ISRAEL UNDER ATTACK
By Paul M Hanssen
Israel is presently under attack, yet once again. This is nothing new. The haters of the State of Israel surround them on every front. What we are witnessing today is part of the stage being set for the appearing of the false Messiah, namely the Antichrist. When Antichrist comes on the scene as the redeemer of Israel and the uniter of nations, he will be received as Israel’s Messiah. He will be the designer of peace treaties at a time of extreme war and opposition against Israel.
Israel is God’s prophetic ‘timeclock’. As we presently watch the events unfold in Israel, we are witnessing Biblical prophecy come to pass before our eyes. The present attack on Israel is also part of God’s prophetic fulfillment. Various portions of prophetic scripture focus on ‘End-Time Israel’ such as Ezekiel 38-39. This portion of scripture predicts a powerful confederacy of nations that will be led by Russia in an attack and an invasion of Israel. However, there is a Psalm written by Asaph, King David’s worship leader (who was also called a seer/prophet in 2 Chronicles 29:30), that prophesies of a multi-nation attack on Israel. This Psalm was not written during a time of war, but rather during a time of peace and prosperity. It is evident that Asaph’s inspired Psalm had nothing to do with his present-day, but rather peered into a future time that was yet to come. What we are witnessing today in Israel could be the unfolding of Psalm 83.
Keep not thou silence, O God: 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. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted 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 (Psalm 83:1-4).
The goal and mission of Iranian backed Hamas, the governing body of the Palestinians, is to annihilate Israel and bring the State of Israel to nothing. Hamas does not stand alone in this endeavor. They have the support of militarily strong and powerful nations. As Asaph predicted, we are, today, witnessing the “crafty counsel” that has been enacted against Israel. The attack on Israel was so crafty (cunning and subtle) that Israeli intelligence had no knowledge of the coming attack. This is unprecedented and is an intelligence breach that has never before been witnessed during Israel’s 75-year history in the Modern Era.
Hamas would never have been able to undertake the present attack against Israel without the confederacy of supporting nations. Asaph prophesied a ten-nation confederacy that stands, or will stand, together against the State of Israel.
For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah (Psalm 83:5-8).
·Tabernacles of Edom: Palestinians and Southern Jordanians
·Ishmaelites: Saudis (Ishmael is the father of the Arabs)
·Moab: Palestinians and Central Jordanians
·Hagarenes: Egyptians (Hagar is the matriarch of Egypt)
·Gebal(Byblos): Hezbollah and Northern Lebanese
·Ammon: Palestinians and Northern Jordanians
·Amalek: Arabs of the Sinai area
·Philistia: Hamas of the Gaza Strip
·Tyre: Hezbollah and Southern Lebanese
· Assyria: Syrians and Northern Iraqi’s
(Source: Messianic Bible prophecy)
Not every nation of the ten-member coalition is believed to be involved in the current attack on Israel. However, this confederacy is woven together in one form or another with a common cause – the hatred of God’s chosen people.
O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth (Psalm 83:13-18).
Asaph’s prayer should also be the prayer upon the lips of everyone who loves Israel and stands with the people of God. Asaph’s prayer was for God’s hand to move like a storm of wind and a blazing fire. His prayer was not sadistic, it was not spoken with a heart of revenge, it was not penned for the sake of bringing fear or even destruction. No, the ultimate goal of Asaph’s prophetic prayer was for the confederate enemies of Israel to come to know the power of the name of the LORD. Ultimately, every prophecy concerning Israel is for the LORD God’s eternal and all-powerful Name to be known in the earth. Ultimately, it is all about the glory of God and the honor of His Name.
Pray for Israel. We are drawing closer and closer to the false Messiah’s appearing on the stage of history. Therefore, we are also drawing closer and closer to the appearing of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, when He is revealed in the clouds of glory and calls His overcoming saints into His presence.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).
-Paul M Hanssen