In all the great areas of world unrest there is none that is more likely to break out into real trouble at any time than the Middle East. It is there that the rich oil deposits, which are at present supplying Western nations, offer a great prize to Russia if they can be acquired by any means. The backward nations of this part of the world are being wooed by both Russia and the Western powers, and the struggle has been going on behind the scenes for a long time.
But beyond even the need and greed for oil, there is another important factor which may fan an anti-Western movement at any moment; that is, the resurgence of Mohammedan fanaticism. This is an outlet for the emotions of these nations and peoples who are being dragged into the growing international turmoil by the persistent strife of the cold war between Russia and the West. It is not of their own choice that they find themselves strategically located, or living over vast oil pools. Steadily mounting Mohammedan fanaticism, therefore, is more or less connected in their minds with abstraction from both sides and identified with their own nationalism. It seems to offer them a way of controlling their own destinies so as not to feel that they are mere pawns in the great international struggle.
This feeling extends throughout the Mohammedan countries of the Near and Middle East. The Arabs are deeply resentful of their defeat at the hands of the rising nation of Israel, and with some measure of truth blame the whole affair on the Western powers. It is in this section that East meets West; it is here that the cultural distinctions of East and West are brought into sharp focus. The nation of Israel, while Semitic, is basically Western in background. Its constituents have come back from the Western world, and are developing their part of Palestine along Western lines.
Victorious Israeli armies have displaced 700,000 Arabs who formerly lived in that section of Palestine which Israel now controls. They lost their homes, their farms, their possessions of whatever kind, and today are living in refugee camps in Arab Palestine in dire poverty. They are huddled in caves and tents, and are dependent on the mercies of the United Nations and the Red Cross for food. This condition is a background and breeding place for ill feeling, not only toward Israel, but toward the West in general, and resurgent Mohammedan militarism has a great appeal. They remember that Mohammed's followers once carried his crusade far and wide by the sword, and by that method made it supplant Christianity, Judaism, and various religions in large areas.
What may be ahead for that part of the world was indicated by the assassination of March 7th, at Teheran, of General Ali Razmara, the premier of Iran (Persia). The assassin belonged to a fanatical religious body whose members pledge themselves to any sacrifice for Islam, Mohammedanism; and Ali Razmara was suspected of complicity with Western agents. These extremists talk of the liquidation of all foreigners and a return to the stern principles of Islam. All this bodes al for the West, and also for Israel. That area is one of the world's real danger spots, perhaps more so than Berlin, Korea, or other key points.
One thing seems quite evident: the "king of the north" who is to come and be the foe of Israel, and consequently of the West, will be a leader of Islamic forces. The confederacy of the "king of the north," mentioned in Psalm 83, will be welded together by the religious ties of Mohammedanism. There is a possibility that Persia (Iran) might come under complete Russian domination, and more or less discard Mohammedanism, for she is mentioned as a Russian ally in Scripture; but that would not affect the general trend in the Middle East.
The great confederacy of the far north, Russia and her satellite hordes, will be in the main atheistic. (For this confederacy see Eze. 38 and 39.) Communism and any form of religion do not mix; communism is basically opposed to any god, true or false, except their own communistic theories. Russia, however, will not hesitate to foster a great Islamic campaign if it will serve her purposes of separating the Near and Middle East from the West, thus bringing the much coveted oil within her grasp.
The other great confederacy of the last days will be the revived Roman Empire, and its religion at first will be Romanism. Rev. 17 describes "Babylon the Great," that corrupt woman, in her relation to the beast—the Roman Empire. She is said to sit upon "seven mountains"; this can be no other place than the city of Rome; she is also said to sit upon many waters, for she will control the streams which flow to many peoples. She is further mentioned as reigning over the kings of the earth, and no other religious system ever attained to supremacy over the earth's rulers. She is to be supported by this gigantic confederacy, and she will assert her leadership over them, until at length, as the last three and one half years begin, the confederate rulers with their wicked head, the beast. will resent her interference and overthrow her.
It becomes clearer every day that the events of the time of the end are almost here, so our going to be with Christ at His coming is "at hand." Let us lift up our eyes and watch for His coming as Rebekah did for Isaac at the end of the wilderness journey. We have the work of Christ for our consciences, the Person of Christ for our hearts, and the coming of Christ for our hope. How good it is to have Christ and not religion. There will be plenty of that after the Lord has taken His people home: there will be Romanism, as Babylon the GREAT, sparking the fires for the Roman Empire; apostate Judaism with Israel in Palestine; Mohammedanism controlling the "king of the north" confederacy; and atheism and a false god of communism with Russia and her hordes.
"Thou art coming, loving Savior;
Coming first to claim Thine own.
Thou art coming, faithful Savior,
Thou couldst not abide alone.
In Thy Father's house in glory,
Sinners saved shall dwell with Thee;
Oh, the sweetness of the story;
Love's own record we shall be.
"Thou art coming, gracious Savior,
Ah, to see Thy face we long;
Thou art coming, blessed Savior,
Righting all creation's wrong.
Nation rises against nation,
Trouble spreads from shore to shore.
Thou art God's supreme salvation,
Come, and chaos shall be o'er.”