Each week we like to focus for a few minutes on Bible prophecy. For one thing, as Christians we are encouraged to understand the times in which we live, and act accordingly.
The apostle Paul encourages us that, “Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11 NLT).
The subject of prophecy takes-up about 30% of the Bible. Scholars estimate there are somewhere around 500 unfulfilled last-days prophecies. Since we know they will be fulfilled, we should be able to look around us, in the news, and see trends in the direction the prophecies predict.
In our last update we discussed the prophecy of Ezekiel 38. It predicts a last days invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations; and it names some of the nations involved.
Researching the ancient names used by Ezekiel reveals that much of the invasion will involve what is modern Turkey. Thus you’d expect Turkey to be hostile toward Israel.
President Erdogan of Turkey is certainly hostile. He wants to lead an “army of Islam” against Israel. His latest rhetoric borders on the insane.
The article I read was titled, Erdoğan rebuked for claiming Israeli officials have ‘Hitler spirit.’
Excerpts:
Turkey’s president… has said that “Hitler’s spirit” was resurgent among Israeli officials, while Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Turkey was becoming a “dark dictatorship” as the two regional powers clashed over a new law defining Israel as a Jewish state.
At a meeting with lawmakers from his Justice and Development party on Tuesday, Erdoğan condemned the nation state law passed in the Knesset last week, which he said mirrored the Nazi obsession with Aryan racial purity.
“This law is evidence that, without doubt, Israel is the most Zionist, fascist, and racist state in the world,” Erdoğan said.
“The Israeli administration’s view to identify those ancient lands as belonging to Jews alone is no different from Hitler’s obsession with the Aryan race,” he added. “The Hitler spirit, which dragged the world into a major disaster, has risen again among some Israeli officials.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/24/erdogan-israel-hitler-spirit-comments-netanyahu-jewish-nation-state-dispute
Another article said, “Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority have all separately warned Israel over the past year about growing Turkish activity in East Jerusalem, which they say is part of an attempt by Turkish President Erdogan to “claim ownership over the Jerusalem issue.”
From a literal, futurist reading of Bible prophecy, you’d expect Turkey to be a major antagonist against a regathered nation of Israel… And that’s exactly what you see in the world.
You’d mostly expect that Jesus could return at any moment.
Jesus promised He’d return to rapture His church – which entails the resurrection of the dead in Christ of the Church Age, then the translation from earth to Heaven of all living believers.
It is presented in the Bible as an imminent (any-moment) event.
Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up. Ready or not, Jesus is coming!