“Sheba,
Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you,
‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to
carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great
plunder?’ ” ’ Ezekiel 38:13 NKJV
Although
believers have a very good reason to be watching the unfolding events in the
Middle East it seems that the world as a whole is watching and taking notice
while questioning the possible future of that region. While the world might wonder exactly what the
future holds, we as believers have simply to look to God’s Word for an
explanation and understanding of the political moves and alliances that are
forming between countries in that part of the world. This past week was no exception as the Arab
nations held a summit in Amman Jordan to discuss of all things, peaceful
relations between Israel and themselves.
As
I read about this possibility I could not help but recall the passage from
Ezekiel concerning the future attempted invasion of Israel by Gog and his
allies where the nations participating are not only listed, but those not
participating are listed as well. As we
read about this conflict, Ezekiel tells us that there are some nations, referred to as Sheba, Dedan and Tarshish, which prefer not
to participate but rather stay on the sidelines with only a token objection
proffered. So who exactly are these nations, and why do they decide to sit this
invasion out instead of participating as they have in the past wars of
independence which Israel has had to fight?
Abraham
again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba
and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
And the sons of
Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the
children of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
But Abraham gave
gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still
living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the
east. Genesis 25:1-6 NKJV
Now the
sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian,
Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. 1 Chronicles 1:32 NKJV
The
following is an excerpt from an excellent study by Gary Stearman of prophecywatchers.com.
“Sheba
and Dedan seem best described by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia and a few other Arabian partners. Because of their commitments to the US
over the last seventy years, they will continue to side with the West, and the
merchants of Tarshish, including the US and Western Europe. Right up until the
time of the great invasion from the north, Arab determination to produce and
sell oil will win out over their desire to be good Islamists.”
Here
too, is another description from an article by Dr. Steve Elwart for khouse.org.
“In
verse 13, a second group of merchant nations are listed as protesting this
invasion, for they recognize it to be an invasion for spoil and for nothing
else Businessmen based in Sheba, Dedan, Tarshish, and all of its growling lions
will ask you, “Are you coming for war spoils? Have you assembled your armies to
carry off silver and gold, and to gather lots of war booty?”(ISV) Sheba and
Dedan are countries in northern Arabia, which shows that at least some of the
Arab states will not favor the Russian presence in the Middle East.”
In
essence what we find today is a gathering of Arab nations discussing peace with
Israel which coincidently looks to be the exact situation described by the
prophet Ezekiel when he reveals the future conflict with Gog. The moderate Arab nations will choose not to
participate in this coming war but instead sit on the sidelines and watch to
see the outcome while only offering token objections. Russia instead, has aligned itself with Iran
and taken up a position in Syria from where they will mount their futile
attempt to invade Israel and take possession of the “spoil” to be found off of
Israel’s coast and under the sands of the Golan Heights. Dr. Elwart goes on to say;
“The year 2009,
however, brought further clarity of the passage, for it was in January of that
year the Tamar gas field was discovered. The Tamar gas field was a major gas
find in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. The field is located in
Israel’s exclusive economic zone, roughly 50 miles (80 km) west of Haifa in
waters over one mile (1,700 meters) deep. People’s interest was really piqued
the following year when in December 2010 another gas field was discovered. The
Leviathan gas field is a large natural gas formation in the Mediterranean Sea
off the coast of Israel, 30 miles (47 km) southwest of the Tamar.
What could be the
final piece of the puzzle may have been supplied in October 2014 when oil was
discovered in the Golan Heights.
Because of these
three discoveries Israel has become a much more attractive target for supplying
the spoils of war. Together, the Tamar and Leviathan fields are estimated to
contain 1 trillion (1,000 billion) cubic feet of natural gas, enough to supply
Israel’s energy needs for the next 50 years. (Though those of us who take the Bible
seriously doubt it will need natural gas for that long.)
The oil field in the
Golan Heights is also looking to be a major energy find. Israeli business
website Globes quotes Yuval Bartov, chief geologist of Afek Oil and Gas as
saying:
We are talking about
a strata [sic] which is 350 meters thick and what is important is the thickness
and the porosity. On average in the world strata are 20–30 meters thick, so
this is ten times as large as that, so we are talking about significant
quantities. The important thing is to know the oil is in the rock and that’s
what we now know.”
The estimated size of
the field, if found to be true, would make Israel a world player in the oil
market."
Magog
and Persia are poised in Syria, awaiting the time they attempt to invade Israel
for spoil. Sheba and Dedan along with
the merchants of Tarshish are talking peace. As we see these things happening in that
part of the world is it any wonder so many watchers believe the time of the
Church’s deliverance is imminent?
If
you have never taken the step of asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and
to come into your heart and save you from eternity without Him, I encourage you
to do that right now. Simply tell Him
you are sorry for your sin, ask Him to forgive you and accept the sacrifice He
made to die for your sin, and He has promised not only to forgive you but to
make you one of His own and come into your life and provide all the help you
need to begin to live for Him.
Gary
Stearman concludes with this statement; “A
war is coming. Call it World War III or Armageddon. It will begin in the Middle
East, but will extend to "the isles." This is the biblical way of
expressing the idea of other continents, dominated by Tarshish. One of them may
well be North America. Currently, we are the head of the nations, situated in
the Western Hemisphere, far from the center of the action. But our alliance
with Sheba and Dedan (and Israel) makes us as much a target as if we were
located in the Middle East.”
“So you
also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! Mark 13:29
NKJV
Keep
watching.
http://debka.com/article/25984/High-hopes-of-Arab-summit-OK-for-Israel-peace-step
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/29201036
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2016/1256/
