What is the Hagia Sophia?
The Hagia Sophia was one of the most important Christian churches in the world. But, the emphasis is on the word “was.” And it held that position for nearly one thousand years. It’s now a museum. (author’s note: It is no longer a museum. President Erdogan of Turkey has converted it back into a Mosque.) And with that, the status quo in the Middle East has changed again. Now, once again, we are confronted with a common phrase. We must get used to a “New Normal.”
The Hagia Sophia stands on one of the most important and strategic plots of ground in the entire world. No, that’s not an exaggeration. It represents a clash of cultures, religions, empires, East versus West, and more.
But it’s important, for a long time forgotten, may come back into prominence. In addition to the clash points mentioned above, it could also represent the most important prophetic transition of the last days. And what transition is that you ask? It’s the transition of the legs of iron into the feet of clay. If you’re familiar with the Book of Daniel, you might know which transition I am referring to.
Updated News Items
Turkish President reverts the Hagia Sophia back to a mosque
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan re-converted Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque Friday, hours after a court ruled that a 1930s decision to make the iconic building into a museum had been unlawful.
Erdogan said in a decree shared on Twitter that he had handed the majestic domed building over to the government’s directorate of religious affairs to open it up to worshipers.
Turkey turns Hagia Sophia back into a mosque
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday that the Hagia Sophia, one of the architectural wonders of the world, would be reopened for Muslim worship as a mosque, sparking fury in the Christian community and neighboring Greece.
For Erdogan, the fabricated controversy is tailor-made. It is broadly popular domestically, especially among the Islamists and extreme nationalists that are his core, It distracts from Turkey’s internal problems, its shaky response to the coronavirus, and its worsening economic situation.
It creates problems for the opposition mayor of Istanbul and overawes secularists and religious minorities who dare not complain too loudly, It whips up xenophobic fervor against the West, the Greeks, and the Americans.
The Clash Between Islam and Christianity reignites
TWO FAITHS
Hagia Sophia, or ‘Divine Wisdom’ in Greek, was completed in 537 by Byzantine emperor Justinian.
The vast, domed structure overlooked the Golden Horn harbor and the entrance to the Bosphorus from the heart of Constantinople. It was the center of Orthodox Christianity and remained the world’s largest church for centuries.
https://thewritelife.tech/2020/05/21/turkey-is-moving-faster-than-i-expected-the-world-is-preoccupied-with-a-virus/
The two legs of Rome: European and Middle Eastern
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. And Daniel had a vision. Both the dream and vision saw the same series of events. Four great empires would rise and fall. Each of them would control the Middle Eastern region. And specifically, they each would rule over the Nation of Israel.
In the last days, before the return of Christ, the last great empire will finish the transition into the feet of clay that Daniel saw. The feet of clay were seen as ten toes that represented a coalition of nation-states. Those final ten nation-states were prophesied to join forces and attack Israel. King Jesus will return and squash that final rebellion of mankind. God will rule in the end.
In the king’s dream, he saw a statue of a man. It was a symbol of four great empires and the transition from one to the next. That last empire had legs of iron. But in the dream, feet of clay supported those legs of iron. History records the iron legs of Rome. The eastern leg of the Roman Empire was the Byzantine Empire. The Hagia Sophia was the religious symbol of the heart of those legs of iron. The Ottoman Empire took control of the Hagia Sophia and turned it into a Mosque. That was a foreshadowing of the final transition.
The leader of Turkey, Erdogan, is threatening to bring the world closer to that final stage of transition. He wants to turn the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. If and when he does, we should realize the formation of the ten toes is likely a few short years after that.
Erdogan: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia could be turned into a mosque
Erdogan considers renaming Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia a mosque
The end of the clash draws nearer
The Nation of Turkey will become one of the major players in the series of end-time events. The Hagia Sophia sits prominently on what was once European territory. It sits on a plot of land that looks across the Strait of Bosporus. On the other side is the Middle East. The history of this place is filled with the clamors of war. Those clashes involved proud civilizations that fought over this piece of land. Historians have recorded brutal and legendary battles in this region. Unfortunately, the worst fighting is still ahead.
The Hagia Sophia and a bit of history.
A few notes from the Encylopedia Britannica:
Hagia Sophia, Turkish Ayasofya, Latin Sancta Sophia, also called Church of the Holy Wisdom or Church of the Divine Wisdom, a cathedral built at Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in the 6th-century CE (532–537) under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. By general consensus, it is the most important Byzantine structure and one of the world’s great monuments.
The Hagia Sophia is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul. For almost a millennium after its construction, it was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom. It served as a center of religious, political, and artistic life for the Byzantine world and has provided us with many useful scholarly insights into the period. It was also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque.
The final clash of six-thousand years of war between God and his greatest enemy is approaching. Humanity finds itself caught in the middle of a great war. Which side are you on?
For more information about the Hagia Sophia, click here.
White Stone Watcher
Hello readers,
I have served as a children and youth pastor for over three decades. It was a great honor and pleasure to serve the Lord in that way. It has been my prayer, that many of them will learn of Jesus’ love and decide to commit their lives to follow Him.
I wrote the fiction story, ‘White Stone Watcher’ for them and their parents. In the story, we see a young man, and his best friend, Amanda. They face the normal challenges that today’s kids face at school. But with one huge difference.
Their challenge is twelve feet tall to be exact with an enormous set of six wings. Just like the prophet Isaiah saw in the throne room of God. He is a Watcher, an angelic being who is still invisible to Amanda. The messenger from God is about to lead both on a spiritual journey. They find they cannot escape the unseen war that rages all around them. They will become key players that God will use in the battle between the Sons of Darkness and the Children of Light.
I invite you to pray about a youth that might enjoy and benefit from this story. As the world grows darker, our youth must become aware that the Lord is calling them to join the Children of Light in the fight for what is righteous. We are all involved, whether we realize it or not. If they will not go to church, maybe they will read a book about someone just like them facing challenges at school.
God is calling them.
Praying for the youth, and a great awakening.
Pastor Doug
Let me know what you think.