The Prophetic Messenger
A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
November/December 2004 - Volume 6/Issue 6
The Turkey Factor
"2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:" Ezekiel 38:2-3
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss the nation of Turkey and the prophecies concerning this nation.
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss the nation of Turkey and the prophecies concerning this nation.
1. The Nation Of Turkey Today
Here is a brief history of Turkey from the CIA fact book (Note 1). It says
"Present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter, the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots and prevent a Greek takeover of the island; the northern 37 percent of the island remains under Turkish Cypriot control. Relations between Turkey and Greece have improved greatly over the past few years. In 2004, the estimated population of Turkey is 68,893,918. Its religion is 99.8% Muslim (mostly sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)."
The nation of Turkey has been a friend and ally of Israel but has recently started showing opposition to Israel and is developing relationships with nations that are enemies to Israel. An article titled "Turkey and Syria Bury Differences"(Note 2) says
"Turkey and Syria have agreed to bury their differences, ending decades of frosty relations. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is visiting Turkey, said the two countries would work together for peace and stability in the Middle East. Mr Assad's visit is the first to Turkey by a Syrian head of state. After a meeting with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, he said the two countries shared concerns about the territorial integrity of Iraq. Meanwhile Turkey, with its strong ties to Israel, is reported to be offering to help Syria make progress with its recent overtures towards the Jewish state.........But since succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad almost four years ago, Mr Assad has been trying to improve ties with Ankara, and his visit caps a series of smaller steps to repair relations. 'We have moved together from an atmosphere of distrust to one of trust,' he said. 'We must create stability from a regional atmosphere of instability.' Mr Sezer echoed the Syrian leader's concern: 'No time can be lost in replacing the atmosphere of enmity, distrust and instability which unfortunately prevails in our region with one of peace, stability and prosperity.' Mr Assad also mentioned Iraq, whose US-led occupation - which the two countries oppose - has brought the two countries closer together........Turkey and Syria have common interests in Iraq. Both have sizeable Kurdish populations and neither wants to see the Kurds of Iraq winning independence under the new constitution there."
In another article titled "Gaza Action Triggers Turkey-Israel Tension"(Note 3) it says
"Israel's recent military operation in the Gaza Strip has strained relations with its main regional ally, Turkey. Turkey's leaders have condemned the Israeli action in Gaza and have suggested that bilateral relations might have to be reviewed in the light of it. Israel and Turkey have enjoyed close economic and military ties for the last decade but many Turks are dismayed at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and the Turkish government has come under increasing pressure to take a stand on the issue. On Wednesday, the Turkish media reported that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had declined an invitation to visit Israel, saying that the action in Gaza meant the time was not right for such a visit........The Israeli media on Thursday devoted much space to the latest developments in Israeli-Turkish relations. Israel Radio said that Israeli officials were 'extremely worried' at the way in which these relations had deteriorated recently. 'Turkey and Israel have numerous business connections and ongoing defence, water, and energy contracts. Jerusalem is now expected to make a major effort to resolve the crisis,' the radio added."
Turkish opposition to Israel was prophesied in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 39:1-2 it says "1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:" Meshech and Tubal are modern day Turkey. In the future Turkey and other nations will come against Israel in war.
"Present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter, the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots and prevent a Greek takeover of the island; the northern 37 percent of the island remains under Turkish Cypriot control. Relations between Turkey and Greece have improved greatly over the past few years. In 2004, the estimated population of Turkey is 68,893,918. Its religion is 99.8% Muslim (mostly sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)."
