Prophecy: Palestinians to be Forced to Israel's Borders!

By Bill Salus
All the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it. (Obadiah 1:7, NKJV; emphasis added)

The prophet Obadiah had a prophetic vision regarding the Edomites. Today, the Edomites have ethnic representation inside the Palestinians. Obadiah 1:7 declares that the Edomites enlist in a future confederacy that ultimately forces them to a border. Obadiah 1:10, 18 makes it clear that the confederacy forms to fight Israel. Thus, we can deduce that the border in question must be Israel’s.

Obadiah 1:7 says - “your” confederacy, “you” to the border; peace with “you,” deceive “you,” prevail against “you,” "your" bread, a trap for “you.” The fact that Obadiah uses “you” or “your” 7-times in combination suggests the Palestinians play a key role within the confederacy.

However, even though the Palestinians are an integral part of the confederacy, they appear to be a subservient member. This is indicated by Obadiah’s statement that the other members “prevail” against them. The Hebrew word for prevail is “yakol,” and in this usage it implies the other confederate populations possess power, or influence over the Palestinians.
As we witness Palestinian protesters marching against the borders of Israel, and recognize they are supported by a conglomeration of Arab States sharing common borders with Israel, we are caused to consider the possibility that Obadiah’s vision finds real-time prophetic application.

The Arab Spring is rapidly morphing into the liberate Palestine Summer. Nakba, Naksa, Nic-nac-patty-wac, whatever the Arab name given in association with a day of Palestinian protests, it’s incubating into a potentially dangerous summer scenario for Israel that could soon prove disastrous for the Middle East.

On May 15, 2011 thirteen Palestinian protesters were killed as they marched against the borders of Israel on “Nakba” day. Nakba commemorated the anniversary of the creation of the Palestinian refugees on May 15, 1948, when the Arab States told the Arabs residing inside former Palestine, to vacate for a few days so they could confederate against Israel to destroy it.

History evidences this was a terrible miscalculation as Israel won the war, and the Arabs who left Palestine became refugees. Thus, two important bible prophecies occurred in May, 1948. First, the reestablishment of the nation Israel in fulfillment of prophecies in Ezekiel 36:22-24, 37:11-12, Isaiah 11:11 and elsewhere; and Second, the creation of the “tents of Edom” in fulfillment of Psalm 83:6.

Tents in the bible typically represent refugee conditions, or military encampments. In Psalm 83 Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, become tent-dwellers. A close study of Edomite history demonstrates that they have an ethnic contingency inside the modern day Palestinian refugees. Additionally important, the Edomite refugees are listed first inside a confederacy of Arabs. This likely identifies these refugees as the lead instigator of the Arab confederacy.

In essence, the Palestinian refugee plight unites the Arabs to fight against Israel. Psalm 83:3-5 tells us this, and Psalm 83:12 informs us the goal is the liberation of Palestine from Israeli sovereignty.

A new protest is being called for on Naksa day to commemorate the Arab defeat by Israel in the 6-day war in June, 1967. The organizers are being quoted as declaring;

“The process of empowerment and liberation, which started in Tunisia and Egypt, should end with the liberation of Jerusalem and Palestine. Palestine will be liberated from the river to the sea, and the sea to the river.”
The inflammatory rhetoric streaming across the social networks about the Naksa day protests is more regarded with liberating Palestine, than creating a Palestinian State. This is troublesome; raising legitimate concerns that the protesters prefer one final Arab State called Palestine, rather than a 2-State solution whereby Israel and Palestine coexist peacefully side-by-side.

The organizers are pressing the Palestinians to forcefully march against Israel’s borders with the goal of liberating Palestine. Additionally, they are calling for widespread protests throughout the Arab countries, including Tahrir Square in Egypt. Meanwhile, in preparation for the demonstrations Israel has stepped up security, and fortified its borders with I.D.F. troops, in an attempt to avert a potential crisis.

