Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday that Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem still belongs to Turkey.
Erdogan lays pre-WW1 Ottoman claim to Israel’s capital, says “it is our city.”
In a speech marking the opening of the fall session of Turkey’s parliament, covered by Turkish media, Erdoğan began with harsh criticism of Armenia for the armed conflict that broke out this week with Azerbaijan and their mutual claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh region. However, his comments shifted closer to home and he made the surprising remark that Jerusalem still belongs to Turkey.
“The Jerusalem issue is not a geopolitical problem for us. Jerusalem is our city, a city from us,” Erdogan said, referring to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War One.
“In this city [Jerusalem] that we had to leave in tears during the first world war, it is still possible to encounter traces of the Ottoman resistance,” Erdogan said. “We accept it an honor on behalf of our country and nation to express the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people on every platform.”
The Ottoman Empire controlled Jerusalem for 400 years until its defeat at the hands of the Western allies who divided up the former empire, with many of its former provinces becoming independent Arab countries. During the war the Ottomans also carried out the Armenian genocide, murdering some 1.5 million Christian Armenians – enmity that remains and led to Erdogan’s condemnation of Armenia.
As I have posted before we are seeing the prophecy of Daniel 8 developing, with Turkey as the goat nation beginning to exert its desire to re-establish the Ottoman Empire. The Ram nation Iran is already pushing west, north, and south exactly as prophesied and it is only a matter of time before Turkey crushes Iran.
“And the goat ( Turkey, Sunni) had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram (Iran, Shia) with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.” Daniel 8:6-7
So many Biblical prophecies of the end times are manifesting now that it is obvious to most Bible believing Christians that we are living in the last days. Recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus told us that in the “last days” there would be a great falling away (apostasy) in the church. Many of the institutional churches now accept homosexuality, gay marriage and other heresies. Other end times signs such as people will be lovers of self, lawlessness will abound, pestilence, famine and other so called natural disasters are all evident. Jesus said all of these things must take place before He comes to take His church to heaven prior to God pouring out His wrath on a world that totally rejects God the Father and Jesus, His Son.
The following article is by Michael J. Vlach, Professor of Theology, at The Master’s Seminary. The Master’s Seminary opened its doors in 1986 to provide post-graduate theological training on the campus of Grace Community Church. He specializes in the areas of Systematic Theology, Historical Theology, Apologetics, and World Religions.
It is concerning that some churches today don’t take eschatology seriously. The very fact that God has revealed so many details about events to come in both testaments tells us that it is important. At the center of biblical eschatology is the blessed hope of the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Not only should we be interested in prophetic events to come but, we are also looking for our Savior, with whom we will spend eternity.
Why do some churches neglect serious study of eschatology? One issue is complexity. There are many eschatological details in the Bible to work through and harmonize. So there is hard work to do in this area. Also, when we see godly men disagreeing on prophetic issues, it can be disheartening. Another reason might be that some don’t want to be linked with those who have abused eschatology. There are those who have become obsessed with the end times by offering a date for Jesus’ return, or treating many current events as fulfillments of biblical prophecy. Thus, some have swung from the abuse of eschatology to no interest whatsoever.
But these are not good reasons to avoid the study of eschatology. Here are 7 reasons churches should take eschatology seriously:
1. Eschatology is a major part of the Christian storyline
Eschatology is a major part of the Bible’s story. By “story,” I’m not talking about fiction. I’m talking about the narrative of the Christian worldview. Since Christianity is rooted in history and real historical events, God’s story includes past, present, and future events. All should be taught. We simply should not ignore prophetic events that are future from our standpoint—events such as the Rapture, the Day of the Lord, the Second Coming, the Millennium, and the Eternal State. We must also talk about heaven and hell, and the coming New Earth. To avoid discussion of eschatology is to avoid an important part of the Christian worldview.
2. We are called to preach and heed the whole counsel of God
There are large sections of Scripture devoted to prophesy, many of which still need to be fulfilled from our current standpoint. For example, the events of Ezekiel 36–48 still need to occur. In the New Testament, passages like Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, much of Luke 21, 1 Thess. 4-5, 2 Thess 1-2, 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 6-22 describe events that still need to happen. We cannot ignore these passages. Paul says in Acts 20:27, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”
If your church does not teach what the Bible says about the future, the whole counsel of God is not being taught.
