By Walid Shoebat (Shoebat Exclusive)

In the Middle East region, everyone is an “enemy-ally”. I know this is an oxymoron, but when Iran just switched from number one “enemy” to the U.S. to become an “ally” overnight as it began bombing ISIS, westerners need to take note. The Iranians at first denied the news, but then confirmed it – a few days later.

But in confusing oxymoronic Middle East everything is possible. Here, try to follow the Obama logic: Iran  has become an ‘enemy-ally’ of the U.S. in addition to Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad who also welcomes U.S. aid in the war, which the U.S. is fighting against ISIS, while it is also fighting against Syria, which wants to partner with the U.S., which partners with Turkey that is officially a U.S. ally, and is the only one which is not helping the U.S., instead it is aiding U.S. enemy number one: ISIS.

Sounds confusing or what? But we told you so that as soon as the U.S. efforts began to fight ISIS, that Turkey will side with ISIS and that Iran will aid the U.S. and move into Iraq sooner or later and we also said that alliances in the Middle East can switch quickly on a dime; today they say Russia is allied with Iran and it visited Turkey and they go on and on with prophetic conclusions, but it is crucial to only stick with Scripture to evaluate the Antichrist’s end-times alliances and Christ’s end-times alliances. The goats and sheep nations has already been determined.

The plan for a grand Islamic Caliphate led by Turkey is on the horizon and as soon as ISIS is contained either militarily or through inclusion by Turkey, we will see the next phase. As we always maintained, the U.S. will come out of the Middle East empty handed while Iran and Turkey will expand their spheres of influence to finally form an Islamic League which will threaten global security. The facts on the ground are embarrassing for the Obama Administration. The U.S. is currently appeasing Iran, while Iran is working hard and fast to acquire the nuclear weapon and is covering its tracks well by bombing ISIS and supplies Iraq with jet fighters, by that Persia, as we maintained, is extending its muscle into Babylon while Turkey, the Leopard, is extending its sphere of influence into the Mediterranean region.

Today, the United States is in check and is staggering in confusion since Iran is an enemy, and now since the pull-out of Iraq, the U.S. is finding itself with little choices. On the one hand it looks the other way when its arch enemy, Iran, regardless if it encroaches into Iraq is hitting ISIS.  The U.S. is scratching its head weighing which piece in the chess game will it sacrifice between an ISIS takeover to create the Caliphate or Iran consuming Iraq. All the speeches and announcements by the White House and all the talks of working with Turkey, including Chuck Hagel himself is all toast.

Lesson number one is this, never listen to any statement made by politicians, presidential speeches or rhetoric. Things are happening as the good book etched and is what we see happening on the ground. I have never once listened to any presidential speech or White House press releases. I do not even listen to moving speeches from Netanyahu or anyone else, its all a waste of my time and is why when it comes to speeches, I only settle with the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus was reaching out to the crowd to revitalize them from the ravages of repression.

The Iranians, the persecutors of the Church and the haters of Jews calculated that their support of U.S. efforts against ISIS would give them leverage in the next round of negotiations to gain momentum to get their dream bomb and Iran had played its cards well. Iran was willing to support America’s war against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua in return for much needed American weapons. Not only that, Iran was willing to have those weapons delivered through Israel and Iran supported the U.S. coalition against the Taliban. Tehran knows exactly what it wants: to preserve its nuclear program – as allowed by the NPT – and to get rid of the nasty sanctions regime for good. The U.S. is appeasing Iran, while Iran is working hard and fast to acquire the nuclear weapon. Iran will eventually gain its nuke that will be lobbed on Saudi Arabia and all the hopefuls in the prophecy circles who predicted that Israel will stop it were wrong as we proved. Prophecy speculators who do not use the whole text in context should also be avoided as much as the politicians.

Another factor that helped Iran’s rising is the destruction of Iraq’s regime. This was not only satisfying to Iran but it also opened the door to a dramatic shift in Iran’s geopolitical influence. Iraq now has a Shiite regime. The Iranians anticipated the American move and played its chess piece by creating pro-Iranian elements using the Iraqi Shiites and with the United States engaged in a war against Sunni insurgents, the Shia, already a majority, moved to fill the void. Not only did the United States loose its bishops, but they also added a major check by Iran to its main lover in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia.

And if we notice the price of gasoline lately, it is getting lower and Saudi Arabia, the whore of Babylon, is hurting as its client the United States distances itself by the day since the ‘love’ is waxing cold. When it comes to the national security of any nation, it quickly finds strange bedfellows as we find at times cooperation between even Israel and Saudi Arabia.

