Crescent Dawn

It is three hours before the early morning call to prayer rings from minaret towers across the Islamic world. In Cairo, Egypt, a passionate Imam steps to the podium at the center of the revolutionary square and announces. “Mubarak is against Islam! This revolution is jihad – a holy war. Mubarak has given water from the Nile to the hated Zionists! March to the palace – overthrow the President… Allah Akbar!”
The opening line from a Joel Rosenberg fiction novel? No, this is really happening right now. I am watching it on live TV as I write! As we close out Thursday here in the west, Friday dawns in the Middle East; Friday- the Islamic day of prayers and sermons. On Thursday, it was reported that embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down, but later it was told that he would not step down but instead transfer his presidential power to former Egyptian security head, now Vice President, Omar Suliman. These news reports first thrilled… then enraged the crowds. Suliman has issued a warning to the protestors, that they not do exactly what the Imam is calling for – march against the palace. Will the military fire on its own people? Will the soldiers join the protestors and attack the palace? That remains to be seen. But this is obvious: the struggle has shifted, at least in rhetoric from a political struggle to a religious one. The Muslim Brotherhood is smiling. If they are successful in re-defining the conflict in these terms they will win a huge victory.

Meanwhile, today on Capitol Hill, the directors of the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security, were called to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee where they were asked questions about the uprising in Egypt. Specifically, they were asked about the Muslim Brotherhood. CIA Director Clapper stated that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is basically a secular organization that has eschewed violence. Excuse me? Apparently our CIA director is very naïve and completely uninformed, or worse, he knows the truth about the Brotherhood but won’t say it! The head of the FBI later characterized the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group fermenting violence! One thing is clear: the U.S. intelligence community is at the very least, confused. In addition these men were asked about the spread of this uprising to Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. The answers were few, but the tone was grave.

Yesterday the King of Saudi Arabia spoke to President Obama on the phone and gave our President a stern warning: if the Obama administration “humiliates” Mubarak by calling for his immediate departure, the Saudis will step in with billions of dollars to bolster Mubarak and keep him in power. Perhaps the “ghost of revolutions future” has visited the King in his bed-chamber with a nightmare of things to come for him! Remember when Obama bowed to the Saudi king? http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/obama-bows-to-saudi-king/7bf3977d58797b80a4b47bf3977d58797b80a4b4-605252616399?q=obama%20bows%20to%20saudi%20king

Wonder if he regrets that now? In the president’s defense, he really has no good play right now. He, and by extension we, are going to be blamed no matter what we do.

All of this is going somewhere. Myriads of the best diplomatic minds proficient in foreign affairs are scrambling to figure out just where. I certainly don’t know where it will lead or how it will all pan out. I do know this much: what is happening in Egypt is very significant and important. Why? Look at the map. It all centers around Israel. All of Israel’s ancient and historic enemies are in turmoil: literal unrest on every side. Eventually all this anger and hatred will boil over and turn towards God’s covenant people.

When you pull back the curtain, you can see where this conflict really is. The events on earth mirror those in the heavenly realm. (Rev.12) There are two sides, good and evil, light and dark, God and Satan. It may take years, or only hours… but these events will move the world closer to its Biblically prophesied end.

Tomorrow, Feb. 11, 2011 may well write the next chapter. I think it will. Watch and pray.