The nation of Turkey has been a friend and ally of Israel but has recently started showing opposition to Israel and is developing relationships with nations that are enemies to Israel. An article titled "Turkey and Syria Bury Differences"(Note 2) says
"Turkey and Syria have agreed to bury their differences, ending decades of frosty relations. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is visiting Turkey, said the two countries would work together for peace and stability in the Middle East. Mr Assad's visit is the first to Turkey by a Syrian head of state. After a meeting with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, he said the two countries shared concerns about the territorial integrity of Iraq. Meanwhile Turkey, with its strong ties to Israel, is reported to be offering to help Syria make progress with its recent overtures towards the Jewish state.........But since succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad almost four years ago, Mr Assad has been trying to improve ties with Ankara, and his visit caps a series of smaller steps to repair relations. 'We have moved together from an atmosphere of distrust to one of trust,' he said. 'We must create stability from a regional atmosphere of instability.' Mr Sezer echoed the Syrian leader's concern: 'No time can be lost in replacing the atmosphere of enmity, distrust and instability which unfortunately prevails in our region with one of peace, stability and prosperity.' Mr Assad also mentioned Iraq, whose US-led occupation - which the two countries oppose - has brought the two countries closer together........Turkey and Syria have common interests in Iraq. Both have sizeable Kurdish populations and neither wants to see the Kurds of Iraq winning independence under the new constitution there."
In another article titled "Gaza Action Triggers Turkey-Israel Tension"(Note 3) it says
"Israel's recent military operation in the Gaza Strip has strained relations with its main regional ally, Turkey. Turkey's leaders have condemned the Israeli action in Gaza and have suggested that bilateral relations might have to be reviewed in the light of it. Israel and Turkey have enjoyed close economic and military ties for the last decade but many Turks are dismayed at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and the Turkish government has come under increasing pressure to take a stand on the issue. On Wednesday, the Turkish media reported that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had declined an invitation to visit Israel, saying that the action in Gaza meant the time was not right for such a visit........The Israeli media on Thursday devoted much space to the latest developments in Israeli-Turkish relations. Israel Radio said that Israeli officials were 'extremely worried' at the way in which these relations had deteriorated recently. 'Turkey and Israel have numerous business connections and ongoing defence, water, and energy contracts. Jerusalem is now expected to make a major effort to resolve the crisis,' the radio added."
Turkish opposition to Israel was prophesied in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 39:1-2 it says "1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:" Meshech and Tubal are modern day Turkey. In the future Turkey and other nations will come against Israel in war.
2. The Prophecies Concerning Turkey
In Ezekiel 38 and 39, the Bible tells us about a future war against Israel. One of the nations that will come against Israel is the nation of Turkey. By reading Genesis 10 and by studying the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth from historical maps, you can find the geographical locations of the nations in Ezekiel's prophecy. The name Meshech and Tubal is mentioned three (3) times in Ezekiel 38 and 39. In Ezekiel 38:2-3 it says "2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:" In Ezekiel 39:1 it says "Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:" Meshech and Tubal is modern day Turkey. Notice the Biblical phrase "Gog, the land of Magog" who is the chief prince of Turkey. The land of Magog is the former U.S.S.R. and Gog is the leader. Many would say that the former U.S.S.R. is dead but let me share a recent article to show you that it is back.
In an article titled "Duma Votes to Send Russia Back to 'Old Days' of One-Party Rule"(Note 4), it says
"Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, voted in favor of allowing ministers to lead political parties Wednesday, raising fears that Soviet-style one-party rule is making a comeback, Reuters writes. The Duma passed the bill by 344-69, with 13 abstentions, at the third reading with support from all parties except the Commmunists, who, in an odd reversal of history, argued against the bill on the grounds that it would mean a return to the ways of the Soviet Union. 'What's being proposed is a return to the old days, when even the man in charge of the bath-house couldn't be appointed without the party's say-so,' Communist deputy Sergei Reshulsky said.......Both houses of parliament are already dominated by Kremlin loyalists, and President Vladimir Putin wants power to appoint regional governors as well as cabinet members. 'Very soon, and without amending the Constitution at all, we may have not only a one-party cabinet ... but also a one-party ruling hierarchy, covering all levels of government,' commentator Yevgeny Zherebenikov wrote in Itogi magazine."