This is why there is so much confusion as to when Gog and Magog (Turkey and the Muslim Commonwealth of Independent States of the Southern Republics of Russia), Persia and Libya invades Israel (1), that “Sheba and Dedan” (Saudi and Gulf States) is standing on the sidelines mocking the Turkish invasion of Israel saying “Have you come to plunder?” (Ezekiel 38:13). The Arabs do not move on the kill against Israel because just as Israel, this beast want to burn and destroy the harlot and ravish her (Revelation 17:16).

The war is obvious, Iran is an Islamic Revolution, just as it is with Turkey. I could care less when I read the news that US Secretary of State John Kerry denied there was any military coordination between Washington and Tehran or that Turkey is an ally, its becoming obvious, its an enemy, and the chips will fall into their place exactly as the railroad track leads us in the Bible (do I get an amen).

And now we see from Middle East sources, Turkey is playing the role in building its animosity with Egypt and Saudi Arabia and its courting Tunisia, Morocco and Libya exactly as predicted in Daniel 11 and as we warned. We translated to English this revealing segment from the Syrian Committee for Radio and TV their conclusion:

“The Ottoman aspiration for energy seems to be permanent as we see the struggle over energy sources especially the Mediterranean tripartite agreement between Egypt and Greece and Cyprus came against drilling in the waters of the Mediterranean was a slap to Turkey, and is something which escalated the Turkish conflict with the Arabs to a higher degree. Also, no one is naive any longer regarding Turkey’s interest in Libya and its support to the terrorist group Ansar al-Sharia and in another way with the Tunisian Renaissance movement, the ruling party in Morocco or the Justice and development Party, which is under the broad umbrella of the organization of the International Muslim Brotherhood. Here we see the re-initiation of all the features of the past history [of the Ottomans] playing in the present conflict all over again. But this time the conflict carries much more weight than just to control and subdue the other nations to Ottoman will. It has become obvious it is an ongoing global war over the dispute for energy sources.”

Here in one paragraph, the Middle East analysts get it without even reading a Bible while in the West which has plenty Bibles, they do not even get it. Antichrist wants the “riches” of Egypt, North Africa and the whole region.

And I must repeat, it now becomes clear as to why there is so much confusion as to when Gog and Magog (Turkey and the Muslim Commonwealth of Independent States of the Southern Republics of Russia), Persia and Libya invades Israel that “Sheba and Dedan” (Saudi and Gulf States) is standing on the sidelines and how Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and Iran become a league, an alliance while Saudi Arabia and Egypt become the Antichrist’s arch enemy which is eventually overtaken by Turkey. Antichrist’s power, as Daniel predicted, stems from the “Great Sea” (The Mediterranean) seeking to control it and struggles with “Chittim” (Greece/Western Coastlands) and we see the spark just beginning and it is only a matter of time. The whole world knows that the concubine of the U.S., Turkey, has betrayed her faithful master and is luring ISIS, its new goddess lover with the cup of the wine of her fornication; the oil that is robbed from Syria.

The Ottoman is now fulfilling Europe’s dream to rid the market from Russian control over its need for gas and to make the Turkish port of Ceyhan as the provider which the artery must pass through Kurdistan. Turkey needs to smash through borders and the only way to do it is through the creation of an Islamic League. Energy, wealth and commerce is always the means for a theocratic end in the Muslim mind.

And it is no surprise that Egyptians, a couple of weeks ago woke up to read the headlines: “Turkey looming war against Egypt”,  “Turkey threatens Egypt war in response to Sisi”, while headline by Al Masry newspaper captioned the headline “Turkey responded to Egypt, Cyprus and Greece by showing force at sea,” and the Liberation newspaper was entitled “War Is At the Gates of The Mediterranean”. Although these were rumors of wars, the hint is obvious, Daniel 11 is looming on the horizon.

Unlike westerners who forgive and forget history, Egyptians read the writing on the wall, the influence of Islamism is not ended in Egypt and the future of Egypt will be dire and will continue to face civil unrest (Isaiah 19), Turkey’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood and its interest to bully Egypt is not without repercussions. Russia and Turkey will butt-heads over who is to be the superpower in the region.

We can see already Egypt is the bone that two top dogs are fighting for. On the one hand Putin has been looking to expand Russia’s sphere of influence in the Middle East and was eager to welcome the winner Field Marshal Sisi visiting Moscow. On the other hand, Erdogan welcomed the looser, the Muslim Brotherhood in hope to advance its Islamist aspirations in the region using it to catapult its Ottoman sphere back into Egypt to reclaim it as it was in the times of the Ottomans. To gain the Middle East, one must rule Egypt.

