Tags
Arab conflicts, Arab protests, Bible End Times, Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, End Times, Unrest in Middle East
As to how the conflict in the Arab nations could affect the End Times, I do not know, because I don’t see the Bible dealing directly with this issue. But indirectly, that is another matter. I stumbled upon the following article from Reuters Africa, “Analysis – After the crisis, a worldwide rise in unrest?”. Here is its link: “http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE71R0NO20110228?sp=true”. The author is tying in the protesters in the authoritarian states, the financial crises in the western economies, and even the rising price of oil. I will let you read the article for itself.
The End Times significance of the protests in the Arab nations might be because this conflict is in many of the oil producing nations, this is causing the price of oil to go up. Gas here was already expected to top $4- a gallon, now who knows how high it will go. Many nations are in a recession. A relatively high percentage of people are unemployed, or underemployed. Now the substance that propels the vehicles in which we get around, from which a lot of plastics are made, as well as several other things we use, is increasing in price. Gas prices are going up. Also, industry will be charging more for their products because production costs and transportation costs will be increasing. So many people are already pinching their pennies, now other costs will be going up as well. This article points out that there could be similar restlessness in Western countries that is being seen in authoritarian countries. Just look at what the Unions are doing in Wisconsin right now in picketing the capital. This article quotes someone from the Council for Foreign Relations in an article from Reuters Africa, “Two crises are happening at the same time – which is unprecedented I think,” said Joel Hirst, International affairs fellow at the US-based Council for Foreign Relations. “An economic disaster and ‘readjustment’ of the developed world while the developing world fights for their freedoms. Add in there the oil/energy price, which could be seen as the link between the two, and it makes for a perfect storm.” He calls it the ‘perfect storm’, this is two bad conditions come together to make a disastrous storm.
I tie this into the End Times like this: in Revelation 6:3-4 “3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.” The rider on this horse is coming out in the End Times, he is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He is taking peace from the earth. It doesn’t say that armies will be coming against each other, but that people will kill each other. When there is civil unrest, there can be anarchy and people hurting & killing each other. Just look at Los Angeles about the Rodney King incident. There was looting and attacks. It took several days to calm that situation down. Or remember the rioting that happened in France last year. Right now there is only killing happening in Libya because of the protesting that is happening in authoritarian nations. But if we are in the End Times, that perfect storm could be getting set up to cause the removal of peace and killing depicted by the Rider of the Red Horse.
There is another interesting development that happened here in the United States last week. President Obama decided that he thinks that the Defense of Marriage Act is not constitutional, so he told Attorney General Holder to no longer defend it. Constitutionally, the President does not have the right to do this. One of his duties is to defend the Constitution and laws of the United States. He has decided that he is not going to defend this law of the land. It was passed by both the Senate & House of Representatives and signed into law by then President Clinton. It is a certifiable law of this nation. If this law is not constitutional it is up to our courts to decide this, not the current President. Yet President Obama has set himself above the law and declared it unconstitutional. He has taken an authoritarian stand as the leader of this nation. The press seems to be applauding this and not taking him up on his constitutional duties. If this stands, he has just set a precedent by which he, or a future President, could take similar action in the future. This is eroding the Constitution of the U.S. It is weakening this nation and helping to set the stage by which an authoritarian leader could take this nation and lead it down. The act itself is not a major element in taking down this nation, but it is another element by which our current President is weakening this nation. The U.S. is not mentioned in the End Times and this could be helping to lead the U.S. down the path of non-importance in End Times events.