Psalms 83

This passage is referenced by many as the presumed war that lingers in the air to be fought this summer. If true it will involve Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the PA and Gaza. The Jordanian angle surprises me, but as many of the Palestinians hail from there, it could be limited to the West Bank.

The prophecy uses the results of the Battle of Midian as its primary parallel for the results. The battle implies a miracle, but mostly a confusion among the enemy states resulting from a sudden surprise attack. The Sword of Gideon figures into this as the Midians were deeply afraid of it. This may imply a new weapon that strikes fear and confusion.

The battle was conducted with a fraction of Israel's standing army at the time, mainly due to fear and God's desire to make a point. The enemy was formidable and most Israeli's were afraid to fight save 300 men. Gideon led the charge and in the ensuing panic the Midians pretty much destroyed themselves. Further, a parallel is drawn to Sisera in which a long oppression of twenty years ended after much deliberation regarding the value of making war resulting in a peace that last 40 years.

The primary battles would take place in the Jezreel Valley, Nazareth and Tyre. 2-4 main leaders will be captured and killed. While it may make some logical sense to imagine Damascus falling victim to this war and starting another series of events, it's not implicitly stated. It is just as likely to be a war that results in some peaceful coexistence for an extended period finally ending a long period of endless fighting and feuding.

The Battle of Midian was a very one sided result. The Isa 17 prophecy is a terrible war for everyone involved and so I think they are different events.

Last Edited by Elijah on 04/30/2010 05:26 PM