Hal Lindsey Report (08-05-2011): Ousting Attaturk, Turkey Turns, Friends or Enemies?, Russia Arising & Rome Reviving

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

When I wrote "The Late Great Planet Earth" in 1969, I was roundly criticized for my predictions about the roles of Iran and Turkey in the 'last days' scenario. Many of those critics have now fallen silent. It doesn't take a prophecy scholar to see that, indeed, Iran and Turkey are moving into the positions foretold by the ancient prophets.

This week, we're going to take a little trip through history. I want to properly set the stage so you will understand the importance of events that have taken place in the last few weeks in Turkey. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Kemal Attaturk founded the modern Turkish Republic. It was built on democratic principles and pointedly constructed as a "secular" government. It intentionally and constitutionally isolated itself from Islamic influence and charged the nation's military with enforcing that separation.

Turkey's military has found it necessary to seize the government several times since its founding. Each time, Islamic forces have been curtailed and the government returned to secular civilian rule. But since the rise of the Justice Party, an Islamic-leaning political party also known as AKP, the Turkish military has seen its role as the guarantor of Turkey's constitution slowly eroded.

In fact, the ranks of Turkey's military officers' corps have been thinned considerably by hundreds of arrests in the last several months. The officers have been charged with conspiracy to stage a coup d'etat in 2003! Oddly enough, that's precisely the military's job when it sees Islam becoming too strong an influence on the state.

Last month, dozens of senior officers -- generals and admirals -- were arrested on conspiracy charges. Last week, the Turkish military Chief of Staff and the heads of all the services resigned abruptly. They were replaced by officers more sympathetic to the cause of Islam.

What makes these developments noteworthy is the fact that Turkey has been a solid Western ally for more than half a century. In fact, it became the only majority-Muslim member of NATO in 1952. The United States even has military bases in Turkey. And for many years, Turkey has been Israel's only Islamic military ally. So when Turkey begins to pull away from the West, turn on Israel (as we've seen in recent years), cozy up to Iran and other Islamic nations, and start drifting into Russia's sphere of influence, it bears prophetic significance.

Of course, I was also taken to task by other critics who belittled the importance I placed on Russia and the European Union back in 1969. I'm not sure where those detractors are now, because, true to Bible prophecy, Russia has risen from the ashes of the fallen Soviet Union. Likewise, the European Union, though currently gripped in the throes of economic upheaval, is still moving forward to solidify its role in the final days of this Age. In fact, on July 1, 2011, a major milestone was quietly passed in the evolution of that body.

Remember Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of an image constructed of various metals? Remember his description of the final kingdom consisting of "ten kings?" Remember hearing that this could not be the EU because it has 27 members? Well, on July 1, the EU formally invested certain critical powers always reserved to the core group known as the "Western European Union," in a new 'Permanent Council.' By its own choice and in its own official documents, that group is hereinafter to be known as "The Ten."

Eerily familiar, isn't it?

In fact, there is a lot we read in today's headlines and see in each day's newscast that is eerily familiar, especially to those who seriously study the Bible's prophecies for the final days of the Age of Grace.

Each time I review those prophecies and each day when I watch the news, I'm reminded that our time on this earth is growing short. If you have not received the free gift of pardon that Jesus Christ died to purchase for you, do it now. Today is the only day we're promised. Today is the day of salvation.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration (on Sundays now!), CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

God Bless,
Hal Lindsey

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