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Particulars
of Christianity:
314
End Times Prophecy (Eschatology)
Prophetic
Symbols:
Several Possible Scenarios (Part 3)
Prophetic
Symbols: Several Possible Scenarios (Part 1)
Prophetic Symbols: Several Possible
Scenarios (Part 2)
Prophetic Symbols: Several Possible
Scenarios (Part 3)
Articles 7-12
Articles 13-18
Articles 19-25
Articles 26-29
Who are the 10 kings and where does the antichrist come
from?
I. E.U., Europe Union - The primary evidence for this
scenario is as follows.
A.) Daniel 9:26 says, "the people of the prince that
shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary."
Since the Romans besieged the city of Jerusalem and destroyed
the Temple in 70 AD, many believe that the antichrist is the
prince that shall come and that since the Romans were a European
empire, the antichrist and his empire will also be European.
B.) 10 kings will give their kingdoms to the beast
(Revelation 17:12-13, 17).
There are more than 10 nations in the European Union and the
10 most prominent could be the 10 horns.
II. United Nations (10 global economic regions) - The
primary evidence for this scenario is as follows.
A.) 10 kings will give their kingdoms to the beast
(Revelation 17:12-13, 17).
Some people say that the United Nations has divided the world
into 10 economic regions and that those 10 regions will one
day be formalized into political regions and the political
rulers over them will be the 10 horns.
B.) Revelation speaks of the "whole world," and "all
the world," being deceived by and following after the beast.
It also speaks of the beast, saying "power was given him over
all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Revelation 12:9,
13:3, 7, 16:14.)
The U.N. has power over all nations and is set up to be a
government for the whole world.
(NOTE: This Prophetic Symbols study series, including all of the specific content contained in the section below under the heading "III. 10 Arab Nations/Kurdistan," was ritten in 2002 and has been online on this website since December of 2002. It is based on research and bible study that was conducted starting in late 2001 and throughout 2002.)
III. 10 Arab nations / Kurdistan (the antichrist arises
to power in Kurdistan and is possibly a Kurd) - The primary
evidence for this scenario is as follows.
The Antichrist is described as or associated with a "little
horn," which arises after and among ten horns, which are associated
with the (Byzantine) Roman Empire. This "little horn" is diverse
from these ten horns and somehow subdues three of them.
According to our prophetic symbol legend a horn is a smaller
kingdom or nation that arises out of an empire and/or the
king or leader of that nation. The Antichrist's depiction
as a "little horn" that grows up after/among 10 horns that
grow up out of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine empire and subdues
three of them (Daniel 7:8,20,24, 8:9,22-23) means that the
Antichrist will arise in conjunction with a smaller nation
that comes out of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine empire. This
smaller nation will arise or be established after ten other
nations that also come from Eastern Rome/Byzantium. Either
by its establishment or soon thereafter this smaller nation
will subdue, pluck up, or possibly conquer three of the first
ten nations. And finally this little nation will be diverse
from the other 10 nations. The Kurds and their country of
Kurdistan seem to fit well with this depiction as we will
confirm by looking at several news articles.
According to washingtonpost.com the Kurds are "a non-Arabic
people" and "most adhere to the Sunni Muslim faith." This
would explain how the "little horn" is diverse from the other
ten horns if the other ten nations are Arabic countries.
The Post also reports that "the 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which
created the modern states of Iraq, Syria and Kuwait, was to
have included the possibility of a Kurdish state in the region."
Additionally, in "1920" "after World War I, when the Ottoman
Empire is carved up, the Kurds" were "promised independence
by the Treaty of Sevres." And in "1923" the "Turkish leader
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk" rejected "the treaty, and Turkish forces
put down Kurdish uprisings in the 1920s and 1930s."
From this we see that though many of the modern nations of
the Middle East were established in the 20th century after
WWI, Kurdistan was not. If Kurdistan is ever established as
a nation it will certainly arise after and yet among these
other nations that were established in the 20th century.
Furthermore, the Washington Post also states that "during
the early 20th century, Kurds began to consider the concept
of nationalism, a notion introduced by the British amid the
division of traditional Kurdistan among neighboring countries."
But, though the Kurdish people seek an independent nation,
they have so far been unable to achieve this goal though they
are recognized internationally as a distinct people group
with a recognized homeland with distinct territorial boundaries.
The Washington Post confirms that "after the overthrow of
the Turkish monarchy by Kemal Ataturk, Turkey, Iran and Iraq
each agreed not to recognize an independent Kurdish state."
According to washingtonpost.com, following the Turkish
suppression of the Kurdish uprising "the Kurdish struggle
