Saudi Arabia | ||
Capital: Riyadh Population: 27,345,986 (July 2014 est.) - Note: immigrants make up 30% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% Religions: Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2012 est.) - Note: despite having a large community of various faiths, most forms of public religious expression inconsistent with the interpretation of Sunni Islam are restricted; non-Muslims are not allowed to have Saudi citizenship and non-Muslim places of worship are not permitted (2013) | ||
Al Faisaliah Complex | Saudi Arabia Newspapers Arab News Saudi Gazette |
On 6/18/2003 at 1240hrs., Rev. Hansen received this prophecy:
"A change is coming, a change is coming. I am shaking, I am making and breaking a nation that has been caught up in deception, dishonesty, corruption and idolatry for decades. You speak words like an adder -- words meant to confuse, deceive, agitate and kill. All through the land the spirit of the destroyer rules and I am going to turn that spirit of destruction against your own nation and people. You will be judged with such a force of destruction that nations will stand in awe of the devastation that will engulf your land, and you will know that I have spoken and that I live."
Saudi Arabia in Bible Prophecy:
Isaiah 21:13-17: "The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it."Jeremiah 25:15-27: "For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the Lord's hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you."
Ezekiel 38:8-13: "After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?"
History of Saudi Arabia:
Past Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The religion of Islam became predominant beginning in the 7th century. Muhammad began preaching at Mecca before migrating to Medina, from where he united the tribes of Arabia into a singular Arab Muslim religious polity.By 1517, the Ottoman Empire dominated, and in the middle of the 18th century, the region was divided into separate principalities. In 1745,Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab began calling for purification and reform of Islam. The Wahhabi movement swept across Arabia gaining the allegiance of the Saud family of the Nejd. By 1811, Wahhabi leaders waged a jihad against other forms of Islam and the Sauds brought most of the peninsula under their control, except for Yemen and the Hadhramaut.
The Wahhabi movement was crushed in 1818 by an Egyptian expedition under the sons of Muhammad Ali. After reviving in the mid-19th century, the Wahhabis were defeated in 1891 by the Rashid dynasty, which gained control of central Arabia.
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is almost entirely the creation of a descendant of Wahhabi leaders, Abd Al-Aziz bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud (Ibn Saud). Ibn Saud seized Riyadh in 1901 and set himself up as leader of the Arab nationalist movement. By 1906, he established Wahhabi dominance in Nejd and conquered Hejaz in 1924-1925. The Hejaz and Nejd regions were merged to form the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 as an absolute monarchy ruled by Sharia. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Oil was discovered in 1936, and commercial production began during World War II. Saudi Arabia was neutral until the end of the war, but it was permitted to be a charter member of the United Nations. The country joined the Arab League in 1945 and took part in the 1948-1949 war against Israel.
When Ibn Saud's died in 1953, his eldest son, Saud, began an 11-year reign marked by hostility toward the Arabism of Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1964, Saud abdicated in favor of his half-brother, Faisal, who was proclaimed King of Saudi Arabia by senior royal family members and religious leaders. King Faisal was assassinated in 1975 by a nephew, who was executed after an investigation concluded that he acted alone.
Faisal was succeeded by his brother Khalid as King and Prime Minister. Their half-brother Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz was named Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister. King Khalid died in June 1982, and Fahd became King and Prime Minister.
Saudi Arabia and the smaller oil-rich Arab states on the Persian Gulf, fearful that they might become the next targets of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini if Iran conquered Iraq, made large financial contributions to the Iraqi war effort during the 1980s. At the same time, cheating by other members of theOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and conservation efforts by consuming nations combined to drive down the world price of oil. At the time Saudi Arabia had one-third of known oil reserves, but falling demand and rising production outside OPEC combined to reduce its oil revenues from $120 billion in 1980 to less than $25 billion in 1985.
King Fahd passed authority to Crown Prince Abdullah in 1996 after suffering a stroke. In 1998, the country's oil income fell by 40%.
In 2000, Saudi Arabia, along with other OPEC nations, decided to reduce production to raise oil prices. In 2001, OPEC cut oil production three additional times.
Saudi Arabia's relations with the United States were strained after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fifteen of the suicide bombers were Saudis. Despite the monarchy's close ties to the West, much of the influential religious establishment supported anti-Americanism and Islamic militancy.
On May 12, 2003, suicide bombers attacked housing compounds for Westerners in Riyadh. Al-Qaeda was suspected. Saudi Arabia's commitment to anti-terrorist measures was called into question by the U.S. and other nations. In July, the U.S. Congress criticized Saudi Arabia's alleged financing of terrorist organizations. While the Saudi government arrested a number of suspected terrorists, little was done to quell Islamic militancy in the kingdom. In August 2003, the U.S. withdrew its troops stationed in Saudi Arabia.
