Problems in Egypt heating up

2013 Protests (Gigi Ibrahim)

More protests and unrest is happening in Egypt:

2/01/2013

Cairo: Firebombs thrown at Morsi’s palace…

Protests were held in cities around the country on Friday after a call for rallies by opponents of President Mohammed Morsi. But some cracks appeared in the ranks of the opposition as some sharply criticized its political leaders for holding their first meeting with the rival Muslim Brotherhood a day earlier…
Around 6,000 protesters massed outside Morsi’s presidential palace in an upscale district of the capital, banging on the gates and throwing stones and shoes into the grounds in a show of contempt. At least one firebomb was thrown through the gates as crowds chanted, “Leave, leave,” addressing Morsi…A Brotherhood spokesman, Ahmed Arif, underlined on Friday that the group would not call its cadres into the streets. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4339942,00.html

2/01/2013

CAIRO — Protesters threw incendiary devices over the walls of Egypt’s presidential palace during Friday demonstrations against President Mohamed Morsi, leading to clashes with riot police officers that filled the area with tear gas and threatened to deepen Egypt’s spiraling political crisis.
The violence drew a quick condemnation from Mr. Morsi, who blamed unnamed “political forces” for inciting what he said was an attempt to “storm the gates of the palace.” He promised that the security forces would respond “decisively.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/world/middleeast/protests-in-cairo-remain-relatively-subdued.html?_r=0

These protests were not unexpected. The Bible warns:

2 “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians;
Everyone will fight against his brother,
And everyone against his neighbor,
City against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3 The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst;
I will destroy their counsel,
And they will consult the idols and the charmers,
The mediums and the sorcerers.
4 And the Egyptians I will give
Into the hand of a cruel master,
And a fierce king will rule over them,”
Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 19:1-4).

And we have seen more protests and Egyptians fighting against Egyptians, but sadly even a greater fulfillment of the above will occur later.

Right now, what Egypt’s President Dr. Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood is working for is a pan-national Islamic state–but not all in Egypt want it. Yet, he believes that he was elected to implement this, though right now he may decide to move a bit more slowly. Notice some of what the official English-language website of the Muslim Brotherhood teaches about its history and goals (note: Dr. Morsi, the current president of Egypt, ran the website below when I first viewed these quotes):

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”. (zhyntativ. HASAN AL-BANNA AND HIS POLITICAL THOUGHT OF ISLAMIC BROTHERHOOD. IkhwanWeb, May 13, 2008. http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=17065 viewed 09/22/11)

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
The world’s largest and most influential Islamist movement. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the group was originally focused on ridding the country of corrupting secular influences brought by British colonial rule. Over the years, it established branches and affiliates in many countries to promote traditional Sunni Islamic morals, social justice, and the eradication of poverty and corruption. “The Islamic nation,” its charter states, “must be fully prepared to fight the tyrants and the enemies of Allah as a prelude to establishing an Islamic state”—ideally a re-established caliphate, stretching from Spain across the Middle East and Central Asia to Indonesia, to be governed according to Islamic sharia law. (Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood. February 14, 2011. © The Muslim Brotherhood. http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28019 viewed 11/21/2011)

The Muslim Brotherhood apparently wants as its top priority a pan-national Islamic caliphate ruled by an Imam. Many Muslims long for the rising up of a leader called the 12th Imam, often referred to as the Imam Mahdi. It will not end up with Spain if I understand certain aspects of Bible prophecy correctly, but the confederation of the final King of the South may go from around Western Sahara and/or Mauritania to Oman (with possible involvement and/or coordination with Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and/or Indonesia), and it will include Egypt (more about some of this can be seen in a YouTude video The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South).

But not everyone in Egypt wants this.

Yet, to bring enough Arab nations together, I have felt that some type of “strongman” needed to rise up. One who Arabs would tend to respect–who might use or not use the title Imam Mahdi. The time may be now for him to rise up and the Muslim Brotherhood may play an important role, or perhaps the Brotherhood will decide that it is best to back-off a little right now.

Despite protests, eventually, Egypt will be part of the King of the South of Bible prophecy:

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).

There are protesters in Egypt who are correct that what the Muslim Brotherhood wants will not turn out to be good for Egypt. But since Bible prophecy shows that a pan-national Arabic power will rise up, and it is highly logical that there will be an Islamic religious component to this as most of the Arab nations are predominantly Muslim.

While Dr. Morsi’s current government will have more difficulties, Egypt itself is prophesied to become part of a doomed pan-national confederation (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-9). And ultimately, the Egyptian state that supports and/or helps lead the final King of the South will collapse (cf. Isaiah 31:3). But it is not clear that either Egypt’s President or those who are protesting him, really realize this.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Arabic Nazarenes May Have Kept Original Christian Practices Were their faithful Arabs who held to original Christianity?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.