About a decade before our Civil War, Czar Nicholas I of Russia described the Ottoman Empire (which ruled over the Middle East & parts of Eastern Europe), as ‘The sick man of Europe’ - because of its decline in military power, its economic demise, and the rise of ‘nationalism’ prompting some of its member states to fight for independence.
A century later, French politician Paul Reynaud, called his own Country ‘The sick man of Europe,’ after WWII put France in great economic hardship.
As the British Empire crumbled between 1960 and 1980, it too, was referred to as ‘The sick man of Europe.’
In the 1990’s, the term was applied to Germany in the years following the fall of the Berlin wall, when the cost of re-uniting East & West Germany went over a trillion dollars.
Ancient Israel was once described as a ‘Sick Man’ by God Almighty, after its sins had brought the nation to its knees: “The whole head is sick and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. Your country (Israel) is desolate, your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a hut in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.” (ISAIAH 1:5-8)
That same diagnosis could be applied to Ukraine today, as that war-torn nation fights to survive occupation.
One of the major lessons of History is that all kingdoms and nations eventually become ‘sick men’ and die. The average life-span of a civilization: 336 years; An empire 250 years; and a nation 150 years…
Wikipedia records: “Societal Collapse is the fall of a complex Human Society… Possible causes of a ‘Societal Collapse,’ include natural catastrophes, war, pestilence, famine, economic collapse, population decline, mass immigration, incompetent leaders, and sabotage by rival civilizations.”
In the Western world of Europe and the Americas today, we see all of these symptoms of ‘Societal Collapse’ and a ‘sick man’ present.
But Sociologists leave out one great cause of ‘Societal Collapse’: “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve YOU shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined.” (ISAIAH 60:12) God says to Humanity: “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity (Sin) will not be your ruin.” (EZ.18:30)
Ironically, the original ‘Sick man of Europe,’ the Ottoman Empire, was prophesied by God to receive a deadly wound, but later to be healed: “And I saw one of his (the 7-headed Beast’s) heads, as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the Beast. (REVELATION 13:3) We’re also told: “The Beast that was and is not, is himself also the 8th, and is of the 7.” (REVELATION 17:11) So one of these 7 Mediterranean empires (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, or Ottoman) is going to rise again, empowered by Satan (REV.13:2), and reign “over every tribe, tongue and nation (REV.13:7).
How do we know that it is the 7th head of the 7-headed Beast (the Ottoman Empire), that is going to be healed? Because your Bible gives us many clues: “I saw a woman (the Great Harlot) sitting on a scarlet Beast.” (REVELATION 17:3) The flag of the Ottoman empire was scarlet red, with a white crescent moon and a star - the same as Turkiye’s today. The other 6 empires did not, and do not today have ‘scarlet red’ as the dominant color of their flags. We’re also told that the resurrected 8th Beast will invade Israel in the days before Christ’s return (REV.11:1-7). Hosea the prophet was inspired to write this prophecy of warning against modern day Israel: “They have dealt treacherously with the Lord, for they have begotten pagan children. Now a ‘new moon’ (crescent) shall devour them.” (HOSEA 5:7)
We’re also told twice that Satan’s throne is in Pergamos (REV.13:2), modern day Bergama, Turkiye.
The King of the North (another name for the Beast according to Theologians), was historically headquartered in the city of Antioch, located in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkiye. The King of the North is prophesied to invade Israel ‘at the time of the End’ (DANIEL 11:40-41)
Gog, the chief prince of Meshech & Tubal (ancient cities of Asia Minor), is also prophesied to invade Israel in ‘the latter days’ (Ezekiel 38:8) - prompting some Theologians to equate him with the Beast as well.
The ‘Beast,’ along with the ‘False Prophet’ will be empowered by Satan to work miracles, signs, and wonders (REV. 13:11-18) - deceiving people around the world to follow them into subduing ‘every tribe, tongue, and nation’ (REV.13:7).
But the only true God the Father, gives this stern warning in advance: “Come out of Her My people, lest you share in Her sins, and lest you receive of Her plagues.” (REVELATION 18:4)
The Quran says: “He (Allah) whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and who did not take to himself a son, and who has no associate in the kingdom.” (Surah 25:2)
Your Bible warns: “He is Anti-Christ who denies the Father and the Son.” (I JOHN 2:22)