Morsi, Erdogan, Antiochus and Gog

Submitted by Michael S (United States), May 31, 2016 at 16:52

Hi, Dave.

You put forth some good points. I can argue a bit, based on recent history, why Erdogan is in a stronger position than Morsi was in Egypt. First of all, Erdogan has a better track record: He has been in power for 12 years vs. Morsi's 1 year. Secondly, he has had a stronger mandate than Morsi, his party having won elections with a majority. Most importantly, he has not tried to suddenly change the course of Turkish life as abruptly as Morsi did in Egypt; and fourthly, he has thoroughly purged the police and military.

You may set forth to refute the above points. What I will bring up now, though, is something few can refute because few people with any real handle on current events have taken up the matter seriously: that is, the Bible prophecy in Ezekiel 38-39. If you still have any interest in this at this point, consider this:

Ezekiel speaks of an attack by Turkey (Gog, equivalent to the Gyges of Herodotus) against Israel in times resembling today -- namely, Israel having returned from its long exile and prospering in the land. Turkey's allies in this invasion are to be "Persia, Cush and Phut", the modern Iran, Sudan and Libya. The closest historical event which this might have presaged the Battle of Panium in 198 BC -- when Antiochus the Great, having conquered modern Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria, finally drove the Egyptians out of Judea:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Panium

He is said to have won by successful use of the cataphract,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Sasanid_Cataphract_Uther_Oxford_2003_06_2%281%29.jpg

a fully armored knight-horse combination that presaged similar weaponry in the Middle Ages. According to Wikipedia,

Some biblical commentators see this battle as being the one referred to in Daniel 11:15, where it says, "Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city."
Unlike the Ezekiel prophecy, however, Antiochus III continued to advance and prosper until the Battle of Thermopylae in 191, and was thoroughly defeated by the Romans at Magnesia in 190 BC. The Jews did not then spend seven years burying Seleucid dead, though, but continued under the tyrrany of Antiochus' sons. Under his third son, Mithridates (who re-named himself Antiochus IV Epiphanes), Jerusalem was sacked, and the Temple desecrated. Then the Jews rose up against him and his successors, under the Maccabees, giving us Hanukkah and latkes.

It's a bit of a stretch to apply Ezekiel 38-39 to Antiochus III and his sons, seeing that they ruled from Antioch, Syria instead of western Turkey, where the Gyges dynasty of Lydia ruled in Ezekiel's time. Erdogan fits the bill better, in that modern Ankara is within the bounds of the Lydian Empire when Ezekiel prophesied. Also, the prophesy concerned "the latter years", and

Ezekiel 39:
[7] So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

I don't think that was fulfilled in the Second Century BC. Instead, the Romans replaced the Maccabees, and themselves utterly destroyed the Temple, driving the Jewish people into all the world. That is why I believe "Gog" will be Erdogan or a successor.

Perhaps some general will overthrow Erdogan. The key issue, as far as I'm concerned, is Turkey's connection with Iran. At the moment, the two countries are at odds with one another in Syria. This could change quickly, considering all the intrigue in that area by local and global leaders.

Time will tell. Shalom shalom.

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