9 July 2015: The above image has been posted to this SITREP a full six twenty-four hour days, and has been viewed by over 400 individuals. Now I have a question for those of you who looked closely at this image which was deliberately selected due to its appropriateness to the literal fulfillment of Isaiah 17.
How many of you noticed that southern portion of the "Kingdom of 'Aram Damascus" lies in what today we know as the uppermost northwestern portion of the Kingdom of Jordan? Use the image now added directly below it to compare the ancient-historical border to the present-day geographical reality.
See it now? The "cities of Aroer" mentioned in Isaiah 17:2 which were part of the Kingdom of 'Aram Damascus in Isaiah's day are today completely within the modern the northwestern border of the Kingdom of Jordan. Also, know this: As recently as the first publication of the English-language King James Version of the Bible there has been an incorrect word substitution into Isaiah 17:3. Where the KJV version, upon which all more recent English versions have been based, the word "Syria" was "'Aram" in the original Hebrew language version of the Bible.
This is what is meant by being 'a Berean' and searching out and studying the true meaning of Scripture. It is especially important at the present time as literal prophetic fulfillments stand directly in front of us all. Understanding what the Bible says about the immediate future comes from understanding what had been in the past. Names may change, but the Word of God is far, far more precise than any human language could ever hope to be.
3 July 2015: As the final fulfillment of the Psalm 83 War draws ever closer, it occurs to me once again that Asaph's inspired notations regarding verses 6 through 8: "Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur has also joined with them, they have helped the children of Lot," is more about the geography and the peoples who inhabit these regions, than it is about the modern nation states bordering upon Israel.
As an example, the recent heavy battle fought in the northern Sinai between "Islamic State" forces (a/k/a Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a/k/a Wilayat Sinai) and the Egyptian Army in northern Sinai powerfully illustrates how the "Islamic State" forces in the Sinai are directly fulfilling the role of Amalek as prophesied by Asaph.
Previously it was noted with great detail within these various SITREPs that the forces constituting the "Islamic State" which originated in northern Iraq were fulfilling the role of Assur. I would also now note how "Islamic State"/Assur forces are providing military assistance to the "children of Lot" (Sunni tribes) in all of the territories noted in Asaph's prophecy. Even the terrorist HAMAS in Gaza which has a long history of cooperation and direct arming coming from Hezbollah in Lebanon, is now in close coordination with "Islamic State" forces which attacked the Egyptian Army.
NOTE: The comments section below this post is a "must read" for a more complete interpretive understanding of current and near-term future events.
Sean:
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to be sure that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.
We are living in the end times.
Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
I know that psalm 83, Jeremiah 49 and Isaiah 17 has been a major focal point on this site for the last 6 years, but there is still one phrase that still puzzles me. That phrase is "the glory of Ephraim shall wane". If israel enlarges her boarders and becomes a major power, then wouldn't the phrase "the glory of Ephraim shall wane" which is given in the context of the destruction of Damascus, indicate a huge time interval between Isaiah 17 and the final fulfillment of psalm 83? That phrase has always puzzled me.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th and thank you for your services to this country.
Bob in Texas
ReplyDeleteSean,
I was under the impression that Israel would demolish Damascus.
Now. it seems likely that ISIS may do it. What is your assessment?
Thanks for your willingness to share your depth of knowledge.
Hartdawg wrote above asking about the meaning of the phrase, "the glory of Ephraim shall wane" supposedly found within the prophesy of Isaiah 17:4 and the context that is implied in the prophecy through this phrase.
ReplyDeleteHowever, that poses a two-fold problem, and that two-fold problem is that: (a) the phrase of words as presented here do not exist in Isaiah 17:4 and, (b) the assumed context is being taken in an incorrect manner as well.
Initially I was not going to post this comment because of these problems with it, but the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart early this morning and gave immediate instruction, saying, "this is a teaching moment, so teach it."
Teach it I shall. Again.