Present Saudi Arabia: In February 2005, Saudi Arabia held its first elections ever. Municipal council elections were held to choose half of the new council members in Riyadh. The other half continued to be appointed. Women were not eligible to vote.
King Fahd died on August 1, 2005. His half-brother Abdullah, who had been the de facto ruler of the country, assumed the throne.
In January 2009, al-Qaeda groups in Saudi Arabia and Yemen joined to create a single branch: al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
King Abdullah took bold steps to reshuffle the government in February 2009, promoting reformers, firing controversial officials, including the head of the religious police and the country's most senior judge, and appointing the first-ever female minister, for women's education.
Saudi Arabia was largely spared the uprisings that spread throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa in early 2011. In an attempt to prevent protests on Saudi soil, Abdullah announced a $130 billion aid package to help Saudis buy homes, start businesses, and marry.
In September 2011, King Abdullah granted women the right to vote and run for seats on the Shura Council, which advises the King on policy issues.
Saudi Arabia lifted the ban forbidding women from competing in the Olympic Games, and sent three athletes to London in 2012.
In January 2013, King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the Shura Council.
In the fall of 2013, Saudi Arabia became increasingly frustrated with U.S. Middle East policy. On October 18, 2013, Saudi Arabia declined a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Saudi Arabia also warned of a "major shift" in relations with the U.S. to protest inaction over Syria's civil war, as well as the warming of relations between the U.S. and Iran.
On October 26, 2013, dozens of women got behind the wheel to protest the kingdom's ban on allowing women to drive.
In March 2014, Saudi Arabia designated several Islamist groups as terrorist organizations. The groups included the Muslim Brotherhood, the Al-Nusrafront and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
On January 23, 2015, King Abdullah died. Crown Prince Salman, his half-brother, assumed the throne.
© 2003 World Ministries International
The following are some Scriptures that deal with end-time events. All prophecies concerning the nations are leading up to fulfillment of end-time judgments (events).
Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39
Zechariah 13: 8-9
Zechariah 14: 1-16
Daniel chapters 2, 4, 7-12
Matthew 24: 1-51
Mark 13: 1-37
Luke 21: 6-38
The book of Revelation
The book of Joel
Zechariah 13: 8-9
Zechariah 14: 1-16
Daniel chapters 2, 4, 7-12
Matthew 24: 1-51
Mark 13: 1-37
Luke 21: 6-38
The book of Revelation
The book of Joel
Saudis promote 'safety' by boosting beheadings 'Authorities want to show everyone they are strong' WorldNetDaily March 08, 2015 |
'Worst-case scenario': Yemen chaos, Saudi king’s death pose new challenges for US The collapse of the Yemeni government, coupled with the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, have in an instant thrown the future of America's fight against Islamist extremists in the volatile region into question FOX News January 23, 2015 |
NBC's Engel: King Abdullah 'Could Not Stand President Obama' NBC’s Richard Engel found the White House’s glowing tribute to King Abdullah ironic National Review Online Jan. 23, 2015 |
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died, royal officials announced, weeks after he was admitted to hospital BBC News January 23, 2015 |
Saudi Arabia Grand Mufti says no opposition to underage marriage Justice ministry, rights activists push for setting minimum age Gulf News December 21, 2014 |
Islamic State sets sights on Saudi Arabia The leadership of Islamic State (IS) has no intention of standing still BBC News November 14, 2014 |
Saudi Woman Arrested for Tweet about Prophet Muhammad's Beard A women's rights activist and co-founder of the Saudi Liberal Network was arrested and imprisoned for allegedly “insulting Islam” by tweeting about the Prophet Muhammad's beard CNS News November 04, 2014 |
Saudis paying off ISIS not to attack? King's bombshell warning to West neglects to tell whole story WorldNetDaily August 30, 2014 |
Saudi king warns of terrorist threat to Europe, US The king of Saudi Arabia warned that extremists could attack Europe and the U.S. if there is not a strong international response to terrorism after the Islamic State group seized a wide territory across Iraq and Syria Houston Chronicle August 30, 2014 |
Lashes for Saudi woman who called morality police liars: newspaper A Saudi Arabian judge upheld a sentence of a month in prison and 50 lashes for a businesswoman convicted of insulting members of the morality police during an argument Townhall August 17, 2014 |
U.S. ally underwriting jihadist expansion into Africa Saudi aid funding conversion, recruitment of militants in war on Christianity WorldNetDaily July 26, 2014 |
Bahrain ousts U.S. official under secret Saudi pressure Unprecedented action shows deterioration of relations WorldNetDaily July 16, 2014 |
Saudis regroup amid Islamic State threat Finds itself backing rebels who could attack kingdom WorldNetDaily July 03, 2014 |
ISIS puts bull's-eye on Mecca, Medina 'Allah wills it' declaration puts fear in other Sunni jihadists WorldNetDaily July 02, 2014 |
