In July, Turkey announced its plan to move forward with the purchase of a Russian S-400 air defense system. In response, the U.S. expelled Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, cancelling their previous order of 100 F-35s. Furthermore, Turkey’s announcement opened the door for more penalties under a 2017 act that calls for sanctions on any nation that buys a major defense article from Russia. Currently, relations remain strained as the two nations work to find a resolution. But far from an isolated incident, this is just the latest dispute between the United States and Turkey. The relationship between these two countries has been volatile for several years now. But this wasn’t always the case. Up until a few years ago, Turkey was a reliable ally for the U.S., Israel, and NATO.

Turkish History

Following World War I and the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk led a Turkish War of Independence. When the war ended, the victors established the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Ataturk served as the new nation’s first president. He oversaw numerous reforms to modernize Turkey. He established a secular western democracy and made the nation a model democratic republic in the Middle East. In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim majority nation to recognize Israel. In 1952, it joined NATO. For the latter part of the 20^th Century, Turkey was a strong ally of Israel, the U.S., and other western nations. As the 21^st Century dawned, Turkey explored membership in the European Union. This would have further solidified the nation’s western ties. Instead, an event took place that reshaped the future of Turkey.

A New Direction for Turkey

In 2003, Turkey elected Recep Tayyip Erdogan as prime minister. A former member of a banned Islamist political party, Erdogan’s administration has been hostile toward Turkey’s secular and democratic institutions. Under Erdogan, Turkey has turned from its traditional western allies and cultivated relationships with nations that oppose western democracy. In July 2016, Erdogan cracked down on his political opponents following what he claimed was a coup attempt. He imprisoned thousands of citizens and consolidated his grip on power. A 2017 referendum further extended that power. Now the president, Erdogan is the undisputed ruler of Turkey. The nation, once hailed as a model of freedom and democracy in the Muslim world, has quickly devolved into a totalitarian regime eager to befriend America’s enemies.

What’s Happened Under Erdoğan

To see the drastic changes brought about under Erdogan’s rule, one need look no further than the current state of U.S.-Turkish relations. The recent dispute over the Russian S-400 air defense system is only the latest point of contention. In recent years, we’ve seen a long list of such developments under Erdogan. The list includes, but is not limited to:

In July 2016, Erdogan jailed thousands of political opponents following a failed coup against his regime.

That same year, without evidence, Turkey accused the U.S. of harboring a Turkish cleric (Fethullah Gulen) whom they say orchestrated the failed coup.

In 2017, Turkey jailed three Turkish citizens who worked for the U.S. State Department under accusations they helped orchestrate the 2016 coup.

In May 2017, seven bodyguards for Erdogan beat up protesters in Washington, DC.

In October 2017, the two countries announced the mutual suspension of non-immigrant visa services.

In October 2017, a Turkish court convicted a Wall Street Journal reporter and sentenced her to 25 months in prison for publishing an article they deemed “propaganda.”

In September 2018, Turkey met the leaders of Russia and Iran in Tehran to discuss the future of Syria.

In October 2018, Turkey released American pastor Andrew Brunson after holding him hostage for two years.

In February 2019, Turkey met the leaders of Russia and Iran in Sochi to coordinate joint military plans in Syria.

To any objective observer, it’s clear Turkey has drifted away from its western democratic ties and into the arms of nations like Russia and Iran who are hostile to the west. Making matters worse, the U.S. allied itself with Turkey’s longtime enemy, the Kurds. Since war erupted in Syria in 2011, Kurdish forces have come to control large areas of Syrian territory, including areas along the Turkish border. This poses a threat to Turkey and puts them in direct conflict with the United States, further straining U.S.-Turkish relations.