Upon a careful review of Psalm 83, this plan to reclaim Palestine for the Palestinian refugees seems to have prophetic implications. However, there’s more to the prophetic story. It might be timely to dust off an ancient bible prophecy that seemingly connects with the Psalm 83 written by Obadiah. Both Psalm 83:4 and Obadiah 1:7 identify an Arab confederacy involving the Edomites (Palestinians). They appear to be discussing the same confederacy in their respective prophecies.

Attached at this link, is a chapter called “The Palestinian Confederacy” contained in my book called Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East. This chapter was written in early 2008 and takes a fairly exhaustive look at Obadiah 1:7 displayed above.

Is the Arab Spring Setting up for Winter War?

By Bill Salus

At the onset of 2011 many inside the liberal media applauded the widespread Arab protests. They hypothesized the protesters were merely the by-product of a regional youth bulge tired of tyrannical rule. They credited Internet social network sites like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter for giving the activists a glimpse at freedom.
(X's in image are 2011 areas of protest)

Simply put, the demonstrators were desperately crying out for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The left-wingers anticipated that a wellspring of Muslim democracies would crop-up across the expansive North African and Middle East regions.

However, by early spring actions taken by repressive regimes in Libya, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia quickly silenced these ideologues. These partisan pundits apparently forgot about the countless pages of bloodstained history demonstrating that the Arabs are accustomed to deadly power struggles.

Barely digesting the unsettling events of the Arab Spring, the media’s attention has now been drawn back to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the genuine possibility of a Mideast Winter War. Presently, Israeli borders are fortified rather than redrawn, Arab arsenals are replenished rather than dismantled, and the prospect for the “Mother of all Mideast Wars” is extremely high.

Mideast peace between the Jews and Palestinians has never been more elusive. Although politically brokered land-swaps for peace-pacts were intended to create unity between Israelis and Palestinians, they have had a reverse effect.

Instead of providing Israel greater security, these proposed land schemes have eventuated in the formation of a unity government between Hamas and Fatah. This is problematic considering; neither of these terror groups, turned Palestinian political parties, recognizes Israel as the Jewish State. In fact, three primary tenets of Hamas’s charter shown in the image, call for the destruction of Israel.

Interestingly, the images included in this article evidence that the majority of Middle East and North African countries plagued by the 2011 Muslim unrest are involved in end time’s Israeli war prophecies.

Psalm 83 identifies an “inner circle” confederacy of Arab populations sharing common borders with Israel. Their mandate is to wipe Israel off the map, and their motive is the reclamation of Palestine. They are listed in the Psalm 83 Confederates image alongside their modern day equivalents. (Psalm 83:1-8,12)


Conversely, Ezekiel 38-39 describes an “outer ring” confederacy destined to invade Israel in the last days. Ezekiel presents a separate set of invaders than those described in Psalm 83. Additionally, they are driven by a different motive, which is the promise of plunder and great spoil. (Ezekiel 38:1-13)

In a last ditch effort to politically broker a final Arab state called Palestine, U.S. President Barrack Obama showed his Pro-Palestinian trump card. In May, 2011, with his left hand clenched in a seeming show of American solidarity for Israel’s security, Obama snuck his right hand into Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cookie jar, and was caught red-handed attempting to pick-pocket Israel’s most prized possession; their homeland.

Acting as if he possessed the power of God almighty, Obama flaunted the title deed to the Promised Land in front of the Arabs. Immediately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set the record straight. On May 24, 2011, before the U.S. Congress, Netanyahu declared that the land in question was not up for grabs. He was addressing the land acquired by Israel in the aftermath of their war victory in 1967. President Obama and much of the international community calls this “disputed” territory, but Israel considers it their heritage according to Genesis 15:18.

