As recorded in biblical prophecies, the titles of the future Antichrist describe the kingdoms he will rule over. He is called the king of Babylon, the Assyrian, the Prince of Tyre (Lebanon), and Pharoah of Egypt. Prophecy is precise in geography. Christ was prophesied to come out of Egypt, Bethlehem and Nazareth. And true to divine providence, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fled to Egypt during Herod’s murder spree, and grew up in Nazareth.
Ten-Nation Islamic Confederacy
Shoebat gives an excellent summary of the nations to be controlled by the Antichrist/Mahdi:
Much of the Book of Isaiah is devoted to the final clash between the Messiah and the Antichrist. Yet when we actually look at the specific nations that so many of the “prophetic oracles” or “burdens” are directed against, they are all Muslim nations. Consider the nations that are emphasized: Babylon—Isaiah 13; Assyria and the Philistines (Palestinians)—Isaiah 14; Moab—Isaiah 15; Damascus—Isaiah 17; Cush (Sudan and Somaliland)—Isaiah 18; Egypt—Isaiah 19; Egypt and Cush—Isaiah 20; Babylon (Iraq and Arabia) and Edom (Arabia)—Isaiah 21; Tyre (Lebanon)—Isaiah 23.[15]
This aligns with a ten-nation Islamic confederacy, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast” (Rev. 17:12). These ten rulers will unify as an ally with the beast. Shoebat writes:
In 2002, a plan for the reestablishment of the Caliphate was written by Abu Qanit al-Sharif al-Hasani of the Guiding Helper Foundation. The plan was entitled, “The Plan for the Return of The Caliphate.” According to this plan, a ten member council of “Assistant Caliphs” would assist the Caliph in his rule. These assistants, or council members, are similar to Ministers in many of today’s governments.[16]
Other Islamic groups and movements share the same vision and are working toward the goal of a worldwide empire centered in the Middle East and expanding outward to the entire globe. Out of these kingdoms, Assyria appears prominent in the Last Days’ war with Israel. The Lord of hosts declares, “I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot” (Isa. 14:25).
The Seven Heads
The End Times beast/kingdom was witnessed by the apostle John:
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness (deserted place): and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. . . . And here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains (kingdoms), on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition (Rev. 17:3, 9-11).
In proper hermeneutical studies, the word mountain should be translated as ‘kingdom’ in this context as well as many other prophetic passages. Again, Shoebat’s excellent perspective from a Middle Eastern point of view, gives an insightful reading of these verses:
First, we see that at the time that it was written, five of the empires had already fallen. This is seen in the phrase, “five have fallen.” These empires are:
1. The Egyptian Empire
2. The Assyrian Empire
3. The Babylonian Empire
4. The Persian Empire
5. The Greek Empire
After these five, the angel tells John that one mountain (empire) “is.” At the time that John wrote the Book of Revelation, this was the Roman Empire. It ruled the Middle East, Northern Africa and much of Europe.
6. The Roman Empire[17]
So, the mystery kingdom is the seventh. During the Apostle John’s life the seventh empire did not yet exist. The final eighth empire will be a revived seventh empire. Each successive kingdom absorbed the former and expanded its domains further outward. The Roman Empire of John’s day was powerful but was overtaken by the Islamic Ottoman Empire centuries later and thus fulfills all qualifications as empire Number 7.
7. The Islamic Ottoman Empire
This Islamic empire collapsed (was wounded) but will be revived as a superpower in the Last Days as empire Number 8.
8. The Revived Islamic Ottoman Empire
All these empires took over Jerusalem in line with the Jerusalem-centric hermeneutic principle.
Turkey as Antichrist’s Stronghold
Nobody knows the day or hour of the return of Christ but the signs will become evident as the event approaches. The biblical prophecies point to the region of modern Turkey as one of the Antichrist’s chief strongholds thus deeming this region of extreme importance. “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast” (Rev. 13:3). As predicted in chapter thirteen, the seventh empire headquartered in Constantinople, Turkey (former capital of the Eastern Roman Empire) was “wounded” by the abolishment of the Caliphate in 1924. From the Ezekiel prophecies, Turkey stands out prominently as a chief player in End Times’ warfare against Israel. Ezekiel prophesied against an Antichrist figure named Gog:
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him. And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: . . . Persia, Ethiopia (Cush), and Libya (Put/Phut) with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarter, and all his bands: and many people with thee (Ezek. 38:2-3, 5-6).
