(There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.)
The recent events in Syria and a statement made in a recent article by Amir Tsarfati in Harbingers Daily have caused me to consider anew Ezekiel 38 and its possible ramifications as far as verses 10 and 11.
Having watched Israel and studying God’s Word for 30+ years, I have always wondered how the following verse would come to pass given the repeated attacks on them.
“This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a quiet people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates—’” (Ezekiel 38:10-11). Emphasis added by me.
I have never wondered if it would come to pass, as that is a foregone conclusion; for God’s Word is never inaccurate.
But ‘how‘ it would come about? That was one of those verses that I decided would become clear (or clearer), as the fulfillment of them drew near.
From the time after Solomon’s rule and the dividing of the one kingdom into two separate kingdoms, Israel has never really lived in peace and safety.
Their disobedience to God led to the conditions described in the Old Testament.
That turmoil increased markedly after they rejected their Messiah Jesus at His first advent.
As Jesus looked out over Jerusalem, He described what the prevailing future condition of Israel would be. To varying degrees during the ensuing years, as one would expect, that has been the case.
“See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Luke 13:35).
As Jesus foretold in all three synoptic Gospels, this prophecy became a terrible reality in AD 70 when Roman armies under Titus destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, the city itself, and then disbursed the Israelites across the then known world.
“And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down’” (Mark 13:2 – Also Matthew 24:2 and Luke 21:6).
Certainly, Israel has never really been ‘dwelling in safety’ since God brought about the miracle of its rebirth on 14 May, 1948.
Israel was reborn both physically and politically as the Lord promised (Isaiah 66:7-9) but in unbelief. (Read Ezekiel 37 – The valley of dry bones.)
While we might not describe present-day conditions in Israel “desolate” in physical terms, they are in spiritual terms.
To this day, as a State, they still reject their Messiah.
Be that as it may, they are still God’s people, and He remains faithful to them.
“God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
Since then, Israel has been attacked repeatedly by their enemies who have the same evil, unwarranted, unchanging, and unattainable goal:
“Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:4).
Despite appearances of moderation by some of their enemies, nothing has changed, at least in the antipathy of most of the “leadership” of these nations.
While the modern-day State of Israel has prospered materially and has one of the most powerful militaries on earth (and certainly in the Middle East), they are not able to completely drop their guard and experience true peace. They are perpetually in a state of cautious anticipation of the next attack.
I was in Israel in 2012 and had a chance to converse with some IDF troops. If you want to get the pulse of a situation, talk to the troops. They “just want peace,” I was told, and they are “desperate” for it. I completely believe them.
Now, along comes the overthrow of Bashar Assad. The ancient Syrian capital city of Damascus is now, after 50+years, under new management, but by who?
Taken from Harbingers Daily, Amir Tsarfati: In These Historic Times, God Is Working And Maneuvering In The Middle East, 12 Dec. 2024.
“As I mentioned earlier, the north is now back open for Israeli citizens to move home. Not all are ready to do so, but they can if they want. If you had told me a few months ago that by December both Hamas and Hezbollah would be gone, I would have told you that you were dreaming. But this is what we see. Both terrorist groups are decimated to the point of being non-threats. That doesn’t mean Israel will give up hunting down threats. It’s just that we no longer have to worry about an invasion from the north or the south.” Emphasis added by me.
Link to the entire article: https://harbingersdaily.com/in-these-historic-times-god-is-working-and-maneuvering-in-the-middle-east/
In addition to the other excellent points, Amir rightly points out that these events, as they apply to Damascus, are not a fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1.
His article quoted above, which I emphasized in bold, caused me to consider the possibility that these circumstances could lead to the condition described by Ezekiel 38:11, referencing the Jews adopting a sense of security in their own strength and dropping their guard.
This Hebrew word for ‘dwell’ (Y’ashab) has numerous possible applications, but in Strong’s Concordance, word number 3427, the first definition is “to sit down (spec. as judgment in ambush, in quiet).
Could these recent events in Syria be a precursor to the “land of unwalled villages” and the invasion (Gog/Magog) that will come out of the North because of the evil thought that will cause it to happen?
Could the “hook” of Ezekiel 38:4 be that the Russians stand to lose their only warm water seaport that they built in Tartus at huge expense, not to mention the embarrassment of an army of so-called” rebels” challenging Russia’s power and authority? Despite appearances, Russia is no friend of the Jews and likely blames them, without merit, for all their Middle East problems.
Russia is already heavily invested in the war in Ukraine, and the surprise of Syria puts them in a precarious condition. Precarious conditions often result in desperate actions.
We can only wonder and watch as things develop and expand, but we wonder in the light of God’s Sovereignty.
While Hamas and Hezbollah may be effectively defeated at this point, the attitudes of the survivors of those groups and their determination and hatred against Israel have not changed.
This has been proven time and time again, and God’s Word makes it clear that this strife is not over until the Jews cry out to Him, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”
Unfortunately, Israel will still be invaded out of the North by this Gog/Magog coalition (Ezekiel 38:6), but this time the Lord Himself will fight for Israel. (Note: this is not the battle of Armageddon.)
Meanwhile: I couldn’t agree more with Amir that God is “working and maneuvering” in the Middle East.
The sudden, out-of-the-blue overthrow of the Syrian government, as well as Israel’s tactical wisdom in quickly moving to control the Golan, is nothing less than astonishing.
It is not surprising that the purposes of God will be established, but it is still astonishing to be sure!
We know from God’s Word that Israel and specifically Jerusalem will continue to be front-and-center in the events of world history until His-story is completed by Him in all His Glory at the final battle in the Valley of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).
“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
Let God’s Will be done.
The special message I promised you:
For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life.
You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding.
It requires that you come before God on His terms and that you do so in your living years.
And, what are His terms according to His Word?
- Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him).
- Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God).
- That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
- To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt.
- Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross and rose from the grave three days later, conquering death, just as He promised.
- To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.
God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.
- No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one.
- No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will.
- Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.
If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will.
“Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life” (John 5:24).
There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. There is only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.
The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God, with all your heart, He will hear you.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
Pro Salvator Vigilans
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