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-For today’s prophecy update, I want to go back to Egypt. No, not for the leaks and onions the way the mixed multitudes did during the Exodus. -Rather, it’s for the prophecy we have in the book of Isaiah chapter nineteen, which is seemingly now on the cusp of being fulfilled in it’s entirety. -I would suggest that we’re on the heals of seeing the first part of Isaiah 19 being fulfilled with what happened beginning back in January of 2011.

Isaiah 19:1-2 TNIV A prophecy concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. (2) "I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

-I’m of the belief that in the last year we’ve witnessed, and will continue to see verses one and two fulfilled right before our very eyes in real time. -With Egypt’s elections just two weeks away on June 16th, it would stand to reason that Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Egypt is about to happen. -It seems that everything is on schedule and going perfectly according to this prophecy, as the first two verses, give way to the next two verses.

Isaiah 19:3-4 TNIV (3) The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists. (4) I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

-I believe this is exactly what’s happening now. Absent Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptians are losing heart as they see their plans come to nothing. -It’s what we see prophesied next that’s most interesting to me. Subsequent to this they’re handed over to a cruel master who will rule over them. -This speaks of none other than the Muslim Brotherhood, who is given the power over them, and who will become a fierce king ruling over them.

-It has been suggested by some, and I have to concur, that this cruel master and fierce king Isaiah prophesies about is the Anti-Christ himself. -This scenario is plausible, in that the world seems to be begging for a leader to come and take his place on the world stage filling the vacuum. -Furthermore, this interpretation seemingly fits with other prophecies in scripture, not the least of which is the one we find in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 11:41-43 KJV He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (42) He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (43) But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

-Notice how that we’re given this detail of “many countries shall be overthrown,” and notice that Jordan is able to escape, but not Egypt or Libya. -Could it be that Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak being overthrown, then Libya’s Muammar Gadhafi being overthrown, is that which was foretold here? -Yes! I with all of my heart believe so! Here’s why I say that, everything hermeneutically is not only supporting of this, it is also all pointing to this.

-Here’s how I get there, everything prophetic intersects and connects in the sense that one prophecy provides a platform for another prophecy. -In the past, we have likened this to a prophecy puzzle, which affords us the ability to put the puzzle pieces in place the more it all fits together. -It is also likened to the proverbial dominoes effect in the sense that when one goes down, it precipitates the rest in close proximity going down. -Perhaps another way to say it is, as with hermeneutics scripture interprets scripture so too does prophecy propagate and perpetuate prophecy.

-Such is the case with what we have set before us. Woven into the fabric of Isaiah and Daniel’s prophecy is a swiftness with which they happen. -In other words, there’s this unstoppable momentum in how quickly it came to pass, and if you think about it, it’s only been a year and a half. -This “Arab Spring” as it’s been dubbed, serves, as a catalyst of sorts, by virtue of how one country after another has been swiftly overthrown.

I was struck by an article that was published on Monday, May 21st, by The Associated Press, titled; “A Nation-by-Nation Look at Arab Spring’s Progress.” Here are a couple of excerpts; “Starting Wednesday, Egypt is holding its first free presidential election …The winner will succeed Hosni Mubarak, one of four rulers toppled in the uprisings that began 18 months ago across the Middle East and became known as the Arab Spring. …Here's where things stand: TUNISIA: The first Arab country to throw off its ruler, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in January 2011, …EGYPT: Since Hosni Mubarak was toppled on Feb. 11, 2011, Egypt has been ruled by the military in a tumultuous transition. …Islamists won the first post-Mubarak parliamentary election and stand a good chance of capturing the presidency. Divisions run deep, with some fearing the imposition of Islamic rule, …SYRIA: What began in January 2011 as a wave of peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad has turned into a bloodbath and near civil war, with well over 9,000 dead. LIBYA: Protests against Muammar Gadhafi, …quickly turned into civil war. Much of the eastern half of the country threw off his rule early last year, …YEMEN: In power for 33 years, President Ali Abdullah Saleh clung to his post through a year of nationwide daily protests. THE PERSIAN GULF: Majority Shiites on the tiny island nation of Bahrain, a vital U.S. ally and home to the U.S. Navy in the region, mounted a wave of protests alleging discrimination and disenfranchisement by the Sunni monarchy, which responded with two months of martial law. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nation-nation-arab-springs-progress-16396079#.T8bf1o7HHa4

Then three days later on Thursday, May 24th, The Washington Post published this article with the headline; Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate likely to make strong showing in Egypt – Listen to the verbiage and consider the motivation behind this so called Arab Spring. “…Mohammed Morsi, … cast himself as God’s candidate, promising that the Koran would be the foundation of a future constitution and vowing to implement a strict version of Islamic law. In recent weeks, the [Muslim] Brotherhood appealed to conservative clerics, asking that they urge followers to vote for him. Morsi has said he has no plans to revise the peace treaty with Israel for now, but he has been harsh on Israelis, calling them “killers” because of their treatment of Palestinians.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/muslim-brotherhoods-candidate-likely-to-make-strong-showing-at-polls-in-egypt/2012/05/24/gJQACHI5nU_story.html

-With that, I’ll bring today’s prophecy update to a close by simply saying, the rapture of the church of Jesus Christ may be closer than we think. -It’s for this reason that we have prophecies like this in our Bibles. God doesn’t want us ignorant about this; God wants us to be ready for this. -It’s evidenced by, and replete in, the pages of scripture where we have warning after warning about watching, that His return isn’t as a thief.

1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4 NIV (2) for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (4) But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.