Afghanistan: Opening The Doors To Biblical Prophecy?
(Image by ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay)
Does the nation we know as Afghanistan appear anywhere in Biblical history or in Bible prophecy? Here are a few facts about Afghanistan.
There is no specific Biblical reference to Afghanistan or the Pashtuns (the name of the people of the Afghan area during Biblical times).
Afghanistan has spent 30 of the last 42 years fighting the two most powerful armies on earth. Both wars ended in humiliation for the big guys. There is more than politics and battlefield expertise at play here. Do not forget – God is in control.
The above facts bring me to the question – Does the Taliban taking over Afghanistan have anything to do with yet to be fulfilled Biblical prophecy?
As mentioned earlier, there is no specific reference to Afghanistan in the Scriptures. However, non-prophesied events can be indicators that the fulfillment of prophecy is right around the corner.
For example – the Balfour Declaration of 1917, a statement of British support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people,” was an indicator that Israel would, at some point, return as a nation. Israel became a nation again in 1948, fulfilling Ezekiel 37 and other passages.
So, does the terrorist takeover of Afghanistan lead us to any Biblical prophecies?
First, let us look at the situation.
Best case scenario – The Taliban completely give up their beliefs in a Caliphate and the destruction of the pagans and live in peace with the rest of the world. I am not a betting man, but I do not think Vegas would give 1% odds of that happening.
Worst case scenario – The Taliban launch Afghanistan’s nuclear weapons simultaneously. The one hundred largest non-Muslim cities worldwide meet horrific destruction. The Taliban is more intelligent than this. They understand if they do this, the skies will fill with most of the world’s weapons of mass destruction headed in their direction.
The most likely scenario is that military hardware is purchased from whoever they can buy it from and added to the Afghan and American equipment acquired during the takeover. Muslim men willing to fight the Great Satan will migrate there. Their conventional army will continue to grow in men and weaponry. Look for an alliance with Iran. They will eventually be the deciding factor in the Syrian civil war. Jordan’s crown prince is more anti-Israel than his father. Jordan’s hostility outburst is only a matter of time and could be fueled by a Taliban led Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the Taliban opens Afghanistan to other terrorist groups of like thinking. Training centers are established and will cover the land. Terrorist attacks either trained for or planned in Afghanistan occur in Europe, America, Israel, Russia, China, any place the Taliban determines is an enemy. Expect 911 type events all over the globe.
Some will say, “Preacher, this is all doom and gloom. You shouldn’t be saying this.” My response to that is. If you had cancer, would you want the doc to tell you to take two aspirin daily and in two weeks all will be well, or do you want the truth regardless of how difficult it is to swallow?
Luke 21:25 tells us that nations will face “distress of nations, with perplexity” in the last days. Problems that no one will seem to have an answer. The Soviets fought for ten years, the Americans for twenty. The problem is still there, and the enemy is more organized.
There are other problems looming in the forefront. Along with the Taliban situation, is a crumbling economy caused by inflation, business closures, a worldwide pandemic, and a growing number of natural disasters and extremes in weather.
So how does all this play into Bible Prophecy?
The entire world will worship the Antichrist. Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
The world will see the man as a miracle worker. It is difficult to get 100 people in the same organization to agree 100%, let alone the entire world. There must be a catastrophic event the world cannot solve that the Antichrist rides in and saves the day. He is the rider on the white horse (Revelation 6:2).
I believe that catastrophic event is Psalm 83 (also see Amos 1-2). I have written extensively on this, so to save space, to summarize, Israel is attacked by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza, and the West Bank. Nukes come into play. Much of the region is “destroyed by fire.” The world is in a fit, and the Antichrist rides in and saves the day. The treaty of Daniel 9:27 is signed, and the Tribulation Period starts.
Are the events of this weekend the fulfillment of prophecy?
No, but they could be significant events that open the door for daily headlines written thousands of years ago by Asaph, Amos, Daniel, Luke, John, and others.
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With houses of worship still under restrictions across much of the nation, the editors of the Baltimore Post-Examiner are inviting an array of spiritual teachers to share insights from the ages along with words of comfort and encouragement. These timely messages are not exclusive to any particular faith walk and will be included in our ongoing Spirituality series.
Preacher Tim Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County, Indiana. His weekly column “Preacher’s Point” may be found at: www.preacherspoint.wordpress.com