Five of the eight locations in this prophecy were specifically located within the modern borders of Turkey. These regions include; Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah. The associated allies of this regime were listed as Persia (modern-day Iran), Cush (Sudan and Somalia), Put/Phut (region west of Egypt – possibly Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Mauritania). All these regions are Islamic.[18]
Within this prophecy many mistranslate the Hebrew phrase “chief prince of” as “prince of Rosh” or “chief” as “Rosh” in order to phonetically equivocate this to Rus or Russia. This does not correlate with Hebrew Lexicons such as Brown Driver Briggs and others. The word Rosh as “chief” or “head of” remains the standard in all the biblical occurences.[19] So, a proper reading would signify Gog as the leader (“head of” or “chief prince of”) all these Islamic regions.
Magog has been identified with the Scythians who dominated regions of “Asia Minor (Turkey) and the several Central Asian states (Turkmenistan, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, etc.)” which are all former southern soviet states of Russia now turned Muslim.[20] All these regions were part of the ancient Assyrian Empire. The remaining four prophesied regions of Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togormah were all within the boundaries of modern Turkey.
Antakya, Turkey
Most biblical scholars acknowledge that Antiochus IV Epiphanes was an exact type of the future antichrist. He reigned from 175-164 BC as ruler over the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. The capitol of the Seleucid empire was Antioch, located in modern Antakya, Turkey. This strategic city, located near the northwestern Syrian border, had significant importance over the centuries including the clash between the Crusaders and the Muslim armies.
Antakya, Turkey
Modern biblical prophecy scholars who wish to maintain a consistent thesis should take this fact into consideration when teaching which general region the final antichrist may emerge from. The “king of the north” of Daniel 11 fits the description of Antiochus IV as a type of the final antichrist who rules from the region of Turkey.
The Altar of Pergamon as the Throne of Satan
The Book of Revelation records the words of Jesus to the seven churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey):
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he (Jesus) which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat (throne) is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth (Rev 2:12-13).
Ancient Pergamos
Ancient Pergamos was considered to be the center of all pagan worship in Asia Minor (Turkey) and represented a vast assortment of gods throughout all past world empires. A massive altar to Zeus was erected on the south end of this theatre complex. The altar/temple was constructed in a horseshoe like shape and its dimensions are 35.64 meters wide and 33.4 meters deep. The temple base includes a frieze often named the Gigantomachy which depicts the war between the giants and the gods.
Gigantomachy frieze on altar
The altar was excavated by German archaeologists and brought to Berlin, Germany. The first Pergamon Museum was opened in 1901. However, it was eventually deemed structurally unfit and later replaced by a larger museum complex in 1930. Between 1934 and 1937, the Nazi party’s chief architect, Albert Speer, constructed a replica of the Pergamon altar for the Zeppelintribune; a grandstand for the massive Nuremberg rallies. In the middle of the altar was a bronze bull designed for human sacrifices. This bull was removed and replaced with Hitler’s pulpit.
Hitler-Zeppelin
This bull has a long history of grisly terror for its victims. The Christian bishop, Antipas was murdered upon this altar according to the Apostle John’s revelation. Antipas had driven out so many evil spirits from the city that the worship of the pagan gods was disturbed and complaints to the Roman governor were issued. When Antipas refused to offer sacrifice to a statue of the Roman emperor as “lord” and “god” he was condemned to death. The pagan rite of the bull sacrifice involved opening a door panel on the bull and inserting the human sacrifice with their head inside the bull head and the body within the body. A fire would be lit under the bronze bull slowly roasting the victim alive. The bull head was fitted with a pipe so that when the victim moaned and cried out in pain the bull would appear to come alive.[21]
From this same centered altar, Hitler claimed to have summoned mystical powers and rallied the people for world conquest, culminating in WWII. The word ‘holocaust’ in the Greek meant “a wholly burnt animal sacrifice.” Six million Jews were sacrificed in like manner via Hitler’s supreme orders channeled from the occult spirit realm.
Scenes from these torch light ceremonial Nuremberg gatherings, with Hitler portrayed as a god-like figure, were made into the most famous propaganda film of all time, “Triumph of the Will.” The film was directed by the famous German actress, Leni Riefenstahl. Hitler carefully approved of every scene and it was shown throughout Germany for twelve years. Interestingly, when the Pergamon altar was taken by the Russians in 1948 the nation of Israel was born. The altar was later returned in 1958.
