Revelation 9 - Lake Erie Bible Church

Chapter 9
THE REVELATION TO JOHN
55. The Euphrates has always been a barrier for any military force coming from the
East, extending from modern Turkey to the Persian Gulf naturally forming a
separation between the Arabian Peninsula and the East.
56. Some dramatic prophetic developments regarding the Euphrates River have
occurred in the country of Turkey, who is engaged in the largest development project
ever undertaken in that nation, and one of the biggest of its kind in the world.
57. This multi-sector project includes 13 major projects that are primarily devoted to
providing irrigation and hydropower generation.
58. The project envisions the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants
on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and their tributaries.
59. The Southeastern Anatolia Development Project (GAP in Turkish) has created a great
deal of resentment from Syria, Iraq, and others that rely on the waters from these
rivers.
60. This basin is one of the most politically unstable regions on the planet, and water
plays an important role in that area.
61. We bear in mind that the two witnesses will have the power to smite these regions
with drought, further exacerbating tensions in the Middle East that will likely suffer
the same loss of drinkable water that has affected others. Rev.8:10-11; 11:6
62. The largest and newest reservoir was created by construction of the Ataturk Dam
named for Kemal Ataturk, the Turkish leader who enjoyed tremendous success ruling
and helping modernize Turkey during the first half of the 20th century.
63. The Ataturk Dam is the largest structure ever built in Turkey for irrigation and
hydropower generation; it is located on the Euphrates River and constitutes the
essential unit in the Southeastern Anatolia Project.
64. The newest project that the Turkish government has started is the Birecik dam, and on
November 18, 1996, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller signed a major financing agreement
for construction of what will be the fourth largest dam and hydro-electric power
station on the Euphrates River.
65. The dam began filling the reservoir during April/May, 2000 and the waters had
already submerged two local villages.
66. With these two dams, Turkey will have the capability of completely stopping the flow
of the Euphrates River, thus clearing the way for the massive armies of the kings
from the east to move into the Middle East and onto the door steps of Israel.
67. Whether the sixth bowl judgment is accomplished via supernatural means or men
under demonic influence, stopping the flow of water in the Euphrates makes no
difference in the end result; however, this passage and current events may suggest
that it is a combination of the two.
Lake Erie Bible Church
P-T Ken Reed
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