What is happening in Saudi Arabia has pretty much been lost in the sex allegations in the news. Even so, what happens in Saudi Arabia is very important to the world and is likely to have prophetic implications. Bible prophecy students should be closely following the events now taking place in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Saudi King Salman has decided to step down and give his power over to his 32-year-old son. The crown prince is named Mohammad bin Salman (MbS is what he goes by). The transfer of power is underway and MbS is effectively already in power there. There are creditable reports that King Salman will officially step down as soon as this week.<\/p>\n

Some of the Saudi princes are openly hostile toward MbS taking the throne. Many princes and high-ranking men in Saudi Arabia were placed under arrest because they are a threat to the crown prince. We can’t know for sure how this will all play out, because if MbS does not have his ducks all lined up to consolidate power under himself, his enemies will conspire to kill him. They may have even already attempted that.<\/p>\n

MbS intends to modernize and liberalize Saudi Arabia. He already announced new freedoms allowing women to drive and he is cracking down on clerics that foster terrorism. The recent visit by Donald Trump and the transfer of power now going on in Saudi Arabia was not just a coincidence. Trump made huge deals with MbS. As a result America will\u00a0 continue to support Saudi Arabia militarily.<\/p>\n

It was MbS that recently announced the idea of a $500 billion futuristic mega city on the Red Sea named NOAM<\/a>. The city that MbS has in mind would have far fewer restrictions on people and business than exists in Saudi Arabia. NOAM would be more like the Hong Kong of the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Some are even wondering if this new city will be new Babylon. That also makes some wonder if MbS could be an Antichrist candidate. I doubt it. However, I do think the Antichrist will be young and at his physical peak like was Jesus Christ. And only in nations with monarchs can someone rise to power at such a young age. MbS certainly is the right age, has the looks, brilliance, and wealth to fulfill the role. However, I am doubtful that MbS will turn out to be the Antichrist. Among other things, I don’t see how MbS fits the little horn that rises among ten rulers as prophecy states. Even so, MbS certainly could help shape a new world order that allows for prophetic fulfillment. Of course, MbS also could be killed in short order and then nobody would have to wonder at all.<\/p>\n

MbS is friendly with Israel because He sees Israel as an ally against their deadly enemy Iran. It is certain that under MbS proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran will be ramped up. The crack down in Saudi Arabia by forces loyal to MbS are partly being done to consolidate power to prepare Saudi Arabia for a war against Iran.<\/p>\n

The Sunni Arab Saudis will not allow the Shiite Persian Iranians to control the fertile crescent. They oppose Iran’s encroachment into Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the gulf states. The Saudis will become allied with Israel in the quest to contain Iran. They need Israel to fight against Iranian supported Hezbollah and the Persian encroachments into Arab nations.<\/p>\n

This alliance could be how Israel expands into Lebanon, Syria and Jordan and why these nations are not mentioned as coming against Israel in the Ezekiel 38 39 war. If Israel occupies and disarms the military in those lands, they certainly cannot come against Israel. It also would explain the security in Israel seen in the Ezekiel prophecy at the time of the Gog invasion.<\/p>\n

The three major nations that come against Israel in the Gog war are Russia, Iran and Turkey. One can see how the proxy wars against Iranian expansion supported and funded by Saudi Arabia could eventually bring Russia, Iran and Turkey directly into the conflict.<\/p>\n

Israel taking over Lebanon, Syria and Jordan and the conflict with Iran could be the hook in the jaw that brings Gog down against Israel. This becomes even more obvious if America is taken out of the picture for some reason.<\/p>\n

The proxy wars in the Middle East can drag on for a number of years before it gets to the Gog invasion. I do not think Iran or Saudi Arabia will want to risk their oil production, so I think they would limit direct conflict with each other. I think the Gog invasion will occur at the peak of the power of the three primary nations mentioned in the Ezekiel prophecy.<\/p>\n

Russia is modernizing its military. The Russian military will peak in the mid to late 2020’s. Declining populations in Russia will insure Russia’s power will decline after that. Iran is still ramping up nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development. They need about a decade to further develop these capabilities before they will want to risk it all with an all out invasion of Israel. Erdogan of Turkey is on record as wanting a new Ottoman Empire. He now has the power of a dictator in Turkey but he will need years to build up his military to meet any expansionist dreams.<\/p>\n

In the Ezekiel prophecy, Saudi Arabia is one of the nations that questions the Gog invasion of Israel. They do not join with the nations coming against Israel and at least verbally oppose the invasion. It appears to me that Saudi Arabia must ally with Israel and the West. This more pragmatic new Saudi leader makes that alliance possible.<\/p>\n

I suppose it will also take about a decade or so to build NOAM. Maybe all the hype about NOAM will soon give the Iran\/Iraq Shiite alliance an idea of their own for a mega city in southern Iraq?<\/p>\n

Americans also need to be aware that direct warfare between Iran and Saudi Arabia would bring oil shortages and huge increases in gas prices. The result of that would be economic collapse in the West. I wrote about that threat in my Imminent Danger Series<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> For that reason, the United States is going to keep supporting Saudi Arabia and will even help take out the Iranian threat if Saudi Arabia and Iran get into major conflict. On the other hand, because of America’s carelessness, Iran or N. Korea might have the opportunity to take out America with an EMP strike. Maybe that is why America is not found in Bible prophecy. I also wrote of the EMP threat<\/strong><\/a> over a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Things are looking prophetic in the Middle East, so we need to stay alert. Much of Bible prophecy will probably play out within ten to twenty years. Meanwhile us Christians in America need to give thanks for the reprieve from the Obamanities and Clintonites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is happening in Saudi Arabia has pretty much been lost in the sex allegations in the news. Even so, what happens in Saudi Arabia is very important to the world and is likely to have prophetic implications. Bible prophecy … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,9],"tags":[54,42,55],"yoast_head":"\n