3. People are interested in the future
Christians are interested in what the future holds. But if we do not teach eschatology, we are denying important biblical information for those who want to know what the Bible has to say about the future. We are also withholding a major source of the hope that the Scripture wants us to have.
4. Eschatology is a motivation for believers
Eschatology changes our lives because what we do now impacts our future. Paul viewed everything he did in light of his standing before Jesus someday. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
5. Eschatology has a purifying effect on the believer
Eschatology is meant to transform our lives in the present. Why should we live sensibly, righteously and godly? Because Jesus is coming again. 1 John 3:2-3 states, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
James 5:8-9 also says, “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord, is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.”
The study of biblical eschatology is a motivation for godly living
6. Eschatology gives perspective to the troubles and trials of this age
We live in a fallen and tragedy-soaked world. We are all physically decaying and dying. Evil seems to triumph. Without Jesus, there is no hope, only despair. But for the Christian, there is the hope of resurrection and the restoration of all things (1 Cor. 15:20-28; Acts 3:21). Romans 8:18 states, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
The sufferings of this present time are real, but they are not comparable to the glory that is to come.
2 Peter 3:13 says, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
The coming of Jesus and the restoration of all things are future realities that give Christians hope and the joyful realization that the turmoils and trials of this age will not last forever. Righteousness and goodness win in the end. Christians need that message.
7. Eschatology warns the unbeliever of coming judgment
Biblical eschatology does not teach that the story ends well for everyone. It exists as a frightening warning to those who have not believed in Jesus. Eschatology warns all people that there is eternal punishment and banishment from God’s kingdom and the presence of God for those who do not repent. We should do what John the Baptist did—warn people to flee the wrath that is to come (Luke 3:7-8). Just as there is both judgment and resurrection for the righteous, there is also resurrection and judgment for the unbeliever.
In sum, biblical eschatology is an important part of Christianity. For these reasons, all true churches should embrace the importance of biblical eschatology and share its truths with Christians and unbelievers alike.
8. I would add to Michael’s reasons, an eighth,Apocalyptic Evangelism.
There are more prophecies about Jesus second coming than there were of His first coming and yet there were many of those. Christians who understand the prophetic events that are to unfold prior to Jesus return, first to rapture the church, and then after God’s wrath has been poured out on the earth with the Scroll, Trumpet and Bowl judgements, He will return to this earth and rescue Israel. He has unfinished business with His nation. All the O.T. prophets prophesied their Messiah would rule the nations from Jerusalem. Jesus will rule and reign with the resurrected saints on this earth for 1000 years. Obviously, we are in a unique position to use this knowledge in evangelism. To explain to unbelievers what is unfolding in our day and to warn the church of the coming tribulation, even great tribulation. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:8-13. Jesus spoke these words and Mark recorded them as follows ” For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.Mark 13:19-20
Biblical Elam/Persia was where modern-day Iran is currently located. This is important in end times prophecy. In the video below, Nelson explains Daniel 8 and the end times significance of Iran. What about Javan? What country is now located where Javan was located? Turkey is the best choice geographically. Prophetically these two nations (old Elam and Javan, currently Iran and Turkey) are destined for a Shia/Sunni war.
You will get to know who the ram (Iran) and Goat (Turkey) of Daniel 8 are, and their roles in end times wars and rumours of wars. The video reveals events and wars that are yet to occur. This is an excellent video, one you need to share with your church group.
God’s Word tells us that one of the reasons Jesus will return is to save mankind from total destruction. The following report reveals that mankind has come to the brink, with weapons of mass destruction and godless leaders willing to use them.
According to a new report released this summer from the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Task Force on National and Homeland Security, China now has the ability to conduct a massive EMP attack on the United States. China has created at least three types of weapons designed to attack electric grids… And these technologies (all stolen from the U.S.) would enable them to employ a surprise “Pearl Harbor” assault that could send Americans into a deadly blackout. Dr. Peter Pry, the executive director of the EMP task force set up by the president, says China not only has these super-EMP weapons in its arsenal, it knows how to protect itself against an EMP attack, and has developed protocols to conduct a first-strike attack.
