The Ninth of Av: “A Day of Infamy” & America’s 911
By Rabbi David Rosenberg
We are all familiar with the prophetic and redemptive significance of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot which form a parenthesis between the death and resurrection of Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit seven weeks later. But, there is another seven week period that begins on a day that can be described with the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor: “a day that will live in infamy.” That day is the 9th of Av when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Temple in 587/6 B.C.E.
Our sages named the seven Haftarah portions between Tisha B’av and Rosh Hashanah “The Seven Messages of Consolation,” all of which derive from Isaiah. Now, instead of beginning our introspection within the 10 Days of Awe (between Rosh Hashanna & Yom Kippur), we begin our preparation for the Holy Days “seven weeks” earlier on Tisha B’av, with the hope of learning from our past so we don’t have to repeat the past in our future.
But if the attack on Pearl Harbor isn’t strong enough a comparison, imagine the unthinkable idea of America letting it happen again, in the same place, and on the same day. That would be a day of double infamy.
Unfortunately, for us, the Jewish people, it did happen again. The second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, again on Tisha B’av. Forty years earlier, on that same day of Tisha B’av in 30 AD, Yochanan declared this prophetic warning, “The ax is already laid at the root of the tree (Luke 3:9).” These prophetic words of Yochanan help us understand who he is and why his life is inextricably linked to Shabbat Nachamu and the ninth of Av.
“Nachamu” (Parasha V’et’chanan) is the first of the seven messages after Tisha B’av, which opens with these incredible words: “Comfort, yes, comfort My people! says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her... For she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God (Isaiah 40:1-3).”
Still, more evidence emerges that Yeshua was immersed by Yochanan (John) on or near the 9th of Av, a very important fast day on our Jewish calendar. We know Messiah began a 40 day fast immediately after His immersion. Also, when Yochanan was asked “who are you,” he gave a first person, eyewitness testimony, “he answered in the words of Yesha‘yahu the prophet, “I am ‘ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of Adonai’ (Yochanan 1:23).’” In other words, “If you want to know who I am, read this weeks Haftarah portion.”
It is here that Messiah departs into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. These same 40 days parallel precisely the first 40 days of Israel’s 40 year wilderness journey that, according to Jewish tradition, began on the 9th of Av (Num. 14:34).
But as Yeshua went into the wilderness, what were they reading during these seven weeks in every synagogue? Following Shabbat Nachamu, the next four weeks of Isaiah are divided into four readings from Isaiah 49:14-55:5, with some very interesting edits missing in the sequence: Isaiah 51:4-11 (8 verses) and of course, Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
Why did the rabbis omit Isaiah 53? Is it because it vividly points to Yeshua as our Messiah on the very week (4th message) where Moses himself declares in the Torah portion: “the Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear (Deut. 18:15)?”
Luke’s narrative in chapters 3 and 4 helps us to look through the lens of the Torah and Haftarah portions to vividly see a clearer, more observant picture of Messiah in the New Testament as we approach the Holy Days every year. But, there’s more.
Carefully examine the dialogue of Messiah with Ha’satan during His temptation. Messiah refutes Ha’satan exclusively from the Torah portions in Deuteronomy that were being read in every synagogue during the first three weeks of the seven messages.
‘“And Satan said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ But Yeshua answered him, saying, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’ (Luke 4:3-4; Deut. 8:3 - Parashah Ekev, week two).”
Now, examine the larger context of Messiah’s answer: “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these 40 years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger....that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone... (Deut.8:2-3).” It is important to understand that Yeshua had nothing to say to Ha’satan in the wilderness, other than to quote the Torah portions being read in the synagogue at the very time of His testing.
Finally, as Messiah returns to Nazareth they are about to read from the seventh message of Isaiah, Parashah Nitzavim (Isaiah 61:10-63:9). As Messiah was handed the scroll of Isaiah, He began to read, “The Spirit of Adonai is upon me; ... he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned and renewed sight for the blind...” (Luke 4:18,19; Isaiah 61:1-2a ). He then said, “Today, these Scriptures are fulfilled in your hearing. (Luke 4:21)”.
It has been exactly 49 days from Tisha B’av to Nitzavim and 43 days between Nachamu and Nitzavim, clearly more than enough time for Messiah’s wilderness journey. Look at the Scriptures we read every year between Shabbat Hazone, Tisha B’av and Nitzavim. He has fulfilled more than we have ever imagined. He came at the right time, to the right place, to make right all our past days of infamy, so that our future can be found in Him.
(All Biblical quotes are from The Complete Jewish Bible & NKJV)
Rabbi David Rosenberg and his wife, Helene, are co-founders of Shuvah Yisrael in Roslyn/East Williston, Long Island, N.Y. Both are Master of Divinity graduates of Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, N.Y.
This article is taken from The Mystery of the Babylonian Torah & Haftarah Cycle in Luke 3 & 4 (Messiah 96).
Email Rabbi Rosenberg at: rabbidr@shuvah.com with any comments or questions.
Iran: The "Next Prophetic War" News
By Kevin Swift
PERSIAN GULF WAR CONFLICTS
Iraq, Iran & the Beginning of Sorrows
February 1, 2011--Editor's Note: There is a good chance that Iran will see renewed protests, and Rafsanjani will come out the winner in the fight for power. His time has come prophetically to rise up and take [even more] control of Iran.
Iraq’s defeat by the American-led coalition commenced on March 19, 2003, at Shushan Purim—the day Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem. Triumph over neighboring Iran by Western powers has also long been predicted in Daniel 8:1-8. In fact, this Persian Gulf conflict with old Persia is the catalyst that sets in motion a torrent of end-time war following disaster after disaster, which arrive in quick succession.
The prophet Daniel was taken into vision “in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal (8:2),” which is in the Iran, Iraq and Kuwait region near the Persian Gulf. Daniel “looked up, and there before me was a [Islamic] Ram with two horns [two countries—Iraq and Iran], standing beside the canal, and the horns were long [two prominent Islamic nations in the Gulf region]. One of the horns [Iran] was longer [geographically bigger/stronger] than the other and grew up later… suddenly a Goat [Western powers] with a prominent horn between his eyes [America] came from the west, crossing the whole earth [a great distance] without touching the ground [with speed]. He came toward the two-horned [Iraq and Iran Islamic] Ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. I saw him attack the [Islamic] Ram furiously, striking the Ram and shattering his two horns [Iraq and Iran]. The [Islamic] Ram was powerless to stand against him; the Goat [from the West] knocked him [Islamic Ram] to the ground and trampled on him, and no one could rescue the Ram from his power. The [Western] Goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn [America] was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven [dispersed in all directions of the globe],” (Daniel 8:3-8).
Some people believe the Ram and Goat confrontation of Daniel 8 occurred long before the birth of Jesus, and therefore has nothing at all to do with our modern world. However, Daniel was told in no uncertain terms, “the vision” of war concerns “the appointed time of the end” (Daniel 8:19). These Persian Gulf regional clashes, Iraq’s defeat followed by Iran’s demise, set the stage for a wider Middle East war, the last days and the fulfillment of God’s end-time Calendar.
Gabriel explains the vision of war to the prophet Daniel later in the chapter . He is told the conflict involves Media (modern-day Iraq) and Persia (modern-day Iran), which two horns sit atop the Islamic “Ram”. Iraq is overcome first, followed by Iran. Daniel said, “One of the horns was longer than the other [Iran is larger geographically, and stronger than Iraq] but grew up later [meaning, the Iranian confrontation would follow some time after the Iraqi overthrow],” (8:3).
Centuries ago, Bible translators connected the confronting “Goat” to “Greece”; however, the Hebrew word interpreted as Greece is “Yawan” (“Javan”). Javan was one of the sons of Japheth , and at the writing of Daniel, Javan implied regional powers from the west, rather than a specific nation. Furthermore, Daniel’s vision involves events at the “time of the end,” so it must be applied to modern times. Javan, the Western powers, is said to have a prominent horn—the first king (United States). Prophecy indicates the Goat will defeat the two-horned (Iraq/Iran) Islamic Ram. Nevertheless, the prominent horn (America) will quickly be “broken off,” indicating her loss of world dominance. In its place, four major power bases will emerge—the New World Order. From one of these horns of power (Western European Union) the “little horn”—literally the smallest nation in the world (0.2 square miles)—will gain worldwide supremacy. The “stern-faced king, a master of intrigue” who blasphemes the Holy One of Israel and persecutes the true believers, will emerge from the vestiges of darkness to rule with great authority.
Civilization originated in the Middle East, and the end of civilization as we know it will begin there. Global tensions have been escalating in the last two decades. The U.S.-NATO-Israeli alliance will overthrow Iran, enraging Islam and her allies—the Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition. Israel and Syria will clash. The Russian Bear will attack with overwhelming force, devastating three countries in Western Europe. Once nuclear armaments are unleashed, mayhem and global holocaust will spiral out of control. America will falter and collapse and this once powerful nation will lose her prodigious superpower status.
PERSIAN GULF WAR CONFLICTS
Iraq, Iran & the Beginning of Sorrows
February 1, 2011--Editor's Note: There is a good chance that Iran will see renewed protests, and Rafsanjani will come out the winner in the fight for power. His time has come prophetically to rise up and take [even more] control of Iran.
Iraq’s defeat by the American-led coalition commenced on March 19, 2003, at Shushan Purim—the day Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem. Triumph over neighboring Iran by Western powers has also long been predicted in Daniel 8:1-8. In fact, this Persian Gulf conflict with old Persia is the catalyst that sets in motion a torrent of end-time war following disaster after disaster, which arrive in quick succession.
The prophet Daniel was taken into vision “in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal (8:2),” which is in the Iran, Iraq and Kuwait region near the Persian Gulf. Daniel “looked up, and there before me was a [Islamic] Ram with two horns [two countries—Iraq and Iran], standing beside the canal, and the horns were long [two prominent Islamic nations in the Gulf region]. One of the horns [Iran] was longer [geographically bigger/stronger] than the other and grew up later… suddenly a Goat [Western powers] with a prominent horn between his eyes [America] came from the west, crossing the whole earth [a great distance] without touching the ground [with speed]. He came toward the two-horned [Iraq and Iran Islamic] Ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. I saw him attack the [Islamic] Ram furiously, striking the Ram and shattering his two horns [Iraq and Iran]. The [Islamic] Ram was powerless to stand against him; the Goat [from the West] knocked him [Islamic Ram] to the ground and trampled on him, and no one could rescue the Ram from his power. The [Western] Goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn [America] was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven [dispersed in all directions of the globe],” (Daniel 8:3-8).
Some people believe the Ram and Goat confrontation of Daniel 8 occurred long before the birth of Jesus, and therefore has nothing at all to do with our modern world. However, Daniel was told in no uncertain terms, “the vision” of war concerns “the appointed time of the end” (Daniel 8:19). These Persian Gulf regional clashes, Iraq’s defeat followed by Iran’s demise, set the stage for a wider Middle East war, the last days and the fulfillment of God’s end-time Calendar.
Gabriel explains the vision of war to the prophet Daniel later in the chapter . He is told the conflict involves Media (modern-day Iraq) and Persia (modern-day Iran), which two horns sit atop the Islamic “Ram”. Iraq is overcome first, followed by Iran. Daniel said, “One of the horns was longer than the other [Iran is larger geographically, and stronger than Iraq] but grew up later [meaning, the Iranian confrontation would follow some time after the Iraqi overthrow],” (8:3).
Centuries ago, Bible translators connected the confronting “Goat” to “Greece”; however, the Hebrew word interpreted as Greece is “Yawan” (“Javan”). Javan was one of the sons of Japheth , and at the writing of Daniel, Javan implied regional powers from the west, rather than a specific nation. Furthermore, Daniel’s vision involves events at the “time of the end,” so it must be applied to modern times. Javan, the Western powers, is said to have a prominent horn—the first king (United States). Prophecy indicates the Goat will defeat the two-horned (Iraq/Iran) Islamic Ram. Nevertheless, the prominent horn (America) will quickly be “broken off,” indicating her loss of world dominance. In its place, four major power bases will emerge—the New World Order. From one of these horns of power (Western European Union) the “little horn”—literally the smallest nation in the world (0.2 square miles)—will gain worldwide supremacy. The “stern-faced king, a master of intrigue” who blasphemes the Holy One of Israel and persecutes the true believers, will emerge from the vestiges of darkness to rule with great authority.