Why This Matters

So why should you care? Aside from diminishing freedom and liberty for Turkey’s citizens, these events have enormous prophetic significance. Why? Because Turkey is a key member of the Gog of Magog alliance. Six centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus, Ezekiel foretold of a future invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). He said it will occur in the last days (Ezekiel 38:16). It will come from north of Israel (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2), and it will involve a coalition of nations led by Russia (Ezekiel 38:2). The nations Ezekiel cited include:

Rosh = Russia

Magog = Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan

Persia = Iran

Cush = Sudan

Put = Libya

Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah = Turkey

For years, those who study Bible prophecy have wondered how Turkey fits into this alliance. After all, Turkey is a longtime ally of Israel. Also, as a member of NATO, the idea of Turkey joining a Russian invasion of Israel is hard for many to imagine. In 2014, I noted in my book Signs of the Second Coming:

“Turkey is another interesting member of this military alliance. Since the restoration of Israel in 1948, those who understand Bible prophecy have struggled to figure out how Turkey fits in. Why? Because in 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim majority country to officially recognize the state of Israel. Turkey and Israel have a long history of diplomatic, economic, and military cooperation. Turkey is also a member of NATO. And what is the purpose of NATO? Its purpose is to defend member nations against Russian aggression. So why would Turkey join a Russian alliance to invade another country?

While it hasn’t made sense in recent years, that idea doesn’t seem so far-fetched today. In May 2010, Turkey and Russia signed a series of agreements enhancing their energy ties, including an agreement to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant. And in recent years, Turkey’s domestic politics – historically secular in nature – have been heavily influenced by Islam. And that gives Turkey more than enough motive to join the Gog of Magog Alliance.”

And here we are. Erdogan has consolidated power in Turkey. Ataturk’s Turkish Republic is dead. The relationship between Vladimir Putin and Erdogan is strong and growing. All that’s left to permanently move Turkey into Russia’s sphere of influence is a clear break between Turkey and NATO.

While we wait for that moment, the military forces of the three most powerful members of the Gog of Magog alliance – Russia, Iran, and Turkey – are now cooperating in Syria. This puts their joint military forces right on Israel’s border. And not just any border – Israel’s northern border. This is where Ezekiel said the invasion force will come from – north of Israel (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2). Is this a mere coincidence? I don’t think so. Never in history have these three nations formed an alliance. Now, they’re stationed directly to Israel’s north.

The stage is now set for the fulfillment of the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecies. Turkey has made a strategic choice to align itself with Russia and Iran. Eventually, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the other nations in the Gog of Magog alliance will send an overwhelming invasion force against Israel (Ezekiel 38:8-9). When they do, God will destroy them and display His power and glory for all the nations to see (Ezekiel 38:22-23). It’s one more sign of how close we are to the Second Coming of Jesus.

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Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming and Racing Toward Armageddon. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.

Silicon Valley Censorship and the Coming Global Police State

If you love freedom and liberty, recent actions from high tech companies should have you worried. In pursuit of profit, the mega companies of Silicon Valley have created products that invade user privacy. And they easily cave to the demands of totalitarian governments.

For example, Amazon’s Alexa devices are a huge convenience for many people. But most users don’t realize Alexa devices do more than listen. They record. Once you talk to an Alexa device, it records your voice and stores the audio file on a remote server. Amazon uses this information to improve its recommendations. They want to sell you more stuff. But in the process, Alexa devices record and store everything you say. Are you okay with others listening to your conversations? If not, then don’t bring an Alexa device into your home.

Unfortunately, Silicon Valley’s questionable actions aren’t reserved for product development. They’ve also become arbiters of free speech. In June, YouTube said it will ban videos that promote or glorify “racism and discrimination.” This includes banning videos most people would find despicable, such as those denying the Holocaust or the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. But it also includes a number of videos people don’t find objectionable.

So, where do you draw the line? Who determines what’s “racism and discrimination” versus what’s normal political speech?

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms have taken similar actions to purge “hate speech.” But in an age where social media dominates public discourse, access to these platforms is vital to get a message out. What if these platforms flag their political opponents as sources of “hate speech”? What will that do to freedom and liberty? Unfortunately, we don’t have to guess. All we have to do is look at the actions some of these companies have already taken.