lies dormant for decades."
To this day, however, the Kurds still seek an independent
state. Indeed, this is one of the chief concerns of Turkey
and many Iraqi ex-patriots who are even now working with the
United States on a post-Saddam Hussein Iraqi government.
These countries seek assurance that the Kurds will not be
allowed to bring their nationalist desire for independence
to fruition and that they be prevented from establishing an
independent Kurdistan in the aftermath of Saddam's removal
from power, which has served to contain their agenda. This
apprehension is easily understood when viewed in the context
of history as reported in the Washington Post article. These
three countries, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran have agreed to prevent
an independent Kurdish state from ever being founded, yet
the British and Americans have both encouraged and aided in
the endeavor to establish Kurdistan.
NOTE: By clicking here, you can view 6 maps of Kurdistan
from various sources including: 1.) A map showing the
borders as proposed by the
1920 Treaty of Sevres 2.) Areas of Kurdish
Political Operation in 1998 3.) Borders demands
by Kurds including 1945 U.N.
Petition by Kurds to the first session of the U.N. 4.)
A map of Kurdistan provided by the Washington
Post 5.) A map of Kurdistan overlaying
existing states provided by www.humanrights.de
and 6.) A map of Kurdistan
provided by kurdistan.org.
NOTE 2: You can also compare these maps to the land
area where Magog is located. Lexicon
1 and Lexicon 2 are two screen-captured
images showing the exact same description of Magog's location
from blueletterbible.org and Online Bible software.
On both Lexicons, note the highlighted section which states
that Magog is thought to be located somewhere "between
Cappadocia and Media." Then, compare the maps of Kurdistan
provided above to this map of ancient
regions from Hammond Medallion World Atlas showing
that the most if not all of the area between Cappadocia and
Media lies within Kurdish territory. Please also visit our
Historic Maps Section.
Additionally, washingtonpost.com confirms that the
"Kurds have tried to set up independent states in Iran, Iraq
and Turkey." As we have seen, Kurdistan lies chiefly within
the territorial boundaries of these three nations, all of
which were established by the Treaty of Sevres, which also
called for a Kurdish state. This explains their devoted efforts
to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish state.
Amazingly, the Washington Post also denotes that in "1991"
"after [the] Persian Gulf War, northern Iraq's Kurdish area
comes under international protection." Since that time "The
United States has tried to create a safe haven for the Kurds
within Iraq by imposing a 'no-fly' zone north of the 36th
parallel."
Therefore since the Gulf War the Kurds, under the protective
cover of U.S. and British fighter planes, have largely enjoyed
territorial autonomy in northern Iraq, which has served to
both foster their nationalist goals for an independent Kurdistan
and give them the opportunity to become competent in self-government
and to develop civil infrastructure. All of this has further
fueled the fears of regional powers who recognize that the
idea of a Kurdish state has as much potential for actualization
now as it ever did.
Furthermore, time.com, a CNN company, confirms these
facts as laid out by washingtonpost.com. Time.com
reports that "the Kurds" are "a people who were denied a state
in the redrawing of the maps at the end of World War I." And
that "the Kurds were promised their own state in the 1920
Treaty of Sevres, which carved up the Ottoman Empire after
its defeat in World War I." Time.com describes Kurdish
territory as falling within "southeastern Turkey, northern
Iraq, Iran and parts of Syria."
Additionally, when speaking of the Kurdish people the news
service states that "large numbers migrated across Europe
(there are as many as half a million in Germany alone) and
also into the former Soviet Union." Yet at present "despite
decrying their treatment at the hands of the Turks and Iraqis,
the Kurds are far from unified."
With all of this in view it is easy to see how the right person
at the right time (perhaps a post-Saddam Iraq) might sweep
into power in this small nation, unify its forces, and enable
them to finally establish a Kurdish state, usurping the territorial
integrity and national sovereignty of at least three previously
existing Middle Eastern nations - Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.
A third source cool.mb.ca confirms the diverseness
of the Kurds from the Arab nations of the Middle East and
their territorial threat to three specific nations saying
"the Kurds are people of Indo-European origin who live mainly
in the mountains and uplands where Turkey, Iraq, and Iran
meet."
The Kurds themselves have written much on these matters. On
the website http://members.aol.com/KHilfsvere/Kurds.html"
in an article entitled "The Kurdish Question - Its History
And Present Situation" by Kemal Burkay we are told that "Kurdish
is a member of the Indo-European family of languages; like
Persian, Afghan, and Beluchi, it is one of the Iranian languages."
Thus, we again see the distinction between the Kurds and their
Arabic neighbors. Again Burkay writes ""Kurdish is unrelated
to the Arabic or Turkish languages."
Regarding the religion of the Kurds, Burkay also informs us
