In the report
to the Synod of 2011, reference was made to the proud boast of Muammar Gaddafi,
the then leader of Libya who predicted that “the 50 plus million Muslims (in
Europe) will turn it into the Muslim Continent within a few decades.” The
unrest in Libya and Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries resulted in the
removal of Gaddafi and others from power and the Libyan leader met his end in a
most brutal manner. The unrest seems to be spreading now to other countries and
it is shocking indeed to see the brutality of the ruling power in Syria towards
its own people, suppressing what began as a relatively peaceful protest. The
scourge of civil war seems to loom over these nations and the danger of a wider
conflict in the region is real. Several factors in the events of 2011 in the
Middle East suggest that the eventual outcome might not be as favourable to the
Church of Christ or to Western peace as may have been at first envisaged.
Firstly, the hand of those extreme elements of Islamic militancy seems to get
stronger when civil unrest emerges in Middle Eastern countries. The internal
divisions within Islam between Sunnis and Shiites is largely responsible for
this, but it is clear that the more fanatical elements have a very aggressive
policy towards Christianity and if they were to gain political power the
consequences for small Christian groups and Churches in the Middle East would
be catastrophic. Professing Christians in Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Libya are all
experiencing a rise in persecution as a result of the upheavals which their
countries have gone through in recent times. We should be stirred up to fervent
prayer for the Lord’s cause and people in these lands.
A further
concern is the position of Israel in the whole region. The declared policy of
Iran, for example is to destroy Israel altogether and to eradicate the Jews as
a race. While this can never happen because “the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance” and they are “beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Romans
11:28,29) we cannot tell what sufferings God’s ancient people may yet have to
endure from their enemies. We can only look on with prayerful longing for their
redemption and deliverance which will be “life from the dead” to the Church of
God among the Gentiles. That this blessed eventuality is inseparable from their
repentance the Bible makes very plain and while they presently posses part of
the land of Canaan, we cannot assume that they have a divine right to it while
they remain impenitent.
The people of God love the Jewish people and
wherever true religion is the fervent desire for their salvation and grafting
back into their own olive tree will be included in the prayers of the Church of
Christ. The
real path to peace in Israel and the Middle East is the proclamation of the
gospel to these peoples and their subjection to Christ. Thus the middle wall of
partition will be broken down and the literal walls that presently carve up the
land of Palestine and over which so much blood has been spilt, will be no
longer needed, for “they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again
Zion” (Isaiah 52:8).
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