A. There two little horns in Daniel. The one in Daniel 7:8 springs up within the 4th Kingdom, the Roman Empire, and is clearly a prophecy of the anti Christ. In Daniel 8 a little horn comes out of one of the four surviving components of the Greek Empire following Alexander’s death. This is commonly thought to be the Selucid Kingdom in today’s Syria. This prophecy was fulfilled in the life of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Selucid King responsible for the desecration of the Temple and subsequent Maccabbean revolt in 168-165 BC.

But beginning in Daniel 8:23 the Angel Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s vision also seems to include an end times reference to the anti Christ, called a stern faced king, who will come to power by means of peace. This reference has helped scholars see Antiochus as a type of the anti Christ since much of what he did in prompting the Maccabbean revolt will be repeated at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Like the antiChrist, Antiochus called himself a god, and set about to destroy Israel. He erected a statue in his own likeness in the Holy Place, and required worship on pain of death. This too was called the Abomination of Desolation and sparked a 3 1/2 year revolt.

This may be where your teacher draws his Syrian conclusion. I am currently intrigued with the notion of al Mahdi, the so-called Moslem Messiah as a likely candidate for the anti Christ, although I don’t believe the church will be around to see him emerge.

The Ottoman Empire existed from 1299 until 1922. It was in many respects the Islamic successor to the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire and like the Romans had its headquarters in Constantinople (Istanbul). At the peak of its power, the Ottoman Empire extended from the Adriatic Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east and from Austro-Hungary in the north to the southern tip of the Red Sea. It was at the center of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for 6 centuries. The Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War 1 after aligning with Germany. Its dissolution at the end of the war led to the formation of 40 new nations in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, many of them on land once claimed by the Romans.

Suleiman The Magnificent

The Empire’s greatest days occurred under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent who reigned from 1520-1566. Only 25 years old when he came to power, Suleiman began his reign by performing many acts of kindness and mercy toward his people. He freed hundreds of slaves, showered his officers with gifts, and built a school for slaves. To the Ottomans he was known as The Lawgiver, having re-written the non-Shariah portions of the law. This was the law by which the Empire was governed for all of the remaining years of its existence. Because of the humanitarian nature of his laws he was also called Suleiman the Just by his subjects.

Suleiman was a powerful conqueror for Islam. His armies pushed the boundaries of the Empire nearly to Vienna and his powerful navies controlled the Mediterranean. Because of the tribute he received Suleiman became one of the wealthiest men of all time. He never wore the same clothes twice, he ate from solid gold plates with jewel encrusted utensils and had a harem of over 300 women.

The Ottomans were tolerant toward the Jews and welcomed thousands of them into the Empire after King Ferdinand expelled them from Spain in 1492. Suleiman’s father had wrested control of what is now Israel from Egypt in 1517 and Suleiman fell in love with Jerusalem, ordering its walls rebuilt in 1535. It was the first successful rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls since the Romans destroyed the city in 70 AD and Suleiman’s walls can still be seen surrounding the Old City today.

(According to Nehemiah, the Persian King Artaxerxes Longimonus issued a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem in the spring of the 20th year of his reign (Nehemiah 2:1). On our calendar it would have been March of 445BC. On the 483rd anniversary of this decree Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on what we know as the first Palm Sunday, fulfilling the prophecy from Daniel 9:25 of the Lord’s 1st Coming as Israel’s Messiah. Then in 68-70 AD the city was destroyed by the Romans.  After centuries of being rebuilt and then torn down by various conquering groups, the walls around Jerusalem were finally rebuilt for good by Suleiman beginning in 1535 AD, and during his reign the city enjoyed an exceptional period of peace and religious tolerance.

Based on my understanding of Matt. 24:34 and Psalm 90:10, Jesus should return in 2018, 70 years after the re-birth of Israel.  If so, it will also have been 483 years from the time Suleiman ordered Jerusalem’s walls rebuilt to the 2nd Coming. If this is merely a coincidence, it is truly a remarkable one.)