Civilization originated in the Middle East, and the end of civilization as we know it will begin there. Global tensions have been escalating in the last two decades. The U.S.-NATO-Israeli alliance will overthrow Iran, enraging Islam and her allies—the Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition. Israel and Syria will clash. The Russian Bear will attack with overwhelming force, devastating three countries in Western Europe. Once nuclear armaments are unleashed, mayhem and global holocaust will spiral out of control. America will falter and collapse and this once powerful nation will lose her prodigious superpower status.
Egypt's 40-Year Desolation
Dear Mr. Salus, Greetings in the Name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. In reading some of your articles it is clear you believe Psalm 83 precedes Ezekiel 38. I’m puzzled about some prophecies regarding Egypt in the end time's. Could you please answer the following questions?
Q. Ezekiel 29:12-13 says Egypt is made desolate for 40 years, has this happened in history?
A. I believe Egypt's 40-year desolation period, which corresponds with the 40-years of Egyptian deportation into world nations remains, an unfulfilled prophecy. However, some expositors believe this has already been fulfilled. To argue their point they often refer to the writings of the Jewish Historian Josephus in “Antiquities, Book 10, Chapter 11, Section 1". Book 10 is titled, "From the Captivity of the Ten Tribes to the First of Cyrus" and Chapter 11 is titled, "Concerning Nebuchadnezzar and His Successors, and How Their Government was Dissolved by the Persians; and What Things Befell Daniel in Media; and What Prophecies He Delivered There".
In this section Josephus appears to quote Berosus from "the third book of his Chaldaic History" that a young Nebuchadnezzar was sent by his father to conquer Egypt due to rebellion by the Egyptian governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar's father. Deportation is spoken of as follows, "...the captive Jews, and Phoenicians, and Syrians, and those of the Egyptian nations, and having committed the conveyance of them to Babylon..." (i)
The Egyptian 40-year captivity could have been fulfilled at this time; however it is hard to find historical or archaeological proof that this past deportation spanned 40-years. Thus Ezekiel 29:12 may still be a pending prophetic event.
I recently emailed the following comments to a friend regarding the 40-year Egyptian deportation. "There is the inference of Egyptian deportation by Josephus but it seems to be for an unspecified time. Some estimated dates of importance in considering the length of the Egyptian deportation are Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt in 568 B.C. and Cyrus of Persia, defeated Babylon in 539 b.c. From these dates it is difficult to determine if the 40-year deportation was fulfilled.
Portions of Ezekiel 29-30 seem to find connections with Nebuchadnezzar's time; however Ezekiel 30:3 alludes to the "day of the Lord," which is commonly associated with the Tribulation period. Additionally, Ezekiel 30:5 speaks of more than Egypt being attacked. It alludes to Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, and Chub. The expanse of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom seems to not have included all these countries. Therefore, this part of Ezekiel's prophecy seems to connect better with Daniel 11:42-43, which is also often taught to be a Tribulation event.
Thus, we have to consider the possibility that Ezekiel 29-30 contain both near (fulfilled during prophets lifetime) and far (to be fulfilled after the prophets lifetime) prophecies. Some events Ezekiel describes clearly found fulfillment during Nebuchadnezzar’s time (near), whereas others seem to be reserved for future fulfillment.
Isaiah 19:16-18 and Daniel 11:42-43 are far prophecies and could trigger the forty years of Egyptian deportation. If so then forty years could commence after either Psalm 83 or Daniel 11:42-43. In either instance the deportation could carry over somewhat into the Messianic kingdom.
It is hard to imagine how 82 million Egyptians today, minus those slain and those who remain in Egypt after both Psalm 83 and Daniel 11:42-43, could be deported in the future. But, that could be what the Ezekiel 29:12 implies."
Additionally the widely respected eschatologist, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum discusses these topics briefly in his Footsteps of the Messiah. The pertinent pages to study regarding Isaiah 19 and Ezekiel 29 are 497-509. In a nutshell, he states that because of Egypt's longstanding hatred of Israel ... they will suffer desolation similar to that of Edom according to Joel 3:19. This desolation will lead to the 40-years of Egyptian deportation.
However, at the end of the deportation an Egyptian remnant will be regathered and Egypt restored. But, Egypt will be a lowly kingdom throughout the 1000-year Messianic Kingdom. Arnold believes the first 40 years of the Messianic Kingdom could find the land of Egypt in a desolate condition and Egyptians dispersed throughout the world. Thus, he appears to believe the 40-year deportation is still a pending prophetic event and could overlap into the Messianic Kingdom.
I agree with Dr. Fruchtenbaum that the deportation could extend into the Messianic Kingdom, but if the deportation commences after Psalm 83, then I don’t believe there will be a full 40-year overlap. If Israel's victory over Egypt in Psalm 83 begins the 40-year Egyptian deportation process, then I believe much of this 40-year period could elapse before the Messianic Kingdom even commences.
Q. Isaiah 19:23 says there will be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt. When do you believe this finds fulfillment?
A. I believe this finds fulfillment during the 1000-year Messianic Kingdom period.
Q. Isaiah 19:18 says 5 cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan. Has this happened in history?
A. The language of Canaan was Hebrew. I believe this remains an unfulfilled prophecy. Contextually, these five cities speak Hebrew after Egypt has a terrorizing encounter with Judah (Israel). I believe this encounter has to do with Egypt's participation in the climactic concluding Arab - Israeli war described in Psalm 83. Egypt is identified in Psalm 83 under the banner of the "Hagarenes." Hagar was the Egyptian matriarch who mothered Ishmael to Abraham.
However, some teach this may have already found fulfillment. Here is what the "New Commentary on the Whole Bible; Old Testament" says - "By Jeremiah’s day, 130 years later (Jer. 44:1), four places are addressed by the prophet as having Hebrew speakers: Migdol and Tahpanes, both in the northeastern delta; Noph (Memphis), located at the base of the delta; and Pathros, upper Egypt. Elephantine Island, at Egypt’s southern border, was inhabited by Jews in the sixth century b.c."
......
(i) Research provided by Danny Isom of Moriel Ministries
Posted by AUTHOR / LECTURER at 10:13 AM
Q. Ezekiel 29:12-13 says Egypt is made desolate for 40 years, has this happened in history?
A. I believe Egypt's 40-year desolation period, which corresponds with the 40-years of Egyptian deportation into world nations remains, an unfulfilled prophecy. However, some expositors believe this has already been fulfilled. To argue their point they often refer to the writings of the Jewish Historian Josephus in “Antiquities, Book 10, Chapter 11, Section 1". Book 10 is titled, "From the Captivity of the Ten Tribes to the First of Cyrus" and Chapter 11 is titled, "Concerning Nebuchadnezzar and His Successors, and How Their Government was Dissolved by the Persians; and What Things Befell Daniel in Media; and What Prophecies He Delivered There".
In this section Josephus appears to quote Berosus from "the third book of his Chaldaic History" that a young Nebuchadnezzar was sent by his father to conquer Egypt due to rebellion by the Egyptian governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar's father. Deportation is spoken of as follows, "...the captive Jews, and Phoenicians, and Syrians, and those of the Egyptian nations, and having committed the conveyance of them to Babylon..." (i)
The Egyptian 40-year captivity could have been fulfilled at this time; however it is hard to find historical or archaeological proof that this past deportation spanned 40-years. Thus Ezekiel 29:12 may still be a pending prophetic event.
I recently emailed the following comments to a friend regarding the 40-year Egyptian deportation. "There is the inference of Egyptian deportation by Josephus but it seems to be for an unspecified time. Some estimated dates of importance in considering the length of the Egyptian deportation are Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt in 568 B.C. and Cyrus of Persia, defeated Babylon in 539 b.c. From these dates it is difficult to determine if the 40-year deportation was fulfilled.
Portions of Ezekiel 29-30 seem to find connections with Nebuchadnezzar's time; however Ezekiel 30:3 alludes to the "day of the Lord," which is commonly associated with the Tribulation period. Additionally, Ezekiel 30:5 speaks of more than Egypt being attacked. It alludes to Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, and Chub. The expanse of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom seems to not have included all these countries. Therefore, this part of Ezekiel's prophecy seems to connect better with Daniel 11:42-43, which is also often taught to be a Tribulation event.
Thus, we have to consider the possibility that Ezekiel 29-30 contain both near (fulfilled during prophets lifetime) and far (to be fulfilled after the prophets lifetime) prophecies. Some events Ezekiel describes clearly found fulfillment during Nebuchadnezzar’s time (near), whereas others seem to be reserved for future fulfillment.
Isaiah 19:16-18 and Daniel 11:42-43 are far prophecies and could trigger the forty years of Egyptian deportation. If so then forty years could commence after either Psalm 83 or Daniel 11:42-43. In either instance the deportation could carry over somewhat into the Messianic kingdom.
It is hard to imagine how 82 million Egyptians today, minus those slain and those who remain in Egypt after both Psalm 83 and Daniel 11:42-43, could be deported in the future. But, that could be what the Ezekiel 29:12 implies."
Additionally the widely respected eschatologist, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum discusses these topics briefly in his Footsteps of the Messiah. The pertinent pages to study regarding Isaiah 19 and Ezekiel 29 are 497-509. In a nutshell, he states that because of Egypt's longstanding hatred of Israel ... they will suffer desolation similar to that of Edom according to Joel 3:19. This desolation will lead to the 40-years of Egyptian deportation.
However, at the end of the deportation an Egyptian remnant will be regathered and Egypt restored. But, Egypt will be a lowly kingdom throughout the 1000-year Messianic Kingdom. Arnold believes the first 40 years of the Messianic Kingdom could find the land of Egypt in a desolate condition and Egyptians dispersed throughout the world. Thus, he appears to believe the 40-year deportation is still a pending prophetic event and could overlap into the Messianic Kingdom.
I agree with Dr. Fruchtenbaum that the deportation could extend into the Messianic Kingdom, but if the deportation commences after Psalm 83, then I don’t believe there will be a full 40-year overlap. If Israel's victory over Egypt in Psalm 83 begins the 40-year Egyptian deportation process, then I believe much of this 40-year period could elapse before the Messianic Kingdom even commences.
Q. Isaiah 19:23 says there will be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt. When do you believe this finds fulfillment?
A. I believe this finds fulfillment during the 1000-year Messianic Kingdom period.
Q. Isaiah 19:18 says 5 cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan. Has this happened in history?
A. The language of Canaan was Hebrew. I believe this remains an unfulfilled prophecy. Contextually, these five cities speak Hebrew after Egypt has a terrorizing encounter with Judah (Israel). I believe this encounter has to do with Egypt's participation in the climactic concluding Arab - Israeli war described in Psalm 83. Egypt is identified in Psalm 83 under the banner of the "Hagarenes." Hagar was the Egyptian matriarch who mothered Ishmael to Abraham.
However, some teach this may have already found fulfillment. Here is what the "New Commentary on the Whole Bible; Old Testament" says - "By Jeremiah’s day, 130 years later (Jer. 44:1), four places are addressed by the prophet as having Hebrew speakers: Migdol and Tahpanes, both in the northeastern delta; Noph (Memphis), located at the base of the delta; and Pathros, upper Egypt. Elephantine Island, at Egypt’s southern border, was inhabited by Jews in the sixth century b.c."
......
(i) Research provided by Danny Isom of Moriel Ministries
Posted by AUTHOR / LECTURER at 10:13 AM
Is Egypt in Psalm 83?
By Bill Salus
Most modern day equivalents of the Psalm 83:6-8 participants are easily identifiable today. Clearly, the territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon represents modern day Jordan. Furthermore, Tyre still exists in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip is located in ancient Philistia. However, Egypt is more difficult to identify causing some scholars to question its existence in the Psalm.
Among them is the respected broadcast journalist David Dolan. He authored a book in 2001 entitled “Israel in Crisis, What Lies Ahead.” Dolan’s book along with Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s, Footsteps of the Messiah, were among the first books published that addressed Psalm 83 as a future war between Israel and its bordering Arab enemies. Dolan excluded, but Fructhenbaum included, Egypt in the Psalm 83 confederacy.(i)
Probably motivated by the February, 2011 crisis in Egypt, David Dolan wrote the following.“Will Egypt eventually break its peace treaty with Israel? I suspect that in the end, the American-funded and trained army will not allow this to take place. I noted in my latest book, Israel in Crisis, that Egypt is not listed in Psalm 83 as being among a host of regional Arab powers that will attempt to destroy Israel in the prophesied end days, while Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are mentioned, along with the Palestinians.”