In 2006, Turkey attempted to get the Pergamon altar back from Germany but was denied. The government of Turkey has intentioned to construct a replica altar in its original location. Biblical scriptures and the witness from church history attest to the fact that Satan and demonic spirits maintain strongholds in nations, cities, buildings, animals, people, and even objects at times. Asia Minor (Turkey) has been a stronghold of Satan for ages and culminating with the reign of Islam. The capital pagan city of the ancient world, Pergamon, was geographically near the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople), which is now Istanbul (Capital of the Islamic Ottoman Empire) and soon to be revived under the Antichrist and the pagan moon-god Allah.
Islamic and Military Resurgence in Turkey
In the Book of Daniel, a prophecy of the Antichrist states:
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut up the vision; for it shall be for many days (Dan. 8:23-26).
Daniel continues:
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (Dan. 9:27).
The Antichrist will be a master of negotiation and deception. He will make a covenant with Israel and other nations for seven years but break it midway. Muhammad and Allah’s so-called revelations sanction the creation of false peace agreements and treaties for furthering the advancement of Islam. Muhammad broke his word in the ten-year truce (hudna) or “Treaty of Hudaybiyyah” and his followers, throughout history, have followed his example of deceptive false peace.
Turkish President Abduallah Gul (literally translated “the servant of Allah the demon”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abduallah Gul (literally translated “the servant of Allah the demon”) have positioned Turkey as the leading broker for peace in the Middle East. Turkey has played the mediator for numerous peace initiatives and agreements. However, one must take account of their ambitions to obtain membership in the E.U. and appease the west. Meanwhile, the Islamists have been taking control behind the scenes with extreme anti-Jewish and anti-Christian sentiment escalating throughout Turkey. This should not come as a shock considering the long standing history of atrocities against Jews and Christians from this Islamic capital. The Turkish government continues to deny any formal recognition of the Armenian genocide of Christians much like those who deny the Holocaust of the Jews. In 2007, Erdogan issued a new definition for government institution policy; to substitute the term “1915 event” in place of the “so-called Armenian genocide,” This was an obvious attempt to obscure the gravity of the atrocities committed in 1915 and prior. In 2012 France has pushed to make the Armenian genocide official yet Turkey still refuses to acknowledge this historical fact. Meanwhile, as Turkey slides into Sharia rule, a 1400 percent increase in the murder rate of women has occurred, and many of these were honor killings.
Numerous examples may be cited concerning the rise in religious hatred toward the Christians and Jews within modern Turkey. In 2006, the Turkish film “Valley of the Wolves: Iraq” smashed the all time box office records in Turkey and did extremely well in Germany within the Turkish immigrant community. The film includes the “Hood Incident” in Iraq where Turkish elite Special Forces troops were captured by the American military and hoods placed on their heads. Turkish commandos felt humiliated and thus initiated an unwanted backlash from the Turkish people. In a form of reprisal, the film portrays Americans as evil criminals and includes a Jewish doctor played by Gary Busey who harvests organs of Iraqis to be sold on the black markets of Tel Aviv, New York, and London.[22]
The online Der Spiegel International news site commented, “This wouldn’t be so bad if the film didn’t portray the opponents of Turks and Muslims so brutally – the bad guys in this black and white world are the Americans, the Kurds, the Christians and the Jews.”[23] Many Turks regard this film as one of the greatest movies of all time and completely relish in the biased propaganda. A follow-up film entitled “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine” employs an obvious anti-Zionist agenda in the plot dealing with the Palestinian “flotilla crisis.” Other examples of rising hate within Turkey include best selling books such as; Adolph Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle), Attack on the Pope, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Henry Ford’s International Jew.[24]
Adolph Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle)
Both President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan had their roots in Turkey’s Islamist movement under the liberal AKP (Islamic Justice and Development Party). Erdogan feigns an appeasement to global peace and western democracy yet clings to his Islamic roots. Shoebat cites examples:
Erdogan was caught making the infamous quote that, “Democracy is like a streetcar. You ride it until you arrive at your destination and then you get off.” It was also reported that Erdogan’s undersecretary stated that it was necessary to replace secularism and republicanism with a more participatory, Islamic system. On another occasion, in a rare moment of transparency, Erdogan recited the following portion of a radical poem that he wrote: “[The] Mosques are our barracks, [the] domes our helmets, [the] minarets our bayonets, [the] believers our soldiers. This holy army guards my religion. Almighty, our journey is our destiny, the end is martyrdom.”[25]
These comments seem to reflect the true nature of Erdogan’s intentions for the institution of complete Islamic rule over Turkey. Statements such as these, have earned him endorsements from the al-Qaeda leadership, such as al-Zawahiri and others.