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Turkey is the surviving remnant of the Ottoman Empire. Following their defeat in WW1 the Empire was divided up by the victorious Western powers. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had been a high ranking Ottoman officer and led the effort to found the Republic of Turkey. He set about to make it a secular nation in the style of western democracies. While endorsing Islam, he limited it to the status of a religion instead of allowing it to be the political force it had been. He saw to the suspension of the Ottoman Caliphate and Sultanate, clearing the way for the newly formed National Parliament to assume ultimate power. Among the many changes he enforced were the institution of a new language and alphabet, the adoption of western style of dress and mandatory 2nd names for men, and the granting of full political rights to women.

From that day to this, Turkey has been viewed as a western nation. With membership in NATO and more than a dozen military and commercial treaties with Israel, Turkey has been an important western ally in the Middle East. In fact, many students of prophecy have seen Turkey’s alignment with the west as a major obstacle to an early fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. It appears from a study of the modern equivalents to the Biblical names mentioned there that Turkey has to be among the Islamic forces invading Israel.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Lately there’s been a major shift inTurkish politics in what could be a dramatic step toward the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. After stalling for years, the EU has put Turkey’s application for membership on the back burner and as of now a majority of EU ministers oppose Turkey’s admission to the Union.

Perhaps as a result of this Turkey has begun to look to the East, and current Prime Minister Erdogan is fast becoming a regional Muslim leader by criticizing Israel—particularly after the Gaza war. His clout is spreading from the streets of Gaza to Beirut, Damascus, and Cairo—the traditional strongholds of Arab nationalism.

US President Obama understands Turkey’s strategic importance. Before his presidency was 100 days old, He selected Turkey to host his first visit to a majority Muslim nation in an effort to keep them in the western fold.

The Turkish military has also been a powerful force in maintaining the country’s western leaning secular nature. In the past it has unilaterally dissolved national governments for becoming too religious, and has outlawed several religiously oriented political parties. But according to the Associated Press, Turkish police arrested 52 current and former military commanders last week for their part in “allegedly planning to blow up mosques in order to trigger a military takeover and overthrow the Islamic-oriented government” in 2003. It appears the balance of power has shifted.

PM Erdogan is by far the country’s most popular political leader enjoying wide support among the Turkish people, due in part to his frequent criticism of Israel. Having played a major role in healing the rift between Saudi Arabia and Syria, and forming strategic alliances with Russia, Syria, and Iran, he’s gaining regional popularity as well. He single handedly brought Syria out of Arab isolation, helped facilitate the long delayed formation of the new Lebanese government, and has brokered trade agreements with Russia that exceeded $38 billion in 2008 and have a five year target of $100 billion annually. Recently Erdogan offered to come to Iran’s assistance should there be any attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

He’s become convinced that instead of relying on outside powers to bring peace to the Middle East the Ottoman Empire should be re-born to take the lead. He’s recently been quoted as saying, “Turkey’s goal is to live in peace with all countries and restore the might of the Ottoman Empire.”

The Man With No Name (Yet)

If he can make that happen it would send students of prophecy scurrying back into their Bibles to see if the re-birth of the Ottoman Empire could become the fulfillment of the so-called revived Roman Empire. There are already some who believe the 7th Kingdom of Rev. 18:10 is the Ottoman Empire, and point out that Constantinople is also a city on seven hills. If so, its loyalty to Islam would confirm the identity of the one world End Times religion, and could also support the idea of an Islamic anti-Christ, the one some call al-Mahdi. As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering a striking similarity between descriptions of al Mahdi and the anti-Christ. I’ve made mention of these in previous articles, how both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth’s final judgment. Could they be one and the same? The legend surrounding al-Mahdi as being in occlusion (supernaturally hidden) since the 10th century could make him the 8th king who belongs to the seven, just like Rev. 18:11 says.

