During this time the Middle East is as close to triggering the Second Signpost as I have ever seen since the discovery of the Signposts in 2003. Not only could Shia Iranian IRGC troops directly fight Sunni Saudi and Turkish troops, but those same Sunni Muslim troops might try to put an end to the Assad regime in Syria. So not only would Iranian troops be killed by Turks and Arabians, but Iran’s path to Israel would be removed. I do not believe Iran would allow these events to occur without a major response.
So here we are in this time where we could only be a hair trigger away from the Second Signpost. And not only “just” the Second Signpost but World War III, as the Second Signpost would just be the first half of such a great war. And not just World War III, but it would set into motion the events taking the world through all the awful things called out in Revelation, all the way through the Tribulation.
A sober mind and clear seeing are needed here. One thing that does not help is the exaggerated reporting by various internet news sites and prophecy sites. What is desired is truth and reality, not exaggeration that might beget panic.
Saudi Arabian F-15s parked at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. Note the Saudi flag at the top of the tail (and note the green lush countryside that you don’t see in most of the Arabian peninsula). Any Saudi airstrikes would be coordinated with airstrikes by the US and other Arab states.
Case in point is a story that a reader e-mailed me. It is reporting that Turkey is shelling into Syria. The story says under the map, “Military Forces From Around The World Are Preparing For Battle As Turkey and Syria Go To War.” That is a complete exaggeration. “From around the world”? No way. At the top of the same story the text says, “With their rebel allies falling to the legitimate government of Syria, Turkey has now begun shelling Syria to aid their Rebel forces and ISIS Terrorists.” A little later it finally gets it right and says, “Turkey is also said to be targeting the Kurdish YPG.” However, the main action is Turkey shelling the Kurds in Syria. The truth is, Turkey has been at war with the Kurds in its own country for decades, and it has started shelling the Kurds in Syria so that those Kurds don’t gain more land, decide to declare independence and encourage Turkish Kurds to do the same. The same story reports, “At this point it appears that the YPG are being attacked by Turkey for supporting Assad!” This reporter is not well informed and only adds to the confusion.
Here is a balanced story about the Turks shelling Syrian Kurds. Again, Turkey does this to push back against the Kurds and prevent an uprising in its own country.
Here is another story from the Indpendent that reports the rhetoric being shuffled around the last few days was just that – rhetoric. The Saudis admit they will not go forward on their own but will only attack as part of a multi-national coalition.
Don’t misunderstand. We are still at hair trigger for the Second Signpost. But any actual coordinated fighting by Saudi and Turkish troops in Syria has not begun yet as of this hour. There is a report of some 100 Turkish gunmen entering Syria, but that is a minimally invasive action that should not have any large impact.
Categories: In The News, Signpost #2: Iran
THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS 
just occurred to me. another reason why iran could overrun so.easily and become great and do all they please is turkey would be fighting on two fronts. Russia to the north and Iran to the east.plus the internal kurdish problem.
Giles,
Makes sense. Good thinking.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/02/24/putins-newest-satellite-state/#3723d1303549 : been real busy
Greg,
That is an interesting development; thanks for the link. Can anyone make an educated guess of how this story might be related to the Second Signpost in Revelation 6?
Armenians suffered a genocide by the Turks in Word War One. They must have become increasingly concerned these past years about the rise of Sultan Recep Tayyip I and his increasingly fascistic, nationalistic and Islamistic neo-Ottoman empire.
They apparently have decided that USA/NATO either cannot or will not protect Armenia against the Turks. This makes sense, for USA/NATO is allowing its vital ally / member Turkey to bomb Kurds and to support ISIS. Logically, USA/NATO would then also allow Turkey to commit atrocities to Armenians if Turkey so wishes.
Czarist Russia of old tried to protect Christians within the Ottoman Empire, including the Armenians, by putting pressure on the Ottomans (of course also increasing Russia’s power). Actually the formal reason why the Turks massacred Armenians in WW-I is that the Turks feared the Armenians to takes sides with the Russians in the war.
So Armenia has turned to Mother Russia again. Russia’s current Czar, Vladimir I, is the only one capable and willing to protect the Armenians. Of course he also uses the opportunity to increase his power, and to protect not only his ally Armenia, but also his allies Syria and Iran.
I see three possible outcomes to this, a cold, a lukewarm and a very hot war variety of Giles’ good suggestion:
1. The tension between USA/NATO/Turkey and Russia will increase and increase, into a very cold war. But it remains a stalemate: neither side really wants to engage the other militarily. This stalemate is enough to prevent USA/NATO/Turkey do anything against an Iranian invasion of the Middle East. Neither need Russia actively support Iran, it just secures Iran’s “playing field” against The West and Turkey, so it can attack the Middle East.
2. The Kurds get support against the Turks, from Russia and Iran. Just like Armenia now got support from Russia. The conflict between Russia/Iran and Turkey escalates into a full blown military conflict. USA/NATO support Turkey with military supplies, and political pressure & sanctions against Russia etc. but do not actually wage hot war with Russia. Iran then takes its chance to invade and consolidate the Middle East, with support from the Kurds.
The fear of all out war between NATO and Russia prevents the NATO to do much more, until maybe a line is crossed, NATO speaks “until here and no further”, Russia stops, and Russia asks Iran to stop, and it obliges, both having now most of what they wanted.
3. Scenario 2 plus all out war between Russia and NATO, including Turkey and the USA. This is effectively WW III, with a serious possibility, but not a certainty, of nukes being used.
In scenario 1 & 2 peace is literally taken from all of the Middle East, many are killed there, and figuratively from the hearts of many people in the world.
In scenario 3, peace is literally taken from a large part of the world, many killings worldwide; and figuratively from the hearts of the people in those countries not directly involved.
I think scenario 3 the least likely, because this one hardly leaves place for the Third Signpost, the counterattack of Turkey (with NATO support?). Scenario 1 & 2 both fully set the stage for the Third Signpost.
I do not believe the second horse from Revelations being red has any relationship with Russia. The Soviet Union’s color was read, but that is already out of existence for a quarter of a century. Today’s Russia is not preoccupied with red.
Adamant,
Russia will not have a major role in prophecy, I believe, only a support role. The end times are about Islam first, then Israel.
Armenia welcoming the Russian military only confirms that the Signposts will not go beyond the muslim realm.
I agree that Russia has no major role in prophecy – as far as I know it is neither mentioned nor referred to anywhere. (I do not believe in Gog = Russia.) For this reason, of my three scenario’s, number one is the most probable; in that scenario Russia would have only a supporting role, helping things come about, just like the USA played a supporting role in setting the stage for the second signpost.
And I think you are quite right that the presence of Russia in Armenia (it already was in Georgia, also nominally Christian) really prevents Turkey doing nasty things there.
Azerbaijan however, the secular Shia state bordering on Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Iran, has resisted pressure from Russia, and counts on support from NATO/EU. So it is in practice pretty defenseless against either Turkey or Iran – this Muslim country probably will be the prey of the ram striking to the north.