In early January, Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed an agreement to build the EastMed pipeline, which will take natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. The United States publicly supports the EastMed pipeline from Israel, through Cyprus to Greece and Italy. The US also recently lifted its decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus. The eastern Mediterranean natural gas boom is going to turn countries like Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Egypt into significant players in the energy market. This new arrangement will turn the world’s energy markets upside down and it could explain why the Antichrist invades Jerusalem during the end times to take plunder.
During a visit to the United States, Italian politician Matteo Salvini said, “Between Italy, the United States, Israel, Brazil, Poland and Hungary, there is a closeness in their vision of the world, of rights and values.” On the surface, it seems like Italy would be on the Antichrist’s team. This is because the ten-kingdom coalition that the Antichrist eventually controls comes out of the geographic area of the Roman Empire, specifically Western Europe. It goes without saying that Italy was the center of the Roman Empire. Having said that, Italy may resist the Antichrist. Daniel 7:8 prophesies that the Antichrist will take control of the ten-kingdom coalition, removing three of the kings in the process.
There are two versions of the ten-kingdom coalition. As a unified international body, the ten-kingdom coalition collectively recognizes the Antichrist’s seven-year covenant with Israel. This recognition will mark the beginning of their short stint in power. Three-and-a-half years later, the Antichrist takes control of this coalition and replaces three kings. Daniel 7:24 states that he will subdue them. This suggests that he puts down a rebellion. Will the Antichrist install puppet governments, or will he replace these three countries altogether? Either way, the implication is that these three nations don’t completely support the Antichrist. Who might these three kingdoms be?
It’s pure speculation, but Italy, Greece and Cyprus make a lot of sense. Not only were all three countries a part of the geographic area of the Roman Empire, but Daniel 11:29-30 also prophesies that “ships of Kittim” will prevent the Antichrist’s first invasion of Israel. Kittim’s descendants mainly settled in Cyprus, but they also settled throughout many countries along the Mediterranean Sea.* Incidentally, the Antichrist’s second invasion, described in Daniel 11:31 and Ezekiel 38, won’t be stopped by Israel’s immediate neighbors.
Ezekiel 38 prophesies that “the merchants of Tarshish” will helplessly ask the Antichrist “Have you come to capture spoil?” Tarshish was a son of Javan, who was a son of Japheth. The descendants of Tarshish were originally in Asia Minor, modern Turkey, but they eventually settled along many Mediterranean coasts, like Greece and southern Italy.** So, Italy, Greece and Cyprus may stand with Israel and resist the Antichrist.
*Hodge, B. The Tower of Babel: The Cultural History of Our Ancestors (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2013), p. 169, 180.
**Ibid., p. 165, 168, 180