Thursday, August 2, 2012

PSALM 83 CONFUSION AND TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST


The current US-assisted Middle East unrest spanning from Libya across Northern Africa through Egypt and North into Syria has inspired much talk and speculation about Psalm 83. There are many Biblical commentators who believe that Psalm 83 is about a prophesied war that triggers several prophetic events, including the rapture, the tribulation, and the eventual return of Yeshua Ha Mashiach. A careful reading of Psalm 83, however, will demonstrate that there is no war prophesied and that the psalm is not a prophesy, but rather a prayer against the enemies of Israel that could be used even today as the nation is surrounded by those mentioned when Asaph wrote the psalm.

Verses 1-5 say, "Keep not thou silence, O YHVH: hold not thy peace, and be not still O YHVH. 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. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee." Then Asaph names names--Ishmaelites who are Arabs; there is Edom, Moab, Ammon from Jordan; Gebal and Tyre from Lebanon; Hagarenes from Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt; Amalek and Philistines from Gaza and Egypt; and Assur from Turkey and Iraq.

The rest of the Psalm asks YHVH to cause these enemies to perish by wind, fire, storm, even confusion, concluding with verse 18, "That men may know that thou whose name alone is YHVH, are the most high over all the earth." There are many items in Psalm 83 that are common to prophecies referring to the Day of the LORD. One example is iwhen YHVH defeats the beast (Gog) in Ezekiel 38. Many of the countries and people groups are similar. The LORD uses rain, hailstones, fire, brimstone, and confusion to defeat this coalition (v. 21 "every man's sword shall be against his brother") that "they shall know that I am YHVH" (v.23).

These nations that are prophesied as coming against Israel by the Old Testament prophets are consistent enemies of Israel and today they are followers of the most antichrist system in the world--Islam. It is no huge revelation that these traditional enemies of Israel will cause wars and rumors of wars from now until the end. Our generation may well see the end time prophecies of the Bible play out before our very eyes. But let us be ever mindful of false teachings and traditions of men that lead us astray. Don't take my word for it, or other teachers; don't get angry if what you have been taught over a lifetime is challenged. Read the Bible for yourself, in its context, and judge what is being taught. Yeshua told his followers repeatedly to not be deceived by man.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!   
Bill Wilson 

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