November 4, 2016: President Recep Erdogan of Turkey has shut down social media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp are examples. WhatsApp was instrumental in the coup attempt this past summer.
Pro-Kurdish political figures have been arrested and detained. Violence in Pro-Kurd areas is increasing as result.
Economic conditions are deteriorating in Turkey. President Erdogan has reportedly sold U.S. Treasuries. The Turkish Lira is dropping in value and is at its lowest level historically. The stock market continues to decline. The ten year bond is yielding 10.37% and rising.
Remember, the United States has nuclear weapons at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.
Erdogan’s actions and posturing continue to be aggressive.
Revelation 2:1a To the angel of the church in Ephesus write…
Historical Ephesus was the largest city of the seven churches.
This is the city for Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesus was located on the Cayster River. The city was between the Maeander River to the south and the Hermus River to the north. The city was also a great seaport on the Aegean Sea. The geography allowed Ephesus to be a significant commercial destination. It was the most important port in the Aegean.
There was a great theater in the city. It was believed to seat 50,000 people. The Apostle Paul wanted to go and speak to the multitude but his disciples had another idea. Acts 19:31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
Ephesus was home to the fertility goddess Diana or Artemis. The temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The city was the location of the riot in Acts 19. The Apostle Paul was having an economic impact on the literary and idolatry industry. People were turning to Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul spent more time in Ephesus than any other church. Acts 20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.
Acts 20:31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”
Extrabiblical historical sources indicate Mary the mother of Jesus died in Ephesus. The Apostle John is thought to have died and was buried here as well.
Today in the 21st century, there is nothing left but ruins.
The Revelation Record by Henry M. Morris; Holman Bible Dictionary; Nelson Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts; Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts & Maps; Key Word Study Bible.
November 4, 2016: Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has issued a statement on the internet. He has encouraged ISIS to defend Mosul. He is also calling on ISIS members to invade Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Here are excerpts from his statement.
“To all the strugglers and the people of Nineveh, beware of any weakness…fight and struggle and face your enemy,” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Notice the leader of ISIS still refers to Mosul as Nineveh.
“Confront the enemy and transform their blood into rivers…transform their days into dark nights.”
al-Baghdadi also took a shot at Turkey. “The fighters of the Caliphate, here comes the atheist, Turkish soldiers…show them your strength.”
al-Baghdadi makes this statement knowing Turkey is massing tanks and military equipment about 60-70 miles north of ancient Nineveh on the Iraqi/Turkey border. The military buildup continued for the fourth day in a row.
Nahum 3:1 Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; her prey never departs.
Nahum 3:3 Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, many slain, a mass of corpses, and countless dead bodies—they stumble over the dead bodies!
Look at the adjectives and language describing the number of dead.
…many slain…The Hebrew word for “many” is rob. It means: multitude, abundance, greatness, and numerous.
…a mass of corpses… kobed is the Hebrew word which means: weight, heaviness, mass, great, abundance, or vehemence.
…countless dead bodies… without number is the idea. There are too many dead to count.
One cannot walk because of all of the death. The book of Nahum is a grim and gruesome picture of a future Nineveh or modern day Mosul, Iraq.
This is the last verse of the book of Nahum. ISIS has occupied the ancient city since 2014. Islamic State is digging in to defend and protect their territory in the ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire. This is the response to the destruction of Nineveh.
Nahum 3:19 There is no relief for your breakdown, your wound is incurable. All who hear about you will clap their hands over you, for on whom has not your evil passed continually?
If now is the time Nahum is discussing, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will get his wish.
November 1, 2016: Turkey is moving military equipment to the Iraqi border. President Erdogan has again pursued a more aggressive role. Tanks and armored vehicles have been deployed to the border town of Silopi, Turkey. Pictures of the convoy have been released by the Turkish military. The defense minister states they will cross into Iraq if necessary without Iraq’s consent. Erdogan has not shown himself to bluff.
In response, the Iraqi government has sent out a tweet. In the event of a Turkey invasion, the tweet states Turkey will face the full force of the Iraqi army. Iraq will defend its land from a Turk invasion.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, “We’re not after war, but if Turkey wants war, we are ready for it.”
Iraq has ties and support of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. A Turkish invasion from the north could draw Iran into the conflict from the east.
President Erdogan believes Mosul, Iraq or ancient Nineveh belongs to the Turks. Erdogan and Turkey are Sunni Muslims. The Iraqi liberating forces in and around Mosul, Iraq are Shiite. Turkey feels obligated to help their Sunni brothers in Mosul.
Back on October 18, 2016: Turkey has been providing air support in the Mosul Offensive against ISIS. “Our air forces took part in the coalition forces’ air operations in Mosul,” Turkey Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
“Military advisors” from Turkey have been on the ground near Mosul, Iraq.
All of this is occurring as Iraqi Special Forces and troops are entering Mosul to eradicate ISIS. Elite Iraqi troops are on the east side of the Mosul city limits. This is when the door to door fighting in neighborhoods begins. Casualties are expected to increase.
The southern front of the operation remains approximately 20 miles from the city.
The prophet Nahum lays out the prophecy concerning the destruction of ancient Nineveh or what is 21st century Mosul, Iraq. Destruction comes with a flood. The key verses are stated below.
Nahum 1:8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
Nahum 2:6 The gates of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved.
The book was written around 660 BC. Nineveh is the city and people in focus in the Book of Jonah. Nineveh was once the largest city in the known world. Today in the early 21st century it is home to 1.3 to 1.5 million people per Wikipedia and the United Nations.
The Tigris River valley below the Mosul Dam is home to approximately 150 million people.
Luke 21:11 …and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. –Jesus
There are parallel passages regarding earthquakes by Jesus in Matthew 24:7 and Mark 13:8. The context is the Olivet Discourse. Jesus is answering questions from the disciples regarding the signs of His coming and the End of the Age (Matthew 24:3).
October 31, 2016: Hundreds of earthquakes have hit central Italy over the past couple of months. Over 15,000 people are in shelters. The recent 6.6 tremblor is the strongest to hit Italy in 36 years.
A concern is a dormant volcano near Lake Albano is showing signs of life. The lake is located a few miles southeast of Rome. Scientists indicate magma is building. The ground is rising 2-3 mm per year.
“When the eruption happens, it has an explosive effect, like opening a champagne bottle after shaking it,” Fabrizio Marra of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology in Italy.
“It’s out of the question that they [the recent earthquakes] could have significant effects, at least for now, maybe in a thousand years they will.”
According to the experts, there is no need to worry…
Luke 21:25 And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves… -Jesus
Halloween 2016: To add insult to injury, a tropical storm formed in the Mediterranean Sea. The activity formed on October 28, 2016 and intensified.
A “Medicane” is an extremely rare weather event for the area.