To begin with, this prophecy is Isaiah directly quoting the literal, spoken word of the "LORD of hosts" and the "LORD God of Israel" to Isaiah. Yes, this is "the existing ONE," Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who is speaking to Isaiah, who speaks to us all through this record of His word.
What the "LORD of hosts", the "LORD God of Israel" has said to Isaiah is the vast majority of that written in Isaiah 17. The only additions Isaiah has made here are phrases attribution to the source of the prophetic word, such as "says the LORD of hosts" or "says the LORD God of Israel."
The actual prophecy is:
"Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city; it shall be a heap, a ruin."
Look at a current photograph of any of the major cities in Syria today. They have ALL been reduced to a heap of rubble, ruins. This is what modern war does to a city.
This is the near-term fate of Damascus as well. This Divine prophecy is being literally fulfilled before our eyes and we cannot see it for what it is. It could not be any more clear.
WAKE UP CHRISTIANS! Read the Word of God; do not assume that it says what YOU think it says, otherwise you will miss the literal fulfillment of it.
Then LORD God said, "The cities of Aroer are forsaken.." The guarded cities in the region of Aroer will be abandoned, completely uninhabited by human beings, only animals will dwell there. This should be news to no one who reads this blog, this was written about 4 and a half years ago: Are Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 Imminent?
Re-read that article, follow the link to the map of the "cities of Aroer" as identified by Joshua 13:24-28. Ask yourself, where are these cities, who is in these cities today, who controls them? Does this prophecy foretell their fate as well? Absolutely it does!
So, don't read what I have to say here, read what the LORD God said about them through His prophets (Isaiah, Joshua and all the rest of them) thousands of years ago, and you too can know the future, the very near-term future at that!
Now we come to the part where we unravel two verses that were interposed, but which as really a total of four verses: Isaiah 17:3 and Isaiah 17:4-6.
Hopefully you have all continued to read the above linked Eschatology Today post from December 2009. If not, please do so now and follow those links as well to the three maps provided. Doing this will fully answer the question posed by hartdawg about Ephraim and remind everyone of the teaching provided back in 2009.
People will die; the parable within the LORD God's prophecy about he fatness of the flesh of Jacob being leaned, grains being harvested, and the olives, like gleaning grapes, that will remain at the uppermost or most fruitful branches of the prophetic Olive Tree is very clear in its meaning.
I hope this helps in achieving a greater understanding the the LORD God's direct prophetic word about the current and near-term future.
Hey Sean,
ReplyDeleteI noticed you made the (correct) observation that many of the inhabited (or formerly) inhabited city areas throughout Syria now are, in fact, heaps of rubble. Are you suggesting that the final judgement and state of Damascus itself could simply be the result of long term pounding by conventional weapons and not the often speculated nuclear strike/geophysical act of God/take your pick?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Bob in Texas and Jonathan in Virginia:
ReplyDeleteYou both have similar comments/questions, so my response is to you and everyone else who has similar questions/comments.
In a word, yes, Damascus is firmly in the process of being destroyed exactly as prophesied by the LORD God via both conventional and unconventional military means (i.e. both conventional ordnance and weapons of mass destruction such as chemical weapons). This is precisely what I interpret the prophesy from Isaiah and Jeremiah to be telling us.
What matters is not how Damascus is taken from being a major city and made into a heap of ruins, but just the fact that this is exactly what the LORD God said would happen thousands of years ago through His prophets is what really matters. And we, the Bride of Christ, are here right now bearing full witness to it as it is in-process with our own eyes.
What Christian is not bearing full witness of this to the unsaved? The Christian with one or more less crowns than his peers will have in the future.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteThere is no word except Jehovah's and you nailed it! I remember studying your December 2009 posting on Is. 17 and Ps 83 being imminent and at that time, the Holy Spirit was leading me into a very deep study of Isaiah 17 and your posting just rang all of the Christmas bells that could ever be rung. Never have thought it was going to be a nuclear destruction and fully aware of the WMD that Syria had been vested with by Saddam Hussein before GWB sent the troops into Iraq a second time.