David Dolan 2/7/11
As much as I respect Dolan’s work, I respectfully disagree with his assessment on Egypt’s non-participation in Psalm 83. Here is what the Psalm says: O God, keep not thou silence: Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Thy take crafty counsel against thy people, And consult together against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be
no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; Against thee do they make a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre: Assyria also is joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah (Psalm 83:1-8, ASV; Emphasis Added)
(The image identifies who this author believes are the modern day equivalents of the Psalm 83 confederates.)
The Enemies vs. The Haters
Asaph seems to identify two distinct groups inside the ten member confederacy. He says “thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head.” The New American Standard Version translates; “Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.”
Who are the “enemies” and “haters” of God listed inside the Psalm? I cover this extensively in my book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East in the chapter called “Olam Ebah, The Ancient Arab Hatred of the Jews.”
The Psalmist says the Lord has those who hate Him, but unlike the general carnal hatred characteristic of sinful humanity described in Romans 8:7, it is a deeply rooted hatred dating back almost 4000 years. These haters listed by Asaph include the Egyptian matriarch Hagar alongside the ancient patriarchs; Ishmael, Edom (Esau), Moab, Ammon, and Amalek. These all had familial relations with Abraham and histories of aggression against Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and their Hebrew descendants.
Hagar mothered Abraham’s first son Ishmael. Esau was Abraham’s grandson from Isaac. Moab and Ammon were the children of Abraham’s nephew Lot. Lastly, Amalek was Abraham’s great-great-grandson through the line of Esau.(ii) Esau fathered the Edomites according to Genesis 36:1.
These individuals coveted the rich contents of the Abrahamic Covenant and entered into family feuds with the true Hebrew recipients of the covenantal promises. These individuals, along with their Hebrew counterparts, were the Benjamin Netanyahu’s, King Abdullah’s, and Hosni Mubarak’s of their time. Out from their loins nations were formed.(iii)
These jealous “haters” incubated an enmity against the Lord that manifested throughout the region against the Israeli descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible calls it an “ancient hatred,” also translated as a “perpetual enmity.” Ezekiel 35:1-5 informs us it was spawned by Esau identified with Mount Seir of ancient Edom.
The two Hebrew words used by Ezekiel are Olam Ebah, which when used together can be translated as, “a condition stemming back long ago in ancient times, perpetuated throughout time, manifesting into hostility with no apparent end in sight.” As time progressed the Hebrews staked their covenantal claims throughout the Middle East.
These claims included;
1. Our God is the only God and you shall have no others before Him, (Exodus 20:3)
2. We will be a “great nation” above all others, (Genesis 12:2)
3. Arabs must bless Hebrews or be cursed, (Gen. 12:3)
4. You Arabs are trespassing on our Hebrew lands. (Genesis 15:18)
Suffice it to say the other four members of Psalm 83, Gebal, Philistia, Tyre, and Assyria, found it favorable to their religious, real estate, and cultural needs to resist these Hebrew claims and embrace the ancient hatred well established throughout the region. Thus, these four populations probably represent the “your enemies” group in Psalm 83.
The family feuds that developed can be studied in the chapters depicted in the image.
Hagar’s contemptuous behavior toward Sarah is one of the reasons we can include her among the Psalm 83 haters. Considering Hagar was an Egyptian according to Genesis 16:1 and had her son Ishmael marry an Egyptian bride in Gen. 21:21, we can safely conclude the Hagarenes represent Egypt in Psalm 83 through her and Ishmael’s family tree.
However it’s not quite that simple, some Bible translations list Hagarites or Hagrites, rather than Hagarenes. This has caused many to believe Psalm 83 is describing another ethnicity rather than Egyptians. This is because the Hagrites or Hagarites show up in 1 Chronicles 5:10,19-20 and elsewhere as a tribe dwelling approximately 300 miles northeast of Egypt, east of Gilead.
The Hebrew word used by the Psalmist to identify the Hagarenes was “Hagri.” Both the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, and the New American Standard Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries suggest “Hagri” has a possible matronymic relationship to “Hagar” the Egyptian matriarch.
Additionally, listed below are other reputable quotes supporting the Psalm 83 Hagar - Egyptian connection:
Holman Bible Dictionary
HAGARITE (Hag' ahr ite) Name of nomadic tribe whom the tribe of Reuben defeated east of the Jordan River (1 Chron 5:10, 19-20). Reuben won because they called on and trusted in God. The tribal name is apparently taken from Hagar, Sarah’s maid and mother of Ishmael (Gen. 16).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Hagarenes / Hagarites / Hagrites
An Arab tribe, or confederation of tribes (1 Ch 5:10, 19, 20 the King James Version “Hagarites”; 1 Ch 27:31 the King James Version “Hagerite”; Ps 83:6 “Hagarenes”), against which the Reubenites fought in the days of Saul. In Gen 25:12-18 are recorded the descendants, “generations,” of Ishmael, “whom Hagar the Egyptian Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham.”
New Commentary on the Whole Bible: Old Testament
Ps. 83:6-8 tabernacles—i.e., tents. Edom—Esau’s descendants; they were located southeast of the Dead Sea and repeatedly attacked Israel (Psa. 137:7; Obadiah). Ishmaelites—descendants of Hagar and Abraham (Gen. 25:12ff.) as are the “Hagarenes.”
Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament – Ps. 83:6-8
And the Hagarenes—The Hagarenes were properly Arabs, so called from Hagar, the handmaid of Abraham, the mother of Ishmael. Gen. 16:1; 25:12. As connected with the Ishmaelites they would naturally join in this alliance.
Due to the confusion between the Hagarene verses Hagrite translation in Psalm 83, I emailed my friend Dr. Arnold Fructhenbaum of Ariel Ministries in 2008. Dr. Fruchtenbaum, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, ranks among today’s most respected eschatologists. I asked him how certain he was that Psalm 83 identified Egypt through the Hagarenes. His email response to me was emphatic that Egypt is identified through the Hagarenes in Psalm 83.
Lastly, those who omit Egypt from Psalm 83 need to explain Egypt’s apparent future confrontation with Israel in Isaiah 19:16-18. Isaiah 19:16 declares Egypt will someday greatly fear Israel. From Isaiah’s time until now, this fear has only been in place since Israel’s defeat of Egypt in the wars of 1948, 1967, and 1973. It is this fear that drove former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to make peace with Israel in 1979.
Isaiah 19:17 says this fear evolves into a terror of Israel that overtakes all of Egypt. Isaiah 19:18 predicts this terror results in Egypt allowing Hebrew to be spoken in five Egyptian cities. One of these cities will be renamed, the “City of Destruction.” These three passages encourage the possibility that Egypt’s participation in Psalm 83 provokes the wrath of the Israeli Defense Forces against at least 5 Egyptian cities. In the aftermath of an I.D.F. victory over Egypt, five cities promote Hebrew as the spoken language. This suggests Jews migrate into these five cities taking their language, religion and culture with them.
Some suggest Isaiah 19 deals with the Antichrist’s invasion of Egypt specified in Daniel 11:42-43. Although portions of Isaiah 19 may find partial association with Daniel 11:42-43, it is doubtful that Isaiah 19:16-18 finds any association.
Why would the Antichrist take over 5 Egyptian cities and allow Hebrew to become the spoken language? It is commonly understood the Antichrist will be attempting Jewish genocide at the time. If this is the case it would be contrary to his overall purposes to allow 5 cities in Egypt to promote the language of Hebrew.
For the above reasons I strongly believe that Egypt is identified in Psalm 83.Therefore, unlike David Dolan, I believe Egypt will someday break its peace treaty with Israel and join the Psalm 83 confederacy.
____________________________
(i)The Footsteps of the Messiah (Revised Edition) Chapter 20 page 498 (Hardback).
(ii)Esau grandfathered Amalek according to Genesis 36:12
(iii)Nation promised to Abraham Gen. 12:2, to Ishmael Gen. 17:20, to Jacob and Esau Gen. 25:23
Posted by AUTHOR / LECTURER at 12:35 PM
Most modern day equivalents of the Psalm 83:6-8 participants are easily identifiable today. Clearly, the territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon represents modern day Jordan. Furthermore, Tyre still exists in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip is located in ancient Philistia. However, Egypt is more difficult to identify causing some scholars to question its existence in the Psalm.
Among them is the respected broadcast journalist David Dolan. He authored a book in 2001 entitled “Israel in Crisis, What Lies Ahead.” Dolan’s book along with Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s, Footsteps of the Messiah, were among the first books published that addressed Psalm 83 as a future war between Israel and its bordering Arab enemies. Dolan excluded, but Fructhenbaum included, Egypt in the Psalm 83 confederacy.(i)
Probably motivated by the February, 2011 crisis in Egypt, David Dolan wrote the following.“Will Egypt eventually break its peace treaty with Israel? I suspect that in the end, the American-funded and trained army will not allow this to take place. I noted in my latest book, Israel in Crisis, that Egypt is not listed in Psalm 83 as being among a host of regional Arab powers that will attempt to destroy Israel in the prophesied end days, while Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are mentioned, along with the Palestinians.”
David Dolan 2/7/11
As much as I respect Dolan’s work, I respectfully disagree with his assessment on Egypt’s non-participation in Psalm 83. Here is what the Psalm says: O God, keep not thou silence: Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Thy take crafty counsel against thy people, And consult together against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be
no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; Against thee do they make a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre: Assyria also is joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah (Psalm 83:1-8, ASV; Emphasis Added)
(The image identifies who this author believes are the modern day equivalents of the Psalm 83 confederates.)
The Enemies vs. The Haters
Asaph seems to identify two distinct groups inside the ten member confederacy. He says “thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head.” The New American Standard Version translates; “Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.”
Who are the “enemies” and “haters” of God listed inside the Psalm? I cover this extensively in my book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East in the chapter called “Olam Ebah, The Ancient Arab Hatred of the Jews.”
The Psalmist says the Lord has those who hate Him, but unlike the general carnal hatred characteristic of sinful humanity described in Romans 8:7, it is a deeply rooted hatred dating back almost 4000 years. These haters listed by Asaph include the Egyptian matriarch Hagar alongside the ancient patriarchs; Ishmael, Edom (Esau), Moab, Ammon, and Amalek. These all had familial relations with Abraham and histories of aggression against Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and their Hebrew descendants.
Hagar mothered Abraham’s first son Ishmael. Esau was Abraham’s grandson from Isaac. Moab and Ammon were the children of Abraham’s nephew Lot. Lastly, Amalek was Abraham’s great-great-grandson through the line of Esau.(ii) Esau fathered the Edomites according to Genesis 36:1.
These individuals coveted the rich contents of the Abrahamic Covenant and entered into family feuds with the true Hebrew recipients of the covenantal promises. These individuals, along with their Hebrew counterparts, were the Benjamin Netanyahu’s, King Abdullah’s, and Hosni Mubarak’s of their time. Out from their loins nations were formed.(iii)
These jealous “haters” incubated an enmity against the Lord that manifested throughout the region against the Israeli descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible calls it an “ancient hatred,” also translated as a “perpetual enmity.” Ezekiel 35:1-5 informs us it was spawned by Esau identified with Mount Seir of ancient Edom.
The two Hebrew words used by Ezekiel are Olam Ebah, which when used together can be translated as, “a condition stemming back long ago in ancient times, perpetuated throughout time, manifesting into hostility with no apparent end in sight.” As time progressed the Hebrews staked their covenantal claims throughout the Middle East.
These claims included;
1. Our God is the only God and you shall have no others before Him, (Exodus 20:3)
2. We will be a “great nation” above all others, (Genesis 12:2)
3. Arabs must bless Hebrews or be cursed, (Gen. 12:3)
4. You Arabs are trespassing on our Hebrew lands. (Genesis 15:18)
Suffice it to say the other four members of Psalm 83, Gebal, Philistia, Tyre, and Assyria, found it favorable to their religious, real estate, and cultural needs to resist these Hebrew claims and embrace the ancient hatred well established throughout the region. Thus, these four populations probably represent the “your enemies” group in Psalm 83.
The family feuds that developed can be studied in the chapters depicted in the image.
Hagar’s contemptuous behavior toward Sarah is one of the reasons we can include her among the Psalm 83 haters. Considering Hagar was an Egyptian according to Genesis 16:1 and had her son Ishmael marry an Egyptian bride in Gen. 21:21, we can safely conclude the Hagarenes represent Egypt in Psalm 83 through her and Ishmael’s family tree.