that "in the various parts of Kurdistan, especially in the
region where the borders of Turkey, Iran, and Irak meet and
in Armenia, there are Kurdish Yezidi communities. In earlier
times, the Yezidi faith was a widely shared religious orientation.
Its roots go back to Zoroastrianism." Therefore, in addition
to their ethnicity and language the Kurds are also to be distinguished
from their Arab Muslims of the region in their religious practices
(though most Kurds are Sunni Muslims as we read from an earlier
article).
Burkay further states that "Kurds have played a significant
role in the history of this region since its early epochs.
A great deal of information on this can be found in numerous
Greek, Roman, Arab, and Armenian sources. According to them,
the Kurds founded several important states during the Islamic
epoch between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, such as
Shaddadiden, Marvaniden, and Ayyzbiden - as well as
in the distant past. Sultan Salahaddin (Salah al-D”n), the
founder of the Ayyzbid state, which included Egypt,
Syria, and Kurdistan, played a particularly significant role
in history."
As far as the population of the Kurds goes we can again see
their regional significance and how an independent Kurdish
state would impact the Middle East. According to Burkay's
article "18 to 20 million Kurds live within the borders of
Turkey," "8 to 10 million in Iran," "5 million in Iraq," and
"1.5 million in Syria." From these numbers and their distribution
we can see that should the Kurds ever manage to create their
own state several countries would be greatly affected.
Finally http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0828382.html
confirms the importance that the Kurdish people have in Middle
Eastern history and its present by reporting that "Saladin,
who gained fame during the Crusades, is perhaps the most famous
of all Kurds." And that "despite their lack of political unity
throughout history, the Kurds, as individuals and in small
groups, have had a lasting impact on developments in SW Asia."
From Daniel 8 we know that the "little horn" of the Antichrist
grows up out of one of the four kingdoms of Alexander the
Great, the Grecian Empire. These four kingdoms were Egypt
under Ptolemy, Western Turkey under Antigonus, Syria/Seleucia
under Seleucus, and Thrace under Lysimachus (Daniel 8:8-9,22-24).
Additionally, Daniel 11 informs us that the Antichrist and
the "little horn" are associated with the Kings of the north.
He stands up in the estate of the kings of the North as the
successor to the Seleucid empire who were the Biblical kings
of the north and whose kingdom was one of the four to arise
out of the Grecian empire after the death of Alexander the
Great (Daniel 11:6, Daniel 11:21-45). Unlike a European or
Roman antichrist, Kurdistan is centered in this geographic
region that was once ruled by the Seleucids.
Other Biblical passages confirm these details. According to
the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the Antichrist is associated
with the north, and the people of the north, or coming from
the north (Jeremiah 46:10, Ezekiel 38:15, 39:2).
In Ezekiel 38-39 we see the Antichrist depicted as Gog of
Magog. The territories that these chapters use to identify
Gog of Magog are all related to the Eastern Roman/Byzantine
Empire as well as to Turkey and/or Kurdistan. Gog and Magog
are both in southeast Turkey or western Kurdistan. Also Gog
is said to be the chief prince of Meshech, which is in Western
Turkey and Tubal, which is in central Turkey (Ezekiel 38:2-3).
(See historic maps of Kurdistan
1, 2, 3,
4, 5,
and 6, excerpts 1
and 2 from Hebrew Lexicons, amap
of Magog's probable location, and our Historic
Maps Section for comparison.)
Additionally, Constantinople or Byzantium, the capitol of
Eastern Rome/Byzantium became Istanbul, which is in modern
day Turkey. All of these regional descriptions of the Antichrist's
geo-political connections are significant since Kurdistan
is centered about and falls into Central and Eastern Turkey
where most of these areas from Ezekiel overlap or neighbor.
From Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel we know that the Antichrist
is associated with Babylon or known as the king of Babylon
(Isaiah 14:4, Ezekiel 30:10, 32:11). Babylon's territory is
centered about Iraq. The country of Kurdistan falls right
within the northern part of the geographic territory that
was known as Babylonia.
Isaiah refers to him as the Assyrian, associated with the
Assyrians. Assyria was in northern Iraq and perhaps partly
fell into some of surrounding nations such as eastern Syria
(Isaiah 14:25). The country of Kurdistan falls right within
the geographic territory that was known as Assyria.
A speculation of which Middle Eastern countries may be depicted
in these prophecies that we have covered are as follows. Kurdistan
may be the nation that is the little horn. The three horns
or nations that are subdued may be Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.
The remaining seven that are not subdued could be a Syria,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lebanon, perhaps Jordan (though
there may be some Biblical indications that Jordan will escape
the Antichrist's power), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or perhaps
some of other former Soviet Republics of central Asia. Additionally,
Egypt, Sudan, and Libya seem to be at the border of the Antichrist's
empire (Daniel 11:43).
