by James T. Bartsch, WordExplain.com,

February 4, 2011

Shock waves reverberate throughout the Arab world. First it was Tunisia. In a movement that was sparked in 2008, Tunisians protested the harsh, authoritarian rule of President Zine el Abidine ben Ali. The Tunisian military sided with the people against Ben Ali. The Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Rachid Ammar, urged Ben Ali on January 14, 2011 to leave the country or face imprisonment. End of regime.

But shortly thereafter, opposition broke out in Egypt. A small protest on Jan. 25 in front of the Supreme Court in Cairo turned into a mob calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. In the next days the protests spread across the country. What fueled the uprising in Egypt? President Obama's press secretary, Robert Gibbs, has downplayed the role of the "deeply conservative" and banned Muslim Brotherhood in opposing Mubarak. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post reported that a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammed Ghannem, has told the Iranian News Network Al-Alam that the Suez Canal should be closed immediately, that the flow of gas from Egypt to Israel should cease, and that Egypt should prepare for war with Israel. Understandably, according to an article by Reuters, Israel is shocked by Obama's "betrayal" of Mubarak. Apparently at Washington's behest, Mubarak will not seek reelection in September. Indeed, some were wondering why U.S. Socialists were rallying in support of Egyptian protesters.

The pro-western leader of Yemen has also come under attack. On Thursday, Jan. 27, protesters "launched mass demonstrations in the capital [of] Sanaa, urging President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down."

And the beat goes on. On February 1, Jordan's King Abdullah II, "bowing to public pressure, fired his government on Tuesday and tasked a new prime minister with quickly boosting economic opportunities and giving Jordanians a greater say in politics." And who is King Abdullah"s fiercest opponent? The Muslim Brotherhood, whose objective is to spread Islamic law throughout Europe and the United States.

So who, indeed, is behind the political uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East? What is their real objective? It does not appear that these changes bode well for the United States.

King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon was perplexed by his dream of a towering statue (Dan. 2). What did it mean? Under threat of death, Daniel and his three friends prayed for Divine illumination. God gave Daniel the answer during the night. In awe and relief Daniel exulted, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings, and He establishes kings..." (Daniel 2:20-21). And one day God will establish His kingdom on earth. It will crush all opposition kingdoms and will itself endure forever (Dan. 2:31-45)! Amidst political upheaval and chaos, we can remain calm. God puts into office whomever He wishes. And none can prevent God from establishing His Kingdom here on earth forever!