However it’s not quite that simple, some Bible translations list Hagarites or Hagrites, rather than Hagarenes. This has caused many to believe Psalm 83 is describing another ethnicity rather than Egyptians. This is because the Hagrites or Hagarites show up in 1 Chronicles 5:10,19-20 and elsewhere as a tribe dwelling approximately 300 miles northeast of Egypt, east of Gilead.
The Hebrew word used by the Psalmist to identify the Hagarenes was “Hagri.” Both the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, and the New American Standard Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries suggest “Hagri” has a possible matronymic relationship to “Hagar” the Egyptian matriarch.
Additionally, listed below are other reputable quotes supporting the Psalm 83 Hagar - Egyptian connection:
Holman Bible Dictionary
HAGARITE (Hag' ahr ite) Name of nomadic tribe whom the tribe of Reuben defeated east of the Jordan River (1 Chron 5:10, 19-20). Reuben won because they called on and trusted in God. The tribal name is apparently taken from Hagar, Sarah’s maid and mother of Ishmael (Gen. 16).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Hagarenes / Hagarites / Hagrites
An Arab tribe, or confederation of tribes (1 Ch 5:10, 19, 20 the King James Version “Hagarites”; 1 Ch 27:31 the King James Version “Hagerite”; Ps 83:6 “Hagarenes”), against which the Reubenites fought in the days of Saul. In Gen 25:12-18 are recorded the descendants, “generations,” of Ishmael, “whom Hagar the Egyptian Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham.”
New Commentary on the Whole Bible: Old Testament
Ps. 83:6-8 tabernacles—i.e., tents. Edom—Esau’s descendants; they were located southeast of the Dead Sea and repeatedly attacked Israel (Psa. 137:7; Obadiah). Ishmaelites—descendants of Hagar and Abraham (Gen. 25:12ff.) as are the “Hagarenes.”
Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament – Ps. 83:6-8
And the Hagarenes—The Hagarenes were properly Arabs, so called from Hagar, the handmaid of Abraham, the mother of Ishmael. Gen. 16:1; 25:12. As connected with the Ishmaelites they would naturally join in this alliance.
Due to the confusion between the Hagarene verses Hagrite translation in Psalm 83, I emailed my friend Dr. Arnold Fructhenbaum of Ariel Ministries in 2008. Dr. Fruchtenbaum, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, ranks among today’s most respected eschatologists. I asked him how certain he was that Psalm 83 identified Egypt through the Hagarenes. His email response to me was emphatic that Egypt is identified through the Hagarenes in Psalm 83.
Lastly, those who omit Egypt from Psalm 83 need to explain Egypt’s apparent future confrontation with Israel in Isaiah 19:16-18. Isaiah 19:16 declares Egypt will someday greatly fear Israel. From Isaiah’s time until now, this fear has only been in place since Israel’s defeat of Egypt in the wars of 1948, 1967, and 1973. It is this fear that drove former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to make peace with Israel in 1979.
Isaiah 19:17 says this fear evolves into a terror of Israel that overtakes all of Egypt. Isaiah 19:18 predicts this terror results in Egypt allowing Hebrew to be spoken in five Egyptian cities. One of these cities will be renamed, the “City of Destruction.” These three passages encourage the possibility that Egypt’s participation in Psalm 83 provokes the wrath of the Israeli Defense Forces against at least 5 Egyptian cities. In the aftermath of an I.D.F. victory over Egypt, five cities promote Hebrew as the spoken language. This suggests Jews migrate into these five cities taking their language, religion and culture with them.
Some suggest Isaiah 19 deals with the Antichrist’s invasion of Egypt specified in Daniel 11:42-43. Although portions of Isaiah 19 may find partial association with Daniel 11:42-43, it is doubtful that Isaiah 19:16-18 finds any association.
Why would the Antichrist take over 5 Egyptian cities and allow Hebrew to become the spoken language? It is commonly understood the Antichrist will be attempting Jewish genocide at the time. If this is the case it would be contrary to his overall purposes to allow 5 cities in Egypt to promote the language of Hebrew.
For the above reasons I strongly believe that Egypt is identified in Psalm 83.Therefore, unlike David Dolan, I believe Egypt will someday break its peace treaty with Israel and join the Psalm 83 confederacy.
____________________________
(i)The Footsteps of the Messiah (Revised Edition) Chapter 20 page 498 (Hardback).
(ii)Esau grandfathered Amalek according to Genesis 36:12
(iii)Nation promised to Abraham Gen. 12:2, to Ishmael Gen. 17:20, to Jacob and Esau Gen. 25:23
Posted by AUTHOR / LECTURER at 12:35 PM
"I Will Set Egyptians Against Egyptians"
By Bill Salus
These are the days when the Bible is its own best commentary. Imagine Isaiah the prophet standing on the streets of Cairo today speaking in front of a mainstream news camera declaring:
The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 19:1-4, nkjv)
Like a swift moving cloud, Isaiah predicts the rapid deterioration of events in Egypt. Civil unrest causes Egyptians to fight against each other. This fighting spreads from household to household and grows into a kingdom war. Probably quoting Isaiah 19:2, Christ warned kingdoms would rise against each other in Matthew 24:7. Unlike nation coming against nation, which alludes to world wars, “kingdom against kingdom” refers to regional conflicts. Christ taught these prophecies would come upon the world like birth pains. Like a woman about to deliver her newborn, these events are foretold to come with increased frequency and intensity each building upon the other.
Rumors of regional kingdom wars presently abound in the Middle East. Egypt and Saudi Arabia reportedly conducted joint military exercises in 2010 preparing for a possible confrontation with Iran. Iran represents the Persian kingdom and Egypt and Saudi Arabia the Arab kingdom. Additionally, the apocalyptically minded president Ahmadinejad of Iran has threatened on several occasions to wipe Israel, representing the Jewish kingdom, off of the map.
Psalm 83 predicts the Arab kingdom will someday rise against the Jewish kingdom to banish the name of Israel forever. Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia along with eight other Arab populations join the Arab kingdom in this pending prophetic war.
Isaiah’s prognosis for Egypt worsens as you read the rest of his chapter nineteen. Isaiah 19:5-12 tells us unprecedented religious and economic strife plagues the nation according to the purposes of the Lord. Apparently, this disastrous condition befalls Egypt because of its future involvement in Psalm 83 since we read in Isaiah 19:16-18 that Israel will take over five cities in Egypt and cause Hebrew to be the spoken language inside their city limits. One of these cities will be called “the City of Destruction,” implying the I.D.F. destroys this city.
In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts which He has determined against it. In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. (Isaiah 19:16-18, nkjv)
Will the civil strife developing in Egypt cause the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, who supposedly has cancer and turns 83 on May 4, 2011? Many expected his son Gamal Mubarak to be his replacement; however, Gamal and his family have reportedly fled to the U.K. for safety. If the Mubarak government is overthrown will the Muslim Brotherhood fill his office with one of its own fulfilling Isaiah 19:4? The Muslim Brotherhood, presently banned in Egypt, hates Israel and supports Jihad against the Jewish State. Hamas, also participating against Israel in Psalm 83, is their political arm inside of the Gaza. Hamas, like the Muslim Brotherhood, calls for the destruction of Israel.
Will the present protests inside Egypt metastasize into the fulfillment of Isaiah 19? If so will the coming cruel leader be the one who leads Egypt into the Psalm 83:6-8 confederacy? All of this is unknown but entirely possible. One thing is for certain; the Middle East appears to be on the verge of going apocalyptic.
January 2011 has seen the governments of Lebanon, Tunisia, and Egypt become severely challenged. The government of Jordan is expected to be next. Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan are involved in Psalm 83 and Tunisia appears to take part in the Ezekiel 38 & 39 prophecy. It appears high time Christians familiarize themselves with the prophecies of Isaiah 19, Isaiah 17, Jeremiah 49, Psalm 83, and Ezekiel 38 & 39. These are a few of the world changing prophecies stage setting on the prophetic horizon.
Related read: Dr. Lawrence of India
Posted by AUTHOR / LECTURER at 8:30 AM
These are the days when the Bible is its own best commentary. Imagine Isaiah the prophet standing on the streets of Cairo today speaking in front of a mainstream news camera declaring:
The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 19:1-4, nkjv)
Like a swift moving cloud, Isaiah predicts the rapid deterioration of events in Egypt. Civil unrest causes Egyptians to fight against each other. This fighting spreads from household to household and grows into a kingdom war. Probably quoting Isaiah 19:2, Christ warned kingdoms would rise against each other in Matthew 24:7. Unlike nation coming against nation, which alludes to world wars, “kingdom against kingdom” refers to regional conflicts. Christ taught these prophecies would come upon the world like birth pains. Like a woman about to deliver her newborn, these events are foretold to come with increased frequency and intensity each building upon the other.
Rumors of regional kingdom wars presently abound in the Middle East. Egypt and Saudi Arabia reportedly conducted joint military exercises in 2010 preparing for a possible confrontation with Iran. Iran represents the Persian kingdom and Egypt and Saudi Arabia the Arab kingdom. Additionally, the apocalyptically minded president Ahmadinejad of Iran has threatened on several occasions to wipe Israel, representing the Jewish kingdom, off of the map.
Psalm 83 predicts the Arab kingdom will someday rise against the Jewish kingdom to banish the name of Israel forever. Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia along with eight other Arab populations join the Arab kingdom in this pending prophetic war.
Isaiah’s prognosis for Egypt worsens as you read the rest of his chapter nineteen. Isaiah 19:5-12 tells us unprecedented religious and economic strife plagues the nation according to the purposes of the Lord. Apparently, this disastrous condition befalls Egypt because of its future involvement in Psalm 83 since we read in Isaiah 19:16-18 that Israel will take over five cities in Egypt and cause Hebrew to be the spoken language inside their city limits. One of these cities will be called “the City of Destruction,” implying the I.D.F. destroys this city.
In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts which He has determined against it. In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. (Isaiah 19:16-18, nkjv)
Will the civil strife developing in Egypt cause the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, who supposedly has cancer and turns 83 on May 4, 2011? Many expected his son Gamal Mubarak to be his replacement; however, Gamal and his family have reportedly fled to the U.K. for safety. If the Mubarak government is overthrown will the Muslim Brotherhood fill his office with one of its own fulfilling Isaiah 19:4? The Muslim Brotherhood, presently banned in Egypt, hates Israel and supports Jihad against the Jewish State. Hamas, also participating against Israel in Psalm 83, is their political arm inside of the Gaza. Hamas, like the Muslim Brotherhood, calls for the destruction of Israel.
Will the present protests inside Egypt metastasize into the fulfillment of Isaiah 19? If so will the coming cruel leader be the one who leads Egypt into the Psalm 83:6-8 confederacy? All of this is unknown but entirely possible. One thing is for certain; the Middle East appears to be on the verge of going apocalyptic.
January 2011 has seen the governments of Lebanon, Tunisia, and Egypt become severely challenged. The government of Jordan is expected to be next. Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan are involved in Psalm 83 and Tunisia appears to take part in the Ezekiel 38 & 39 prophecy. It appears high time Christians familiarize themselves with the prophecies of Isaiah 19, Isaiah 17, Jeremiah 49, Psalm 83, and Ezekiel 38 & 39. These are a few of the world changing prophecies stage setting on the prophetic horizon.
Related read: Dr. Lawrence of India
Posted by AUTHOR / LECTURER at 8:30 AM
Judea & Samaria: What’s Legal?
October 22, 2010 by Lisa
I’ve written before about what is commonly called “The West Bank” and how this area really is the territory of Judea and Samaria. In that entry I asked my readers to remember just what territory the media is referring to when they say ‘The West Bank’ and to consider calling this territory “Judea and Samaria” instead. I also loosely addressed the issue of “occupation”, a term that the media also enjoys using when referencing the area of Judea and Samaria because of the image it puts into our minds.
Today there is much negative media coverage about the “settlers in the West Bank” and the fact that the building ban has been lifted so the settlers have begun to build. There is also much news about the harvest of the farmers crops being damaged and even schools, being damaged by zealous Jews.
I have wanted to shed a little more light on the matter of the West Bank for a while now, and today seems to be the day.
