How the Middle East Has Changed... And Why This Gives Chills to Bible Prophecy Studiers
For decades, the only Islamist-ruled country in the Middle East was Iran, which became Islamist in 1979. The other key players in the region were either secular (Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Iraq) or semi-secular with no external-Jihadi intentions (Saudi Arabia).
In just the last 3 years this has entirely changed:
1.) The Islamist Prime Minister of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, managed to finally rest control from the secular Kemalist establishment. His Islamist party is now firmly in control of the military and governing institutions.
2.) Contemporaneous with the U.S. withdraw of troops from Iraq, the already Shia-dominated, Iran-tilted government of Iraq is now firmly in the hands of Islamists. It was U.S. forces that in 2003 removed the secular Ba'ath party from power. Many, perhaps even a majority, of Christians have now fled Iraq because of persecution from Islamists.
3.) Tunisia, once the most pro-western Islamic country (apart from Turkey), is now firmly controlled by the previously banned Islamist party Ennahda. Tunisia is where the Arab revolution began, with the deposition of the secular dictator Ben Ali. Once safe for Christians, a Christian convert from Islam was just beheaded several days ago for refusing to recant his faith. Christians and tourists are now routinely attacked by Islamists... again, Islamist activity was previously banned in Tunisia.
4.) Egypt, at the heart of the Arab revolution, just in the last two weeks has fallen into absolute Muslim Brotherhood dominance. The secular military leaders have all been deposed and replaced with Islamists. The former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, had banned the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, but now he is long gone and his arch enemies are in total control. According to numerous Arab TV and newspaper reports, Christians and secularists are being crucified on trees in Cairo, and probably elsewhere in the country. An Islamic leader who had been sent into exile under Mubarak, triumphantly returned, and having gathered hundreds of thousands into Cairo's Tahrir Square, he called for millions to march on Jerusalem and kill every Jew.
5.) The eccentric and secular Moammar Gaddafi was pushed from power and eventually killed by the rebels in Libya. The Muslim Brotherhood is now very active, but we've yet to see how the pieces will finally fall... although we know they will fall very soon as the interim government will soon be transitioning out of power.
...There are too many reasons to count as to why we think this is falling into line with the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, John and others, but here are the chief three:
1.) The Bible prophesies numerous times the regathering of God's people to the land of Israel before the return of the LORD. And at the end of the age, Israel's neighbors and many, eventually all, of the nations of the world are gathered together against her--especially her neighbors.
2.) The Bible specifically prophesies an occurrence of a rebellion, through which the antichrist is ultimately revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Daniel 8:23).
3.) Israel is now facing a literally existential threat to its very existence in the form of Iran's nuclear program, which is now only weeks away from becoming immune to an Israeli strike. We know that this will not happen and God will intervene before it does.
In just the last 3 years this has entirely changed:
1.) The Islamist Prime Minister of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, managed to finally rest control from the secular Kemalist establishment. His Islamist party is now firmly in control of the military and governing institutions.
2.) Contemporaneous with the U.S. withdraw of troops from Iraq, the already Shia-dominated, Iran-tilted government of Iraq is now firmly in the hands of Islamists. It was U.S. forces that in 2003 removed the secular Ba'ath party from power. Many, perhaps even a majority, of Christians have now fled Iraq because of persecution from Islamists.
3.) Tunisia, once the most pro-western Islamic country (apart from Turkey), is now firmly controlled by the previously banned Islamist party Ennahda. Tunisia is where the Arab revolution began, with the deposition of the secular dictator Ben Ali. Once safe for Christians, a Christian convert from Islam was just beheaded several days ago for refusing to recant his faith. Christians and tourists are now routinely attacked by Islamists... again, Islamist activity was previously banned in Tunisia.
4.) Egypt, at the heart of the Arab revolution, just in the last two weeks has fallen into absolute Muslim Brotherhood dominance. The secular military leaders have all been deposed and replaced with Islamists. The former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, had banned the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, but now he is long gone and his arch enemies are in total control. According to numerous Arab TV and newspaper reports, Christians and secularists are being crucified on trees in Cairo, and probably elsewhere in the country. An Islamic leader who had been sent into exile under Mubarak, triumphantly returned, and having gathered hundreds of thousands into Cairo's Tahrir Square, he called for millions to march on Jerusalem and kill every Jew.
5.) The eccentric and secular Moammar Gaddafi was pushed from power and eventually killed by the rebels in Libya. The Muslim Brotherhood is now very active, but we've yet to see how the pieces will finally fall... although we know they will fall very soon as the interim government will soon be transitioning out of power.
...There are too many reasons to count as to why we think this is falling into line with the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, John and others, but here are the chief three:
1.) The Bible prophesies numerous times the regathering of God's people to the land of Israel before the return of the LORD. And at the end of the age, Israel's neighbors and many, eventually all, of the nations of the world are gathered together against her--especially her neighbors.
2.) The Bible specifically prophesies an occurrence of a rebellion, through which the antichrist is ultimately revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Daniel 8:23).
3.) Israel is now facing a literally existential threat to its very existence in the form of Iran's nuclear program, which is now only weeks away from becoming immune to an Israeli strike. We know that this will not happen and God will intervene before it does.
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