On August 2, after warning Turkey’s Islamist President Recep Erdogan that he would do so, U.S. President Trump imposed sanctions upon Turkey. President Trump has been calling for the release of an American pastor, Andrew Brunson, who was arrested and imprisoned in Turkey in October, 2016 on false charges that he was involved in terrorist activity. For more than a decade, Erdogan has been aggressively and steadily leading Turkey into the radical Islamic fold in the Middle East. While Turkey is still a part of NATO, it has been alarming that no other country in NATO has had the courage to step up and condemn Turkey for its radical Islamic actions in the last decade.
Many who follow the events in the Middle East and know the prophetic Scriptures have been warning us that it appears Erdogan is helping to set the stage for the future political empire of the Antichrist. The Turkish monetary system, the liyra, has already lost 25 percent of its value this year. Therefore, the economic sanctions imposed upon Turkey will have serious consequences for the citizens of Turkey. Following these events in Turkey in the last few years brings back memories of the historical events that led up to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany. Are we witnessing significant events that are setting the stage for the entrance of the Antichrist onto the stage of history? Only time will tell!
Turkey is in the process of cooperating with Russia, and Iran in Syria on Israel’s northern border. According to Ezekiel 38, these nations and other radical Islamic groups will invade Israel to capture the wealth in Israel in the last days. As these events unfold, the believer should be listening for the shout that will take us out.
Please pray for the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest in Turkey.
For more information, please see Joel Rosenberg’s blog: https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/
Recently 232 Jews from North America immigrated to their ancient homeland – Israel. There are more Jewish people living in Israel than any other nation. That mark was just reached a few months ago. Since the beginning of the 20th century the world has watched a miracle in the making. According to many biblical prophecies, the Jewish people are doing what no other people group has ever done – go back home and help rebuild a nation that was dead. In both of Mike’s August Bible studies he will speak about this amazing miracle. His message is entitled: “The Miraculous Return of the Jewish People to Israel.”
Israel is now officially recognized within Israel as ‘a Jewish state.’ The “Israel’s Knesset, by a vote of 62-55 with two abstentions, passed the contentious ‘Jewish Nation-State’ bill into law Thursday morning, July 19, making it the 14th Basic Law. ‘122 years after Herzl published his vision, we have stated by law the basic principle of our existence,’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from the Knesset podium. Arab [representatives] denounced the new law as ‘racist’ and declared that it heralded the ‘death of our democracy.’ The law declares Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and codifies Jewish symbols of the state, including the Menorah on various official documents and seals, the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and national holidays centered around Jewish traditions and customs.” (
The Middle East continues to undergo a radical change from recent decades. Until recent years, the entire Arab Islamic world was united against Israel and used the status of the Palestinian refugees and the conflict over the land as the focal point of their rejection of Israel. However, all of that is changing. The great conflict within Islam between the Sunnis and Shias is driving the Sunnis to develop a new relationship with Israel.