Arab Spring to Turn Into Muslim Nightmare?

Muslim Brotherhood
الإخوان المسلمون
Al-Ikhwān Al-Muslimūn

In the current edition of Tomorrow’s World magazine, Wyatt Cieselka, a minister in the Living Church of God, wrote:

Ultimately, the “Arab Spring” will not produce widespread “Western-friendly” democracy throughout the Mideast! Consider that, after 57 years in exile, the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood is now Egypt’s “best organized political movement” (The New York Times, June 19, 2011). Months after Egypt’s supposed move toward democracy, Egyptian “mobs” are attacking pro-democracy “liberal activists,” while “hundreds of thousands of Islamists” are working toward “transforming Egypt into an Islamic state” (Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2011)! Although many do desire peace, a terrible conflict is brewing, and Muslim fundamentalism is spreading…Scripture reveals that before Jesus Christ’s return, there will be a final war between a “king of the South” (a leader of the Middle Eastern regions now primarily under the sway of Islam) and a false form of “Christianity” dominated by the “king of the North” and a blasphemous “Holy Roman Empire.” (Cieselka W. Islam: At War with Christianity? Tomorrow’s World magazine, Sept-Oct 2011, p. 27)

In the same issue, Dexter Wakefield, another LCG minister, wrote:

Opinion polls show that significant majorities in many Arab countries favor the establishment of Sharia law, derived from the Qur’an and centuries of Muslim jurisprudence. Several nations, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen already have Sharia law in some form. Others, such as Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria, Qatar and United Arab Emirates, mix Sharia with other systems. To the great surprise of many Western analysts, University of Maryland researchers polled Arab nations and found that substantial majorities in Pakistan, Egypt and Morocco favored the establishment of the Caliphate—which would mean autocratic Islamist rule!

Far from voting to establish liberal, Western-style democracies, Middle Eastern countries—if they are given the chance to vote—could very well choose Islamist governments like those of Gaza or Iran. Rather than establish a liberal democracy, the current democratic movements in Middle Eastern Islam could very well bring on a charismatic leader to establish a Caliphate and rule autocratically.

What Western politicians hope will be the “Arab Spring” may turn out to be the “Islamic Winter.”

The situation in Egypt, Yemen, and Libya, to name just three, is far from truly stable. The result of the Arab Spring has been that the Muslim Brotherhood is gaining influence in the Islamic world (see also Muslim Brotherhood: Influential in Egypt, Libya, & Syria).

Notice what Wikipedia reports about the geographic influence that the Muslim Brotherhood’s founder wanted to accomplish:

In the group’s belief, the Quran and Sunnah constitute a perfect way of life and social and political organization that God has set out for man. Islamic governments must be based on this system and eventually unified in a Caliphate. The Muslim Brotherhood’s goal, as stated by Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna was to reclaim Islam’s manifest destiny, an empire, stretching from Spain to Indonesia.

Though I do not believe that it will end up with Spain, the geographic hopes of its founder and many current supporters exceeds what most in the West would tend to think of. A caliphate from Morocco to Indonesia would be huge. Even one from Morocco to Iraq would be large. Some in the Islamic world believe that the caliphate is only a step in the ultimate goal of conquering the entire world for Islam.

Here is some of what the official English-language website of the Muslim Brotherhood teaches about its history and some of its goals:

Al-Banna was chiefly responsible for formulating the policies of this association…the idea of universal muslim state was constantly implied due to the association’s focus on Islam. While strongly disapproving of local brands of Nationalism, particularly if they were Western-inspired and secularly-minded, Banna developed his vision of Pan-Islamic Nationalism, insisting that Islam and Nationalism were complementary, especially when the latter operated within the parameter of the Islamic truth, since, for the Muslim Brethren, Islam was of course both religion and state. Here we need to analyze what was the basic concept from which Hassan al-Banna initiated to establish such Islamic organization. Then we would also explore his thought of the causes of descend of Islamic society particularly in Egypt. However, his effort and works deserved great consideration of Islamic society in the revolution to the revival of Islamic state (Caliphate)…The Muslim Brethren…believe that the caliphate is a symbol of Islamic Union and an indication of the bonds between the nations of Islam. They see the caliphate and its re-establishment as a top priority, subsequently; an association of Muslims people should be set up, which would elect the imam“.

Pro-democracy Westerners need to realize that if given a real vote, a high percentage of Arabs will support less secular, more Islamic, candidates with agendas similar to those of the Muslim Brotherhood. Many in the Islamic world long for greater influence and suspect that the way to get it is to support groups that want more Islamic influence.

While the Arabs will ultimately get there leader, this will not end up well. Notice what the Bible shows:

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. (Daniel 11:40-43)

The Islamic leader over the Arab peoples will not succeed for long. The destruction of him and many of his supporters will be a Muslim nightmare. But the stage is being set for the temporary rise of this leader.

World events are lining up with LCG’s understanding of biblical prophecy. The Muslim Brotherhood and/or Islamic groups with similar objectives will accomplish the goal of temporarily having unity among many nations in North Africa and the Middle East as Bible prophecy is calling for that (Daniel 11:40-43; Psalm 83:2-8). But, ultimately, many Arabs will find this to be a nightmare.

Fortunately, Jesus will later return and establish His kingdom. And then the Arab nightmare will turn to a time much better than any previous Arab Spring.

Some articles of related interest may include:

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? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic 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? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?