Christians Massacred in Historic Heartlands

Recent unrest in Jordan, Syria and Ethiopia reminds us how dangerous the Middle East and Africa are for Christian minorities, even in countries considered relatively more tolerant.

In Jordan, terrorist gunmen massacred Christians on Friday as they attended a Greek Orthodox church for a funeral, killing nine and wounding 40.

• The Jordanian government arrested three suspects yesterday, claiming they belonged to “an extremist, radical ideology.” The Islamic State has claimed responsibility.
• Jordan, home to several biblical sites, grants Christians a comparatively high level of freedom.
• Jordan struck sites in Syria on Monday in apparent retaliation for the church shooting. The Jordan Armed Forces reported that its air strikes “destroyed several terrorist positions,” and Syrian authorities said seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed. Jordan claims it killed over 20 Islamic State terrorists.

In Ethiopia, 60 Christians were massacred and 20 houses were reportedly burned in the region of Oromia on Saturday. Oromia is a predominantly Muslim region, but local authorities are blaming Tsimdo, an alliance of various ethnic rebel groups throughout Ethiopia.

• Ethiopia, one of the first countries to convert to traditional Christianity, is majority Christian but has suffered severe unrest in recent days.

Daniel 11:40 is a prophecy for “the time of the end” that describes two blocs clashing over control of the Middle East and Africa. As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry elaborates in his free booklet The King of the South, this is a prophecy of religious war between radical Islam and Catholic Europe.

• A significant reason Catholic nations will send forces into the Middle East is to protect Christian heritage from jihadist onslaught.

Expect anti-Christian attacks like the ones from the past week to cause greater global outrage—until an outside power steps in with even greater deadly force.