Prior to World War I the land of Israel was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. After the close of WWI, in April 1920, the four principle allied countries met together for a conference in San Remo, Italy to discuss the allocation of the former Ottoman Empire. New states were formed: Syria, Palestine (Israel & Jordan), Lebanon and parts of northern Mesopotamia was reserved as an independent Arab state or confederation of states. Syria and Mesopotamia became self-governing states and Israel/Jordan and Lebanon became mandates of Great Britain and France, respectively. As this agreement was a work in progress, it was two years before the League of Nations confirmed the council’s decisions with Turkey (what was left of the former Ottoman Empire) accepting the terms later on. See Mandate for Palestine
So this is how Great Britain became steward over the tiny land of Israel and the greater land of the Transjordan. Great Britain had desired to help establish a homeland for the Jewish people prior this time, as evidenced by The Government of His Majesty in 1917. You may recognize this statement by it’s name, The Balfour Declaration. Great Britain honored this declaration regarding Israel as they began working to establish this tiny wasteland as a home for the Jewish people while not displacing the current population – Arab or Jew. Jerusalem was made the capital city and the precise boundaries of this new homeland were left unspecified in 1917 but finalized in the Mandate for Palestine agreeing to give unbinding and irrevocable acknowledgement of Jewish sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, including Jerusalem.
The borders of Palestine (Israel) and Transjordan as eventually determined
What’s interesting to note about Israel at this time in history is that very few people lived there. This tiny bit of land was considered a wasteland to the majority of the world. I’m sure you have heard Mark Twain’s comment on The Land when he visited in 1867:
Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies… Palestine is desolate and unlovely… It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land… [a] desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds – a silent mournful expanse… A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action… We never saw a human being on the whole route… There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country…
Israel was not a robust or thriving metropolis, it did not even contain many cities with inhabitants. There were some Jewish communities and some Arab communities but overall life was incredibly difficult in The Land and few chose to dwell there. If you will notice in the map above, the Arabs were given a much greater piece of land on the east side of the Jordan River. The declarations and agreements that were made by the ruling parties clearly stated that the Arab population and the Jewish population were intended to dwell peacefully together, yet provision was made for them to migrate into separate nations if they choose to do so. The Arab leaders felt it was necessary to maintain a foothold in Jewish territory primarily because many zealous Arabs long to see the delegitimizing and ultimate destruction of not only a Jewish state but the Jewish people as a whole. You can see records of the Arab publications and media releases from 1948 as an example.
Modern Israel and Jordan
So, what’s with the “occupied” parts of the nation of Israel? Do you notice “the west bank” and “gaza” on this current map? What happened to the unbinding and irrevocable acknowledgement of Jewish sovereignty over all of Israel, including Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and Gaza that was part of the Palestinian Mandate that the League of Nations unanimously agreed to in 1920?
In 1946 the League of Nations became the United Nations and in 1948 Israel became it’s own independent state. As part of the agreement to recognize Israel as an independent state, Jordan demanded that Israel relinquish the territory of Judea and Samaria, and it’s title “The West Bank” was proposed by Jordan to distinguish this land as part of the Jordanian territory even though it was beyond it’s original border and was contrary to the Palestinian Mandate. After the War for Israel’s Independence in 1948, Jordan crowned King Abdulah as “King of Jerusalem” and he gave Palestinian Arabs and the Arabs of East Jerusalem Jordanian citizenship. From 1948 to 1967 this land was under Jordanian rule. The land was still sparsely inhabited as it was a difficult land to live in. However, it is a strategic bit of land that gives easy access to any attack on the nation of Israel (see video below). In 1967 Jordan retreated from the territory of Judea and Samaria, leaving it to Israel in the Six Day War. Jordan officially relinquished it’s claim to this land in 1988, stripping the Arab inhabitants of those territories of their Jordanian citizenship. Israel is the only nation that has laid claim to this land.
Who is occupying Judea and Samaria today?
Are the Jewish people “occupying” a land that they don’t have any right or claim to? Well, they are the ones the land was given to in 1920 and again in 1988. Judea and Samaria fall into a unique category in that it has never been it’s own independent state and there is no legitimate claim to the land by any body other than the ‘occupier’, which has been Israel since 1967 and recognized by their former occupier since 1988. These facts are ignored by the international community. It does seem strange, however, that a piece of land that wasn’t important to anyone before it became a homeland for the Jewish people, and was so sparsely populated even afterwards, all of the sudden became among the most highly valued territory in all the world and the primary obstacle to peace in the entire middle east region, at least the media would have us think so.
Is it illegal for Jewish settlers to build in Judea and Samaria? The truth is that no law has ever been passed by the United Nations or any other country that prohibits Israel from building homes in Judea, Samaria, Gaza or the East side of Jerusalem. Israel violates no law whatsoever when Jewish settlers build homes for themselves or other buildings necessary for their continued dwelling in their ancient homeland. The only violation that occurs with the renewed legal building in Judea and Samaria is the violation of the perception that the media and the Arab world would have us to believe. Why was there a building ban in the first place? It was part of an agreement that was intended to bring peace to the Middle East, just like the part the of the agreement that said Israel needed to withdraw it’s security forces from those same towns and districts that have experienced significant increases in bombings, shootings and terror as evidenced by recent terrorist activities targeting the Jewish settlers here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Paul Harvey used to say, “And now you know – the rest of the story”. While this surely isn’t the wholeness of ’the rest of the story’ it just might be part of the story you didn’t know before and it just might change how you view the Jewish Occupied Territory of Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem.
I’ve written before about what is commonly called “The West Bank” and how this area really is the territory of Judea and Samaria. In that entry I asked my readers to remember just what territory the media is referring to when they say ‘The West Bank’ and to consider calling this territory “Judea and Samaria” instead. I also loosely addressed the issue of “occupation”, a term that the media also enjoys using when referencing the area of Judea and Samaria because of the image it puts into our minds.
Today there is much negative media coverage about the “settlers in the West Bank” and the fact that the building ban has been lifted so the settlers have begun to build. There is also much news about the harvest of the farmers crops being damaged and even schools, being damaged by zealous Jews.
I have wanted to shed a little more light on the matter of the West Bank for a while now, and today seems to be the day.
Prior to World War I the land of Israel was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. After the close of WWI, in April 1920, the four principle allied countries met together for a conference in San Remo, Italy to discuss the allocation of the former Ottoman Empire. New states were formed: Syria, Palestine (Israel & Jordan), Lebanon and parts of northern Mesopotamia was reserved as an independent Arab state or confederation of states. Syria and Mesopotamia became self-governing states and Israel/Jordan and Lebanon became mandates of Great Britain and France, respectively. As this agreement was a work in progress, it was two years before the League of Nations confirmed the council’s decisions with Turkey (what was left of the former Ottoman Empire) accepting the terms later on. See Mandate for Palestine
So this is how Great Britain became steward over the tiny land of Israel and the greater land of the Transjordan. Great Britain had desired to help establish a homeland for the Jewish people prior this time, as evidenced by The Government of His Majesty in 1917. You may recognize this statement by it’s name, The Balfour Declaration. Great Britain honored this declaration regarding Israel as they began working to establish this tiny wasteland as a home for the Jewish people while not displacing the current population – Arab or Jew. Jerusalem was made the capital city and the precise boundaries of this new homeland were left unspecified in 1917 but finalized in the Mandate for Palestine agreeing to give unbinding and irrevocable acknowledgement of Jewish sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, including Jerusalem.
The borders of Palestine (Israel) and Transjordan as eventually determined
What’s interesting to note about Israel at this time in history is that very few people lived there. This tiny bit of land was considered a wasteland to the majority of the world. I’m sure you have heard Mark Twain’s comment on The Land when he visited in 1867:
Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies… Palestine is desolate and unlovely… It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land… [a] desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds – a silent mournful expanse… A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action… We never saw a human being on the whole route… There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country…
Israel was not a robust or thriving metropolis, it did not even contain many cities with inhabitants. There were some Jewish communities and some Arab communities but overall life was incredibly difficult in The Land and few chose to dwell there. If you will notice in the map above, the Arabs were given a much greater piece of land on the east side of the Jordan River. The declarations and agreements that were made by the ruling parties clearly stated that the Arab population and the Jewish population were intended to dwell peacefully together, yet provision was made for them to migrate into separate nations if they choose to do so. The Arab leaders felt it was necessary to maintain a foothold in Jewish territory primarily because many zealous Arabs long to see the delegitimizing and ultimate destruction of not only a Jewish state but the Jewish people as a whole. You can see records of the Arab publications and media releases from 1948 as an example.
Modern Israel and Jordan
So, what’s with the “occupied” parts of the nation of Israel? Do you notice “the west bank” and “gaza” on this current map? What happened to the unbinding and irrevocable acknowledgement of Jewish sovereignty over all of Israel, including Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and Gaza that was part of the Palestinian Mandate that the League of Nations unanimously agreed to in 1920?
In 1946 the League of Nations became the United Nations and in 1948 Israel became it’s own independent state. As part of the agreement to recognize Israel as an independent state, Jordan demanded that Israel relinquish the territory of Judea and Samaria, and it’s title “The West Bank” was proposed by Jordan to distinguish this land as part of the Jordanian territory even though it was beyond it’s original border and was contrary to the Palestinian Mandate. After the War for Israel’s Independence in 1948, Jordan crowned King Abdulah as “King of Jerusalem” and he gave Palestinian Arabs and the Arabs of East Jerusalem Jordanian citizenship. From 1948 to 1967 this land was under Jordanian rule. The land was still sparsely inhabited as it was a difficult land to live in. However, it is a strategic bit of land that gives easy access to any attack on the nation of Israel (see video below). In 1967 Jordan retreated from the territory of Judea and Samaria, leaving it to Israel in the Six Day War. Jordan officially relinquished it’s claim to this land in 1988, stripping the Arab inhabitants of those territories of their Jordanian citizenship. Israel is the only nation that has laid claim to this land.
Who is occupying Judea and Samaria today?
Are the Jewish people “occupying” a land that they don’t have any right or claim to? Well, they are the ones the land was given to in 1920 and again in 1988. Judea and Samaria fall into a unique category in that it has never been it’s own independent state and there is no legitimate claim to the land by any body other than the ‘occupier’, which has been Israel since 1967 and recognized by their former occupier since 1988. These facts are ignored by the international community. It does seem strange, however, that a piece of land that wasn’t important to anyone before it became a homeland for the Jewish people, and was so sparsely populated even afterwards, all of the sudden became among the most highly valued territory in all the world and the primary obstacle to peace in the entire middle east region, at least the media would have us think so.
Is it illegal for Jewish settlers to build in Judea and Samaria? The truth is that no law has ever been passed by the United Nations or any other country that prohibits Israel from building homes in Judea, Samaria, Gaza or the East side of Jerusalem. Israel violates no law whatsoever when Jewish settlers build homes for themselves or other buildings necessary for their continued dwelling in their ancient homeland. The only violation that occurs with the renewed legal building in Judea and Samaria is the violation of the perception that the media and the Arab world would have us to believe. Why was there a building ban in the first place? It was part of an agreement that was intended to bring peace to the Middle East, just like the part the of the agreement that said Israel needed to withdraw it’s security forces from those same towns and districts that have experienced significant increases in bombings, shootings and terror as evidenced by recent terrorist activities targeting the Jewish settlers here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Paul Harvey used to say, “And now you know – the rest of the story”. While this surely isn’t the wholeness of ’the rest of the story’ it just might be part of the story you didn’t know before and it just might change how you view the Jewish Occupied Territory of Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem.
The West Bank – what/where is it?
June 10, 2008 by Lisa
You’ve heard of “The West Bank” in news reports. Maybe you’re not so sure if it’s on the coast or inland so you’ve gazed at a map and see that it’s a decent size territory in Israel north of some body of water. What’s the big deal about the West Bank anyway, other than it’s part of the territory of Israel and it’s always in the news?
Do you know what is contained in the West Bank? Do you know WHY they refer to it as “The West Bank” and not by another phrase?
Take a look here and see what places are contained within the famous West Bank.
Let’s see – there’s the eastern section of the religious capital city Jerusalem, all of Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nabulus… This is the territory known in the Bible as Judea and Samaria. Now THAT makes more sense, doesn’t it? Judea and Samaria. Oh, okay. Now we know more about what and where this West Bank is. So why don’t they just call it that so the rest of us know what they’re talking about? Do you have any ideas? I’m wagering that it’s because people would get upset if they heard that certain people are wanting to take Judea and Samaria away from Israel. If it stays abstract, nobody really cares. Right?