Saudi review finds over 100 more MERS infections Most cases of the disease have been in Saudi Arabia, but the virus has been imported to more than a dozen other countries Al Arabiya News June 03, 2014 |
Saudi Arabia incensed over anti-Islam campaign by far-right Dutch politico Stickers printed by Geert Wilders display anti-Islam slogans in the colors of the Saudi flag The Jerusalem Post May 17, 2014 |
Saudis parade nuclear missiles for the first time in defiance of US-Iranian nuclear accord Saudi Arabia became the first Middle East nation to publicly exhibit its nuclear-capable missiles DEBKAfile April 29, 2014 |
'We are hostages': A Saudi princess reveals her life of hell It was a life out of a fairy tale - until it became one they couldn't escape New York Post April 19, 2014 |
Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Brotherhood Apparently the Saudis view the MB with a great deal of suspicion and mistrust, seeing the organization as too "republican" FrontPage Magazine March 17, 2014 |
Saudi Arabia designates Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group Saudi Interior Ministry also lists Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant The Jerusalem Post March 07, 2014 |
Saudi Arabia: The Middle East's Real Apartheid State This Apartheid State is so enormously powerful that it controls American foreign policy in the Middle East even as its princes and princesses bring their slaves to the United Kingdom and the United States FrontPage Magazine Feb. 24, 2014 |
Saudi Arabia May Go Nuclear Because of Obama's Iran Deal President Obama wants an agreement with Iran to prevent a Middle Eastern nuclear arms race, but it's pushing Saudi Arabia toward its own nuke program The Daily Beast February 14, 2014 |
Female Drivers Could be Charged With Terrorism Under Saudi Law But feminists are more concerned over "masculine" Wikipedia Infowars February 04, 2014 |
Saudis to Obama: We Will Not Tolerate a Nuclear Iran Obama's new Iran policy moves the Mid-East closer to war over oil and religion -- Sunni Saudis versus Shia Iranians American Thinker December 10, 2013 |
Saudi nuclear weapons 'on order' from Pakistan Saudi Arabia has invested in Pakistani nuclear weapons projects, and believes it could obtain atomic bombs at will BBC News November 06, 2013 |
Saudi Arabia 'arrests Kuwaiti woman for driving diabetic father to hospital' Kuwait Times reports that woman had been driving just over the border in Saudi Arabia when she was stopped by police LONDON Guardian November 03, 2013 |
Girl, 3, raped in Saudi: 5 arrested Victim in coma as three men and two women are held Gulf News October 30, 2013 |
Three year old survives gang-rape in Saudi Three year old still in intensive care after gang-raping by several Saudi men Al Bawaba October 29, 2013 |
Saudi Arabia women defy authorities over female driving ban A female photographer says she was taken to a police station in Jeddah CNN October 26, 2013 |
Saudi Arabia warns of shift away from U.S. over Syria, Iran Upset at President Barack Obama's policies on Iran and Syria, members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family are threatening a rift with the United States that could take the alliance between Washington and the kingdom to its lowest point in years Reuters October 22, 2013 |
Saudi Arabia refuses UN Security Council seat, citing body's double standards, failures Kingdom reportedly frustrated with US foreign policy decisions; demands reforms in council The Jerusalem Post October 18, 2013 |
Saudi Preacher Fayhan al-Ghamdi Who Tortured Daughter to Death gets 8 Years and 600 Lashes According to some reports, al-Ghamdi had suspected his daughter lose her virginity and had tortured her in response International Business Times October 08, 2013 |
Rape victim sentenced 200 lashes by Saudi court "The victim's sentence was increased because her lawyer had spoken out" Examiner September 24, 2013 |
Ban welcomes $100 million Saudi contribution for UN counter-terrorism efforts Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his sincere gratitude to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia for his announcement of a $100 million contribution for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts UN News Centre August 08, 2013 |
Saudi Airlines defends ban on Israeli passengers The director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines, Khalid al-Melhem, responded to criticisms and threats to ban his airline from U.S. airports for allegedly violating federal law by "discriminating" against Israelis and Jews Al Arabiya July 19, 2013 |
Saudi Arabia 'targeting Iran and Israel with ballistic missiles' Saudi Arabia is targeting both Israel and Iran with powerful ballistic missiles LONDON Telegraph July 10, 2013 |
Saudi Arabia to foreigners: Abide Muslim Ramadan rules, or face punishment Saudi Arabia issued a warning to all foreigners and tourists who are in the country during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan: Abide all fasting rules, or else face punishment The Washington Times July 09, 2013 |
Deadly MERS virus spread in Saudi Arabian hospitals, report says The virus known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS -- which has so far killed 38 of the 64 people known to have been infected with it -- has been especially aggressive in Saudi Arabia Los Angeles Times June 19, 2013 |