Turkey As The Antichrist Nation

Seven Scriptural Proofs

1. EZEKIEL 38 CONFIRMS TURKEY'S LEADERSHIP ROLE

From the prophecies examined in the Book of Ezekiel, we saw that Turkey was significantly emphasized. Of the eight locations that were specified in the Cog Prophecy of Ezekiel 38, five were located firmly within Turkey. Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Togormah, and Gomer are all areas that were within the boundaries of modern Turkey. The fact that Turkey was so heavily emphasized is not something to be ignored. God highlighted Turkey for a reason. However, it is important that this theory be confirmed by other passages, as well.

Map 1: Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Toprmah all within the boundaries ofmodern Turkey

2. REVELATION 17 CONFIRMS TURKEY'S LEADERSHIP ROLE

From Revelation 17, we concluded that the Islamic Empire, culminating in the Turkish Ottoman Empire, was the seventh Biblical Beast Empire. The capital of the Ottoman Empire was Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Byzan-

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tine Empire. Today, Istanbul sits on the northwestern corner of Turkey. The reason that the location of the capitals of the last beast empire may be important is because as the head of the last beast empire, it is possible that it will receive the "fatal head wound" that will come back and awe the world: "One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast" (Revelation 13:3).

Map 2: Con~tantrnople Istanbul: The Cap~tal and ($both thr

Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires

3. DANIEL 9 CONFIRMS TURKEY'S LEADERSHIP ROLE

We also examined Daniel 9, where the Bible says that it would be the "people of the prince to come" that would destroy the Jewish Temple. In other words, the ethnic peoples of whom the future Antichrist would be the leader wrould destroy the Jewish Temple. We saw that the primary group that carried out this destruction was the tenth legion of the Roman army (Legion X Fretensis), which was stationed in Antioch. Antioch was also the area from which the tenth legion drew most of its recruits. These soldiers were primarily Syrians and Arabs. Today, Antioch is located within the borders of Turkey, on the southeastern corner of Turkey near Syria. As such, this is yet another witness to the notion that the Antichrist would come from the region of modern Turkey.

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Map 3: Antioch, where the Tenth Roman Legion wasgarrisoned for mu( h r$th e j r s t century.

4. DANIEL 11 CONFIRMS TURKEY'S LEADERSHIP ROLE

Our fourth confirmation was found in Daniel 11,where we saw that the Antichrist was prefigured by Antiochus IV Epiphanies, the "King of the North" or the ruler of the Seleucid Division of the Greek Empire. We may expect to see the Antichrist emerge somewhere from within the region of the former Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid Empire covered a large portion of modern Turkey.

Map 4: Map ofthe Seluerid Division ofthe Greek Empire

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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 Assyriicn Empire

6. ZECHARIAH CONFIRMS TURKEY'S LEADERSHIP ROLE

Zechariah 9 clearly lists Yavan/Ionia (T~~rkey)the primary player in the Last-Days attack as against Israel. Many will have missed this prophecy due to a commonly used yet misleading translation: "I will rouse your sons, 0 Zion, against your sons, 0 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, 0 prisoners of hope; even

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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, 0 Zion, against your sons, 0 Greece [Yavan, Ionial, 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 lehovah 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:Jlnjan / 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).

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Map 7:Pergamum, the Location of "the Throne ($Satanw

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 reemerging 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

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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?

n 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

hat 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.

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QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ANTICHRIST
he first requirement the head nation of the Antichrist Empire must fulfill is the political capital to fill the role of mediator arid guarantor of a comprehensive peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding ilations 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. You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; 1will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people-all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 1 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:lO-13). Another sign we sholild 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. Ile 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.