Source China Satellite Office
Also, the EMP Task Force’s June report reveals that China has built a network of satellites, highspeed missiles, and super-electromagnetic pulse weapons that could effectively meltdown the US electric grid, sizzle their critical communications infrastructure, and even take out the ability of the US aircraft carrier and military groups to respond.
Do you need more evidence we are in the “last days”. Prophecy is in my estimation conclusive proof the Bible is written by God albeit by His Holy Spirit inspired human authors. There are many end times prophecies and we are already seeing them unfold as “birth pangs” with increasing frequency and intensity.
MILLIONS OF CHILDREN FORCED INTO LABOUR AS COVID 19 CREATES GLOBAL HUNGER CRISIS
“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.” Luke 21:11
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused at least 110 million children to go hungry and pushed 8 million others into child labour and begging, according to assessments in 24 countries across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia by evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization World Vision. Other international groups like the United Nations and World Food Programme have warned that the economic impact of the new coronavirus is bound to increase child hunger, violence and poverty at alarming levels, and those predictions were confirmed by World Vision’s assessments. “COVID-19 is already affecting parents and caregivers’ ability to meet the needs of their children,” says the World Vision report, titled “Out of Time: COVID-19 Aftershocks.”
Millions in India facing hunger due to Covid19
“Without urgent action, this will only get worse given that every second child, out of 2 billion children in the world, is living in poverty,” it adds. The report shows that a third of the 14,000 households in nine countries in Asia have already lost jobs or income since the coronavirus outbreak. “Sixty percent of these families depend on casual (daily) labour as a crucial source of income,” it says, adding that a quarter of all families surveyed did not have any food stocks on hand, and one third had only one week’s supply left. In Cambodia, 28% of households facing loss of jobs and income were sending children out to work, and in Bangladesh, 34% were sending children to beg, the assessment found. In urban slums in India, 40% of respondents reported a spike in domestic violence due to travel restrictions and a reduction in family income.
In Africa, 59% of respondents from communities World Visions works with reported spending less on healthy and nutritious food. In Latin America, refugees are severely affected by the loss of income, and one-third of children are going to bed hungry, the report says. “In Chile, 82% of the interviewees reported having serious problems obtaining food, and in Venezuela, 70% have no access to food, which means that children under age five are at high risk of being malnourished. The report also shows 28% of the children surveyed are at risk of eviction from their homes, with seven percent already having been evicted.” According to a projection by the United Nations, up to 66 million more children could fall into extreme poverty because of the pandemic, adding to the estimated 385 million children who were already living in extreme poverty as of last year.
If you have not read my previous post ” The Ram of Daniel 8 is pushing West, North and South” posted on the 7th of September then can I suggest you do so before watching this ominous video featuring President Erdogan of Turkey.
As I explained in the previous post, we are already seeing what is prophesied in Daniel 8 about the ram (Iran) pushing West, North, and South. It is already underway and probably will continue, however, the prophecy below from Daniel 8 indicates that Iran’s aspirations to become the dominant Muslim force in the Middle East is short-lived. It should be remembered that Iran is Shia, approximately 10% of Muslims whereas Turkey is Sunni the dominant group of approximately 90%.
“As I was considering, behold, a male goat (Turkey) came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram (Iran) with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.” Daniel 8:5-8
Listen to President Erdogan voice his ominous warning to all who stand in Turkey’s way to be a revived Ottoman Empire and to be “the last of army of Islam”.
The following end times scholars: Chris White, Charles Cooper, Alan Hultberg, David Rosenthal, Ryan Habbena, and Alan Kurschner unite to produce this excellent video – Seven Pretribulation Problems and the Prewrath Rapture. You can watch this film as a whole or in parts. The individual parts pages below also have written transcripts available on https://7pretribproblems.com/7-problems/
You need to settle this issue so that you are prepared for the coming tribulation which will occur before Jesus returns to rule and reign on this earth with a “rod of iron”. God set up the nation of Israel to be His nation on earth to accomplish His purposes. During the Millennial reign of Jesus from a completely restored/restructured Jerusalem, God’s purposes for Israel will be finally realised. Satan is bound in the Abyss during Jesus 1000 year reign so it is reasonable to assume that there will be a great harvest of souls during this period. Sadly, at the end of the thousand years Satan is released from the Abyss and Scripture reveals that he is still able to get an enormous army to come against Jesus and the resurrected saints who are ruling and reigning with Him. The fact that we are told Jesus needs to rule and reign with a “rod of iron” tells us that people will still rebel against Jesus ruling according God’s commandments.
