Before the watchful eyes of the world, Israel is presently procuring portions of the Promised Land in what appears to be a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. As this unfolds, prospects for a Palestinian state are diminishing, while antisemitism is escalating—highlighting the inability of the international community to reverse the course.
The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria and Mideast wars between Israel versus Iran and its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, coupled with uprisings by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, have provoked Israel to enlarge its borders for national security reasons.
As you read the rest of this article, realize that, firstly, these boundary expansions are located within the territories promised to the twelve tribes of Israel. Secondly, Israel’s land gains are generally accompanied by evacuation notifications, then followed by severe demolitions of the targeted cities and villages. Thirdly, in light of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, it’s likely that Israel will never voluntarily relinquish any of these newly acquired territories.
Israeli Expansion Into Syria In December 2024
Following the flight of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel nullified the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria and extended its reach into Syria beyond the Golan Heights.
On December 8, 2024, the Associated Press reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were moving to control a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian territory adjacent to the Golan Heights. Israel’s move was to prevent a security vacuum in the aftermath of Assad’s fall for some of the following reasons:
- to avoid cross-border terrorist invasions,
- to enable preemptive defense,
- for protection against Iran-backed groups, specifically Hezbollah, from taking over territory previously controlled by the Syrian military.
The Golan Heights, formerly known as biblical Bashan, and much, if not all, of this Israeli-controlled buffer zone, is territory that is promised to the tribe of Manasseh. The main passages that describe the half-tribe of Manasseh’s land, especially the part in Bashan that includes the Golan area, are these:
- Deuteronomy 3:13 — Moses gives the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
- Joshua 13:29-31 — Details their eastern territory: from Mahanaim, all of Bashan, the 60 towns of Jair, and half of Gilead.
- Numbers 32:33 — Moses assigns them the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, along with Reuben and Gad.
Israeli Expansion Into Gaza in October 2025
Since the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, Israel has been expanding its control into the Gaza Strip using a “Yellow Line” as a demarcation border. It is marked by yellow-painted concrete blocks. While this line was originally intended to mark the boundary of an Israeli military withdrawal, it has become a “creeping” or shifting border that has, on multiple occasions, been moved deeper into the Gaza Strip.
Initially, the “Yellow Line” placed about 53% of the Gaza Strip under Israeli control. In December 2025, Israel began moving the yellow concrete blocks further west, creating a “de facto partition” of the territory. By early 2026, Israel was strengthening this line with earth berms and concrete outposts, transforming it from a temporary ceasefire line into a permanent security boundary.
The main passages that point out Gaza is to be given as the inheritance to the tribe of Judah are identified below.
- Joshua 15:20, 47 — Informs that Gaza is to be given as the inheritance to the tribe of the children of Judah and their families.
- Zephaniah 2:4-7 — Foretells Gaza and that portion of the Mediterranean seacoast will be designated for pastures, with shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks for the remnant of the house of Judah. It says, “They will feed their flocks” there, which happens during the Messianic Kingdom.
- Obadiah 1:19 — Says, “Those living in the foothills of Judah will possess the Philistine plains,” which would include Gaza.
Israeli Expansion Into Lebanon in April 2026
Israel began establishing its “yellow line” zone in southern Lebanon on or around April 18, 2026. The zone acts as a buffer strip to prevent access by Hezbollah into the northern border of Israel and to secure control, similar to the strategies employed in Gaza.
The area spans approximately 55 Lebanese towns and villages, including the Qana gas field in the Mediterranean. It functions as a “sterile zone,” where Israeli forces have carried out systematic demolitions and infrastructure clearing to maintain control, dismantle Hezbollah’s capabilities, and force its presence north of the Litani River—about 20 miles from the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Moreover, on March 23, 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made a definitive statement reported by The Times of Israel, calling for Israel to extend its official borders to the Litani River. He argued that the ongoing military campaign must result in a “radical change” to Israel’s geography to ensure long-term security. He compared the waterway to the Yellow Line in Gaza and IDF-held buffer zone in Syria.
Smotrich’s comments actually align with the land promised to the tribe of Asher, which will include the cities of Sidon, Tyre, and Sarafand (biblical Zarephath). As the “yellow line” map above illustrates, both Tyre and Sarafand are south of the Litani River.
- Joshua 19:24-31 — Allots twenty-two cities with their villages existing at the time, including the sister cities Sidon and Tyre.
- Obadiah 1:20 — Tell us the Israelis will “occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath,” which is modern-day Sarafand. This land will belong to the tribe of Asher.
Israeli Expansion Into the West Bank (Biblical Judea and Samaria) 2025-2026
Presently, Israel is systematically legalizing dozens of settlements throughout the West Bank, which is the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. The current Israeli government, which took office in 2022, has formally approved over 100 new settlements and authorized around 200, representing a significant acceleration in settlement activity.
On August 20, 2025, an Israeli defense ministry committee gave final approval for a controversial settlement project in the E1 zone. The plan involves building 3,400 new housing units between East Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, a move widely viewed as a major threat to a contiguous Palestinian state.
On December 21, 2025, reports confirmed that Israel’s security cabinet approved the creation or formal recognition of 19 new Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.
In April 2026, the Israeli security cabinet approved another 34 new settlements in the West Bank in a single, record-setting decision. This April 2026 authorization includes retroactively legalizing existing outposts and establishing new ones, deepening the Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria.
The Bible primarily identifies the region of Samaria as the central inheritance of the descendants of Joseph, specifically divided between the tribes of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh (west of the Jordan), as part of a double portion blessing.
The biblical foundation and context from which to come to this conclusion are found in the following passages.
- Genesis 48:5, 19-20 — Jacob (Israel) adopted Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own, giving them the status of tribes and ensuring they received the birthright share of the land.
- Joshua 16:1–4 — Defines the allotment for the “descendants of Joseph” (Ephraim and West Manasseh), tracing its borders from the Jordan near Jericho through the hill country.
- Joshua 16:5–9 — Specifically outlines the borders of the territory given to the tribe of Ephraim.
- Obadiah 1:19 — Specifies that Israel will possess the fields of Ephraim and Samaria.
- Joshua 15:1-12 — Details the boundaries of the land inheritance for the tribe of Judah, marking it as a protected southern area.
Israeli Expansion in Obadiah 1:19-20
Some, but not all, of the lands Israel will possess, as per Obadiah 1:19-20, have already been identified in this article. The full extent of the territories Obadiah allocates is displayed in the image.
“The South (Negev) shall possess the mountains of Esau, And the Lowland (Shephelah) shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim And the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captives of this host of the children of Israel Shall possess the land of the Canaanites As far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Shall possess the cities of the South” (Obadiah 1:19-20).
Conclusion
In Genesis 15:18, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.” This enormous amount of land is approximately 36 times the size of modern-day Israel, which measures about 8,630 square miles—an area roughly the size of New Jersey.
When Jesus Christ returns to establish His Messianic Kingdom during the Millennium, He will give all of this Promised Land to Israel, but as this article suggests, some of this land is already becoming sovereign to the Jewish state. In my book and DVD entitled The Future War Prophecies, I point out that Israel is about to annex Jordan, as per Jeremiah 49:2 and Zephaniah 2:8-9, as well as five cities in Egypt, according to Isaiah 19:16-18.
Thus, this pattern of Israel seizing the Holy Land appears to be just beginning.
Prophecy Depot Ministries
www.prophecydepotministries.net
The post Israel is Seizing the Holy Land :: By Dr. Bill Salus appeared first on Rapture Ready.
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