Middle East Stirred (5) - Next Big Event

Daniel described the significant event that follows the Stirring of the Middle East.

For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped (Dan 11:13).

The United States will invade another Middle Eastern country (see Invaded Again). This happens several years later, which suggests that the United States will not invade Libya.

The next invasion is organised after some violent people in Israel take foolhardy and unsuccessful actions that cause outrage throughout the world (Dan 11:14). The invading army will be established in Israel (beautiful land) to restore order and peace (see Rebellion in Israel).
These events do not end the struggle between the king of the North and the king of the South. Daniel 11 describes further battles between the King of the North and the King of the South (vv. 13, 25, 29, 40). The United States will invade the Middle East several times. Some of these invasions will pass through Israel causing that nation to be "trampled by the gentiles" (Luke 21:24).

These events are not signs of the second coming. They are just birth pangs marking the beginning of the Time of Distress.

Middle East Stirred (4) - Outcome

Daniel notes two outcomes from these demonstrations.

First, many people will be called killed.

but tens of thousands will fall (Dan 11:12).

President Ben Ali in Tunisia and President Murabak walked away in the face of the pressure. Many other political leaders will not give up that easily, but will fight furiously to hold onto their power and privilege. Gadhafi has taken this option in Libya. Thousands of people will die in Libya before the current struggle ends.

Second, demonstrations will not produce prosperity. Many people will die in these struggles. In some situations, tribal-based disputes will emerge.

tens of thousands will fall and he will not prosper (Dan 11:12).

A very literal translation says that “he will not get fat”. Getting fat means prosperity. A major motivation for the demonstrators had been unemployment and rising food prices. Shortages of food are increasing all over the world. A change in government will not produce more food or create new jobs. Democratic government does not automatically produce prosperity. Many of the protesters will be disappointed by the outcome. Many situations will end with the military in control.

The word for “fat” can also be translated as “prevail” or “succeed”. Daniel suggests that the King of the South will not succeed. The peoples of the Middle East will be stirred up, but they "will not prevail". Despite the current troubles, the United States will continue dominate the Middle East and North Africa.

Finally, Iran will be strengthened. Iraq is Iran’s most serious enemy The destruction of Iraq and the installation of a more sympathetic Shiite government has remove an obstacle to its expansion. The Prince of Persia (Iran) will be stirred up allowing Iran to re-emerge as the most important player in the Middle East (see Resurgence of Iran).

Middle East Stirred (3) - Massive Demonstrations

Daniel explains that the insurgency against the United States in Iraq would be followed by an even greater stirring up of the Middle East. Daniel 11:12 is quite difficult to interpret. A more literal translation follows:

The King of the South will stir up a great multitude and a great multitude will be given into his hand. As this multitude is raised up, their heart will heart will be lifted high, but tens of thousands will fall and he will not prosper.

The Hebrew word translated "multitude" means "roar, crowd or tumult". It speaks of a tumultuous and noisy crowd. Words are doubled in Hebrew for emphasis. The word multitude is used twice to emphasise the size of the crowds. Daniel saw an immense crowd or tumult.

The phrase “given into his hand” could refer to a defeat in battle, but more likely means “placed under his command”. This massive noisy crowd will be controlled by the King of the South (we must remember that the King of the South is a spiritual force and not a human ruler). An alternative translation suggests that he will “cause a great multitude to stand”.

The reference to their “heart being lifted high” could refer to pride or arrogance. In this context, it means to courage. When these huge crowds gather together, people who have been passive for decades will be stirred to a new courage. Bold resistance against security forces will boost their pride.

The first few months of 2011 were marked a gigantic stirring right across the Middle East and North Africa. It began in Tunisia, where the government was forced to resign. From there, the stirring spread to Egypt where huge crowds of young people protested in Cairo for two weeks, forcing President Murabak to resign from the position he had held for thirty years. Since then huge demonstrations have taken place in the cities of Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Bahrain. A tumultuous crowd has been “caused to stand” and protest against their rulers.

Bahrain is interesting because the majority of the population is Shiite, but is ruled by a Sunni King. This small country in the Persian Gulf is now the home of the American sixth fleet, but it was once a province of Iran. The Iranians would like their province back. If a democratic government was elected, a Shiite majority government might be more sympathetic to Iran than American economic and political interests. The United States might be tempted to back a minority monarchy in order retain control of a key military base.

In Libya, hundreds of demonstrators were shot in the struggle. The Gadhafi forces initially lost control of much of the county, but are now fighting back. The political struggle has morphed into a civil war.