Summarily, Netanyahu addressed several additional key points relative to Israeli demands for peace,

1. Jerusalem WILL be the undivided capital of the Jewish State,

2. Millions of Palestinian Refugees WON'T be returning inside Israel,

3. The Palestinians MUST recognize Israel's right to exist as the sovereign Jewish State,

4. The Hamas – Fatah unity agreement MUST be abolished,

5. Palestinian unilateral attempts at Statehood through the United Nations MUST cease,

6. Israel maintains the RIGHT to defensible borders,

7. The Israeli demographic population changes since 1967 MUST be accepted, and

8. Israel WILL monitor Palestinian organizations and operations for national security purposes.

In essence, he put all of Israel’s trump cards on the table and called the Palestinians bluff. His laundry list above hits at the heart of the Palestinian wish list. Every condition is a point of Palestinian contention. To the Palestinians, this was Netanyahu’s declaration of war.

When we consider that Mideast diplomacy has failed, Arabs generally hate Jews, Arab governments have little to no democratic track record, and the Arab protests have primarily occurred in countries listed in end time’s bible prophecies, we can reasonably conclude that the Arab Spring could morph into a Mideast Winter War.

Is Ezekiel's Army About to Face Off with the Arabs?

by Bill Salus

Approximately 2500-years ago the prophet Ezekiel envisioned a future valley filled with dry bones. His account is described in Ezekiel 37:1-13. It appears the dry bones represent the Jews in a holocaust condition dispersed throughout the nations of the world. This conclusion can be safely suggested because Ezekiel 37:11-12 says,

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

These passages clearly evidence that these bones represent the “whole house of Israel.” Furthermore, it pictures the Jews in a desperate condition. Their “hope is lost”, and they “are cut off.” Lastly, they are being restored “into the land of Israel,” meaning they were outside of the land of Israel during the vision.

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Dr. David Reagan, and many other dispensational teachers conclude that Ezekiel’s dry bones vision pictures the Jews during the Diaspora, and that Hitler’s holocaust caused their condition of hopelessness. Thus, Ezekiel sums up the metric of time that the Jews would be without a homeland, not in years, decades, or centuries, but in their helpless concluding condition.

History testifies to the accuracy of Ezekiel’s prediction because shortly after the holocaust the reestablishment of the nation Israel officially occurred on May 14, 1948. It is important to note that Ezekiel prophesied that the Jewish people would arise from their hopeless condition as refugees and emerge into an “exceedingly great army.”

So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. (Ezekiel 37:10, nkjv).

The ongoing Arab – Israeli conflict has forced Israel to form a great army. The Israeli Defense Forces (I.D.F.) has had to become the superior military in the Middle East as a matter of national survival.

In my book, Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East, I devote an entire chapter to the existence of today’s I.D.F. in fulfillment of bible prophecy. In addition to Ezekiel 37:10, prophecies written in Obadiah 1:18, Ezekiel 25:14, Zechariah 12:6, and elsewhere also seem to indentify today’s I.D.F.

Based upon the above premises, the remainder of this article discusses the debate among scholars as to whether or not Ezekiel 37:10 describes an exceedingly great army or not. Some bible teachers, like Joel Rosenberg and me, believe Ezekiel describes an army, whereas other’s like Dr. Thomas Ice and Ray Gano believe Ezekiel is predicting a great multitude or host will emerge out of the dry bones.

Point 1 - The Hebrew word Ezekiel uses in verse 10 for army is, "chayil" and it is used 12 times elsewhere by Ezekiel and over 225 times throughout the Old Testament. All of Ezekiel’s usages and many Old Testament renderings clearly depict it as either an army, or riches acquired via the spoils obtained by an army, in the aftermath of a war. Nowhere else in the book of Ezekiel can it possibly be translated as a multitude or host. This establishes precedent that an army rather than a multitude is being described by Ezekiel.

Ezekiel’s 12 specific usages of the word “chayil” are as follows;

1. Ezek. 17:17 – describing Pharaoh’s army,

2. Ezek. 26:12 – depicting the Babylonian army taking “riches” or spoil from victory over Tyre,

3. Ezek. 27:10-11 – alluding to the armies of Tyre,

4. Ezek. 28:4-5 – picturing the riches acquired by the ruler of Tyre,

5. Ezek. 29:18-19 – describing Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army,

6. Ezek. 32:31 – alluding to Pharaoh’s army,

7. Ezek. 37:10 – describing Israel’s “exceedingly great army,”

8. Ezek. 38:4, 15 – predicting the coming armies of Gog of Magog.

Point 2 - Further supporting the proper interpretation being an army, the following Bible translations interpret chayil to be an “army”: King James Version, New King James Version, American Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, and The Living Bible.

