Syria and the decline of the West.

The political maneuvering over how to deal with Syria’s chemical weapons reveals the growing weakness of the West—especially the U.K. and the U.S. With David Cameron’s failure to convince Parliament to support military action against Syria and Russia’s opportunity to “save” President Obama from an embarrassing congressional refusal to take action against Syria, “it suddenly became clear just how far the influence of the West has ebbed” (The Economist, September 21, 2013).

At the same time, President Obama’s overtures to the Shiite nation of Iran may alienate America’s ally, Saudi Arabia, and its Sunni Arab neighbors, causing them to come together to challenge the growing influence of Shiite Iran in the Middle East (Statfor.com, October 1, 2013). The coalescing of Arab Sunni nations and the fading influence of the West may lead to the fulfillment of Bible prophecies.

God warned the Israelite nations that if they “despise” His statutes and disobey His laws, He will “break the pride” of their power (Leviticus 26:14-19)—which is happening today. Daniel foretold that a “king of the south” (an end-time Arab federation) will emerge in the Middle East just before the return of Jesus Christ (Daniel 11:40-42). This “king of the south” will push against or attack a European “king of the north” and this confrontation will result in the European power moving into the Middle East (ibid.). The events we are witnessing today could ultimately lead to the fulfillment of these ancient prophecies.

For more information, read our informative article on "Five Prophetic Signs for the Middle East".