The long-standing goal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to establish his country as the leading Islamist political, cultural and military power in the Middle East as a stepping stone toward resurrecting the Ottoman Empire has been well documented.
This week, some progress appeared to be made toward that goal when the EFES-2026 Combined Joint Live-Fire Field Exercise took place along the Aegean coast near İzmir, involving large land, naval and air forces from the Turkish military alongside contingents from 50 other countries, including Syria and Libya.
The live-fire component of the drills took place in the İzmir Gulf and Doğanbey training ranges, with dozens of ships, tanks, infantry battalions and aircraft maneuvering, firing and communicating in close proximity.
The Libyan contingent included 331 fighters from the country’s eastern forces and 171 fighters from the western region, marching together under a single Libyan flag despite their lingering rivalry after years of civil war.
Turkey has spent several years attempting to form a joint force from units on both sides while providing training and logistical support.
For Israeli analysts, however, the Syrian participation may have been the most significant development.
Forces from the Al-Jolani (Al-Sharaa) regime in Syria were among the smallest delegations, with only 50 soldiers. But the contingent carries political and diplomatic weight far beyond its modest size, marking the first time forces from the newly formed “Syrian National Army” have operated outside Syrian territory. The fact that they are doing so under Turkish auspices rather than American leadership is being viewed as a signal about both the intentions and capabilities of the al-Jolani regime.
Israel is watching these developments closely. Al-Jolani’s regime is viewed in Jerusalem as a “not unfriendly” regional power and a potential ally against Hezbollah and the Iranian regime, while Turkey under Erdoğan is increasingly seen as a deeply hostile opponent of Israel with openly stated ambitions of “liberating Jerusalem.”
Ankara’s growing influence, not only in the Middle East but also in Europe and Africa, is viewed in Israel as an increasingly worrying development.
I am confident that students of Biblical prophecy have noted the prominent mention of ancient regions corresponding to modern-day Turkey, Persia (modern-day Iran) and Libya in the coalition of nations that come against Israel, described in the prophecies of Ezekiel chapters 38-39.
I believe this will be the next major Biblical prophesied end-times event. So watch for it, and use it in your evangelism of family, friends and workmates.
Derek Richard Walker is the pastor of the Oxford Bible Church in the UK. The title of the video is what caught my attention. I have never watched any of Walker’s videos before but I am glad I watched this one. Why? Because there can be no doubt that one of the most important Biblical end times battles yet to take place is the imminent invasion of Israel as outlined in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
We need to watch for it, as what happens can only be from God, so it will be one of the greatest validations of God and the Bible. Therefore, it will be a tremendous opportunity for evangelism and many will come to Christ at this time.
This talk by Derek Richard Walker delves into the historical and current geopolitical alignments that are fulfilling these ancient prophecies. Discover the implications for believers and the potential for a worldwide revival triggered by divine intervention. A must-watch for those interested in eschatology and the role of nations in the end times. I do not agree with Walker on the following aspects of Walkers end times timeline but certainly agree with his comments about the opportunity the outcome of the battle will provide Christians to evangelise.
The Muslim nations, Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia/Sudan, Libya will definitely be involved in this coming battle against Israel but I am not sure about Russia. Walker also believes in a Pretribulation Rapture which I do not. After the present war with the USA and Israel I cannot see Iran being a major player in this war against Israel. Turkey the goat of Daniel 8 will be the major player.
For Israel, this is an existential war. For the Islamic Republic, it is an ideological, apocalyptic war. The regime believes it must continue fighting the world to expand Islam globally and bring about the return of the “Hidden Imam”, the Mahdi (and the End of Days), a deeply disturbing and inhumane ideology. From a Biblical perspective the Mahdi is a picture of the Biblical Antichrist.
Acts 2:9: On the Day of Pentecost, “Parthians and Medes and Elamites” (among others) hear the apostles speaking in their own languages about the wonders of God. This shows Elamites (Iranians) were present at the birth of the church.
Many O.T. references portray Iran (Elam/Susa) as an ancient powerful region (sometimes an enemy or ally in war), a place of exile and return, a setting for God’s deliverance (Esther), a site for prophetic visions (Daniel), and part of God’s broader plans for judgment, scattering, and ultimate restoration of peoples—including in end-times contexts like Isaiah 11. The Persian-period books (Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel, Ezra) especially highlight how God sovereignly worked through or in the heart of the Elam/Susa region for His people Israel.
