Yes. Over 3,000 years ago in the Bible! Christians will find it of great help to know that Psalm 83 – a psalm of Asaph -- already prophesied the current Arab-Israeli conflict.
When David and the elders of Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom to Jerusalem, Asaph was appointed as one of the singers who would accompany the Ark. David was king over Israel in c 1,000 B.C. so Asaph wrote his psalms over 3,000 years ago. Which means that the current conflict was prophesied a very long time ago.
What does this psalm say?
1. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones (v.3). Did the Palestinian terrorists take crafty counsel with Iran before attacking Israel recently? Yes they did, since Israel was taken unawares by the attack on October 7.
2. 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. (v.4) Is that not the current slogan of the Palestinians, as it has been for Israel’s enemies since 1948? The current Hamas slogan is "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".
3. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee (v 5). Have not all the Arab nations “with one consent” said that Israel and the Jews must be exterminated? Asaph attributes this to an attack against God.
4. 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.(vv6-8) All the Israel-hating Arab nations surrounding Israel are named in these verses:
Edom = current southwestern Jordan
The Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabia and all the Arab nations on the Arabian peninsula
Moab = southwestern and central Jordan
The Hagarenes = the early Arab conquerors of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt
Gebal = in the foothills of Lebanon
Ammon = within present day Jordan (Amman and surroundings)
Amalek = in the Negev and southern Palestine
The Philistines = Gaza, Tyre, and Ashkelon (west coast of Palestine)
Assur = parts of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria
Children of Lot = Moab and Ammon
5. Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.(v 12). Here the psalmist equates the dwellings in Israel with the houses of God. In other words it was God who brought about the establishment of modern Israel (even though the Zionist Movement was secular). So if the Arab nations could drive the Jews into the sea, or destroy them militarily, they would acquire the homes built in Israel.
6. 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.(vv13-18)
The psalmist is now prophesying that God Himself will take action against the enemies of Israel and bring divine judgments upon them. The objective is this:that they may seek thy name, O LORD. In other words many of Israel’s enemies should repent and be converted, even as unbelieving Jews repent and be converted. But if they do not repent, then they should “perish” (which is another word for eternal damnation). But in all of this the ultimate objective is this: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. So no matter what happen is Palestine, God will be eventually glorified.
When David and the elders of Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom to Jerusalem, Asaph was appointed as one of the singers who would accompany the Ark. David was king over Israel in c 1,000 B.C. so Asaph wrote his psalms over 3,000 years ago. Which means that the current conflict was prophesied a very long time ago.
What does this psalm say?
1. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones (v.3). Did the Palestinian terrorists take crafty counsel with Iran before attacking Israel recently? Yes they did, since Israel was taken unawares by the attack on October 7.
2. 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. (v.4) Is that not the current slogan of the Palestinians, as it has been for Israel’s enemies since 1948? The current Hamas slogan is "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".
3. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee (v 5). Have not all the Arab nations “with one consent” said that Israel and the Jews must be exterminated? Asaph attributes this to an attack against God.
4. 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.(vv6-8) All the Israel-hating Arab nations surrounding Israel are named in these verses:
Edom = current southwestern Jordan
The Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabia and all the Arab nations on the Arabian peninsula
Moab = southwestern and central Jordan
The Hagarenes = the early Arab conquerors of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt
Gebal = in the foothills of Lebanon
Ammon = within present day Jordan (Amman and surroundings)
Amalek = in the Negev and southern Palestine
The Philistines = Gaza, Tyre, and Ashkelon (west coast of Palestine)
Assur = parts of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria
Children of Lot = Moab and Ammon
5. Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.(v 12). Here the psalmist equates the dwellings in Israel with the houses of God. In other words it was God who brought about the establishment of modern Israel (even though the Zionist Movement was secular). So if the Arab nations could drive the Jews into the sea, or destroy them militarily, they would acquire the homes built in Israel.
6. 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.(vv13-18)
The psalmist is now prophesying that God Himself will take action against the enemies of Israel and bring divine judgments upon them. The objective is this:that they may seek thy name, O LORD. In other words many of Israel’s enemies should repent and be converted, even as unbelieving Jews repent and be converted. But if they do not repent, then they should “perish” (which is another word for eternal damnation). But in all of this the ultimate objective is this: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. So no matter what happen is Palestine, God will be eventually glorified.
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