The ongoing events in Egypt and the Middle East might be the most important news development in a very long time... It’s a very fluid situation which makes it difficult to write about because a person could write one thing and a few hours later that information could become obsolete or the situation could completely change.
- For instance, the situation in Egypt has completely changed today with the introduction of a violent, counterrevolution with pro-Mubarak supporters attacking anti-Mubarak supporters in Cairo.
There are several potential outcomes that could arise in Egypt and the Middle East as a result of the uprisings in Egypt and elsewhere. Today I want to highlight one possible outcome which could have significant Bible prophecy implications.
One of the primarily reasons why I’m very interested in what will happen in Egypt and elsewhere in the region is that relations between Israel and its neighbors could dramatically change by what happens.
- Israel seems to be watching the situation in Egypt with some trepidation because a long-standing peace treaty with Egypt is at risk. There’s legitimate concern that this long-standing peace treaty will no longer be abided by whoever assumes power in Egypt after Mubarak leaves office. The worst case scenario for Israel would be a takeover by the Muslim Brotherhood who has a hostile stance towards Israel and who would likely cancel Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel as it sees negotiation with Israel as not an option. The following passage is a statement by a leading, “moderate” member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt that illustrates the group’s hostile stance towards Israel
- Israel and Jordan have abided by a peace treaty since 1994. King Abdullah II of Jordan is quickly attempting to implement reform before a significant anti-monarchy movement arises throughout the country. Jordan appears to be a lot more stable than Egypt at the moment, but there is risk that this could change because instability is rising in the region.
The cancellation of one or both peace treaties could have significant Bible prophecy implications.
- The cancellation of one or both peace treaties would increase the likelihood that Israel eventually engages in a war with either country. By cancelling a peace treaty, Egypt and/or Jordan would no longer be constrained by the agreements they made with Israel in the past and vice versa. (Perhaps it is a war involving Israel versus these countries and others that necessitates the need for the "covenant with many" mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and Isaiah 28:15-19)
- The cancellation of one or both peace treaties would also make it much more difficult for peace negotiators to reach an all-encompassing Middle East peace deal because negotiators would have to get Egypt and/or Jordan to agree to a new peace deal with Israel (in addition to getting other parties in the region to agree to peace with Israel). An increase in the difficulty to reach an all-encompassing Middle East peace deal would increase the likelihood that Antichrist will be initially hailed as a “hero” by most people for accomplishing what seemed to be impossible when an all-encompassing Middle East peace deal is finally reached.
There are other reasons why we should watch to see what happens in Egypt and elsewhere. However, the peace treaty issue is one that stands out at the moment because there is a significant risk that one or more peace treaties that Israel has with its neighbors could be disannulled in the near-term future.