Do you notice what the map says? “-Israeli occupied-” Do you know what that is intended to imply? That Israel does not belong there. You only occupy territory if you’re an invader. So let’s find out what happened. The West Bank was under Jordanian control for a while, it was called the West Bank of the Jordan River. During the Six-Day War in 1967 Israel captured this territory and it’s part of the nation of Israel still today. Wikipedia says this:
Prior to the First World War, the area now known as the West Bank was under Ottoman rule as part of the province of Syria. In the 1920 San Remo conference, the victorious Allied powers allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War saw the establishment of Israel in parts of the former Mandate, while the West Bank was captured and annexed by Jordan, who destroyed any existing Jewish villages. The 1949 Armistice Agreements defined its interim boundary. From 1948 until 1967, the area was under Jordanian rule, and Jordan did not officially relinquish its claim to the area until 1988. Jordan’s claim was never recognized by the international community. The West Bank was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War. With the exception of East Jerusalem it was not annexed by Israel. Most of the residents are Arabs, although large numbers of Israeli settlements have been built in the region.
In 1967 Israel was the conquering country of this territory but it wasn’t till 1988 that Jordan relinquished it’s claim to the territory? Still, 1988 was 20 years ago. Israel hasn’t officially annexed this territory yet, which seems to show that it’s a sensitive political move to do so. Only Israel has claims to this territory, as far as I know, and it is covered under Israeli law. As long as the West Bank has been a part of the country of Israel the Arabs living in that territory have remained and have not been asked (or forced) to leave. That was part of the 1948 request too, “Please don’t leave. Please be comfortable staying here in your homes and your cities. We can live and work together.” Still, the maps say “occupied”. Occupied? Of course they occupy it, it’s part of their territory. That’s like saying the US occupies Hawaii or Texas. Of course. So why say “occupy”? I’m wagering that it’s because it just feeds the anti-Israel cause.
So I ask you to join me in referring to this territory as it should be – this is the area of Judea and Samaria, part of the modern country of Israel. Many Arabs live there, they live in other parts of Israel as well. In the US we have people from other cultures and countries too, so we should understand what it’s like in Israel for there to be people of various nationalities living in one country. Next time you hear a news report concerning The West Bank, remember just what and where that is and remind yourself that “This is happening in Judea and Samaria”.
Some 500,000 Jews live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among 2.7 million Palestinians. Some want to push their neighbors into the sea and others want all the fighting to go away so they can make a living, raise their children and live a peaceful life in the land of their ancestors along side their neighbors.
You’ve heard of “The West Bank” in news reports. Maybe you’re not so sure if it’s on the coast or inland so you’ve gazed at a map and see that it’s a decent size territory in Israel north of some body of water. What’s the big deal about the West Bank anyway, other than it’s part of the territory of Israel and it’s always in the news?
Do you know what is contained in the West Bank? Do you know WHY they refer to it as “The West Bank” and not by another phrase?
Take a look here and see what places are contained within the famous West Bank.
Let’s see – there’s the eastern section of the religious capital city Jerusalem, all of Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nabulus… This is the territory known in the Bible as Judea and Samaria. Now THAT makes more sense, doesn’t it? Judea and Samaria. Oh, okay. Now we know more about what and where this West Bank is. So why don’t they just call it that so the rest of us know what they’re talking about? Do you have any ideas? I’m wagering that it’s because people would get upset if they heard that certain people are wanting to take Judea and Samaria away from Israel. If it stays abstract, nobody really cares. Right?
Do you notice what the map says? “-Israeli occupied-” Do you know what that is intended to imply? That Israel does not belong there. You only occupy territory if you’re an invader. So let’s find out what happened. The West Bank was under Jordanian control for a while, it was called the West Bank of the Jordan River. During the Six-Day War in 1967 Israel captured this territory and it’s part of the nation of Israel still today. Wikipedia says this:
Prior to the First World War, the area now known as the West Bank was under Ottoman rule as part of the province of Syria. In the 1920 San Remo conference, the victorious Allied powers allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War saw the establishment of Israel in parts of the former Mandate, while the West Bank was captured and annexed by Jordan, who destroyed any existing Jewish villages. The 1949 Armistice Agreements defined its interim boundary. From 1948 until 1967, the area was under Jordanian rule, and Jordan did not officially relinquish its claim to the area until 1988. Jordan’s claim was never recognized by the international community. The West Bank was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War. With the exception of East Jerusalem it was not annexed by Israel. Most of the residents are Arabs, although large numbers of Israeli settlements have been built in the region.
In 1967 Israel was the conquering country of this territory but it wasn’t till 1988 that Jordan relinquished it’s claim to the territory? Still, 1988 was 20 years ago. Israel hasn’t officially annexed this territory yet, which seems to show that it’s a sensitive political move to do so. Only Israel has claims to this territory, as far as I know, and it is covered under Israeli law. As long as the West Bank has been a part of the country of Israel the Arabs living in that territory have remained and have not been asked (or forced) to leave. That was part of the 1948 request too, “Please don’t leave. Please be comfortable staying here in your homes and your cities. We can live and work together.” Still, the maps say “occupied”. Occupied? Of course they occupy it, it’s part of their territory. That’s like saying the US occupies Hawaii or Texas. Of course. So why say “occupy”? I’m wagering that it’s because it just feeds the anti-Israel cause.
So I ask you to join me in referring to this territory as it should be – this is the area of Judea and Samaria, part of the modern country of Israel. Many Arabs live there, they live in other parts of Israel as well. In the US we have people from other cultures and countries too, so we should understand what it’s like in Israel for there to be people of various nationalities living in one country. Next time you hear a news report concerning The West Bank, remember just what and where that is and remind yourself that “This is happening in Judea and Samaria”.
Some 500,000 Jews live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among 2.7 million Palestinians. Some want to push their neighbors into the sea and others want all the fighting to go away so they can make a living, raise their children and live a peaceful life in the land of their ancestors along side their neighbors.
What Is The Prophetic Significance of Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate?
February 20th, 2011
by Dr. David Reagan
The Eastern Gate in the old walled city of Jerusalem has a very special place in my heart, for it was that gate which God used to open my eyes to His Prophetic Word.
The year was 1967. The occasion was the Six Day War. As the fate of the new state of Israel hung in the balance, I searched the newspapers daily for any information I could find about the war. The turning point came on June 7 when the Israeli army broke through the Lion’s Gate and returned control of the ancient city of Jerusalem to the Jewish people for the first time in 1,897 years.
A Mysterious Remark
The next day I read a fascinating news account about one of the Jewish commando groups that had been involved in the assault on the city. The article stated that some members of the group had suggested catching the Jordanian defenders of the city off guard by blowing open the sealed Eastern Gate. But the leader of the group, an Orthodox Jew, had vehemently protested the idea, stating that “the Eastern Gate can be opened only when the Messiah comes.”
That statement caught my eye. I wondered what the fellow was talking about. I knew nothing about the Eastern Gate except that it was the only gate of the city that led directly onto the Temple Mount. I was not aware that it was sealed, nor did I know that its opening was in any way Biblically linked to the return of the Messiah.
A Remarkable Prophecy
I decided to do some research on the matter, and that decision initiated my study of Bible prophecy. I had been attending church for 30 years, but like most Christians, I knew nothing about Bible prophecy. The topic was generally ignored by the preachers in the church I grew up in.
My concordance quickly directed me to the passage that the Orthodox Jew had alluded to. I found it in Ezekiel 44. The context is a supernatural tour the Lord is giving Ezekiel of the future Millennial Temple (40:1-3).
In chapter 43 the Lord gives Ezekiel a vision of God’s glory entering the Millennial Temple from the east, through the Eastern Gate. The Lord then says to Ezekiel:
“Son of Man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of my feet where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever” (43:7).
The Lord then reveals to Ezekiel that the Eastern Gate will be closed for public use and will be available only to a person who is described as “the prince” (44:3).
The identity of this prince is one of the mysteries of Bible prophecy. He certainly is not the Messiah, for he offers a sin offering for himself (45:22), and he has sons (46:16). Some have speculated he might be King David, but David will have a glorified, sinless body during the Millennium and thus would not need a sin offering. Most likely, he is a regent of King David, a prince in the flesh who is a descendant of David.
A Pre-fillment in Type
Bible prophecies often have a pre-fillment in symbolic type before their actual fulfillment in history. A good example is Antiochus Epiphanes who was a symbolic type of the Antichrist. Another example would be the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which was a symbolic type of the destruction Jerusalem will experience during the Great Tribulation.
In like manner, I believe the prophecy of Ezekiel 44:1 was pre-filled symbolically almost 500 years ago in 1517 when the Turks conquered Jerusalem under the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. He commanded that the city’s ancient walls be rebuilt, and in the midst of this rebuilding project, for some unknown reason, he ordered that the Eastern Gate be sealed up with stones.
Legends abound as to why Suleiman closed the Gate. The most believable one is that while the walls were being rebuilt, a rumor swept Jerusalem that the Messiah was coming. Suleiman called together some Jewish rabbis and asked them to tell him about the Messiah. They described the Messiah as a great military leader who would be sent by God from the east. He would enter the Eastern Gate and liberate the city from foreign control.
Suleiman then decided to put an end to Jewish hopes by ordering the Eastern Gate sealed. He also put a Muslim cemetery in front of the Gate, believing that no Jewish holy man would defile himself by walking through a Muslim cemetery.
Another Prophecy
The Jews believe the Eastern Gate will remain shut until the Messiah returns. I think they are correct.
Psalm 24:7-10 contains a prophecy about the Lord’s return. It reads as follows:
“Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”
This is clearly Second Coming imagery. The Lord is returning as a King ready for battle. And when He returns, the doors of one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem will open to receive Him. I believe this is speaking of the Eastern Gate which is now closed, for the Messiah is always pictured in Second Coming prophecies as returning from the east. For example, in the Second Coming passage in Isaiah 63:1-6 the Messiah is portrayed as coming to Jerusalem from the direction of Edom and Bozrah — areas to the east.
A Prophetic Symbol
The Eastern Gate has remained sealed now for almost 500 years, and the Muslim cemetery still blocks the entrance. The old walled city has eight gates, and the Eastern Gate, and it alone, is sealed — just as prophesied in Ezekiel 44. The world would call that an “amazing coincidence.” I call it a “God-incidence.”
I believe the Eastern Gate is proof positive that the Bible is the Word of God. Its sealing is clear evidence that we are living in the end times. The Gate awaits the return of the Messiah. Then and only then, will it be opened.
An Exciting Vision
I have a vision of what that glorious day will be like. It is related to the Lord’s First Coming. I believe Jesus is going to replay His triumphal entry into Jerusalem when He returns.
When He came the first time, Jesus rode a donkey from the Mount of Olives down into the Kidron Valley and up to the Eastern Gate where He entered the Temple Mount for His last days of teaching. As He made that ride, the Valley of Kidron was filled with thousands of admirers who had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus. They waved palm branches and chanted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Within a few days that same fickle crowd was shouting, “Crucify Him!”
We are told in Revelation 19 that when Jesus returns He will come as a victorious military conqueror, riding through the air on a supernatural white horse. In Isaiah 61 we are told that He will come from the east, and in Zechariah 14 we are told that he will touch ground on the Mount of Olives.
Revelation 19:14 says that all the Redeemed will come with the Lord. Think of it! You and I will be there to witness the Lord’s return. Zechariah 14 says He will speak a word that will supernaturally destroy the Anti-Christ and his forces.
Then, I believe we will witness a replay of the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. With angels hovering above and millions of the Redeemed filling the Kidron Valley, Jesus will ride up to the Eastern Gate on His white horse, and as He approaches the Gate, it will blow open. He will then enter the City of David, and to the triumphant shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David,” He will be crowned the Kings of kings and the Lord of lords.
by Dr. David Reagan
by Dr. David Reagan
The Eastern Gate in the old walled city of Jerusalem has a very special place in my heart, for it was that gate which God used to open my eyes to His Prophetic Word.
The year was 1967. The occasion was the Six Day War. As the fate of the new state of Israel hung in the balance, I searched the newspapers daily for any information I could find about the war. The turning point came on June 7 when the Israeli army broke through the Lion’s Gate and returned control of the ancient city of Jerusalem to the Jewish people for the first time in 1,897 years.
A Mysterious Remark
The next day I read a fascinating news account about one of the Jewish commando groups that had been involved in the assault on the city. The article stated that some members of the group had suggested catching the Jordanian defenders of the city off guard by blowing open the sealed Eastern Gate. But the leader of the group, an Orthodox Jew, had vehemently protested the idea, stating that “the Eastern Gate can be opened only when the Messiah comes.”
That statement caught my eye. I wondered what the fellow was talking about. I knew nothing about the Eastern Gate except that it was the only gate of the city that led directly onto the Temple Mount. I was not aware that it was sealed, nor did I know that its opening was in any way Biblically linked to the return of the Messiah.
