February 2002 Vol.5, No. 2 Contents Western Thinking About Middle East Misses Key Factor by Cecil E. Maranville Restoration: World's Greatest Nation? by Darris McNeely The Coming World Religion by Darris McNeely Meeting Our Moment of Maximum Jeopardy! by John Ross Schroeder Fifty Years of the African Queen by Melvin Rhodes In Brief...World News Review by John Foster, Cecil E. Maranville and Jim Tuck This Is the Way... A Vision Beyond the Spectacles by Robin Webber Feb '02 WNP Main Western Thinking About Middle East Misses Key Factor Say "Middle East" to people in other parts of the world, and they will think in terms of countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, etc. Recent events have forced the average Westerner to become aware of the factor of religious sects within these countries. There is yet another factor about which we need to be aware in order to anticipate future events. by Cecil E. Maranville In the Middle East of thousands of years ago lived a young man whose story is crucial to understanding the current configuration of the Middle East, as well as future events. When he was orphaned, he had an aunt and uncle who were childless, making them the logical ones to take him in. Not only was his uncle without any heirs, but he also possessed considerable wealth. So this young man stood to inherit a great deal. The uncle took him in, but did not make the young man his heir, for the uncle and aunt eventually had children and direct heirs of their own. Years of living with and working alongside his uncle brought the young man a lot of personal wealth-so much so, that the time came when nephew and uncle had to separate their holdings. The temperament and character of the nephew was such that he put his own interests ahead of those of his uncle. Fierce rivalry between their respective clans made it impossible for them to live in close proximity to each other. You know the nephew's name, as well as the uncle's, but let's speak of the uncle first. He was Abraham, father of the Arab and the Israelite peoples. In past issues of World News and Prophecy, we've chronicled the rivalry between the descendants of the two sons of Abraham: Ishmael, father of the Arabs, and Isaac, father of Jacob and the Israelites, including the modern Israelis. But we've not told the story or the significance of the nephew who was left out. His name was Lot. Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0202/index.htm Related Information on UCG Sites: Table of Contents that includes "Western Thinking About Middle East Misses Key Factor" Other Articles by Cecil Maranville Arabs: _The Biblical Origins of the Arab Peoples _Palestine/Israel -- Whose Land Is It, Really? Part 2 _World News Review August 2003 _Suez - Important Lessons From an Event 50 Years Ago _World News Review January 2007 _Prophecy of an Arab Confederation _The Creation of the Modern Middle East _A Rising Tide of Arab Nationalism _The North-South Struggle for the Middle East _Behind the Headlines ... America vs. Iraq or America vs. the World? _Iraq and the Middle East: A Century of Turmoil Continues _Americans in Jordan Abraham: _Praying More Than Ever _One Mile Away From Terror _Examples of Living Faith _The Sons of Abraham _Did Abraham Keep the Same Commandments God Gave to Moses? _God's Magnificent Series of Covenants _What Is a Biblical Covenant ? _How God Shaped Israel's Future _How Jacob Became Abraham's Heir _God's Commitment to Abraham and His Descendants _Who Was Melchizedek? _The Beginning of God's Chosen People _God's Promises to Abraham _Abraham: God's Friend _Seven Reasons Why Jesus Was Born Search Our Site Key Subjects Index General Topics Index Biblical References Index Good News Magazine Index Booklets and All Literature Index Home Page of this site