Bible Studies

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It is difficult to read the Bible without reading about the City of Jerusalem. God believes it is a very special place and has insured it has been and will continue to be at the center of His plans.

Of the 632 times Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible, we see that it was the site of Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. Jesus was brought to Jerusalem soon after his birth and was believed to be the site of Jesus' Last Supper. It was also the place where Jesus was crucified.

It first appears in the Bible in the book of Joshua. The meaning is thought to refer to "peace" (Salam or Shalom in modern Arabic and Hebrew). The name gained the popular meanings "The City of Peace" and "Abode of Peace", and in some Christian theology, the "Vision of Peace".

Being one of the oldest cities in the world with some 5,000 years of inhabitation, this peaceful city has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

Today, Jerusalem is a thriving, modern metropolis with a population close to 3/4 million residents over an area of just under 50 square miles. There are skyscrapers, massive hotels and resorts, convention centers and high tech business parks. This mirrors much of the Nation of Israel today.

Biblical prophecy tells us many changes are ahead for Israel and Jerusalem in particular. Jerusalem will be destroyed again, rebuilt again and, ultimately, replaced by a completely new city created by God. Daniel and Revelation describe the much anticipated and discussed end-times where the rapture of believers to heaven, the Great Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon are but a few significant milestones in God's final plans.

While the Bible does not give us a time frame, it does tell us there are two other major events that must occur before the end-times. Could these occur in our lifetime? Certainly. Is it likely? I believe so.

In this study, I look at the scripture that describes one of those two prophetic events and reference some relevant news headlines.

The Great Middle East War

Fact: The Nation of Israel will be going to war. Well, that prediction actually isn't too prophetic as Israel has been in many wars and continues to threaten or be threatened daily. However, there is one particular war that is described in great specificity, is a major regional war and will come close to succeeding in Israel's annihilation.

Scripture tells us a coalition of Arab tribes will attack Israel with the stated goal of destroying Israel as a Nation. We know that Israel is special to God and is under His protection. As a people, Israel cannot and will not be destroyed. However, that does not mean they are not completely spared.

Devastation

Before we look at who will attack Israel, let's look at what the Bible says about Israeli casualties. We are told Israel will be decimated. The following descriptions are of the days immediately following the war.

• Isaiah 17:4-6 "'In that day the glory of Israel will be very dim, for poverty will stalk the land. Israel will be abandoned like the grain fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest. Only a few of its people will be left, like the stray olives left on the tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five out on the tips of the limbs. Yes, Israel will be stripped bare of people,' says the Lord, the God of Israel."

• Isaiah 17:9 "Their largest cities will be as deserted as overgrown thickets. They will become like the cities the Amorites abandoned when the Israelites came here so long ago.

• Isaiah 17:3 The fortified cities of Ephraim will also be destroyed...

Ephraim was one of the two sons of Joseph and was the founder of one of the tribes of Israel. Their land is today known as the West Bank and has been in the news ever since Israel unilaterally withdrew, ceding control of it to the Palestinians in 2005.

Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa are the three largest cities in Israel housing about 1.5 million people. These cities and others will be deserted and abandoned because of this war. Having visited these cities just last year, it is very difficult to comprehend how it could be so. Where could millions of people go?

Scripture tells us most of the men of Israel will be killed in this war. The man/woman ratio today is almost exactly 50/50. After the war, men will only make up 15% of the population.

• Isaiah 4:1-3 Seven women will grab hold of one man at that time. They will say, “We will provide our own food, we will provide our own clothes; but let us belong to you – take away our shame!” The Branch of the Lord At that time the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight to those who remain in Israel. Those remaining in Zion, those left in Jerusalem, will be called “holy,” all in Jerusalem who are destined to live.

Note that people will be living in Jerusalem after the war. There are recent news reports and related discussions of chemical and biological weapons provided by Syria and Iran to Israeli enemies. Such weapons could cause cities to be abandoned and uninhabitable. From Isaiah, we can know that the weapons used against Jerusalem in this war will not have long lasting after effects.

God's Judgment

One obvious question regarding this devastation would be "why is God allowing this to happen?"

Isaiah 17:9-11 At that time their fortified cities will be like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, which they abandoned because of the Israelites; there will be desolation. For you ignore the God who rescues you; you pay no attention to your strong protector. So this is what happens: You cultivate beautiful plants and plant exotic vines. The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow; the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout. Yet the harvest will disappear in the day of disease and incurable pain.

Amos 2:4-6 This is what the Lord says: “Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions – make that four! – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They rejected the Lord’s law; they did not obey his commands. Their false gods, to which their fathers were loyal, led them astray. So I will set Judah on fire, and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” God Will Judge Israel This is what the Lord says: “Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions – make that four! – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the innocent for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals.