(For more information see our article titled "Is Communism Dead?" in the May/June 2000 edition of The Prophetic Messenger). In just a little over 13 years the old Soviet Union one-party rule is back with little to no media coverage in America. In another article titled "Russia Plotting Anti-U.S. Bloc"(Note 5), it says
"President Vladimir Putin envisions a new Russian-led security alliance aimed at the United States, sweeping from the Baltic Sea to the Sea of Japan. Embracing such nuclear powers as Communist China, Iran and India, it would serve two primary geopolitical ambitions shared by Putin's Soviet-era predecessors in Moscow: · A counterweight to the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization· A brake on the expansion of American interests in the oil-rich Caspian Sea region....................With that complex coalition in place, the next step would be to try to peel Turkey away from its membership in NATO. At the core of this Russian strategy is the intent to root out American investment in the exploration, production and transport of petroleum in and around the Caspian Sea specifically the U.S.-proposed pipeline from Baku to the Turkish port of Ceyhan."
Notice this article was dated back in December of 2000. As we look at these nations China, Iran and India, we can see that President Putin has fulfilled his security alliance goals with these three nations. President Putin's plan to "peel Turkey away from NATO" would fulfill the prophecy Ezekiel had over 2500 years ago. In Ezekiel 38:2-3 it says "2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:"
In an article titled "Duma Votes to Send Russia Back to 'Old Days' of One-Party Rule"(Note 4), it says
"Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, voted in favor of allowing ministers to lead political parties Wednesday, raising fears that Soviet-style one-party rule is making a comeback, Reuters writes. The Duma passed the bill by 344-69, with 13 abstentions, at the third reading with support from all parties except the Commmunists, who, in an odd reversal of history, argued against the bill on the grounds that it would mean a return to the ways of the Soviet Union. 'What's being proposed is a return to the old days, when even the man in charge of the bath-house couldn't be appointed without the party's say-so,' Communist deputy Sergei Reshulsky said.......Both houses of parliament are already dominated by Kremlin loyalists, and President Vladimir Putin wants power to appoint regional governors as well as cabinet members. 'Very soon, and without amending the Constitution at all, we may have not only a one-party cabinet ... but also a one-party ruling hierarchy, covering all levels of government,' commentator Yevgeny Zherebenikov wrote in Itogi magazine."
(For more information see our article titled "Is Communism Dead?" in the May/June 2000 edition of The Prophetic Messenger). In just a little over 13 years the old Soviet Union one-party rule is back with little to no media coverage in America. In another article titled "Russia Plotting Anti-U.S. Bloc"(Note 5), it says
"President Vladimir Putin envisions a new Russian-led security alliance aimed at the United States, sweeping from the Baltic Sea to the Sea of Japan. Embracing such nuclear powers as Communist China, Iran and India, it would serve two primary geopolitical ambitions shared by Putin's Soviet-era predecessors in Moscow: · A counterweight to the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization· A brake on the expansion of American interests in the oil-rich Caspian Sea region....................With that complex coalition in place, the next step would be to try to peel Turkey away from its membership in NATO. At the core of this Russian strategy is the intent to root out American investment in the exploration, production and transport of petroleum in and around the Caspian Sea specifically the U.S.-proposed pipeline from Baku to the Turkish port of Ceyhan."
Notice this article was dated back in December of 2000. As we look at these nations China, Iran and India, we can see that President Putin has fulfilled his security alliance goals with these three nations. President Putin's plan to "peel Turkey away from NATO" would fulfill the prophecy Ezekiel had over 2500 years ago. In Ezekiel 38:2-3 it says "2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:"
Notes:
Note 1: www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html
Note 2: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3372767.stm
Note 3: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3753963.stm
Note 4: www.mosnews.com/news/2004/10/13/ministers.shtml
Note 5: www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2000/12/18/72013.shtml
Note 1: www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html
Note 2: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3372767.stm
Note 3: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3753963.stm
Note 4: www.mosnews.com/news/2004/10/13/ministers.shtml
Note 5: www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2000/12/18/72013.shtml
Coming Up In The Next Issue
Three Horns Plucked Up. Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.
Memory Verses
As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: Psalm 34:9, Galatians 6:7, Psalm 118:22, I Thessalonians 5:3, I Peter 2:24, Numbers 14:24, Proverbs 19:9, I John 3:13-14, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 23:1-6. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)
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