Just when many people are lulled into a false complacent sense of security, prophetic world geopolitics is taking a huge transformational step away from United States domination of the world stage!

Most American citizens would be oblivious to what is happening on June 15, 2011, in a city they have probably never heard of: Astana, Kazakhstan. It will have profound impact on the USA.

A power vacuum is being created in Afghanistan, as Washington officials seek to draw down American troop numbers, and their other allies are espousing ways of reducing their troop numbers, without a “panic to the exits,” as reported in the media.

A powerful Eurasian coalition

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is having its 10^th year anniversary meeting at Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 15, 2011, with the express views of stepping into the power vacuum in Afghanistan.

Nicolas J. S. Davies reported on Consortiumnews.com, on June 7, 2011:

“On May 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that an important expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be on the agenda at its upcoming summit in Astana in Kazakhstan on June 15.

“If the expansion is approved, India and Pakistan will join China, Russia and the Central Asian republics as full SCO members, and Afghanistan will join Iran and Mongolia as a new SCO 'observer.'

“The U.S. media seem to have missed this news, but future historians will be unlikely to ignore it as an important turning point in the history of Afghanistan, the United States and the world.

The original Shanghai Five (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan), who met in 1996 to sign a 'Treaty on Deepening Trust in Border Regions,' formed the SCO in 2001 with the addition of Uzbekistan and a commitment to greater cooperation in military and economic affairs.

“In 2005, President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan hailed the historic nature of that year’s SCO summit, the first time that the original members were joined by India, Pakistan and Iran. He noted that half the human race was now represented around the SCO negotiating table” (Consortiumnews.com at: http://consortiumnews.com/2011/06/07/asian-alliance-supplants-us-empire/, emphasis mine throughout).

Davies further adds:

“The United States also applied for 'observer' status in the SCO in 2005, but its application was rejected.

“The Afghans have decided to join the SCO despite longstanding opposition from Washington. Afghan Foreign Minister Rassoul spent four days meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing before Lavrov’s announcement on May 15.

“One thing we can be sure they all agreed on is that they want the United States out of Afghanistan, and the rub for the United States is that the SCO and its member states will be waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces whether we get out this year, next year or in ten years’ time” (ibid).

The rest of the world watches with interest

The implications from this momentous SCO 10^th anniversary meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, will also not be lost on a very aware European Union.

As the EU observes a further erosion of U.S. power in Eurasia via the SCO, they will very likely begin stepping up their own military and economic ties within the central major national members of the E.U.

Already, there are signs of a shift to the right in European politics, since the elections in Portugal.

God’s prophet Ezekiel prophesied long ago about the coming end-time empire of Gog and Magog, in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Will this Asian bloc of nations fulfill this prophecy?

A huge empire from the East is prophesied to form an army of 200 million in the end-time and to attack the European Beast power across the Euphrates river (Revelation 9:13-19; Revelation 16:12).

In that devastating initial battle one third of mankind are prophesied to die (Revelation 9:18-19).

It will be at that time that Jesus Christ will intervene and return to this Earth to establish God’s Kingdom on this Earth, before “no flesh might be saved alive” (Matthew 24:22; Isaiah 9:6-7).

See other articles about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from our United Church of God archives at www.ucg.org/news-and-prophecy/china-cooperation-or-conflict/ and www.ucg.org/news-and-prophecy/out-hibernation-russian-bear/.