by Michael G. Mickey
(6-19-09)

In Ezekiel 38-39, we're told of a future invasion attempt to be made on the nation of Israel by a number of allied military forces. This event, commonly referred to as the battle of Gog-Magog, features at least one nation that, until recently, didn't seem to fit well with prophecy, namely NATO member and European Union candidate nation Turkey.

Let's begin by examining the forces listed in prophecy that will come against Israel in the latter years (Ezekiel 38:8):

• Magog - Most agree this is a reference to Russia.
• Meshech - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia, but some say it refers to the Moscow area.
• Tubal - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia.
• Persia - modern Iran
• Ethiopia
• Libya
• Gomer - eastern Europe or Turkey
• Togarmah - southeastern Europe or Turkey

As I've documented on numerous occasions, Turkey, despite being a NATO member in good standing, has not been welcomed into the European Union, having applied for membership, with open arms. In fact, creating considerable tension, many leaders in the European Union have openly voiced opposition to it. Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, is one example.

Recently, as documented in an EU Observer article, Mr. Sarkozy cancelled a scheduled visit to Sweden in order to avoid a potential clash with Swedish government officials on the issue of Turkey's EU membership bid. The article states, in part:

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt told Le Figaro newspaper that the EU had "a strategic interest" in Turkey's EU integration and warned against "closing the door" to Ankara.

Mr. Sarkozy, it seems, has no qualms about closing the door to Ankara at all, which is interesting when we consider Ezekiel 38-39.

Secondly, an EU Observer article's headline speaks volumes concerning how the leadership in Turkey is feeling right now, in the wake of recent European elections. 'Turkey nervous after EU election results' it reads. The following is an excerpt from that article:

In Germany and France, the conservative parties of Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, who repeatedly spoke of their opposition to Turkey's full membership during the electoral campaign, were clear winners obtaining respectively around 38 and 28 percent.

The elections also saw the far right getting more ground and claiming increased numbers of seats in as many as ten different member states. In the Netherlands, the far-right Freedom Party of Geert Wilders which came second in the elections has said Turkey should not become an EU member neither now, nor "in a million years."

Member states hold the most sway when it comes to enlargement decisions but the parliament issues regular reports on EU hopefuls and in the past has been critical of Ankara's progress towards EU norms in areas such as human rights.

"The tendency in Europe towards the extreme right is worrisome," Murat Mercan, the chairman of the foreign relations committee in the Turkish parliament and a top-ranking member of Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, told CNN on Monday.

Turkish newspapers that day bore headlines such as "All We Needed was More Racists," "Europe forms a blockade," and "European dreams shattered."

Here in these last days, Turkey is fearing rejection from the revived Roman empire of bible prophecy. As it appears in Ezekiel 38-39, Turkey's concerns are warranted, so much so we may see the nation switch teams, so to speak, in the not-too-distant future.

The end times drama continues. What's next?

RELATED NEWS, ADDED 7-7-09: France lays down the law on Turkey's EU progress