“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:7-10
Maranatha Movement is about encouraging and challenging us to live out our lives as Christ calls us to live in these last days. We need to live lives that will bring great reward throughout eternity.
Daniel 9 has two sections 1. 70 years Babylonian captivity which is coming to an end and 2. 70 weeks – future events. Dalton explains how significant Daniel 9 is to understanding Biblical eschatology (end times prophecies), the events that are unfolding in our day. Daniel was living at the end of the Babylonian captivity and we are living at the time of the start of the 70 weeks – prophesied future events. Dalton will challenge you about how you are living your life now in relation to the events that are unfolding in our time. Are you going to be a shining star and earn eternal rewards? I hope I have given you sufficient that you want to spend time with Dalton in Daniel 9.
Geopolitics, Biblical prophecy and Muslim prophecy and how they intersect in these last days.
Biblical prophecy reveals in Daniel 8 that in the last days Turkey (Sunni) will defeat Iran (Shia) and become the dominant Muslim force but not for long. It will be broken up into four kingdoms and out of one of them the little horn (Antichrist) will come. Only a great power or coalition of nations will be able to break up what would effectively be a revived Ottoman Empire.
“Then the goat (Turkey) became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land (Israel).” Daniel 8:8-9
A critical shift is taking place in the Middle East. The Ballistic Missile Program of Iran (Ram) is significant considering its influence in Lebanon with Hezbollah and in Iraq and Syria as well as Hamas, but even more significant is the Turkey Caliphate (Goat) , a revised Ottoman Empire is rising. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1923 after 600 years ruling an amazing amount of territory.
Covid 19 Pandemic is providing an opportunity for leaders such as Erdogan. The combination of people’s disillusionment with the Saudi regime as well as Bin Salman’s ambivalence towards Sunni radicalism has led Erdogan to pursue a role as the new political leader of Sunni Islam.
Hagia Sophia from Museum to Mosque
We can see Erdogan’s ambition in a number of actions that he has pursued in the past couple months. The first and most obvious is the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. This has obvious implications. For centuries, Muslim armies made the capture of Constantinople, the center of the Christian east, their chief goal. Various Muslim Hadiths (sayings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) predicted the submission of the Byzantine capital to Islam. When the Ottomans finally captured the city on May 29, 1453 and turned the Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, it spelled the end of Christian political power in the Middle East and the beginning of the Ottoman Empire as the center of Sunni Islam. Ataturk converted the mosque into a museum in 1935, uncovering some of the Arabic calligraphy to reveal the centuries-old Christian icons. This move, while imperfect, signalled that Turkey was no longer an Islamic state and that it would pursue secularization.
For years now, Erdogan has been undoing Ataturk’s vision. He has cracked down on the sale of alcohol, halted the teaching of the theory of evolution, and is even suspected of aiding Sunni Jihadist groups in Syria. The reconversion of Hagia Sophia serves as a symbolic reminder that in Turkey Islam reigns supreme and that, while Saudi Arabia shrinks away from its Wahabbist legacy, Sunnis who long for a return to a more muscular Islam can turn to Istanbul instead.
The second ominous sign of Turkey’s ambition is the recent onslaught of anti-Armenian sentiments made by pro-Erdogan figures in Lebanon. Lebanon, which is dominated by the Shia Hezbollah (funded and controlled by Iran), has faced increased criticism by Lebanese citizens for its corruption. Massive protests occurred just last year over endemic political corruption and economic stagnation in the country. This is where Erdogan sees his opening. The Sunni community of Lebanon, which doesn’t have nearly the same level of political representation as Shia Muslims or even Christians, and increasingly fears the domination of Hezbollah over the country, could easily turn to Turkey as a sort of protector. We should not be surprised that the bulk of anti-Armenian sentiment in Lebanon has come from the North, which is heavily Sunni.