And just so there is no misunderstanding, the reason is repeated and summarized.

• Amos 9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob,” says the Lord.

Israel has become a secular nation. They have turned away from God.

• Amos 9:9-10 “For look, I am giving a command and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations. It will resemble a sieve being shaken, when not even a pebble falls to the ground. All the sinners among my people will die by the sword – the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

A sieve is used to separate the good from the bad. God is judging a sinful nation and will be removing the bad through this war. The nation will be destroyed, but not completely.

The Arab Coalition

Let us now look at who will be attacking Israel.

• Psalms 83:2-4 For look, your enemies are making a commotion; those who hate you are hostile. They carefully plot against your people, and make plans to harm the ones you cherish. They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation! Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”

Does that sound familiar? Here is but one headline 'Kill all Jews and annihilate Israel!' Iran's Ayatollah lays out legal and religious justification for attack - May 1, 2012 Daily Mail, UK.

• Psalms 83:5-8 Yes, they devise a unified strategy; they form an alliance against you. It includes the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. Even Assyria has allied with them, lending its strength to the descendants of Lot.

Bible scholars have already identified the various players of this alliance. All that genealogy in the Bible has a purpose. The tribes were traced to where they settled and the nations they led. Here is the summary from one researcher.

"Ishmael was the eponymous father of the Arabs, his brother Isaac being the father of the Jews. The Ishmaelites most probably refers to the Saudis, but that identification is admittedly speculative.

The Tents of Edom refers to the Palestinians of the West Bank and southern Jordan. The Moabites refers to the Palestinians and central Jordanians.

The Hagarites corresponds with Egypt, Gebal with Hezbollah and the Lebanese. Ammon includes the Palestinians and northern Jordanians, Phillistia corresponds with Hamas and the Gaza Strip.

The descendants of Lot were the Moabites and Ammonites, which is Jordan of today.

Last but not least are Assyria (Syria and Kurdish Iraq) and Tyre, (Hezbollah and South Lebanon)."

To summarize, the alliance will consist of the Palestinians in the West Bank, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and (maybe) the Kurds in Iraq and (maybe) Saudi Arabia. The latter is only a 'maybe' as the Ismaelites are Arab tribes that settled in parts of Saudi Arabia.



Now what is fascinating about prophecy to me is that it must be completely accurate. That means unnamed nations cannot be involved in this war. With that in mind, where is Iran in this list? There is an historical animosity between the Arabs and the Persians, but this list of actors has Iran's fingerprints all over it. The Palestinians and Hamas in the West Bank, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria are all being armed and funded by Iran today. There are an estimated 10,000 Iranian missiles stockpiled in Gaza alone. The Bible tells us that Iran will not be directly involved, though. Only their proxies will fight on the front lines.

Up until last year, it was rather inconceivable to believe Egypt would consider an attack on Israel. Egypt's President Mubarak signed a peace treaty with Israel that has been in place for over 30 years. As a part of the peace accord, the United States has been providing $1.5 billion annually to Egypt in military aid. A pipeline was built so Egypt could sell natural gas to Israel. In the Middle East, 30-years is what one would consider "lasting peace". Since the treaty was signed, there was never even a mention of any disagreements between Egypt and Israel.

Perhaps you saw these recent headlines.

• Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood sweeps to victory in elections - January 21, 2012


• Muslim Brotherhood: U.S. aid cuts may alter Egypt-Israel treaty - February 16, 2012


• IDF boosts deployment on southern border - April 6, 2012


• Egypt scraps Israel gas supply deal - April 23, 2012


• Egyptian Military Threatens Israel: Supreme Council Leader Warns Israel Away from Sinai Border - April 26, 2012

The only other Arab nation with a peace treaty with Israel is Jordan. Jordan is a rather poor nation and doesn't have an oil economy to pay the bills. Tourism is their primary source of income. As a result of signing the peace treaty, they now receive $660 million in annual aid just from the US along with a free trade zone that allows them to manufacture goods and ship them to the US duty free. The kicker is that Jordan must purchase a certain percentage of raw materials from Israel for that zone.

The West Bank used to be Jordanian territory and King Hussein wants that land back. However, abrogating the treaty will mean thousands (if not tens of thousands) of Jordanian jobs will be lost and the shutdown of his tourism industry.

While man created an excellent formula to keep the peace between Jordan and Israel, God has told us it will not last. Before Christ returns, this war must occur.

The "Arab Spring" is spreading and the Muslim Brotherhood has been taking advantage of the popular protests. Here are some headlines from last month's news.