A Remarkable Prophecy
I decided to do some research on the matter, and that decision initiated my study of Bible prophecy. I had been attending church for 30 years, but like most Christians, I knew nothing about Bible prophecy. The topic was generally ignored by the preachers in the church I grew up in.
My concordance quickly directed me to the passage that the Orthodox Jew had alluded to. I found it in Ezekiel 44. The context is a supernatural tour the Lord is giving Ezekiel of the future Millennial Temple (40:1-3).
In chapter 43 the Lord gives Ezekiel a vision of God’s glory entering the Millennial Temple from the east, through the Eastern Gate. The Lord then says to Ezekiel:
“Son of Man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of my feet where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever” (43:7).
The Lord then reveals to Ezekiel that the Eastern Gate will be closed for public use and will be available only to a person who is described as “the prince” (44:3).
The identity of this prince is one of the mysteries of Bible prophecy. He certainly is not the Messiah, for he offers a sin offering for himself (45:22), and he has sons (46:16). Some have speculated he might be King David, but David will have a glorified, sinless body during the Millennium and thus would not need a sin offering. Most likely, he is a regent of King David, a prince in the flesh who is a descendant of David.
A Pre-fillment in Type
Bible prophecies often have a pre-fillment in symbolic type before their actual fulfillment in history. A good example is Antiochus Epiphanes who was a symbolic type of the Antichrist. Another example would be the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which was a symbolic type of the destruction Jerusalem will experience during the Great Tribulation.
In like manner, I believe the prophecy of Ezekiel 44:1 was pre-filled symbolically almost 500 years ago in 1517 when the Turks conquered Jerusalem under the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. He commanded that the city’s ancient walls be rebuilt, and in the midst of this rebuilding project, for some unknown reason, he ordered that the Eastern Gate be sealed up with stones.
Legends abound as to why Suleiman closed the Gate. The most believable one is that while the walls were being rebuilt, a rumor swept Jerusalem that the Messiah was coming. Suleiman called together some Jewish rabbis and asked them to tell him about the Messiah. They described the Messiah as a great military leader who would be sent by God from the east. He would enter the Eastern Gate and liberate the city from foreign control.
Suleiman then decided to put an end to Jewish hopes by ordering the Eastern Gate sealed. He also put a Muslim cemetery in front of the Gate, believing that no Jewish holy man would defile himself by walking through a Muslim cemetery.
Another Prophecy
The Jews believe the Eastern Gate will remain shut until the Messiah returns. I think they are correct.
Psalm 24:7-10 contains a prophecy about the Lord’s return. It reads as follows:
“Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”
This is clearly Second Coming imagery. The Lord is returning as a King ready for battle. And when He returns, the doors of one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem will open to receive Him. I believe this is speaking of the Eastern Gate which is now closed, for the Messiah is always pictured in Second Coming prophecies as returning from the east. For example, in the Second Coming passage in Isaiah 63:1-6 the Messiah is portrayed as coming to Jerusalem from the direction of Edom and Bozrah — areas to the east.
A Prophetic Symbol
The Eastern Gate has remained sealed now for almost 500 years, and the Muslim cemetery still blocks the entrance. The old walled city has eight gates, and the Eastern Gate, and it alone, is sealed — just as prophesied in Ezekiel 44. The world would call that an “amazing coincidence.” I call it a “God-incidence.”
I believe the Eastern Gate is proof positive that the Bible is the Word of God. Its sealing is clear evidence that we are living in the end times. The Gate awaits the return of the Messiah. Then and only then, will it be opened.
An Exciting Vision
I have a vision of what that glorious day will be like. It is related to the Lord’s First Coming. I believe Jesus is going to replay His triumphal entry into Jerusalem when He returns.
When He came the first time, Jesus rode a donkey from the Mount of Olives down into the Kidron Valley and up to the Eastern Gate where He entered the Temple Mount for His last days of teaching. As He made that ride, the Valley of Kidron was filled with thousands of admirers who had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus. They waved palm branches and chanted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Within a few days that same fickle crowd was shouting, “Crucify Him!”
We are told in Revelation 19 that when Jesus returns He will come as a victorious military conqueror, riding through the air on a supernatural white horse. In Isaiah 61 we are told that He will come from the east, and in Zechariah 14 we are told that he will touch ground on the Mount of Olives.
Revelation 19:14 says that all the Redeemed will come with the Lord. Think of it! You and I will be there to witness the Lord’s return. Zechariah 14 says He will speak a word that will supernaturally destroy the Anti-Christ and his forces.
Then, I believe we will witness a replay of the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. With angels hovering above and millions of the Redeemed filling the Kidron Valley, Jesus will ride up to the Eastern Gate on His white horse, and as He approaches the Gate, it will blow open. He will then enter the City of David, and to the triumphant shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David,” He will be crowned the Kings of kings and the Lord of lords.
by Dr. David Reagan
The holiness of Israel
Written by Stan Goodenough
Posted on Thursday 6 January 2011
Some Christians are so bugged by Israel that they suffer in their health.
They are bugged at the Jews being “God’s Chosen People.” It irks them no end that their God calls Israel His “special treasure.” And as for Him referring to them as “a holy nation!” Well!
Also hard to stomach is the Almighty’s affixing of the name of their founding fathers to His own great and holy Name: He is forever “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He is “The God of Israel” and “The LORD God of the armies of Israel.”
He is not “The God of George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.” He is not known as “The God of England or the God of France.” And He most certainly does not go by the title “The God of the armies of NATO.”
Man! That really gets under some people’s skin – under some CHRISTIANS’ skin!
Apparently such Christians struggle with a sense of inferiority, lacking an understanding of what it means to have received “the spirit of adoption.” Israel being “the chosen” means they – these gentiles – must somehow be second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God.
Instead of recognizing and confronting their own fears, these Christians – who sadly are not few in number – look for reasons to discredit Israel: Today’s Jews surely cannot be the true physical descendants of those who were driven from the land 2000 years ago. They are fakes; their claim to having an ancient history in the Land of Israel is fraudulent.
Proof is to be found in the spiritual state of the nation today. Somehow forgetting the often-depraved state of their own countrymen – many of who likewise claim to be “Christian” – they point with shaking fingers at the immorality and corruption in Israel and declare with conviction:
“There’s nothing holy about them!”
Wrong, dear gentile onlooker and critic: Israel is holy. She is a holy nation. She is holy because God designated her as holy.
Because, simply put, there are two ways to be holy: The first is being holy by divine designation. That is, a vessel, object, person or nation is holy if it has been set-apart, or sanctified by God; has been given a God-ordained special and specific purpose.
The second meaning of being holy is as a verb. This way can exclusively be acted out by human beings: A person is holy if he behaves in a way that reflects the holiness of the Lord. “Be holy as I am holy.”
Israel is a holy nation first in the first sense of the word. From the calling out of Abraham Israel has been set apart by God; sanctified by His act and will, for His purposes. It’s entirely a God thing.
Israel’s holiness in this sense has to do with her calling, not her behavior. She is holy by dint of her designation.
Her behavior – the behavior of Jewish individuals and the behavior of the nation – where unholy, has never affected the nation’s set-apartness. It cannot. Her set-apartness is set in stone. God made it everlasting.
What her unholy behavior has and does affect is: a) how Israel reflects God to the world and, b) how God treats her and deals with her: Will she enjoy His blessing and dwell peaceably in the land He gave her forever, or will she labor under His curse far away in exile from it?
I am not, and never have been, blinded on the issue of national Israel’s spiritual state. Yes, the people who comprise this nation are sinners, just like the people who make up the South African nation and the American nation and every other nation on earth are sinners.
As in every other country, we have organized crime, murders, prostitution, burglary, drug peddling and abuse, cases of violent assault. The prisons are full. There is an aggressive homosexual movement here; abortion is widespread. And successive governments in Israel have been plagued (it seems increasingly) like “normal” democratic governments elsewhere. In all layers of the political echelon there has been corruption, abuse of office, immoral activity and cronyism.
However, there is also the other side. Millions of Israel’s Jews are truly God-fearing men, women and children. Their lives exhibit high standards of holy behavior often far exceeding those of great numbers of professing Christians ‘out there.’
Take the settlers. Yes, you heard me right. The settlers: those universally despised and hated Israelis who are portrayed as the worst villains of the piece; those “obstacles to peace” with the effrontery to build their homes and communities on “occupied Arab lands.”
Please note – I do not put this behavior in with Israel’s “sins.” And do you know why? Because the settlements are not an expression of sinfulness; they’re an expression of holiness, of faith.
Why? What do I mean?
It’s pretty straightforward: The Jews whose homes dot the Judean and Samarian hills are there (by and large) in obedience to the biblical command that they settle those lands. They take God at His word when He promises the territory to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s descendants forever – which they are. (How many Christians take God at His written word these days?) And they refuse to be intimidated off the land by a hysterical world accusing them of being occupiers because they know the charge to be untrue. They suffer no guilty conscience about being there because they are not guilty of anything. The accusation that they have stolen Arab land is, plainly and simply, false.
Let me tell you something: If the United States had proportionally as many truly God-fearing Christian citizens as Israel has truly God-fearing Jews that country would be unrecognizable from what it is today. America would truly be a city set on a hill.
Be that all as it may – let me make a profound statement that may shock some readers: Even if Israel, through the settlements, WAS guilty of building on Arab lands; even if Jews were stealing Arab lands, that behavior would not affect the holiness of Israel insofar as her separation for the purposes of God goes.
Get this. Israel is holy because she has a national calling. This never changed in the past when she became corrupt and even downright wicked and God drove her into exile. There were terribly painful consequences for her behavior, but that behavior did not negate her calling.
This, then, is another bedrock principle we need to keep in mind as we try and assess, understand, and seek to flow with God’s purposes for the Jewish people: Just as the Jews cannot forfeit ownership of the land of Israel by their behavior, so too can the Jews not forfeit their holy designation by their behavior.
I am thankful that the Jews in Samaria and Judea are NOT guilty of land theft; that the blame for the Arab-Israeli conflict cannot be laid at their doors. I am glad that I know the truth, that those lands have never been Arab lands; that they were illegally occupied by the Jordanians and before that they were under the British Mandate and before that they were part of the Ottoman Empire and before that they were part of different Muslim empires and Crusader kingdoms but they were NEVER Arab lands and they were never part of an Arab country called Palestine.
And way back, from time immemorial, long before the Islam-inspired Arabs came pouring out of Arabia to occupy the Middle East, these lands were Jewish.
By settling those lands today the Jews – members of that always holy nation – are living in obedience to God – are living holy lives.
This we should get straight.
Posted on Thursday 6 January 2011
Some Christians are so bugged by Israel that they suffer in their health.
They are bugged at the Jews being “God’s Chosen People.” It irks them no end that their God calls Israel His “special treasure.” And as for Him referring to them as “a holy nation!” Well!
Also hard to stomach is the Almighty’s affixing of the name of their founding fathers to His own great and holy Name: He is forever “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He is “The God of Israel” and “The LORD God of the armies of Israel.”
He is not “The God of George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.” He is not known as “The God of England or the God of France.” And He most certainly does not go by the title “The God of the armies of NATO.”
Man! That really gets under some people’s skin – under some CHRISTIANS’ skin!
Apparently such Christians struggle with a sense of inferiority, lacking an understanding of what it means to have received “the spirit of adoption.” Israel being “the chosen” means they – these gentiles – must somehow be second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God.
Instead of recognizing and confronting their own fears, these Christians – who sadly are not few in number – look for reasons to discredit Israel: Today’s Jews surely cannot be the true physical descendants of those who were driven from the land 2000 years ago. They are fakes; their claim to having an ancient history in the Land of Israel is fraudulent.
Proof is to be found in the spiritual state of the nation today. Somehow forgetting the often-depraved state of their own countrymen – many of who likewise claim to be “Christian” – they point with shaking fingers at the immorality and corruption in Israel and declare with conviction:
“There’s nothing holy about them!”
Wrong, dear gentile onlooker and critic: Israel is holy. She is a holy nation. She is holy because God designated her as holy.
Because, simply put, there are two ways to be holy: The first is being holy by divine designation. That is, a vessel, object, person or nation is holy if it has been set-apart, or sanctified by God; has been given a God-ordained special and specific purpose.
The second meaning of being holy is as a verb. This way can exclusively be acted out by human beings: A person is holy if he behaves in a way that reflects the holiness of the Lord. “Be holy as I am holy.”
