January 24, 2015 - A. V. Rauf
Middle East Prophecy Update: January 2015
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Adbul Aziz, 90, died early Friday, and was succeeded by his brother, Crown Prince Salman, 79, according to state television. That put the region’s most important Sunni power in the hands of Crown Prince Salman to run this country of 28 million people at a critical moment in a region mired in crisis.
Most recently Salman served as defense minister, but he is better known in the kingdom as the governor of Riyadh province, a position he held for 4 decades. He is one of the forty five sons of the kingdom’s founder, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, and the sixth son to inherit the throne following the deaths of his predecessors.
His brother Crown Prince Moqrin, next in the line, is ten years younger.
What are the prophetic implications of this? What I am about to say is not what will happen but what may happen next:
I mentioned in the previous post that Sunni Saudi Arabia now has Shi’a enemy states on two sides, plus a Shi’a fifth column within its own borders. At the same time it has to fend of Islamic State attacks on its Iraqi border. Could it be that the death of the most recent King may trigger internal strife throughout Saudi Arabia.It is allegedly being prorated that the Desert Kingdom is rife with struggles from within and armed threat from without. Furthermore, How long will Salman last? Will his tenure and his passing be quick and efficient or will it last longer? Will it be a successful regime or will it be marked by indecision and chaos? The possible shortness of Salman’s leadership could mean that Saudi Arabia’s enemies may strike quickly and decisively.
It is also being reported that Shi’ite Iran continues to encircle Saudi Arabia by controlling Shi’ite Iraq to the north and Shi’ite militants in Yemen to the south. That being said, it is probable that very soon Iran may coordinate a rebellion in the Shiite-majority Eastern Province where 90% of the country’s oil is located. Just south of Saudi Arabia is Yemen. It has been reported that Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned less then 48 hours ago, just days after Houthi rebels battled their way into his presidential palace, plunging the unstable Arab country deeper into chaos.
The Houthi rebels are Shi’ite Muslims and are completely supported by Iran.
Ultimately, the next step would for an Arab coalition to be formed and Syria to be invaded, and after this would be for Jerusalem to be captured by the Iranian-led forces. According to Shiite Islamic Eschatalogy at this point, the Mahdi is to reappear. Many Shiite Muslims believe that the rise of Imam Mahdi is imminent.
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been cited by various news sources as not only believing in the eventual return of the Mahdi, but that the return is very near and that it is the responsibility of the Iranian government to prepare the country for his return.
Although Shiites and Sunnis often battle against each other, as is currently the case in Iraq, a common denominator is the destruction of Israel, which is a critical part of Islam taking control in the world and thus ushering in the Mahdi. It is important to note that Iran and Israel are only several hundreds of miles apart, so it is very likely that Iran may attack Israel as soon as it is militarily advantageous to do so.
Many Shiite Muslims see the Mahdi as a savior who will lead a global revolution and establish a worldwide Islamic empire. The Mahdi will rule the earth as the final Caliph of Islam. In their traditional writings (Hadith) it is stated that armies carrying black flags will come from Khurasan (Iran and Afghanistan), no power will be able to stop them, and they will finally reach the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem where they will erect their flags. In Islamic tradition, black banners symbolize violent conquest, and Muslims await the Mahdi’s conquest of Jerusalem, when he establishes his reign from the Temple Mount.
According to the Ezekiel Chapters 38-39 in the Bible, a defining battle will take place around Israel called the War of Gog and Magog. Persia (present day Iran), along with Russia and other neighboring countries will be the attacking force, converging on Israel in an attempt to attack Israel and seize the country’s riches. (Again, please see previous 4-part post on War of Gog and Magog.) In these posts it is clearly suggested that the United States of America and Saudi Arabia do not participate in this war at all.
Having studied the Bible and Eschatology for almost two decades, my inclination to post this update is simply in response to observing the acceleration of prophetic events unfolding in rapid succession. Keep in mind that we are only three weeks into the month of January in the year 2015.
Generally speaking there are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 verses in the New Testament. This gives a total of 31,102 verses, which is an average of a little more than 26 verses per chapter. (This may vary due to different translations.)
The Bible contains 8,362 predictive verses – yet prophecy is one of the most neglected subjects when it comes to Bible studies.
Revelation 19, verses 6 thru 10 states the following:
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Jesus said in John 14:6-…..I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Furthermore, John 1:1 states: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Remember this one thing: TRUTH AND TIME GO HAND IN HAND. The clock is ticking…….