From these articles, which we have surveyed we can see that
the Kurds and their potential homeland of Kurdistan may fit
well with the prophesied eschatological picture in the following
respects.
1. Kurdistan is a smaller nation and so could be the
"little horn."
2. Kurdistan would be established well after and yet
among the rest of the Middle Eastern states.
3. The Kurds are a distinct Middle Eastern people linguistically,
ethnically, and in some ways by their religion.
4. Kurdistan, if established, would supplant and disrupt
at least three countries, whose existence preceded it's own
- Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.
5. The land area of Kurdistan falls within and fits
with the land areas that are associated with the Antichrist
including: Gog, Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Babylon, Assyria, and
the Seleucid empire.
6. The Kurds and the Middle Eastern countries, which
neighbor them are partially within the geographic territory
of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine empire, from which the 10 horns
and the "little horn" will arise. (And from the example of
Greece in Daniel 8, we know that such horns can migrate away
from an empires original power center.)
7. Kurdistan is geographically within the land area
occupied by the Kings of the North, the Seleucid kings, who
emerged as one of the four kingdoms, which arose out of Greece
after the death of Alexander the Great, and which the Antichrist
is said to be the leader of in the last days.
With all of this in mind perhaps it would be helpful to summarize
how a real life scenario fulfilling end times prophecy might
(and we stress might) unfold involving Kurdistan. Keep in
mind that this scenario is meant only as a tool to aid those
who seek to be watchful by providing them with another potentially
viable series of events that could fit the Biblical depiction
(in addition to those other, more prominent scenarios which
are already widely discussed in the public forum). Again,
we must emphasize that the purpose of this description is
NOT to prophecy or proclaim with any level of certainty the
events that are outline therein. That said, should a scenario
involving Kurdistan's emergence transpire in near future,
which resembles the following description, it would perhaps
be a development that Christians should keep an eye on.
1. A Middle Eastern war erupts, which results in a
power vacuum and/or political instability in the region (such
as the current campaign spearheaded by the U.S. and Britain
to remove Saddam Hussein from power). This might fit well
with Daniel 11:22 which may very well describe such a removal
of existing opposition prior to the emergence of the Antichrist.
2. During the occurrence of such a war or in its aftermath,
an independent nation of Kurdistan is established by the Kurds.
The establishment of this Kurdish state usurps territory from
three of its neighboring states (such as Turkey, Iraq, and
Iran) and results in a forfeiture of these nations' political
superiority or a subversion of their own national sovereignty.
This would resemble the Biblical depiction of the "little
horn" subduing three of the ten horns, which were established
prior to its existence (Daniel 7:24).
3. The newly formed Kurdish state comes to be controlled
by a person who is not granted a position of leadership by
the sanction of either the people of the region or by the
United Nations and/or the western powers. Such a person may
fit the description in Daniel 11:21, which states that the
Antichrist will not be given the honor of the kingdom.
4. The leader of the Kurdish state secures an alliance
of 10 other Middle Eastern states including the three countries,
which were affected by the establishment of Kurdistan in the
manner described above. This alliance could result from diplomacy
or conquest. The alliance of nations acts in such a way or
officially declares itself as a confederation of states resulting
in the formation of a regional super-state, which claims regional
dominance through among other things its military superiority.
Such a scenario would correspond well to Daniel 7:24 where
a smaller nation rises up after and among ten other nations
and subdues three of them. Additionally, it would fit with
Daniel 11:23, which speak of a league or covenant that is
made as well as Revelation 13:3, which presents the revival
of the (Eastern/Byzantine) Roman empire.
5. This regional super-state, attacks and destroys
New York in accordance with the demands of the ten subordinates
who ceded their national authority to the Antichrist and his
newly reformed empire. This would fulfill the destruction
of mystery Babylon by the ten kings as described in Revelation
17:16-17. This act of destruction could serve as an effective
incentive to deceive the armies of the kings of the earth
(the False Prophet's empire and the Antichrist's empire) to
gather in the Middle East at the valley of Megiddo under the
guise of fighting each other but with the real intention of
turning their firepower against the soon returning Christ.
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Related
Images


Historic Map Series
(Maps 1-12)


Additional
Relevant Maps


Lexicon Excerpts


Apocalyptic
Comparison Chart


7 Heads of the
Beast Chart


Illustrations of
Symbols Series
(Illustrations 1-7)


Correspondence of
Visions Diagram
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