Moves are now advancing in the Middle East for the recent Arab Customs Union to come into full force on January 1, 2015. The establishment of the Union is planned to precede an Arab Common Market by 2020 just like the European Common Market. What impacts will this have on your life, as this “King of the South” comes to fruition?

While all the world was distracted on January 19, 2009, by the inauguration ceremony for America’s first black President, Barack Hussein Obama, wouldn’t you think that the Secretary General of the United Nations, would have been there, too, amongst all of the other dignitaries, from around the world?

He wasn’t, you know.

Guess where Ban ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, felt it was more important to be on that historical day.

He was in Kuwait, attending the Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit. (See: http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/search_full.asp?statID=401).

Why was that meeting more important to attend than the inauguration of the US President? And what critical importance has that got to do with what is happening now in 2011, in the Middle East with the unifying of Sunni Arab nations?

Are there implications in recent developments, regarding biblical prophecy and the formation of the “King of the South”  (Daniel 12: 40-45)?

Well, the Sunni Arab Nations of the Gulf of Aqaba were meeting then, in 2009, to discuss closer economic ties and how they could develop a separate Arab currency. The currency would be used amongst the Gulf nations to replace the US dollar in their region, which is the main currency used in trading oil.

Oil rich Arab nations are worried about the high debt levels of the USA and the erosion of the value of the US dollar. They are looking at other ways to protect their oil assets and the money raised by them in trading their oil to the USA, Europe, China and other countries.

The Arab Customs Union common market, as formed in 2003, is currently composed of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At that time customs duties across these six Gulf nations were set at five percent.

Customs duties were unified in 2003 at five percent and a Gulf Common Market began to take shape, under the banner of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC is seeking to emulate a model for economic integration amongst Gulf nations, which entails the removal of customs barriers.

Now there is a push by the Arab nations to accelerate their economic unity to solidify and advance the Arab Customs Union to full operation, commencing January 1, 2015, just as the now-United Europe began with the European Common Market, and has now developed its own currency, the euro.

The following excerpt from Arab News illustrates the current determined progress being made by the six Gulf Nations who are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council towards a fully advanced Arab Customs Union and then to an Arab Common Market.

Published:May 7, 2011 23:00

“ABU DHABI: GCC countries plan to resolve all outstanding issues about their customs union over the next three years in order to have it fully operational by 2015, a top UAE official said.

“What we have agreed upon, that in the next three years, meaning 2011 to 2014, we should complete all the pending issues in regard to the customs union,” UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al-Tayer told a news conference.

“We hope...it becomes effective January 1, 2015,” he said after a Gulf finance ministers’ meeting in Abu Dhabi.

The introduction of the customs union in 2003 had been hailed by officials as a major achievement countering criticism that the GCC bloc would be unable to realize economic integration in the world’s top oil exporting region” (Reuters, May 7, 2011. http://arabnews.com/economy/article386617.ece).

The shadowy form of the inspired prophecy by Daniel in Daniel 11, about the coming “King of the South” in the Middle East, is now beginning to take shape before our eyes.

Join us on Beyond Today in Budapest as we look at "The Coming King of the South".

“We can now understand more clearly why the struggle between the kings of the North and the South resumes again at the time of the end there in Daniel 11:40.

The verse continues to describe how 'the king of the South shall attack him'--speaking of the king of the North--'and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships'--all which are symbols of military action--'and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them and pass through.' Clearly, at the time of the end another round of great turmoil will engulf the Middle East, only this time it will be far worse than anything ever seen before” (Darris McNealy, Beyond Today).

Keep a look out in the news regarding the progress of the Arab Customs Union, as it solidifies and incorporates other nations from the Arab League of Nations, which was first formed in 1945.