Russia is reaping economic benefits by gaining access to a new market in a military context, as reflected in an initial $2 billion deal to supply aircraft and helicopters to Egypt.

Biblically Egypt is significant “… When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down” (Ezekiel 30:3-4)

So how will Egypt fall? Egypt will fall to the Antichrist in Daniel 11:40-45 who is the “king of the North”, which is Asia Minor (Turkey)  when he attacks Egypt who is the “king of the South” (Dan11,40-42). That the king of the North is Asia Minor: Turkey.

We do not come up with such conclusions of who is King of the North and King of the South haphazardly. Such analogy is supported  by major authorities of history and the Bible, such as Hippolytus, Lactantius, Jerome and Theodoret of Cyrstostom as well as many renowned modern commentators such as C.F. Keil, Gleason Archer, G.H. Lang, Edward J. Young, Stephen M. Miller. With the Muslim Brotherhood more allied with the Turkish Ottoman roots, Turkey can advance into Egypt (Daniel 11) by aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and into Tunisia and Libya as we see Middle East media are beginning to acknowledge. With a war on Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia with Mecca will be toast and this next brand of Turkish Islam will be the most deceptive of its kind.

Things are moving in lightening speed in the Middle East. From Turkey’s policy of “zero conflicts” and Syria and Turkey having no visa requirements, and to turn into becoming arch enemies overnight was not something analysts expected. Syria is turning to its first love, Iran, while Turkey is turning to its new love, ISIS, the staunch enemy of the United States, which will eventually drop Turkey in the future and ally with Russia.

So stay tuned.

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NOTES

(1) “Sheba and Dedan” are Arabia and the UAE gulf states. As far as the “Ships of Tarshish”, regardless of all the debate over it whether its Spain or the Phoenicians (Lebanon) or a term used of large and distant-voyaging merchant vessels (Isaiah 2:16; 1 Kings 10:22;Psalms 48:7) these would oppose the Turkish invasion since it becomes obvious that God is more of a threat to them that Israel. This is the fact today.

What we do know is that biblical Tarshish is lumped together with Turkic regions in Isaiah who clarifies the issue: “Tarshish, Pul and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, …” (Isaiah 66:19). Here, Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal and Javan are thrown together in one “that draws the bow,” and all these are in Turkey. This would throw a monkey wrench in the arguments Tarshish is Spain (1) trying to pass judgments on Spain and Italy as Antichrist since this fits a theological bent and a wish rather than God’s judgment on them poor Catholics.

Jonah who in attempting to flee to Tarshish from Israel boarded a ship at the port of Joppa (Israel) on the Mediterranean coast. (Jonah 1:3). This would indicate that Tarshish lies to the west. This is true, but the ships could also sail westward to Turkey and Lebanon. Even so, many modern authors are divided between Tartessos in Iberia (Spain) and Tarsus in Cilicia (Turkey). Cilicia was the ancient name of southern Turkey. Göltepe in Turkey was associated with tin mining; Kestel, located in the central Taurus Mountains of Turkey, also produced tin. Josephus cites “Tharsus” in Turkey “Tharsus to the Tharsians, for so was Cilicia of old called; the sign of which is this, that the noblest city they have, and a metropolis also is Tarsus.” (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 6.1.127.)

Josephus, citing from the Hebrew Bible, notes that Tarshish is a descendant of Japheth (Greek: Iapetos/Japetus) and Javan (Hebrew: Javan), associated with the Greek Ionia, a province in modern western Turkey. The ancient Greek historian Athendorus, a citizen of Tarsus, traces the genealogy of Japetus, the ancestor of Javan, for Tarsus: “Athendorus, the Tarsian, said that the city was originally called Parthenia, from Parthenius, son of Cydnus, the grandson of Anchiale, daughter of Japetus…” 05 (James Hastings, Tarsus, Vol. 4 p.686, A Dictionary of the Bible, (Peabody, Mass. Hendrickson Publications, 1898, 1988 reprint.)