In all of my years on this wonderful earth I have learned a big lesson and you just posted it in your comment. Quit trusting other people's opinions and digestion of God's Holy Word, and certainly not Hollywood. Study means so much more than just a casual reading and if we really want to know what thus saith the Word of God, ask the Holy Spirit to teach it. After all, that is one of the many reasons God sent him into the world after Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. He is our counselor, guide and every present help because He is HOLY and that goes way beyond shaking and quaking.
Same with what someone else will say. Learn it and suck it all in by good study principles; seeing, hearing and thinking on it deeply. No silly New Age junk either. I love the study and no matter what happens in my life or in the world, NO FEAR and I AM MORE THAN A CONQUERER BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST.
GG5/SHALOM
Amen GG5! Studying the word of God is so much more than a surface skimming of the text; it means diving into the deeper meaning of the individual Hebrew and Greek words themselves.
ReplyDeleteSean, I was browsing the web a couple of weeks ago and saw a recent photo of Damascus... It was a scene of rubble and my heart was stilled at the horror of it. I have always believed (been told) that such a destruction would be 'overnight' but my feelings at the time of viewing was... it is already being accomplished. Just read through your 2009 article and must say I enjoyed the accuracy of it. Also enjoyed your take on the passage regarding "the glory of Ephraim shall wane", rang an immediate bell.
ReplyDeletethanks
Brian
Brian GC,
ReplyDeleteYes, all of the pre-70th Week prophetic fulfillment is within an ongoing process of being accomplished. Seeing this with one own eyes; the realization of it should stir the Spirit within each of us to evangelize on overdrive. Time is running out!
I just bumped this SITREP to the top with an item I deliberately put on the back burner for a few days but am just now adding as an update. Something to make more of us take notice of the accuracy of prophecy from the LORD God.
Sean, I think you should go back and repost your information regarding the Temple location.
ReplyDeleteYes, it may be a touchy subject but it's becoming more important.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteFirst I would like to pose a pair of multi-faceted questions to you.
Question #1 and 1a: Who are you and/or are you too ashamed of the name you were born with and may be written in the Lord's "Book of Life" to post under it here?
Question #2 and 2a: Why should I change the information I have posted regarding the location of the coming Lord's Temple? Has something occurred in the past which would negate the Temple Mount and the Foundation Stone as being the precise location?
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteThis is off topic from the Psalm 83 fulfillment but I wanted to know how others
that frequent your site are feeling right now. I don't know about everyone else but
I am mostly in mourning. So sad all the time about the death of America, i.e. same
sex marriage decision a couple of weeks ago and now this deal with the devil/Iran?
I know we have to go through these labor pains and they don't feel good, I've been
through them. I also know 'we are but strangers here and heaven is our home', thanks be to God! But, knowing all that I'm still so sad. I guess its normal, who doesn't
mourn when someone dies?
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering what the president's primary motive in this Iran deal is. Is it his hatred of Israel and doing what he can to destroy her (Im sure that is part of it). Is it his narcissistic ego that wants to land a foreign policy giant..no matter the cost to American or Jewish lives? Then I found this article from 2008 published in Forbes that indicates that he would actually be involved in doing his part to usher in the twelvers. Clearly, it would seem that president O has detailed knowledge of islamic traditions, and his ego is so huge that he thinks he can fill the tradition and "prophesy" of their past. I am just wondering if this has any merit. It certainly goes a long way to helping me understand the "why" of this guy's motives which are just so contrary to anything God, American, and certainly contrary to all logic. Note the date of this article as it appeared in Forbes.....October 2008. Thanks Sean. We are truly at the 11th hour...like 11:58 pm.
http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/26/obama-iran-ahmadinejad-oped-cx_at_1026taheri.html