• Jordanian parliament moves to ban Muslim Brotherhood party - April 17, 2012


• Jordan anti-regime protests could topple kingdom: Analyst - April 30, 2012


• Thousands in Jordan call for end to peace with Israel - May 5, 2012

If King Hussein is replaced as leader, any new regime will have the same dilemma. War would mean economic collapse with high unemployment. While it may be easy to whip up local Arab support for hating the Zionists, governments must insure their populations have the ability to feed their families. It is difficult for anyone to stay in power otherwise.

With Jordan being so weak militarily and economically, they will need outside support to join forces against Israel. No other nation in the Arab coalition is mentioned in this prophecy as needing any assistance.

• Psalm 83:8 Even Assyria has allied with them, lending its strength to the descendants of Lot [Jordan].

The Greek word for "strength" used here literally means "strong arm".

The Powerful Israeli Defense Force

The rest of Psalm 83 explains that all of the attackers will be destroyed (not just defeated). It will mean the end of Jordan, Egypt and Syria. In fact, those nations are never mentioned again in end time prophecy.

Obadiah is describing this same war and speaking about the Palestinians, which are the descendents of Esau, the twin bother of Jacob. They are also referred to as the Edomites.

• Obadiah 1:6-7 How the people of Esau [Palestinians] will be thoroughly plundered! Their hidden valuables will be ransacked! All your allies will force you from your homeland! Your treaty partners will deceive you and overpower you. Your trusted friends will set an ambush for you that will take you by surprise!

A Palestinian homeland in place of Israel is the stated goal of the coalition and the Palestinians will be the tip of the spear in this conflict. This confederacy of Arab states will break bread with their Palestinian brothers. "Those that eat your bread..." tell us the Palestinians were the hosts of this confederacy. Promises will be made and the Palestinians will be prevailed upon to push forward through their border with Israel believing their Arab brothers have their back.

• Obadiah 1:9 Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman, that everyone will be destroyed from Esau’s mountain! The descendants of Jacob [Israel] will conquer those who had conquered them.

This war will be the end of the Palestinian people.

• Obadiah 1:18 The descendants of Jacob [Israel] will be a fire, and the descendants of Joseph [Israel] a flame. The descendants of Esau will be like stubble. They will burn them up and devour them. There will not be a single survivor of the descendants of Esau!”

• Jeremiah 49:10 But I will strip everything away from Esau’s descendants. I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide. Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed. Not one of them will be left!

The IDF will not stop at the West Bank. Damascus, the capital of Syria, is also named as becoming history.

• Isaiah 17:1-2 The burden against Damascus. "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.

Aroer is an area that contains present day Amman, Jordan. Isaiah continues describing the destruction of the attackers. Jumping ahead, v14 tells us the IDF will end this war overnight.

• Isaiah 17:14 Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, And the lot of those who rob us.

Damascus is a huge, modern city with some 2.5 million living in and around it. The WW II allied bombing campaign in Germany caused devastation to many cities, but all were rebuilt fairly quickly after the war. Isaiah says one evening there is major trouble, but that is not the case the next morning. The IDF is able to turn the tide overnight. Coupled with the total destruction of Damascus one would have to consider the possibility that Israel will use a nuclear warhead.

An Israeli policy of deterrence called the Samson Option is a retaliation strategy Israel would use as a last resort just short of their annihilation. Golda Meir ordered nuclear weapons be readied in the 1973 Yom Kippur War when it looked like Israel was going to be overrun. With the devastation of the majority of Israeli men and their major cities destroyed, one could foresee Israel using a nuclear weapon to end this war.

This war is different from the end-time wars in that God is not going to supernaturally intervene to save Israel. Rather, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph will repel the invaders and overcome through their own efforts. These are the people of Israel and their powerful Israeli Defense Force.

The Great Middle East War is a frightening prophecy, as millions of people will be killed on both sides. Israel will barely survive and will be left in ruins. As Christians, we should understand that if we are here during this prophetic event, this epic tragedy should be used as a tool for witnessing.

Unbelievers can be shown the details of this war in Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, Jeremiah 49 and Amos 9. They will be able to witness the fulfillment of a prophecy written in the Bible some 3,000 years ago.

What to Watch For In the News

• Unity among Arab nations in their stand against Israel.

• Increasing militant calls by Arabs for the Palestinians to be given their own homeland.

• The abrogation of the Israeli peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan.

• Calls for the annihilation of the Nation of Israel.

In closing, I ask you to watch a short video of a speech by an Egyptian cleric given on May 1, 2012. From scripture, we know The Great Middle East War will be a war against Israel with the stated intent to annihilate the Jews. We know Arab nations will unite to accomplish this. We know Egypt and Hamas will be part of that coalition and will convince the Palestinians to be on the front line. We know millions of Arabs and millions of Israelis will die. We know Jerusalem will be at the center of this conflict as it has been throughout history. This video may provide a clue to the one piece of information not found in scripture. When will this happen?

Feel free to post your comments, questions and feedback.

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