Charles F. Pfeiffer, editor of The Biblical World, a Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology, states, “Ancient Anatolia was famous for its metals, which were carried in Phoenician ships as trade items to other parts of the ancient Near Eastern world. Phoenician inscriptions have been found at Karatepe, in Cilicia.” Silver heads the list of precious metals associated with Tarshish, and ancient Assyrian sources noted that the Taurus Mountains above Tarsus were referred to as the Silver Mountains. In fact, modern metallurgy maps indicate that every single metal associated with Tarshish can be found in the Taurus Mountains. “Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish,” (Jeremiah 10:9). The Bible itself indicates that Tarshish was a producer of silver. This cannot be Britain or Spain. Harper’s Bible Dictionary describes Tarsus: “Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia… The city was built on the banks of the swift Cydnus River, 10 miles from the Mediterranean and 30 miles south of the Taurus (“Silver”) mountains, which were veined with lead and silver. “Archaeologists found evidence of smelters in the vicinity of Tarsus in antiquity, as noted by MacQueen. The final shaping into tools and weapons was done locally, and areas devoted to this have been found at Bogazkoy and Tarsus marked by the presence of large quantities of slag. Tarsus also produced a clay crucible with bronze adhering to it.” (The Hittites and Their Contemporaries in Asia Minor. Boulder, Colorado. Westview Press. 1975.)

Since Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper, the natives of ancient Tarsus had to have had access to tin in order to make the bronze. Hodges notes that the Assyrians were interested in controlling the tin resources of Eastern Anatolia (Turkey). There can be little doubt that Sargon’s chief concern in this enterprise was to control the sources of supply of his raw materials. One is tempted, therefore, to suppose that much of the tin required for bronze making came from the mountains of Syria and Turkey. No later than the Early Bronze Age, Anatolian bronze objects were utilizing tin. The Larousse Encyclopedia of Prehistoric describes bronze production: “It seems certain that bronze and bronze working originated in the Middle East, where Anatolia and Armenia were mining regions… between 2300-2000 BC… the quantity of the bronze with an already remarkably high tin content is impressive.” (Henry Hodges, Technology in the Ancient World, (Baltimore, Maryland, Penguin Books, 1971), p.108. )

Aslihan Yener, assistant professor at the university of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, discovered an Early Bronze Age tin mine, 60 miles north of Tarsus. Aslihan Yener believes that a mine and ancient mining village she has found in the central Taurus mountains of Turkey shows that tin mining was a well developed industry in the area as early as 2870 BC… the mine at a site called Kestel—some 60 miles north of Tarsus, on the Mediterranean coast— has two miles of tunnels… nearby stands the mining village of Goltepe, which was probably occupied by 500 to 1,000 persons more or less continuously between 3290 and 1840 BC… the site contains no evidence of copper metallurgy… it did not produce bronze; instead it produced tin for export… Yener and her colleagues have analyzed tin-rich slag from 50 crucibles discovered at Goltepe. Within the total one metric ton of metallurgical debris in the form of crucible and vitrified materials, she has excavated some that have 30 percent tin content (a high percentage) still intact in the crucible.” (William Harms, “Aslihan Yener and the Bronze Age Source of Tin Found in Turkey,” Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 20, no. 3, May-June, 1994, pp.16-17.)

If the peoples of Cilicia were capable of mining tin in the Early Bronze Age, they certainly did not need to sail to Spain to get tin to make it. Ezekiel 38:13 describes merchants of Tarshish: “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’” While this does not conclude which side Sheba, Dedan, and the Merchants of Tarshish are on, it is clear that grabbing booty is an Islamic trait that these nations might enjoy copying. Isaiah, however, tells us about the judgment of the ships of Tarshish, “The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished,” (Isaiah 23:10).

So while the judgment is against “the ships of Tarashish”, it is revealed from the land of Chittim (Rome, Europe). Isaiah 23:6 says, “Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.” This place is somewhat related to Tarshish and is in close proximity to her in order to “pass over” to her. If Tarshish is Spain, how is Tyre to pass over such a far place? There are some who claim that Tarshish is Europe, noting a prophecy in Isaiah 60 that seems to hint to western ships that carried immigrant Jews to Israel. “Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.” (Isaiah 60:9)

However, this will be fulfilled in the Messianic Kingdom, when all the nations that hated Israel will participate in bringing the exiled Jewish captives back to their land: “The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory,” (Isaiah 60:6-7). They will even flock from Saudi Arabia to worship the real God—the Holy One of Israel! It is obvious that the Arabs will participate in helping the surviving Jews after Christ returns and completely defeats the Muslim nations. If Europe today is the candidate for the “ships of Tarshish,” which carry Jews back to the homeland, it’s hard to imagine Arabs (Midian, Kedar, Sheba) ever doing such thing. If anything, the Arabs today would rather drown the Jews in the sea than extend assistance to carry them to the land of Israel. Biblical Tarshish is lumped together with Turkic regions. Isaiah clarifies the issue: “And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles,” (Isaiah 66:19). Here, Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal and Javan are thrown together in one “that draws the bow,” and all these are in Turkey. Why should only Tarshish be identified as Spain or England?