Israel is a holy nation first in the first sense of the word. From the calling out of Abraham Israel has been set apart by God; sanctified by His act and will, for His purposes. It’s entirely a God thing.
Israel’s holiness in this sense has to do with her calling, not her behavior. She is holy by dint of her designation.
Her behavior – the behavior of Jewish individuals and the behavior of the nation – where unholy, has never affected the nation’s set-apartness. It cannot. Her set-apartness is set in stone. God made it everlasting.
What her unholy behavior has and does affect is: a) how Israel reflects God to the world and, b) how God treats her and deals with her: Will she enjoy His blessing and dwell peaceably in the land He gave her forever, or will she labor under His curse far away in exile from it?
I am not, and never have been, blinded on the issue of national Israel’s spiritual state. Yes, the people who comprise this nation are sinners, just like the people who make up the South African nation and the American nation and every other nation on earth are sinners.
As in every other country, we have organized crime, murders, prostitution, burglary, drug peddling and abuse, cases of violent assault. The prisons are full. There is an aggressive homosexual movement here; abortion is widespread. And successive governments in Israel have been plagued (it seems increasingly) like “normal” democratic governments elsewhere. In all layers of the political echelon there has been corruption, abuse of office, immoral activity and cronyism.
However, there is also the other side. Millions of Israel’s Jews are truly God-fearing men, women and children. Their lives exhibit high standards of holy behavior often far exceeding those of great numbers of professing Christians ‘out there.’
Take the settlers. Yes, you heard me right. The settlers: those universally despised and hated Israelis who are portrayed as the worst villains of the piece; those “obstacles to peace” with the effrontery to build their homes and communities on “occupied Arab lands.”
Please note – I do not put this behavior in with Israel’s “sins.” And do you know why? Because the settlements are not an expression of sinfulness; they’re an expression of holiness, of faith.
Why? What do I mean?
It’s pretty straightforward: The Jews whose homes dot the Judean and Samarian hills are there (by and large) in obedience to the biblical command that they settle those lands. They take God at His word when He promises the territory to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s descendants forever – which they are. (How many Christians take God at His written word these days?) And they refuse to be intimidated off the land by a hysterical world accusing them of being occupiers because they know the charge to be untrue. They suffer no guilty conscience about being there because they are not guilty of anything. The accusation that they have stolen Arab land is, plainly and simply, false.
Let me tell you something: If the United States had proportionally as many truly God-fearing Christian citizens as Israel has truly God-fearing Jews that country would be unrecognizable from what it is today. America would truly be a city set on a hill.
Be that all as it may – let me make a profound statement that may shock some readers: Even if Israel, through the settlements, WAS guilty of building on Arab lands; even if Jews were stealing Arab lands, that behavior would not affect the holiness of Israel insofar as her separation for the purposes of God goes.
Get this. Israel is holy because she has a national calling. This never changed in the past when she became corrupt and even downright wicked and God drove her into exile. There were terribly painful consequences for her behavior, but that behavior did not negate her calling.
This, then, is another bedrock principle we need to keep in mind as we try and assess, understand, and seek to flow with God’s purposes for the Jewish people: Just as the Jews cannot forfeit ownership of the land of Israel by their behavior, so too can the Jews not forfeit their holy designation by their behavior.
I am thankful that the Jews in Samaria and Judea are NOT guilty of land theft; that the blame for the Arab-Israeli conflict cannot be laid at their doors. I am glad that I know the truth, that those lands have never been Arab lands; that they were illegally occupied by the Jordanians and before that they were under the British Mandate and before that they were part of the Ottoman Empire and before that they were part of different Muslim empires and Crusader kingdoms but they were NEVER Arab lands and they were never part of an Arab country called Palestine.
And way back, from time immemorial, long before the Islam-inspired Arabs came pouring out of Arabia to occupy the Middle East, these lands were Jewish.
By settling those lands today the Jews – members of that always holy nation – are living in obedience to God – are living holy lives.
This we should get straight.
Egypt: What’s happening, and where could it be headed?
Posted on Monday 31 January 2011
How quickly the world can be turned upside down. The political map of the Middle East is being revised almost more rapidly than analysts can describe what is taking place.
Most news watchers will have followed the events since the fire that Mohammed Bouazizzi ignited with his body on December 17; the desperate act that lead to the violent overthrow of Tunisia’s dictatorial regime in what became known as the Jasmine Revolution – set new fires across our region.
One month after the Tunisian’s self-immolation, four Egyptians copied him. The initial result of their attempted suicides was the same: Hundreds of thousands of Egypt’s 80 million-strong population poured into the streets, protesting and rioting in their effort to terminate with immediate effect the 30-year-long rule of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.
At the time of writing, Egypt is poised for further convulsion in a seventh day of riots and protests, organizers hope will culminate in a “million man march.” Mubarak is said to now be clinging to what could be his last moments in power and could have to face off against Mohammed ElBaradei - the Nobel Prize for Peace Laureate, recognized for his work as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. ElBaradei stood in a crowded Cairo square Sunday evening, demanding the immediate and unconditional departure of the president and all those associated with him.
A couple of weeks ago Israelis were anxiously following developments to the north, where the Iranian-founded Hizb’allah has maneuvered to upgrade its control over Lebanon. With that situation still in flux, Israeli eyes have nervously swung around to watch the mushrooming potential for an equally threatening development on their southern doorstep.
When the protests erupted on January 25, Israeli analysts were almost dismissive, positive that Mubarak would quickly crush the dissidents. How wrong could they be?
In fact, Israel’s new chief of Military Intelligence has been hauled over the coals in the local press for his failure to foresee what has happened. In his debut appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the very day protests began in Egypt, Major-General Aviv Kochavi’s assessment was that Mubarak’s regime was not under threat.
Six days later, in both Jerusalem and Washington, everything was being revised. Statements and assessments from recent months, and policies and approaches that have been in place for years – the whole lot’s under review.
Here in Israel consternation is acute. Eager to not antagonize Mubarak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his government to keep quiet on the crisis, and has called on the international community to curb criticism of the Egyptian leader. Jerusalem has observed with unease how the tune out of Washington DC has changed, from initially defending Mubarak as “no dictator” who should be secured in power to now officially talking about the need for transition to a new leadership.
Why so concerned?
For more than 30 years, a peace agreement has been in place between Israel and Egypt.
Israelis have called it a “cold peace,” at least from the Egyptian side, where Mubarak himself has helped keep alive the deeply rooted hostility towards the Jewish state.
Despite this, the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty has worked to maintain a state of quiet along their common border even as tensions have ebbed and flowed between Israel and nations to the north, and east – Lebanon, Syria, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, and Jordan, until the peace agreement with that state in 1994.
For Israel, which has had to fight a war at least once every decade and is constantly anticipating the next one, not having to spend its strung out military resources in the south has been a big deal.
More than this, the Egyptians have been richly rewarded for signing that peace treaty: The United States has poured billions of dollars worth of military equipment and know-how into the country, transforming the Egyptian army into the mightiest Arab force in existence today.
The fear is that if Mubarak is taken down, the peace treaty will be swept away. The long-suppressed but well entrenched Muslim Brotherhood may ascend to some level of power – possibly as part of a new coalition government. And everything will change.
According to Fox News Monday evening, a source “at the highest level of government in Israel” said “they are terrified that Egypt will become another Iran on the southern border.” Israel could suddenly find itself facing an Arab version of the its Persian foe – a powerfully armed (by America!) and well-trained Islamist state eager to ally with – even once again lead – Syria and Lebanon into war against the Jewish state. And all backed by Turkey, Iraq and an, about-to-go-nuclear, Iran.
The transformation is happening as we speak. Israel’s news media has already reported that a regime change in Cairo may force the IDF to boost its forces in the south.
And the latest news: Israel has agreed to allow Egyptian troops to enter the Sinai for the first time since 1979. By helping the Egyptian leader secure himself against the popular uprising it appears Israel has decided to take a stand on Mubarak’s side.
No one seems to know how things are going to turn out. Some experts say Mubarak will manage to hold on until his term expires at the end of this year and then hand over the reins to the man he swore in as Vice President – former spy chief Omar Suleiman.
Others, knowing how volatile the Arab world can be, are bracing for the worst-case scenario described above.
It could suddenly become the new reality facing Israel and the West.
How quickly the world can be turned upside down. The political map of the Middle East is being revised almost more rapidly than analysts can describe what is taking place.
Most news watchers will have followed the events since the fire that Mohammed Bouazizzi ignited with his body on December 17; the desperate act that lead to the violent overthrow of Tunisia’s dictatorial regime in what became known as the Jasmine Revolution – set new fires across our region.
One month after the Tunisian’s self-immolation, four Egyptians copied him. The initial result of their attempted suicides was the same: Hundreds of thousands of Egypt’s 80 million-strong population poured into the streets, protesting and rioting in their effort to terminate with immediate effect the 30-year-long rule of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.
At the time of writing, Egypt is poised for further convulsion in a seventh day of riots and protests, organizers hope will culminate in a “million man march.” Mubarak is said to now be clinging to what could be his last moments in power and could have to face off against Mohammed ElBaradei - the Nobel Prize for Peace Laureate, recognized for his work as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. ElBaradei stood in a crowded Cairo square Sunday evening, demanding the immediate and unconditional departure of the president and all those associated with him.
A couple of weeks ago Israelis were anxiously following developments to the north, where the Iranian-founded Hizb’allah has maneuvered to upgrade its control over Lebanon. With that situation still in flux, Israeli eyes have nervously swung around to watch the mushrooming potential for an equally threatening development on their southern doorstep.
When the protests erupted on January 25, Israeli analysts were almost dismissive, positive that Mubarak would quickly crush the dissidents. How wrong could they be?
In fact, Israel’s new chief of Military Intelligence has been hauled over the coals in the local press for his failure to foresee what has happened. In his debut appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the very day protests began in Egypt, Major-General Aviv Kochavi’s assessment was that Mubarak’s regime was not under threat.
Six days later, in both Jerusalem and Washington, everything was being revised. Statements and assessments from recent months, and policies and approaches that have been in place for years – the whole lot’s under review.
Here in Israel consternation is acute. Eager to not antagonize Mubarak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his government to keep quiet on the crisis, and has called on the international community to curb criticism of the Egyptian leader. Jerusalem has observed with unease how the tune out of Washington DC has changed, from initially defending Mubarak as “no dictator” who should be secured in power to now officially talking about the need for transition to a new leadership.
Why so concerned?
For more than 30 years, a peace agreement has been in place between Israel and Egypt.
Israelis have called it a “cold peace,” at least from the Egyptian side, where Mubarak himself has helped keep alive the deeply rooted hostility towards the Jewish state.
Despite this, the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty has worked to maintain a state of quiet along their common border even as tensions have ebbed and flowed between Israel and nations to the north, and east – Lebanon, Syria, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, and Jordan, until the peace agreement with that state in 1994.
For Israel, which has had to fight a war at least once every decade and is constantly anticipating the next one, not having to spend its strung out military resources in the south has been a big deal.
More than this, the Egyptians have been richly rewarded for signing that peace treaty: The United States has poured billions of dollars worth of military equipment and know-how into the country, transforming the Egyptian army into the mightiest Arab force in existence today.
The fear is that if Mubarak is taken down, the peace treaty will be swept away. The long-suppressed but well entrenched Muslim Brotherhood may ascend to some level of power – possibly as part of a new coalition government. And everything will change.
According to Fox News Monday evening, a source “at the highest level of government in Israel” said “they are terrified that Egypt will become another Iran on the southern border.” Israel could suddenly find itself facing an Arab version of the its Persian foe – a powerfully armed (by America!) and well-trained Islamist state eager to ally with – even once again lead – Syria and Lebanon into war against the Jewish state. And all backed by Turkey, Iraq and an, about-to-go-nuclear, Iran.
The transformation is happening as we speak. Israel’s news media has already reported that a regime change in Cairo may force the IDF to boost its forces in the south.
And the latest news: Israel has agreed to allow Egyptian troops to enter the Sinai for the first time since 1979. By helping the Egyptian leader secure himself against the popular uprising it appears Israel has decided to take a stand on Mubarak’s side.
No one seems to know how things are going to turn out. Some experts say Mubarak will manage to hold on until his term expires at the end of this year and then hand over the reins to the man he swore in as Vice President – former spy chief Omar Suleiman.
Others, knowing how volatile the Arab world can be, are bracing for the worst-case scenario described above.
It could suddenly become the new reality facing Israel and the West.
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