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End-time prophecy focuses primarily on two regions of the globe -- Europe and the Middle East. European leaders are certainly dogged by many knotty difficulties at present, but the Middle East has been beset by one major crisis after another recently -- some occurring simultaneously.
Recall that it is to Jerusalem that Jesus Christ will return as ultimate world ruler, setting up His global capital in this ancient city. Ancient Israel's King David urged his contemporaries and later generations to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6). In due time that prayer will be wonderfully answered through the reign of Christ Himself-which will bring universal peace and prosperity among the nations. But until then the Middle East will remain a cauldron of unrest and upheaval.
The most prominent regional leader continues to be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu of Israel. Although some in the media picture him as a warmonger, he seeks survival for his country. Surrounded on three sides by hostile countries, he sits in the proverbial hot seat, striving to steer the state of Israel through yet another national crisis.
Even Jerusalem's treaty with Egypt has been drawn into question by the recent rocket war with Gaza. Although Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi successfully cast himself in the role of mediator in the conflict, which ended in a cease-fire, he "said he would not leave Gaza on its own and condemned Israel's 'blatant aggression against humanity'" ("We'll Back the Gaza Militants, Says Egypt," Daily Mail, Nov. 16, 2012).
The drophead of an article by Anshel Pfeffer in The Tablet, written before the cease-fire, stated: "The election in Cairo of the Muslim Brotherhood, with its links to Hamas, altered the balance of power in the region and left Israel fearful that its peace accords with the Egyptians would crumble. But as a journalist reports from Jerusalem, Egypt seems determined to broker a ceasefire" (Nov. 24, 2012).
The title of another article by Pfeffer in The Jewish Chronicle called it "Gaza: The War That Worked" (Nov. 22). Hamas even claimed victory. The Tablet article's title accurately describes the continuing atmosphere of crisis: "Peace Hanging by a Thread."
The Nov. 29 UN vote to grant the PLO observer status in that body throws yet another destabilizing factor into the volatile Middle East mix, and can only inspire greater intransigence toward Israel.
Above all others, the threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions still hangs over Israel's head. That continuing danger is summed up by Ronen Barany, the maker of a short video imagining an Iranian nuclear attack on Israel: "We had one Holocaust. We don't want another one" (quoted by Nick Meo, "Holocaust Fears Haunt Israelis as They Prepare for Possible War With Iran," The Sunday Telegraph, Oct. 14, 2012).
Another report indicated that "Iran is ready to sharply expand significantly its uranium enrichment at an underground site after installing almost all the centrifuges the site was built for, a UN nuclear report showed on Friday [Nov. 16]. The development is likely to fuel western alarm over Tehran's nuclear aims as it suggests that Iran would be in a position to ramp up production of additional highly enriched uranium at a moment's notice" (James Blitz and agencies, "Iran Ready to Boost Uranium Enrichment," Financial Times, Nov. 16, 2012).
Only God knows how events will play out in the Middle East in 2013 and beyond, but He has given us clear prophetic guidelines and told us through Jesus Christ that the principal geopolitical, end-time events will climax at Armageddon (Megiddo in northern Israel). Armies will gather there before heading to Jerusalem to fight the returning Christ. To understand much more, go through the online Bible study aid The Middle East in Bible Prophecy .
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Keywords: Israel Muslim Brotherhood Iran
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