In a previous post, I noted that Iraq is essentially splitting into three regions. The Sunni Moslem tribes in Western Iraq have no love for the central government of Iraq which is run by Shiite Moslems in Iran’s orbit. The Sunni Moslem tribes in Western Iraq prefer to be in the orbit of Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab nations in the region. In the north of what used to be Iraq, an “independent” Kurdistan is steadily becoming more of a reality.
The Kurdish autonomous region is defended by a formidable military force: the Peshmerga. Its weaponry was detailed in a previous post, but the Kurds cleverly acted to seize much of Saddam Hussein’s former weaponry that was stationed in the north of the “old” Iraq. Today’s link reports that Kurdistan is making its own oil export deals with foreign nations and bypassing the Iraqi central government altogether. It is also most instructive that foreign governments are now willing to deal independently with Kurdistani officials directly and also bypass Iraq’s central government. What is most interesting is that the foreign nation benefiting from the independent deal with the Kurdish autonomous government is Turkey. Historically, it was Turkey, which has been beset by a periodic insurgency of Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey, which has most opposed an independent Kurdistan. Since it is now Turkey which is benefiting from an independent Kurdish entity, other nations will likely be encouraged to deal directly with Kurdistan directly as well.
What is happening from a biblical standpoint is that the borders of the Mideast are being gradually redrawn to fulfill the prophesied alliances foretold in Ezekiel 38-39 to take shape in the “latter days” of our age. Kurdistan appears to be drawing closer to the west and NATO by dealing with Turkey (a NATO member). The Sunni Moslems in western Iraq have no desire to stay in an Iranian-dominated Iraq either. However, there is one biblical prophecy that indicates that the current central government of Iraq, located in eastern Iraq, will stay in the Gog-Magog alliance. Revelation 16:12-18 prophesies of a climactic war in the end-time of our age in which the battle of Armageddon will be fought. One prelude to the outbreak of that final war (the same World War III which is the subject of the Gog-Magog prophecy) is the westward invasion of the “kings of the east” across the Euphrates River. These kings of the east will apparently have a friendly ally in whoever controls the Euphrates River in order to have an unhindered pathway across that river to a target located westward from the Euphrates River. Baghdad, the capital of the Shiite-dominated portion of Iraq is located on the Tigris River and the Euphrates River is not far to the west of Baghdad. Since Shiite Iran is one of the dominant members of this “Gog-Magog/kings of the East” alliance, this prophecy indicates eastern Shiite Iraq will remain in the Iranian orbit until the end of this age.
One could also make the case that Turkey might end up in the Gog-Magog/Kings of the East alliance as Revelation 16:12 states the Euphrates River is “dried up.” This could happen as a result of Divine/supernatural action, but Turkey’s control of the Ataturk Dam in the headwaters of the Euphrates River in Turkey could also “dry up” the Euphrates River by stopping the flow of water through the Turkish Dam system. However, I identify Turkey as a nation descended from ancient Esau, the grandson of Abraham via Isaac. Turkey’s previous name, the Ottoman Empires, had the consonants TT-M-N, which preserved the consonants of the Edomite dominant clan of Teman (Genesis 36:15 and 34). Genesis 36:1 notes that Edom is just another name for Esau, so the modern Turks are descended from the ancient Edomites, in my judgment. It is very noteworthy that none of the descendants of Abraham are mentioned as being a part of the latter-day Gog-Magog alliance which argues that Turkey will stay in the western alliance. Since the Arabs are descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham via Hagar, and the Jordanians are descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew, it seems likely that these nations will also not be part of the Gog-Magog alliance. This racial split is mirrored in the sectarian nature of modern Islam. The Islamic nations descended from Abraham are in the Sunni Moslem camp, while the Moslem nations not descended from Abraham, such as the Iranians, are Shiite Moslems. The Kurds also reflect Semitic appearances, and their region is located astride the route which the ten tribes of Israel traversed on their route out of Asia toward Europe when their mighty Parthian Empire fell.
One more comment on the “kings of the east” who are coming out of Asia invading westward across the Euphrates River. This is the invasion force of the Gog-Magog/kings of the east alliance which will invade toward and into the modern Israeli nation as Revelation 16:16 reveals that this invasion force reaches the Megiddo region of Israel (“Armageddon” in English is derived from “Har-Megiddo” in Hebrew). This invasion force will also attack Jerusalem and Zechariah 14 foretells what will occur when it reaches Jerusalem. It will conquer half the city and then be destroyed by the arrival of the Messiah whose feet will then stand on the Mount of Olives. His arrival will end World War III and this age. Revelation 16:17 has the phrase “it is done” to describe the end of this current age, as does Ezekiel 39:8. The prophetic symmetry is remarkable. These prophecies confirm that Ezekiel 38-39 describes World War III from the standpoint of the invasion of the modern nations of the “house of Israel” in the latter days while Zechariah 14 describes the invasion of the Gog-Magog alliance (i.e. “the kings of the east”) into the modern nation of the house of Judah, which is obviously headquartered in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:14). That nation is the Jewish Israeli nation now located in the old Promised Land.
The action of Kurdistan making independent oil deals with Turkey and acting more like a nation-state in its own right is a small item which the world’s media scarcely notices. However, these small steps are redrawing the map of the Mideast, determining who will be in the Gog-Magog alliance and who will not be in it.
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/02/20/kurdistan-spurns-iraq-threat-expands-oil-exports/
