1 Thessalonians 5:3 – “When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!”
Edom
Jeremiah 49:10 – “But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbors, and he is not.”
Obadiah 1:2 – “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you are greatly despised.”
Obadiah 1:10 – “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will be cut off forever.”
Obadiah 1:18 – “Then the house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau will be as stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, so that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau.”
Edom is scheduled to be destroyed and made small. Of Edomites, there will be none. Could 2017 be the year that Yahweh fulfills these prophecies?
Gaza, Ashdod, and Ashkelon
Amos 1:6 – Yahweh will not revoke the punishment of Gaza for three transgressions, but will punish for four.
Zephaniah 2:4-6 – “Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites; For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: Ashdod and Ekron shall be rooted up! O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, the coast shall be given to Judah for their shepherds and flocks . . .”
Gaza, Ashdod, and Ashkelon are also scheduled to be rooted up and given back to Israel to use as fields for their shepherds and flocks. Could 2017 be the year that Yahweh fulfills these prophecies?
Moab, Damascus, and Egypt
Isaiah 15-16 – Moab is destroyed and its surviving remnant is few and feeble.
Isaiah 17 – Damascus is destroyed and becomes a ruinous heap.
Isaiah 19 – Egypt will be overtaken and be handed over to a cruel master.
Moab, Damascus, and Egypt are all scheduled to be destroyed, overtaken, or made small. Could 2017 be the year that Yahweh fulfills these prophecies?
Persia and Elam
Jeremiah 49:34-38 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am going to break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might; and I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; and I will scatter them to all these winds, and there shall be no nation to which the exiles from Elam shall not come. I will terrify Elam before their enemies, and before those who seek their life; I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, says the LORD. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them; and I will set my throne in Elam, and destroy their king and officials, says the LORD.
Elam, or Southwest Iran is broken at the height of its military might, its leaders cut off, and its inhabitants scattered worldwide. Could 2017 be the year that Yahweh fulfills these prophecies?
The Wild Man
Genesis 16:12 – “Ishmael shall be a wild ass (donkey) of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin.”
Genesis 25:18 – “He died in the presence of all his brethren.”
Scripture is very clear that Ishmael was no wilting flower. Just the opposite; he was as wild as they come, and at peace with no one (Genesis 16:12). At first glance, Genesis 25:18 seems to simply state that he died while in the company of his family members. But other translations put it these ways:
• Ishmael abode over against all his brethren.
• Ishmael settled in defiance of all his relatives.
• The Ishmaelites didn’t get along with any of their kin.
• The Ishmaelites lived in open hostility toward all their relatives.
• The Ishmaelites often attacked the descendants of Ishmael’s brothers.
A literal translation puts Genesis 25:18 this way: “Ishmael fell in opposition to all his brothers.”
The word translated fall is the Hebrew word nâphal נָפַל [H5307], which means to be fallen, to fall, to decrease or descend. The word translated in opposition is the Hebrew word pânâh [פָּנָה H6437] which means to face, or to turn away from. Ishmael’s descendants include many different peoples that are adherents to Islam, and who live in the above territories of Damascus, Edom, Egypt, Moab, and Persia, as well as Saudi Arabia and other locations of the Middle-East. All are in opposition or show open hostility toward all their relatives, both Islamic and Jewish.
There is a rabbinical teaching that perceives Ishmael’s fall as a reference to the end of days, when Ishmael and/or his descendants will finally fall in defeat to the descendants of Isaac, or in other words, when Islam falls before his brothers, the Israelis. Could 2017 be the year that Yahweh allows Islamic peoples to be defeated by the Israelis?
Conclusions
Proverbs 19:21 – “The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established.”
Isaiah 46:10 – “My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention.”
The date of the final falls of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Damascus, Edom, Egypt, Gaza, Moab, and Persia have been discussed by many, but we all know about setting dates! Could the prophecies against these nations and peoples happen 2017? It is certainly possible. Could 2017 be the year that Ishmael falls to Isaac? It is certainly possible! Could the year 2017 be the year that Israel defeats the Islamic multitudes? Again, it is certainly possible. Time will tell.
Final Thought
Prophecy continues to unfold as foretold by the Hebrew Prophets. The day is coming when Yahweh will show his strength on the mountains of Israel. What is prophesied will come to pass, what is foretold will be made known. Time is short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – get busy reaching the lost.
Related Blogs
December 01, 2016 – The Final Jubilee
December 08, 2016 – Discourses on Destruction
December 15, 2016 – Known, Forgotten, and Expected
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