In some of the countries where the people have demonstrated, the rulers are American puppets, propped up because they maintain the stability needed for global business to prosper. Some of the kings belong to dynasties put in place by the British at the end of the First World War. These demonstrations are a reaction against the King of the North (currently manifesting through the United States).

The people of the Middle East have been made bitter by their treatment by the Western powers. In the months ahead, the entire Middle East could be stirred up. Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable, as its rulers are old conservative Sunnis, while the population is young and radical. A large, oppressed Shiite lives and works among the Saudi oilfields, but have received any of economic benefits.

Middle East Stirred (2) - Iraq War

When George Bush the King of the North invaded Iraq with his little helpers in 2003 (described in Dan 11:10), they were not just attacking a third rate Middle Eastern nation, but was taking on the enormous spiritual forces of the King of the South (he is a spiritual entity). The King of the South did not just roll over, but struck back hard. The people of the United States were surprised by the ferocity of these spiritual forces and lack the spiritual strength to resist (see United States invades Iraq).

Daniel describes the consequences of the United States invasion of Iraq.

The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North (Dan 11:11).

The invasion of Iraq caused the King of the South to stir up resistance against the United States forces. This part of the prophecy was fulfilled by the insurgency that erupted in Iraq after the Ba’athist government collapsed. Conquering Iraq was relatively easy, but maintaining control proved to be extremely difficult. The concentration of American forces in Iraq made them vulnerable to terrorist attack, leading to large-scale losses. A variety of Islamic groups emerged to fight against the United States in Iraq in fulfilment of this prophecy.

The Shiite Iraqis were stirred up first. In April 2004, a militia controlled by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took control of the holy Shiite city of Najaf and fortified themselves in the centre of the city near the Iman Ali Shrine. This led to the widespread insurgency in southern Iraq.

Sunni Moslems were stirred up when the United States forces Al Fallujah and killed several unarmed demonstrators. A year later, Sunni forces were able to re-claim the city, before being ousted by a siege and two re-invasions by US forces. These events stirred up opposition throughout the Sunni regions of Iraq and the insurgency.

Iraq was well and truly stirred up by the invasion. It is still being destroyed by violence, despite democratic elections.

Middle East Stirred (1)

Recent events in the Middle East have been amazing. The spread of “people power” from country to country was totally unexpected. No commentators expected that powerful political leaders would resign in the face of mass demonstrations.

I searched the prophetic lists to see if any of the prophets had prophesied these dramatic events, but they seemed to be totally silent. A few have linked events in Egypt with Isaiah 19, but none seemed to understood what is happening.

When I did a Google search, I was surprised to be reminded that five years ago, I had written an article called “Middle East Stirred". In the first version of the article, I wrote.

The presence of the United States in Iraq might also stir up the rest of the Middle East, leading to a collapse of the current order. The monarchs controlling Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States being overthrown. The entire Middle East might become unstable and unsettled. Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable, as the King is old and the people are radical....

Unfortunately, I did not fully understand what I had written. I assumed that Daniel’s warning of the Middle Eastern being stirred was mostly fulfilled by the insurgency in Iraq. This was misguided. It is now clear that Daniel’s warning has a much broader fulfilment. I am currently rewriting the article to make it clearer and will post it over the next few days.

Clash of Civilisations (2) - Middle East

The stuggle between civilisations based on religious values and secular materialist culture is currently most intense in the Middle East.

• The 1978 revolution in Iran threw out a secular government and replaced it with a government that would be shaped by Islamic values. More recently the struggle with modernising forces has become more intense.
• A secular government in Egypt is facing intense pressure from the Muslim Brotherhood
• In Turkey, there is an ongoing struggle between secular political parties and Islamic parties.
• The struggle is suppressed in Saudi Arabia, because a largely secular monarchy holds everything religious under tight control.
• Despite what most Americans think, Osama bin Laden’s main enemy is the secular humanist regimes that control most of the Islamic world. He is angry with America for propping up these regimes.
• Sadaam Hussein was a Ba’athist. His was a secular, nationalist, socialist political movement. The war in Iraq has opened up the way for a much more religious government in Iraq.
• The Palestininian group Fatah is a secular, nationalist movement. It is in a conflict with Hamas that is driven by religious values.
• Ironically, the governments of Israel are on the secular, materialist, humanist side of this conflict.
• The secular forces in the Middle East are often backed by the military. This is the situation in Turkey, where the military have threatened a coup, if a religious party gains power.

Following the Second World War, secular nationalist politics began to dominate the Middle East. We are now seeing a strong shift towards a politics that is integrated with the religion of Islam. Secular civilisation is still being driven forward as modern technology and urban lifestyles destroy traditional culture. However, the battle is not over, because Islamic civilisation has re-emerged as a potent political force.