Conversely, the Revised Standard Version translates the word as “host”. The New Revised Standard Version calls it a “multitude”.

Conclusion - Obviously the above reasons overwhelmingly favor the interpretation of Ezekiel 37:10 as an army rather than a host or multitude. Isralestine points out that the purpose of this army is to protect Israel from its surrounding enemies who someday confederate in a final attempt to destroy the Jewish State of Israel according to Psalm 83.

In light of the 2011 "Arab Spring," I believe the Psalm 83 Arab-Israeli war could occur soon, and that today's I.D.F. is fit for the challenge.

Why did Christ Die for those Predestined to Hell?

Questions & Comments: Dear Bill - My questions below are based upon the premises contained in Romans 8:28-30 & Romans 10:9-11

Do we both agree that all of God's judgment and wrath fell upon Jesus at the Cross for all mankind? If God foreknew and predestinate whom would be conformed to the image of the Son, then why did God include all the non-believer's wrath and judgment upon Jesus if God predestinated their calling into hell? Wouldn't God's wrath and judgment pour out on all non-believer's that His Son had to endure be executed in Hell?

I have been praying to God about this for the last few days and was led to present the question to you. Why not just place upon Christ the wrath of those souls that would not be ashamed and end up before Christ at His judgment Seat. Why include all of mankind when many are called, but few are chosen?

God knows who is going to Hell. Why was Jesus subjected to those who will spend eternity in Hell's wrath of God? Why not only those that are chosen to be sons of God?
.................................

Answers & Comments: The premise upon which your first question is based needs to be reevaluated in accordance with the fundamental purpose of John 3:16. The price for all sin had to be paid if none were to perish.

Certainly, the absence of God’s presence in Hell is the just reward of those who reject Christ. However, the foundational precept according to John 3:16 has nothing to do with who would, or wouldn’t perish, and everything to do with removing sin as an obstacle for those seeking to worship God before His heavenly throne through the righteousness of Christ.

I'm uncertain of your concerns expressed in your comments above, and therefore apologize beforehand if my response doesn’t hit the nail on the head. But, here are my thoughts.

Remember man's free choice and independent will is always in play in these matters. The theory is that God loves everyone and wishes none to perish, so Jesus paid death its due wage at the cross for the sins of mankind.

God could predestine (predestinate) people to believe in Him, but for anyone to believe in him requires the volition of the individual to so choose. I chose Christ, because He first chose me, and subsequently made Himself known to me in a way that He knew I would connect with. His existence has become abundantly clear through my learning to walk by faith rather than sight.

God, in His omniscience, foreknew that you, I, and our Christian brothers and sisters would respond to His calling in our lives. This is because He knows the beginning from the end. He knew that you would recognize His existence by the clues he left you throughout your life. Only you and He know what those clues were. This is the case for all believers.

Thus, for lack of better words, the Lord possesses an unfair advantage; He has advanced knowledge of all your choices and actions and therefore foreknew that you would someday make a personal decision for Christ. Therefore, He is fully qualified to use miraculous words like predestinate.

The Lord is looking for those who, of their own volition, understand that He is worthy of worship. He has already seen a fallen host of angels question His worship worthiness. He is replenishing their fallen ranks with people like you and I, who realize He is worthy of all honor, glory, and power.

The entire angelic conflict is regarded with the Lord’s worship worthiness. This is why they marvel at every sinner who becomes saved through faith here on earth. Our exaltation of the Lord merely through faith and not by sight silences them in all their splendor. We humble them!

God knew who would reject Christ in advance and therefore didn’t predestine them to someday be conformed into Christ’s likeness. For them, He lifts up His creation to evidence His Godhead and eternal power according to Romans 1:18-22.