As you can see we might have an interesting circumstantial case here for a revived Ottoman Empire. It’s not something to build doctrine on, but it certainly bears watching. One nice thing about our times is we won’t have long to wait before we find out how these prophecies are fulfilled. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 02-27-10

A. What I’ve said is there’s a tradition in some circles that the anti-Christ will come from the tribe of Dan based on a prophecy from Genesis 49:17 and the fact that the tribe of Dan is not sealed in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:4-8).  The anti-Christ will be a natural man who is personally indwelt by Satan (Rev. 13:2).  With all the attention being centered on identifying the anti-Christ, very little has been said about the false prophet.  Like the Holy Spirit, of whom he’s a counterfeit, he remains anonymous.

A. At this point no one knows what the so-called 666 technology will look like.  There are several types of applications that could work.  But remember, first the anti-Christ and false prophet have to be revealed and gain control of the world economy. (Rev. 13:16-18)  And that means the Church won’t be here when what ever it is becomes law.

A.  As a result of the current global financial crisis we are closer to a global currency and a form of global government than any one realizes.  If the world doesn’t recover soon, or if another financial crisis hits (as is being predicted) everything is already in place for these changes to occur.  I assure you, people in various governments are working around the clock to prepare for this.  Remember how fast the Soviet Union collapsed? It could happen just that quickly, and when it does there will be no prior announcement.  People will look back and see the warning signs they failed to recognize earlier but by then it will be too late.

A. In many respects we’re there now, especially in the USA. I hardly ever use cash when I’m there, and almost never write a check anymore.  But yes, I believe one day soon cash will have to become obsolete in order for the anti-Christ to control the commerce of the world, as John prophesied in Rev. 13:17.  Perhaps when a new currency replaces the dollar, which could happen soon, the world will complete its transition to virtual money.

A. The abundance of personal pronouns in Rev. 13:1-8 convince me that it’s talking about a man, not a governmental entity.  Because Satan doesn’t have the ability to create or restore life, many commentators believe this is a counterfeit death and resurrection scenario, and the wording in Rev. 13:3 supports this view. In effect, it doesn’t say he died, but that the wound he suffered “appeared” to be fatal.  The important thing is that the unbelieving world will think it’s real, and that will confirm his supernatural nature in their eyes.

A. As far as I can determine, there is no indication in Scripture that the anti-Christ will engage in human sacrifice.  What it does say is that his actions will cause the cessation of animal sacrifices (Daniel 9:27) that will  be necessary for Israel to maintain its relationship with God during that time.  When that happens the believing remnant will flee into the mountains where their eyes will be opened to the fact that Jesus is their Messiah and has been all along.  (Zech. 12:10)

A. The Greek word naos, used in 2 thes. 2:4, is used 46 times in the New Testament.  45 times it’s translated temple, and once it refers to a pagan shrine (Acts 19:24). It can also be used metaphorically as the physical body of a believer, like it is in 1 Cor. 3:16: “Don’t you know that you are God’s Temple and God’s Spirit lives in you?” But the metaphorical use is by no means exclusive.  The word most often refers to the physical temple building.  (You can tell by the context which is meaning is intended.)

2 Thes. 2:4 is a description of the Abomination of Desolation, the kick off event of the Great Tribulation, and the signal for Jews to flee into the mountains.  I find it hard to believe that Paul intended the metaphorical use of the word in describing such a watershed event.  How would the anti-Christ stand within the body of a believer (setting aside the fact that all believers to whom 1 Cor. 3:16 refers will have already disappeared) and how would that cause the Abomination of Desolation, which is the defilement of a physical Temple in Israel, as foretold in Daniel 9:27 and Matt. 24:15?

I think your source is misreading the context of the passage.

A. I could be mistaken, but I think he would have a tough job convincing the world he’s really a peace maker.   According to Daniel 8:25 this is the role the anti-Christ will  initially assume in the post-rapture world, even authorizing Israel to build their Temple.