Ezekiel 38:5 – God using Persia (Iran) in an end-times coalition
This portrays God sovereignly using (or allowing) nations including Persia in a major end-times conflict against Israel, which ultimately leads to God’s dramatic intervention, victory, and demonstration of His glory (Ezekiel 38:18–23; 39:1–8, 21–29). It does not describe restoration of Persia itself but its role in God’s end-times purposes before final judgment on the coalition, However, there are scriptures that indicate God will restore Iran in the last days.
Ezekiel 38 (and the continuation in chapter 39) is one of the most detailed end-times prophecies in the Bible. It describes a future invasion of a restored Israel by a massive multinational coalition led by “Gog, of the land of Magog.” This occurs in the “latter years” or “latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8, 16), when Israel is living securely in the land after being regathered from exile—setting it in an end-times context that many interpreters place before or early in the Tribulation period.
“Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him… Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.” Ezekiel 38:2, 5–6
God Himself sovereignly draws this coalition against Israel “like a hook in the jaws” (v. 4) so that He can display His holiness and power to the nations through supernatural judgment (earthquake, pestilence, hail, fire and sulfur—vv. 19–22; see also 39:21–29). The invasion is not a surprise to God; it fulfills earlier prophecies and ultimately magnifies His name.
Here’s a breakdown of each component, including ancient locations and the most common modern identifications in evangelical/prophetic scholarship.
Ancient Name
Ancient Location / Description
Common Modern Equivalent(s) in Prophetic Views
Notes / Role in Coalition
Gog
Title or leader (possibly a person or symbolic ruler)
A future leader of the northern alliance
Commander-in-chief; God is “against” him personally.
Magog
Descendants of Japheth (Gen 10:2); Scythian peoples north of the Black/Caspian Seas
Russia and/or former Soviet Central Asian republics (e.g., Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan)
Core “land of the north”; often seen as the power base.
Meshech & Tubal
Ancient Anatolian kingdoms (near modern Turkey/Black Sea region)
Turkey (or parts of southern Russia/Caucasus)
Military allies providing troops and armor.
Persia
Ancient empire (modern southwestern Iran)
Iran (explicit and undisputed)
Major eastern ally; listed right after the northern core. Ties directly to our prior discussion on Iran/Elam in end-times prophecy.
Cush
Region south of Egypt (Nubia)
Sudan (sometimes broader Horn of Africa/Ethiopia region)
Southern contingent with shields and helmets.
Put
Ancient North African coastal region (Libya area)
Libya (sometimes Algeria, Tunisia)
Western/North African allies.
Gomer
Descendants of Japheth; Cimmerians in Asia Minor
Turkey (or sometimes Germany/Austria in older views)
“All his hordes” — large military force from the north.
Beth-togarmah
“House of Togarmah”; region in eastern Asia Minor
Turkey and/or Turkic peoples of Central Asia
“From the uttermost parts of the north” — far-northern hordes.
Many peoples with you
Additional unspecified allies
Possibly other Islamic nations, Syria, or broader confederates
Expansive multinational force “like a cloud covering the land.”
These identifications draw from ancient historians (Josephus, Herodotus), the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), and geographic/historical correlations. The overwhelming consensus in popular Bible prophecy teaching is a northern-led coalition (Russia/Turkey axis) joined by Iran (east), Sudan/Ethiopia (south), and Libya/North Africa (west).
Persia/Iran’s role is especially clear and undisputed: it is the only modern nation named with virtually no interpretive debate. It joins the northern powers as a key ally in this end-times attack on Israel—aligning with the broader theme regarding God’s use of the region in prophecy (cf. Ezekiel 38:5 with Jeremiah 49 and Isaiah 11).
Jeremiah 49:34–39 – The clearest direct reference to restoration “in the latter days”
This oracle against Elam describes divine judgment (breaking its military power, scattering its people to the four winds, disaster, and setting God’s throne in Elam while destroying its king and officials), but concludes with hope:
“But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 49:39, ESV/NIV similar wording; also translated as “bring back the captives” or “reverse the captivity” in some versions).
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