A deepening rift is forming in Egypt between the Coptic Christian minority and the vast Islamic population of the country. The Muslim Brotherhood, desperately trying to reverse its losses, is trying to bring about as much instability as possible for the military to deal with. Much of its attention has been focused on the Christians, who are targeted with looting, vandalism, arson, kidnapping, torture and murder. This increase in Christian persecution will likely draw the attention of other forces outside of Egypt, primarily the Catholic Church.

According to some news sources, in just one week at least 40 churches have been looted and torched, and 23 others have been attacked and wrecked by armed thugs. On top of that, 160 Christian-owned buildings have come under attack. There are numerous reports of truckloads of thugs arriving at such buildings, stripping them of anything of value and then setting the place alight. The burning hasn’t been reserved for buildings alone. Two security guards were burned alive while working on a tour boat owned by Christians.

The hatred is being fueled by the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The Muslim Brotherhood has used social media to promulgate false accusations about the role Christians played in the ousting of Morsi, and how they had declared a “war” on Islam. This has sparked violent reprisal attacks on the Christian population.

The leader of the Coptic Christians, Pope Tawadros, stood in support of the military intervention, as did many Christians. However, Christians make up a mere 10 percent of the Egyptian population. Millions of Islamic Egyptians also cheered when the military stepped in. Unfortunately for the Copts and other minority religions, they have become the scapegoats for Brotherhood failures, and are being used as pawns in the Brotherhood’s power play.

The Brotherhood wants to turn the violence into a sectarian battle in an attempt to incite hatred and thereby obtain more political clout. If the Brotherhood can convince the population that it is indeed fighting for the support of Islam, then it may drum up the support it needs to take a meaningful stand against the might of the Egyptian military.

The military has been slow to respond to the violence against the Christians. It is willing to stand by and watch, because every house that is burned, every church that is looted, only serves to prove the military right in its claim that it is fighting terrorism in the nation. The only problem with that is the fact that, if left unchecked, the violence may take on a greater sectarian nature.

Syria is an example of a sectarian shadow war. The main fighting is between rebels and President Bashar Assad’s forces, but there is also a great deal of persecution against Christian groups. With extreme Islamic rebel groups such as al Nusra walking the streets of rebel-controlled towns, Christians and other minorities have found themselves coming under increasing levels of attack. Kidnapping of Christians is big business in Syria, with the price of a priest sitting at around $200,000.

The targeted violence has caused many Christians to flee Syria. The same scenario now faces the Christians in Egypt. There appears to be little intervention from outside forces, leaving Christians to either fight for themselves, batten down the hatches, or leave. The Syrian Christians don’t have to worry about being affiliated with the ruling power, but after taking sides as vehemently as they have, the Egyptian Christians have more reason to fear.

While the attention in Egypt may be on the Brotherhood and the military at the moment, there are some who will be paying close attention to the persecution of the Christians. One organization that is undoubtedly monitoring the situation is the Catholic Church. While the Catholics and Copts are not the same religion per se, they have a long history, laced with attempts to reconcile and unite. Both faiths believe many of the same doctrines, but power struggles have kept them apart.

The persecution against Copts is a thermometer for the anti-Christian mood in the Middle East. As radical Islam rises in the wake of the “Arab Spring,” more and more pressure is being applied to Christians and other minorities in the region. While this fighting might spill the blood of the minorities today, Bible prophecy reveals a dramatic turning of the tables.

Daniel 11:40 speaks of two great powers. The first is the king of the south, a radical Islamic power led by Iran (Egypt will be in this group). The second is the king of the north, a European power, brought together under the banner of Catholicism. These two powers are explained in our free booklets The King of the South and Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.

Daniel 11:40 not only names these powers, but it explains how they will clash. It speaks of how the king of the south will “push” at the king of the north. The Christian plight in Egypt and elsewhere across the Middle East could help prompt Europe into action to stem the tide of radical Islam. Daniel 11:40 speaks of a “whirlwind” attack by the king of the north that will utterly destroy the king of the south.

While this will be a harbinger of more terrible times to come on the world scene, take heart in the fact that it will also lead to the fulfillment of numerous prophecies of the coming Kingdom of God. That is where you can take hope in the terrible events of today. Know that they are to be brief, and the Kingdom of God to be established thereafter will be forever.

For more on the fulfillment of Daniel 11, be sure to read “The Whirlwind Prophecy.”