These passages declare that unbelievers have no excuse for remaining in unbelief apart from their own unrighteous volition. They don’t believe the truth, which John 14:6 informs us is Jesus Christ, because they suppress the truth (Christ).

Certainly the Lord could coerce them to worship him through miracles and more, but they would remain unrighteous without the righteousness of Christ upon them. The Lord is not looking for either, involuntary or unrighteous worship.

Jordan to Soon Sever ties with Israel!

By Bill Salus

With Arab protests sweeping throughout the Middle East, many pundits are pondering the fate of Jordan. Will the Jordanian government collapse alongside Tunisia’s, Yemen's, and Egypt’s? Interestingly, Jordan can be found in end time’s bible prophecy. If the prophecies centered on Jordan are about to find fulfillment, then the best days of the Hashemite Kingdom are behind it.

Someday Jordan will break ties with Israel. It’s simply a matter of time according to Psalm 83:6-8. Making matters worse, Jordan will befriend Israel’s worst enemies in the process. Rather than calling on America and the west at the time of dire need, Psalm 83 predicts they will call on Assyria, which incorporates modern day Syria and Iraq.

Syria is already a proxy of Iran’s and Iraq has been inclined to become one ever since the summer 2010 U.S. troop withdrawal. Thus, allegiance with Syria, Iraq, and by proxy, Iran, appears to be Jordan’s prophetic endgame.

Psalm 83:6-8 lists a group of ten Arab populations that will someday confederate in a final attempt to destroy the state of Israel. The goal of the confederacy is to wipe Israel off of the map and set up one last Arab state called Palestine. Jordan is identified inside the list of nations as Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Their modern day equivalents are showcased inside the image.

To Jordan’s credit, it appears the Arab nation possibly gets drawn into the war with Israel reluctantly rather than voluntarily. Psalm 83:8 tells us that Jordan is one of the weaker members of the confederacy.

“Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.” (Psalm 83:8 nkjv)

Asaph, the Psalmist informs us the children of Lot who were Moab, the eldest, and Ammon require assistance in the war effort. They need Assyrian military support. The Hebrew word used for “helped” is zeroa and means forces, power, might, strong arm or shoulder and / or strength. Loosely translated the verse reads Assyria has joined the Psalm 83:6-8 confederacy and become a strong shoulder of military support for Jordan. Note that Assyria’s military support is only given to Jordan. This suggests the other Psalm 83 confederates are not lacking in strength at the time.

In 2010, King Abdullah II of Jordan warned on several occasions that the Middle East was on the verge of war. He told the Chicago Tribune in April, 2010 “The chance of conflict is always very high. War would be disastrous for the Israelis, for the Arabs, for all of us. If we hit the summer and there's no active (peace) process, there's a very good chance for conflict.” When a summertime war was averted he suggested in September 2010 that it could still occur by the end of 2010. The point he was making on both occasions is a Middle East war could break out at any time.

In December of 2010, King Abdullah II met with Iranian President Ahmadinejad in a rare meeting to improve bilateral relations between the two nations. One month later in January of 2011, he phoned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to alert him of his concerns about Iran’s clandestine goals for the Middle East. The Jordanian King warned Netanyahu that Iran aims to form a Shia Crescent inside the Fertile Crescent.

Then in February of 2011 due to protests inside of Jordan, King Abdullah sacked his government in order to avoid escalating protests inside his homeland. King Abdullah’s recent pinball reactions remind us of “Humpty Dumpty’s” sad tale. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Jordan is the fish out of water in the Middle East. If Egypt falls then Jordan will likely soon follow. Egypt’s and Jordan’s treaties with Israel are earning them billions of dollars of American aid. However, many Egyptians and Jordanians are ready to throw their peace treaties out with the baby’s bath water. Even King Abdullah said in 2010 that his country’s economy was better off before his father made peace with Israel in 1994.

If Psalm 83 is racing full speed ahead upon humanity’s horizon, then Mideast events are going to heat up rather than cool down. Understanding the low ranking status and primary purposes of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) sheds light on their need for military support in Psalm 83.

