Middle East Chess Board

Every fresh move in the Middle East power struggle is keenly watched by an anxious world. For it's like a political chess board, each move needing to be calculated in relation to its longer term effect on the outcome of the game.

Bible prophecy reveals that the area will be the critical centre of world diplomacy and military confrontation at the time of the end. This gives special significance to the present involvement of the two great super-powers in the Middle East. For they both have vital strategic and economic interests there, which make each sensitive to any extension of the other's influence or control over the patchwork of small nations in that region.

The second volume of Henry Kissinger's memoirs, entitled "Years of Upheaval" was published last March. These memoirs vividly illustrate the close involvement of the super-powers in Middle East affairs during the Israeli-Arab "Yom Kippur War" (October 1973). Russia had built up Egyptian and Syrian military strength, and during the conflict continued to pour in further supplies of arms. Israel was heavily dependent on supplies from the United States. These outmatched the Russian effort and recouped the enormous losses of equipment suffered by Israel in the opening phase of the struggle.

As the tide of war flowed first against and then in favour of Israel, tension between the super-powers became critical. The United States could not stand by and see Israel lose, as seemed possible under the initial onslaught of Egyptian and Syrian forces. When Israel regained the initiative she seemed poised to push back the Syrians to Damascus, and the Egyptian Third army was encircled in Sinai.

This so alarmed Russia that she urged joint American-Russian military intervention to end the war. When America would not agree to this, Russia threatened to intervene independently. America alerted her forces world-wide and moved naval reinforcements into the Eastern Mediterranean. The superpowers were in direct confrontation. Mercifully on that occasion the crisis was defused without resort to war between the great powers; but the whole episode illustrates their extreme sensitivity to developments in the Middle

East.

Today, almost a decade later, the situation is even more complex. Russia's occupation of Afghanistan has given her further advantage if she wishes to intervene militarily in the oil-rich Gulf region. America has lost an important sphere of influence in Iran. The Iraq-Iran war has further undermined stability in the whole region. Saudi-Arabia nervously keeps both super-powers at arm's length, fearful of a military presence in her territory. The build-up of PLO and Syrian forces in Lebanon is seen by Israel as a constant threat on her northern border. Israel's destruction of a nuclear reactor in Iraq, and her provocative declaration of the virtual annexation of the Golan Heights, have embarrassed her friends and infuriated her foes. As a result she is increasingly isolated.

Then the Palestinian problem remains unsolved. The foreign minister of

Saudi Arabia recently described this as "the mountain in the path of peace".

It's on this issue that the Camp David peace process has ground to a halt.

Alternative proposals by the European Community and Saudi Arabia have

also failed to gain general acceptance.

Politicians and diplomats will continue to' deploy all their skills to resolve these difficulties, which seem always to defy solution. Conflicting nationalist and religious passions run high. Great financial and strategic issues are at stake. The Middle East remains the world's most dangerously sensitive area.

The final outcome of all the skilful moves and counter-moves remains in higher Hands than the strategists of this world:

For neither from the east, nor from the west,

Nor yet from the south, cometh lifting up.

But God is the Judge:

He putteth down one, and lifteth up another. (Psalm 75:6,7) In particular God is controlling the struggle for survival of the Israel

nation. The coming world ruler, the Antichrist, will make a seven-year agreement with Israel. Perhaps this will be hailed as a diplomatic triumph, an achievement which no one had previously been able to bring about. But it will not be in good faith. Antichrist will discard the agreement after three-and-a half years, and then gather all the armies of the world against Jerusalem (Zech. 14:2). This will be his intended solution of the Jewish problem! To which God's answer will be given in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power in flaming fire. For Israel there will have come the divine Deliverer out of Zion. The final move in the Middle East crisis will belong to God!

Note:Israel's invasion of Lebanon since the above was written, further serves to emphasize the instability of the Middle East.

unknown | Jul 1982
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