Perhaps the most insidious result of this strategy is the propagation of anti-Armenian propaganda at pan-Muslim events in the United States. Just last year, during a Muslim American Society convention, official publications from the Turkish government denying the Armenian Genocide were distributed to visitors. The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, a major American Muslim Advocacy group, has also pushed Turkish propaganda, claiming that the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is taken out of historical context and that Muslim suffering during the same time period is never discussed.
The overall attempt has been to inflect a general Muslim hostility towards Christianity (which has very deep roots in Islam) with a more particular Turkish hatred of Armenians. Such an attempt, if successfully accomplished, would be a massive propaganda victory for Erdogan’s government. This would signal a shift in influence over radical Islam from the Saudis to the Turks.
Armenians should brace for increased hostility not only from the Turks, but also from the Sunni communities that they have lived with peacefully for decades. They are in turmoil right now, and Erdogan may have found them the perfect scapegoat.
Sister M. Basilea Schlink, wrote a remarkable book, Repentance -The Joy-Filled Life
Considering her book was written in 1959, after reading this excerpt, you will realise how much more appropriate the message is for us now. Apostasy and lawlessness abounds just as prophesied by Jesus. The following is from the last chapter of her book.
“The end-time judgements are already upon us. Now is our last chance to repent and to allow God to judge us personally, so that we can escape what is to come. That will be the grace of the rapture —delivered from a world in the throes of judgement and caught up to the Lord ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). But not all who call themselves believers will be taken (Matthew 7:21). When Jesus comes again, He will be revealed in His majesty and divine glory. No one can enter His immediate presence or take their place beside Him unless they have been sanctified and remade in His likeness (Hebrews 12:14) . As we allow the Lord to judge us, chastening will do its transforming work in us. ”
‘Repent!‘ Like a trumpet blast from heaven the call sounds forth with tremendous urgency. Time is running out. Who will hear the call and pass it on? The Church needs to take up the challenge, so that nations are impacted and a movement of repentance gains momentum all over the earth. Where there is repentance, the hand of the Lord is stayed and judgement deferred or tempered with mercy. “It is not just for our own sake that God wants us to repent. More is at stake.In a world headed for destruction we as believers bear responsibility for our nations and for the human race at large. Soon the time of grace will be over. Soon God’s patience will run out, and His wrath will descend. Have we any idea of the full extent and horror of these judgements?
“Here in Germany our hands are stained with the blood of six million Jews. The day of reckoning will come. Our repentance, our weeping and mourning, needs to correspond to the enormity of our deeds.
“Tragically, it is the Churchthat is storing up God’s wrath.
We have missed so many chances to repent. Are we going to continue along this road? At the first coming of Jesus it was the religious who resisted the call. Sure of their own rightness, they objected when John the Baptist tried to shake them out of their complacency. ‘Why this constant emphasis on repentance? It’s so one-sided.’ Today anyone who consistently preaches repentance can count on similar reactions. ‘Fanatical. Unbalanced. A gloomy brand of Christianity. This is not the Good News.’ But the call to repentance is at the heart of the Gospel. Contrition and repentance lead us straight into the joy of forgiveness. “If we want Jesus to draw near, if we want to be delivered from judgement, there is only one way—repent!This is the call of the hour. Grace lies in store for those who lives are marked by repentance. In a world headed for the fullness of judgement, theirs will be the fullness of grace.
When Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven, He will gather them to Himself. They will be changed in an instant. Once humiliated, now they are exalted. Once they came weeping, wearing the garment of repentance. Now they wear the dazzling white wedding garment and, shining like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, they go in to celebrate the Wedding Feast. Matthew13:43 “The greater the threat of judgement, the greater our repentance needs to be. And the greater our repentance, the greater the pardon and glory. Repent! That is God’s message to us in these end times. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it (Luke 11:28, Revelation 1:3,22:7). Blessed are those who respond to God’s offer of love. Here and now they will have a foretaste of heaven. More wonderful still, they will be prepared for their Lord, to celebrate with Him the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.’ He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’ (Revelation 22:20).”
Thanks to Jeff Daly of repentday.com for this gem.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 