On the Southern Front of Psalm 83 is the Egyptian army that is world ranked at number #17 with an active military personnel strength of 450,000 and active reserves of 254,000. This doesn’t include Hamas units with about 10,000 personnel located out of Gaza and untold scores of Qassam and other assorted rockets, some of which Hamas boasted in 2010 could reach Tel Aviv.

On the Northern Front of Psalm 83 there is Syria, Lebanon, and Hezbollah inside of Lebanon. Syria’s army is world ranked at #34 and has active military of personnel of 296,000 and active military reserve of 132,500. Additionally, many experts believe Saddam Hussein transported his weapons of mass destruction into Syria prior to America’s invasion of Iraq in 2003. Lastly, Syria is thought to have the most advanced scud missiles in the world.

Lebanon’s army is world ranked at #42. Their active military personnel number about 72,000 as of 2008. Hezbollah units in Lebanon have about 1,000 active personnel and reserves estimated at 6,000 to 10,000, and according to Netanyahu has 60,000 rockets. Additionally, in April of 2010 Syria reportedly supplied Hezbollah with scud missiles.

The Eastern Front of Psalm 83 consists of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Jordan. The Saudi army is world ranked at #24 and consists of 124,000 active military personnel with an additional estimated 20,000 reservists. Additionally, the Saudis are attempting to procure $60 billion in arms from America and 2 nuclear weapons from Pakistan.

Information about Iraq’s army and arsenal is difficult to access due to its burgeoning relationship with Iran. Much like Hezbollah, Syria, and Hamas, some military analysts suggest Iran is covertly arming the pro-Iranian factions inside Iraq with advanced weapons as well. It appears Iraq is world ranked at #37. They have a relatively new US-trained Army of about 100,000 soldiers with zero reserves and a goal to reach a 200,000-man force. It remains an Army under construction.

The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) has descended from the 1940's era British-led "Arab Legion." This force is purely defensive in nature and thus lacks any ranking among the world's armies. The JAF active military personnel number about 100,500 and reserves are estimated at 70,000. Their military mission objectives are to defend:

1) The borders of the Hashemite Kingdom,
2) The people within the Hashemite Kingdom,
3) The reigning Monarch.

This means the JAF is a combat ineffective force at best because as a whole it is not designed for and does not train for offensive operations of the type that Psalm 83 has declared will occur. The Jordanian's receive U.S. Army assistance of a technical and hardware nature which is overwhelmingly orientated toward defensive command and control (C2).

Therefore, it is of little prophetic wonder that Israel will literally conquer most of Jordan as a result of the Psalm 83 war, as confirmed by the prophecy in Jeremiah 49:2. Even with the assistance of Syrian and Iraqi forces the Jordanians will lose against Israel. Furthermore, America has taught the new Iraqi military a lot in counter insurgency (COIN) and defensive operations, rather than how to go on the offense against another nation state.

Lastly, we can’t forget the Palestinian Authority, a/k/a “Palestine,” is a lightly armed paramilitary police force known as the “Palestinian National Security Forces” organized into 10 battalions and trained by the U.S. in Jordan.”

In contrast to their Psalm 83 enemies, the Israeli Defense Forces are world ranked at
#11 and their active and reserve forces in Israel number about 600,000 with another 2.8
million immediately available for military service. These additional reserves include
those with prior service and / or some partial training.

Suffice it to say, Israel is outnumbered, outmanned, outgunned, and needs divine
empowerment when it comes time to face off with the Psalm 83 confederacy. In my
book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East, I describe the
prelude, event, and aftermath of this climatic concluding Arab-Israeli battle.

*** Military specifics above and JAF comments provided by Sean Osborne of the Northeast
Intelligence Network. The Information was primarily collected from the U.S. Library of
Congress; Central Intelligence Agency, GlobalSecurity.Org, and Wikipedia. Sean Osborne’s
web/blogsite is http://eschatologytoday.blogspot.com/