A Threat to Liberty

Personal bans and privacy violations are bad enough, but the most frightening actions these companies take is their willingness to appease authoritarian governments. For instance, in an attempt to gain access to a billion new users, Google worked on a censored, government-approved version of its search engine for China. The Chinese government regulates the Internet with a heavy hand. They routinely block websites linked to human rights, democracy, and religion. Google generated outrage last year when news leaked of its plans to launch a censored search engine codenamed Dragonfly. After intense criticism, they abandoned the project. But speculation continues as to whether or not Google plans to revive the project.

Sadly, Google isn’t the only company willing to cave to China. In June, Twitter suspended a large number of Chinese-language user accounts. Some of those accounts belonged to critics of China’s government. Just days before the anniversary of the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre, critics claim it’s more than a mere coincidence. Twitter acknowledged the suspensions, stating they were in response to terms of service violations. However, it also acknowledged some of the suspended accounts involved “commentary about China.” Florida Senator Marco Rubio criticized the move, saying “Twitter has become a Chinese government censor.”

Tech company eagerness to please oppressive governments extends to streaming services as well. In December, Netflix removed an episode of the comedy show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj from its service in Saudi Arabia after a government complaint. The episode criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. An official statement from Netflix said, “We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and removed this episode only in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request – and to comply with local law.” Needless to say, human rights groups disagree with the Netflix position that it “supports artistic freedom worldwide.” It’s clear they only support such freedom when it doesn’t interfere with their profits.

As technology advances, these platforms will become more and more important. As a political commentator, try getting your message out to a large audience without using Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, or Netflix. It’s nearly impossible for someone who doesn’t already have a large following. In the future, it will be even more difficult, if not impossible.

Where We’re Headed

We’re living in a world where the largest tech firms have more power than any companies have ever had before. Since the police power of government rules over the high tech companies, it means we’re heading into an era where governments will be more powerful than they’ve ever been. Think about the information at their fingertips:

If you’re on Facebook and you use a smart phone, then companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook probably know more about you than some of your closest friends. They know who you associate with, what you search for on the Internet, what products you buy, what interests you have, what bank you use, who you talk to the most, when you’re awake, where you’ve been, and where you are at any given moment. With facial recognition technology, they can pick your face out of a sea of millions in less than a second. Connect facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence with a growing network of public and private cameras, and they aren’t far from being able to record everything you do at all times.

Think I’m exaggerating? Just consider the impact of one popular product – doorbell cameras. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, more than 3.4 million doorbell recording devices were sold in 2018. Some police departments are offering discounts on doorbell cameras. The reason? They want to access the footage.

A NextMarket Insights report stated, “smart security devices” will be in use in more than 22 million U.S. homes by 2020. No doubt this will help solve a number of crimes and deter home invasions. But it has an unintended impact as well. As more people install doorbell cameras, more and more of daily life will be recorded. Doorbell cameras don’t simply record your front porch. Depending on the angle, they can surveil an entire neighborhood. Now, imagine every house in the neighborhood has one. There won’t be a single event that won’t be recorded.

Add doorbell cameras to all the smart devices people are putting inside their homes (including their bedrooms), and we’re quickly getting to the point where your every movement and communication is tracked and documented. A few giant corporations hold all that data – data about your life. What are they doing to protect it? Are they selling it to other companies? Are they sharing it with governments? Their cozy relationships with China, Saudi Arabia, and other human rights violators shouldn’t give you any comfort.

What the Bible Says

The Bible says a time is coming when a global dictator will rule the world (Revelation 13:7). He will succeed in everything he does (Daniel 8:24). His power will be so great that no one will be able to oppose him (Revelation 13:4). His control over the earth will be so complete, he’ll regulate the purchase and sale of everything (Revelation 13:17). How is this possible? For most of human history, it wasn’t. As this is written, it probably still isn’t possible. But as technology continues to advance, it will. A global dictator could only hold such absolute power with the aid of advanced technologies. And as the world’s greatest tech companies have so aptly demonstrated, they’re more than happy to work with oppressive governments.

Absent public outrage, they’ll willingly cave to the demands of despots. As they develop even more powerful technologies, their work will set the stage for a global police state. It’s one more sign of the times in which we live. It’s time to look up. Jesus is coming!

Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming and Racing Toward Armageddon. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.