In a short period, the AKP, under Erdogan’s control has come close to installing an Islamic regime under the guise of democracy. According to an article by Joel Richardson titled, Turkey to Double Size of its Army, the AKP has accomplished the following since 2002:
“Occupy the presidency; occupy the seat of prime minister; gain a large majority of seats in the parliament; fill the judiciary with Islamist-leaning judges; behead the top echelons of the military; infiltrate the police force (over 70 percent are members of the Islamist Gulen movement); intimidate and imprison Turkish journalists (there are more Turkish journalists in prison than any other nation in the world – more than China or Iran).” The nation’s leadership is now working toward a bill authorizing them to rewrite the Turkish Constitution, giving them far more sweeping powers over the military and judiciary.[26]
There are plans for Turkey to double the size of its military which is already the second- largest standing army in NATO with an estimated 500,000 soldiers. A key motivation for this push is to quell the serious unemployment problem. With a public support level of 80 percent it will likely go forward unopposed. In addition to doubling its existing paid army, the government has been quietly pursuing its own nuclear ambitions. In 2006, Erdogan pushed for reviving the nuclear power plans and was approved by Parliament in 2007. In 2010, Russia and Turkey made a pact to build a nuclear plant in this decade. Thus far, the media has remained quiet regarding the event taking place in Turkey.[27] The Western powers may have cause for concern now that the wounded Islamic Ottoman Empire has shown signs of new life and making tentative alliances with Eastern nations hostile to Western values. For example, Turkey’s usual “Anatolian Eagle” joint power exercises recently replaced the Israeli and American forces with Chinese planes and pilots. The Chinese were given permission by Tehran to fly over Iranian airspace.[28] All these signs are worth noting as the Antichrist’s Empire awakens to wreak death and destruction upon the nations.
Many in the West ignore these signs of Islamic resurgence based on their assumption that their militaries are far superior and can never be overthrown. However, paradigm shifts in world superpowers have occurred in the past virtually overnight. Islamic mullahs preach to their flocks that they will conquer the West much like the Christians conquered pagan Rome.
At the conclusion of the third century, Rome was at the apex of its military expansion yet also in full scale economic crisis. Emperor Diocletian decided to institute price fixing in a futile attempt to thwart the rapid economic collapse. Simultaneously, he inflicted an intense persecution of Christians and Jews throughout the empire which caused an internal backlash and revolt led by the recently converted Christian, Constantine. By 312, the paganized Roman Empire was overthrown and Constantine was decreed as an Emperor. Could a similar shift in world powers occur in regard to Islam? Christianity had spread throughout the Roman Empire and it was only a matter of time before it achieved victory. Likewise, the first Islamic Empire conquered vast territories of Christian Byzantium (formerly Roman territory) in just a few decades. Could history repeat itself in regard to a resurgent worldwide Islamic Empire? Muslims have mass immigrated and exploded in growth in the West. Could a similar scenario of a worldwide shift in power occur within the next few decades? The answer appears to be in the affirmative according to current economic and demographic trends.
From Chapter 16 of Mecca, Muhammad & the Origins of Islam: A Candid Investigation Into the Origins of Islam.
[15] Shoebat, God’s War on Terror, 226.
[16] Ibid., 91. [17] Ibid., 300. [18] Ibid., 421.
[19] Brown, Driver, Briggs; Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew, 910-11.
[20] Shoebat, God’s War on Terror, 255.
[21] Gordon Robertson, The Seat of Satan: Ancient Pergamum, [http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/ChurchHistory/Pergamon/EZ28_seat_of_satan_part_2.aspx] (accessed January, 2012).
[22] Shoebat, God’s War on Terror, 438.
[23] Cem Ozdemir, Controversy Over Turkish Movie: Beyond the Valley of the Wolves, [http://Spiegel.de/international/0,1518,401565,00.html] (accessed January, 2012).
[24] Shoebat, God’s War on Terror, 438-39. [25] Ibid., 441-42.
[26] Joel Richardson, Turkey to Double Size of Its Army [http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2011/07/turkey-to-double-size-of-its-army.html] (accessed January, 2012).
[27] Hillel Fradkin and Lewis Libby, Power Play: Turkey’s Bid to Trump Iran [http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/power-play-turkeys-bid-trump-iran] (accessed January, 2012).
[28] Ibid.
