Growing Concern for a Regional War in the Middle East

جامعة الدول العربية
Jāmaʻat ad-Duwwal al-ʻArabiyya Arab League Flag

An Israeli general believes a regional war in the Middle East may be somewhat near:

IDF general: Likelihood of regional war growing

5 September 2011. Recent revolutions in the Arab world and the deteriorating ties with Turkey are raising the likelihood of a regional war in the Middle East, IDF Home Front Command Chief, Major General Eyal Eisenberg warned Monday.

“It looks like the Arab Spring, but it can also be a radical Islamic winter,” he said in a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4118220,00.html

Basically, Israel is worried that the situation in many of the Arab states will become more chaotic and that this could lead to regional war. I have been writing since the start of the “Arab Spring” that I felt that the governments that many of the Arab nations would get would not satisfy their peoples, and that this would likely lead to other conflict and the acceptance of a pan-national Islamic leader (Daniel 11:40). As I have written before, I suspect that there may need to be a war in the Middle East for a prophesied peace deal (Daniel 9:27) to take place, though a specific war is not absolutely required (Palestinian actions related to the proposal to the UN this month to be recognized as an independent state could, for example, trigger enough protests that a larger war might not be necessary for such a deal).

At this time, it is also possible that Syria, for example, may launch with Iran’s concurrence, an attack against Israel, which could result in Syria (Isaiah 17:1-6) becoming devastated and Iran at least weakened (if not worse).

The USA itself has seemed to back the Muslim Brotherhood in various Arab nations, and the Brotherhood wants a multi-national Islamic state, known as a caliphate. Trouble in many Arab nations may be just the background needed for the Muslim Brotherhood to either rise up and/or to support others who share similar objectives (see, for example, Sheik Shehato: ‘We Will Launch a Campaign of Islamic Conquest’).

As a general rule, the Arab League itself is made up of countries that are primarily Sunni Muslims, while Iran is primarily Shi’ite Muslim (as is Iraq; Yemen is about 45% Shi’ite). And while they differ somewhat in their prophetic outlooks, by and large, both want a leader to rise up and unify the Islamic world. The Sunni’s tend to look for an Arab to be a Caliph (who some consider to be the Imam Mahdi), while the Shiites tend to look for an Iranian or Arab to become the Imam Mahdi. The Iranians seem to feel that they need to contribute to chaos for this to happen, while the Arab League, thus far, has taken a more diplomatic approach.

Of course, there has been chaos/flux in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Syria, and other parts of the Arab world (Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has even claimed that the Imam Mahdi has caused some of it, see Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: World Order About to Collapse, Mahdi Behind it).

The Europeans have taken steps to encourage the Assad government of Syria to fall (see Syrian Protestors More Determined; EU Now Supporting Their Cause, But…). Syria, which is an ally of Iran, may decide soon to support/cause some of the chaos that Iran believes is necessary for the Imam Mahdi to rise up, perhaps hoping that this will reduce the protests it is currently dealing with in its land (as well to perhaps persuade Iran to provide it more support since the Europeans are sanctioning it). Being part of an attack against Israel may be a way Syria might believe could take attention away from its domestic problems and more against Israel, essentially a nation that Syria technically is still at war with (Syria has not signed a peace agreement with Israel since the 1973 war).

Ultimately the Bible tells of an Arabic confederation that will rise up with a leader that it calls the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43). Since the Bible does NOT indicate that Iran will be a major part of it, it may be that Iran may be weakened first by some type of military attack first. Whether or not it will be in a regional war this Fall or Winter will be seen.

For more information, here are three articles of possibly related interest:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?