reputation for being moderate and must possess the trust of the Israelis and the world. The Bible says that Israel will rely on this nation and will feel secure through the promises and terms established in the peace treaty. The Bible says that after Christ returns, “In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 10:20). We know that Israel will trust the Antichrist because the Bible says the following about him: “On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. Yo
u will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land” (Ezekiel 38:10-13).
Another sign we should look for is latent or overt trends toward radical Islamism. Although we know that the Antichrist will initially appear to be moderate and trustworthy, he will also eventually show his true colors. And his success will come through deceit and shrewdness: “A stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power” (Daniel 8:23-25).
Now let’s compare all of the Scriptural requirements listed above to the modern nation of Turkey.
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Turkey The Mediator
Modern Turkey fulfills the requirements of mediator nation far better than any other country in the world, hands-down. Turkey is the world’s premiere mediator and bridge nation in the following ways:
Culturally and geographically situated between the East and West.
Culturally and geographically situated between the Middle East and Europe.
Politically situated between Israel and the Muslim World.
Politically and religiously situated between deceptive (moderate Islam) and more radical Muslim nations.
TURKEY AS A GEOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL BRIDGE
Turkey has always enjoyed a measure of global significance because of its geographic location as the bridge or the gateway between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. But throughout the past century, this bridge has been more than just geographic. After World War II, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern political state of Turkey, created and instituted sweeping secularist reforms to a nation that for hundreds of years had been the head of the (Islamic) Ottoman Empire. Ataturk’s reforms have gone down in history as the work of a political genius. Through a seemingly foolproof system of numerous checks and balances, Ataturk ensured that only a democratic, secular government would rule Turkey for many years to come despite its Muslim dominated public. As such, throughout most of this century, Turkey has stood alone as a Muslim nation with significant secular and even Western values. But perhaps even more unique, in a sea of oftentimes-hostile Muslim nations, Turkey has also stood as a solid friend and ally to Israel and the United States. And though these friendships have experienced a cooling over the past few years, for now, the governments of Israel and the United States seem to be resting securely in the fact that Turkey is still a fully reliable ally.
However, Turkey’s friendships have broadened over the past few years. Not only is Turkey an ally with Israel and the United States, but also with Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and nearly every other nation of significance. In the vast expanse that exists between such religiously and culturally diverse nations as the U.S. and Iran, Turkey has emerged as a nation that can relate to and bridge both worlds. In this regard, Turkey is unique in the world. Sensing the winds of change blowing throughout the globe and the opportunities that this represents, the government of Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul has made sweeping efforts to position and portray Turkey as a peacemaker and mediator in nearly every single conflict that has occurred in the Middle East over the past several years. This is no exaggeration.
The most glaring example of Turkey’s recent attempts at appearing to be global peacemakers, bridge-builders and general all around do-gooders is found in what is known as the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Initiative. According to their official web-site, the Initiative, co-sponsored by the Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan are summarized in the following terms: “The initiative responds to a broad consensus across nations, cultures, and religions that all societies are interdependent, bound together in their development and security, and in their environmental, economic, and financial well-being. The Alliance seeks to forge collective political will and to mobilize concerted action at the institutional and civil society levels to overcome the prejudice, misperceptions, and polarization that militate against such a consensus. The Alliance seeks to…establish a paradigm of mutual respect between civilizations and cultures.”3
TURKEY—ISLAMIST AND MEDIATOR
In Daniel 9:27, the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many—this deal is not only with Israel, but a peace treaty with many nations in the region. While stopping far short of promising to produce any Messianic utopia, the Alliance of Civilizations is certainly one of the most ambitious, high-level and international attempts in history to build bridges of unity between Western and Muslim nations. In light of all that we have examined and are expecting regarding the nation of Turkey, we should not be surprised to find out that they are spearheading such an initiative. By poising itself as a key mediator nation, Turkey is both positioning itself as a good candidate for admittance into the European Union, as well as increasing its regional significance and power. Professor Ruben Safrastyan, Ph.D. is the Professor of International Relations at Acharyan University in Yerevan, Armenia. He’s also the Director of the Department of Turkish Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Armenian National Academy of Sciences. In an article entitled, Turkey as Mediator and Peacekeeper during Middle East Conflict, Professor Ruben summarizes the reasons behind the recent exerted push for a mediator role in the Middle East: “The Government of the pro-Islamist Justice and Development Party (JDP) that came to power in 2002 restructured… the basic directions of the Turkish foreign policy…The Foreign Ministry of the country was instructed to improve relations with the Arab states and Iran, at the same time conserving allied relations with Israel on quite a cool level. As a result Turkey will have the opportunity to get a mediating role both in the Middle East conflict and in the controversial relations between some Middle-Eastern countries and the West. Therefore, Turkey will become a key state in the region, which will enhance its significance for the European Union and accelerate the process of Turkey’s accession to that organization.”4
This shift in Turkish policy was publicly displayed in Khartoum, Sudan at the Arab League Summit in 2006. In an article titled “Can Turkey Bridge the gap between Islam and the West?” Yigal Schleifer of the Christian Science Monitor reports that: “Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a speech at the opening of the Arab League summit in Khartoum, Sudan, where Turkey for the first time was given the status of ‘permanent guest’ by the organization. The prime minister’s appearance at the summit—the first time a Turkish leader has done so—is the latest in a string of eyebrow-raising foreign policy moves.While the moves have ruffled feathers from Israel and Iraq to the US and European Union—which Turkey hopes to join—analysts say these aren’t so much blunders as a reflection of a significant change in Turkey’s Middle East foreign policy. ‘Turkey wants to be a message-bringer from the Islamic world to the West,’ says Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (METU). ‘The government really believes that it can be a bridge between East and West, and this is the foreign policy’…’Turkey also has another important quality in this regard, which is that it has relations with everybody [in the region]. We can effectively pass on messages. We have trust on both sides of various conflicts.’ After decades of keeping the Arab and Muslim countries of the Middle East at arm’s length, Turkey is trying to strengthen relations with its neighbors while at the same time recasting itself as a mediator in the region.”5
During the past few years, Turkey has been seen mediating or offering mediation in nearly every significa
nt Middle Eastern or Central Asian conflict. The Turkish government offered to act as a kind of mediator between the EU and the Islamic world when the controversial cartoons of the prophet Mohammed were published. Turkey has also suggested its ties to the West and its improving relations with Iran could help it act as a go-between in the diplomatic crisis over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.6 During the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip in the summer of 2006, Turkey immediately volunteered to mediate a peace treaty between the two conflicting parties. The same volunteerism was offered during Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon that summer, eventually resulting in Turkish peacekeeping troops stationed in Lebanon. After the very dramatic fall of Gaza to Hamas in the summer of 2007, Walid Salem, director of Panorama, the Palestinian Center for the Dissemination of Democracy & Community Development in Jerusalem, offered a comprehensive plan to correct the dire situation in Gaza. Not surprisingly, the solutions offered included a boycott of Hamas, with the only exception being the “attempt to influence their positions if still possible through relevant countries, such as Turkey.”7 And when Pakistan and Afghanistan had a dispute over illegal border crossings, where did the leaders of these countries travel to have their dispute settled? You guessed it—Turkey.
Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met in Turkey with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan mediating. Musharraf said that the meeting with Karzai had been brokered by Erdogan, who was “trying to mediate” between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the row over cross-border militant movements.