The Arabs.....

The entire Middle East is exploding in the headlines of today's news. Not only are these countries important from geopolitical, economic and military aspects, but Biblically, they occupy a unique position in prophecy fulfilling, and yet to be fulfilled.


The area is rich in oil, a vital need of the modern industrial world, and it also holds a highly strategic position: the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean area, and especially the Gulf of Oman and the Straits of Hormuz, being particularly important. Almost Two-thirds of the world's oil lies near this region, so that with millions of gallons of oil being produced and shipped via these waterways, they constitute the jugular veins of the industrial nations.


To most Moslem nations, the presence of Israel in the Middle East is as a festering sore that only will be remedied by political surgery Just as the Jewish people have clung to their hope of Messiah reigning in Jerusalem, so the Arabs have refused to give up their hope of driving Israel into the Mediterranean and restoring the entire land, including Jerusalem (the second most holy city in the world to Arabs) to Arab possession With the wealth that they command from the rich deposits of oil discovered beneath the burning sands of their deserts, it seems only a matter of time before they will accomplish their aims.



But, in fact, they are fighting destiny. Already, on the field of battle, the Arabs have been defeated time and again. In 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973 their armies were repulsed, and on each occasion, Israel was able to extend its borders at the expense of its neighbors.




They will never drive Israel from the land. Prophecy makes that clear. But Bible prophecy also speaks of the future of the Arab nations in clear and certain terms.




A great proportion of the Arab lands of the Middle East is desolate and uninviting, bleached into sandy wastes by the merciless rays of its bright sun. Yet though deficient of the showers of heaven, and the verdure of nature's bounty, the land has released from its depths an incalculable treasure of black gold: oil!This wealth has permitted its people, the Arabs, to exercise a global influence far exceeding their numerical, political and military potential.



"Almighty God," reasoned the Apostle Paul, "made the world and all things therein ... and both determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:24-26). It is of God that Arabia has been settled by the Arabs. It is He who placed that black gold beneath its deserts, which today is drawing the attention of all nations to the Middle East as is clearly predicted in the latter-day prophecies of the Bible. That oil has attracted the covetus eyes of all the Nations........and Particularly those of Russia and the mighty powers of the West...


Not all Moslem nations are of genuine Arab stock. The Turks, Persians and others are not Arabs, though, as Moslem, they are often classed among the Arab Nations. The true Arab descended from Ishmael, the half-brother of Isaac, predecessor of the Jewish people. Therefore, despite their mutual antagonism, Arabs and Jews are closely related ethnologically. The character of the Arab was predicted before the birth of Ishmael 4000 years ago, and it remains true of him today. His mother, Hagar was told of her son:


"He will be a wild-ass man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" (Genesis 16:12).


The first part of this prediction proclaimed the character of the people who would develop from Ishmael, whilst the second part described the location of their settlement.They would dwell in the presence of their brethren, the Jewish people. The area occupied by the Arabs is that barren, and in most parts, vacant land that lies between Persia, Syria, Israel, Egypt and Ethiopia. The northern part is the area adjacent to the Euphrates,a line of 1500 miles terminating at the Straits of Babelmandeb in the south. The sides of the triangle gradually enlarge with the southern section presenting a front of a thousand miles to the Indian Ocean.



The character of the Arabs who dwell in this inhospitable region conform to the description given to the mother of Ishmael. They are fiercely independent, and are dangerous when provoked or attacked. In spite of the pressures brought to bear upon the Arab countries, and their common hostility towards Israel, there has been little cohesion among them.Proclamations of Arab unity have been made but seldom properly implemented. In fact, the disunity among the Arab powers illustrates the truth of Genesis 16:12 to this day: "He will be a wild ass of a man his hand shall be against every man and every man's hand against him."



The Arabs argue over many things important and otherwise. Iraq and Syria still quarrel over the correct interpretation of Baathist socialism. Iran and Iraq are divided over religion as well as claims of territory. Both are Islamic countries, but each supports a different and opposing sects. Then there are the Kurds. They represent almost 20% of Iraq's population, and have been fighting for their independence for more than fifty years. Until the outbreak of war between Iran and Iraq, these two powers co-operated in suppressing the Kurds! The United Arab Republic formulated some time back by Syria and Egypt, shortly afterwards disintegrated, and today is no more! With all these confusing and conflicting elements, the Islamic world remains as fragmented as ever, devoid of inspiring and unifying leadership, illustrating to this day the prediction of God to Hagar concerning her son Ishmael.



Among the incidents of history foreshadowed is the uprise of the Islamic movement. The work of Mahomet in that regard is symbolized as a star falling from the political heavens (Rev. 9). In A.D. 622, Mahomet was forced to flee from Mecca to the city of Medina. That year is called by Muslims the Hegira, or Flight, and it marks the beginning of the Mahommedan era. Mahomet proclaimed himself a prophet of God.Though he could not write, he dictated principles of his teaching which, after his death, were collated and published as the Quran, the Bible of the Muslims. Gradually the number of his converts increased. Proclaiming his belief in one God, he declared open war upon the Trinitarians of the Greek and Roman Catholics. As his power grew, and his influence extended over Arabia and Palestine, he sent ambassadors to the court of Constantinople, and when they were contemptuously rejected by the authorities of the eastern Roman Empire, he decided to overthrow it by force. He died in 632 before he could accomplish this, and was succeeded by Abubeker, the first Caliph. We pause for a moment to wonder at the ease with which the Arabs accepted the authority and teaching of Mahomet and so were, for the first time, united in preparation for the mission before them.





The Islamic empires of the past have gone, replaced by the independent nations of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and so forth, such as Bible prophecy requires (see Daniel 11:40-45), but a spiritual empire still remains. The influence of the Quran extends far beyond the confines of Arabia to Indonesia and Malaya, parts of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Morocco, Tunis, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Russia. For many millions, the Koran is still the rule of faith, Mecca is still the holy city, and the eyes of these millions are turned five times a day towards the Middle East.


The Arab peoples will be involved in a future crisis. In fact, the present state of the Arab powers conforms exactly to Bible prophecy. The independence of Persia is clearly prophesied (Jer. 49:39). The path of war will devastate Syria and Damascus (Isaiah 17:1), will erupt against Egypt (Daniel 11:42-43), and will finally terminate in Jerusalem (Daniel 1 1:45; Zechariah 14:2).


The future Hope for Arabs will be dependant on acceptance of Christ.........In a prophecy relating to the future Kingdom of Christ on earth, the Bible declares of certain Bedouin Arab tribes descended from Ishmael: "They shall shew forth the praises of the Lord". Their offerings "shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory" (Isaiah 60:6-7).


This passage predicts the conversion of the Arabs to the "hope of Israel" as the truth in Christ Jesus is called (Acts 28:20), and their incorporation into his Kingdom to be set up on earth. Both the land and the people will experience vast changes. They will have to replace the Koran with the Bible;they will have to change from the worship of Allat to that of Yahweh the God of Israel (Exodus 3:14); they will be compelled to acknowledge Christ instead of Mahomet; their mutual antagonism and restlessness, their hatred of Israel will cease, and they will have to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem instead of to Mecca (Zechariah 14:16).....................................