Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?” (Ezekiel 38:13)

These questions will be directed at the leaders of Magog (modern Russia) by the uninvolved nations as they witness the surprise attack on Israel, prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39. Almost everyone agrees this attack is still in our future, and many have wondered what type of plunder would prompt Russia to undertake such an effort.

Since its reappearance on the world scene in 1948, Israel has not been known for its wealth.  In fact, just  the opposite has been true.  Golda Meir, who was Israel’s Prime minister from 1969 to 1974 is said to have complained that Moses led the children of Israel through the desert for forty years until he found the only place in the Middle East where there wasn’t any oil.

That Was Then
But the Lord is not constrained by a lack of knowledge of the future the way man is.  2,500 years ago He knew Israel would someday have sufficient wealth to make the tiny nation an inviting target, and it’s beginning to look like that day has come.

If you follow any energy related news sources, you know about the recent discovery of large natural gas deposits off Israel’s shores.  The size of these reserves keeps being revised upward, but  according to US Geological Survey estimates there could be as many as 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean.  Much of it is in Israeli territory.  This could not only supply all of Israel’s projected needs for the next 150 years or so, but could also make Israel a major exporter of natural gas to Europe.

Some experts are convinced that Russia, the world’s largest exporter of natural gas, will try to prevent Israel from entering the market in Europe.  Having recently failed in their bid to acquire a financial interest in the gas field itself, it’s believed that Russia will work to strengthen its monopoly in Europe by building another  pipeline to augment the one that currently runs direct to Germany. The new  pipeline, called South Stream, is already under construction and will terminate in Austria.  Russia looks unfavorably on competition of any sort and will likely do whatever is necessary to protect its market.  The fear is that this could include taking by force of arms a resource they’ve been unable to acquire legitimately.

Hydraulic Fracturing
On their own, Israel’s gas discoveries could be enough to justify Russia getting involved with the Muslim coalition that Ezekiel said will attack Israel. But there’s more.  Through a process known as hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking), previously inaccessible deposits of shale oil and gas can now be tapped.

Here’s how it works.  A vertical shaft is drilled to a point below the deepest aquifer containing fresh water. Steel casing is inserted into the shaft and concrete is poured around the casing. This prevents the fresh water sources from being disturbed or contaminated.  Then the drilling continues down into the shale formation. A combination of explosives and high pressure water is used to fracture the shale to open cracks through which the gas or oil can flow to the main well and from there to the surface. Horizontal wells can also be drilled off the main vertical shaft to further increase the release of gas and oil from the shale. According to EPA studies, over 1 existing million wells have been subjected to the fracking process in the US since 1947 without a single case of fresh water contamination.

The US has used this technology to effectively become independent of imported natural gas in the last 5 years while substantially reducing the price American consumers pay for it. If not for the current political climate, experts believe we could duplicate  this  effort with oil within 7 years, given our proven reserves of shale oil.  Imagine what unlimited supplies of cheap domestic oil could do for our economy, not to mention our national security. But with the consumption of fossil fuels no longer being politically correct, only time will tell whether these reserves will be accessed.

Who Else Could Do This?
But there are other countries that will benefit from this technology, and one of them has estimated reserves of  250 billion barrels of shale oil.  That makes them a very close second to Saudia Arabia in terms of oil reserves in the Middle East. That’s right, it’s Israel.

If they can master the technology, and Israel is very good at such things, they could soon stand beside OPEC as a major Middle Eastern oil producing country.  The OPEC nations would still be rich, because their oil will be less expensive to produce, but as a major competitor, Israel could break both their monopoly and their political hold over much of the world. Observers say the Middle Eastern nations most seriously impacted by this would be Iran and Turkey, two of Israel’s major antagonists in the coming Battle of Ezekiel 38.

It would take Israel a few years to accomplish this, but wars are fought over what nations are afraid will happen as often as over what has happened. Every one of Israel’s enemies will want to steal this potential wealth before it can be used against them.

You can see how this could play right into the Lord’s hand. If Israel is allowed to exercise its full military might, no coalition of neighboring countries can currently stand against it.  If the Battle of Psalm 83 becomes a reality, Israel will win and for the first time in 60 years will have secure and uncontested borders. A strong and secure Israel could begin working toward becoming a major player in the oil and gas industry. It wouldn’t take long for two things to happen, because they’re both consistent with human nature.  First, Israel would become more confident and less vigilant, and second, Israel’s enemies would exploit their relaxed vigilance, seeking to win by conquest what they have not been able to acquire by legitimate means.  Just when Israel has become a peaceful and unsuspecting people, they’ll attack (Ezek. 38:10-11)

For Russia the prize will be Israel’s oil and gas. For its Muslim partners it will be the long promised destruction of “the Zionist entity” as well.  They will advance against Israel with such a mighty force it will be like a cloud that covers the land (Ezek. 38:16).  For all intents and purposes Israel’s defeat will be a foregone conclusion.

But the God of Israel will have been waiting for just such a time as well.  In fact He will have orchestrated it.  With His signature weapons of earthquakes, torrential rain, hail and burning sulfur, and by turning his enemies against each other, He will decimate the enemy forces. Listen to Him describe it.

This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD.  In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel (Ezek. 38:18-19).

I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword (weapon) will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him (Ezek. 38:21-23).

I will strike your bow (launcher) from your left hand and make your arrows (missiles) drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD (Ezek. 39:3-5).

What Israel’s enemies will have thought to be an easy victory will quickly turn into a devastating defeat.

Who Is Gog?
Through out Ezekiel 38-39 God exclusively addresses Gog as the leader of the enemy coalition.  Long time readers will know that I believe Gog is a supernatural figure, perhaps Satan’s commander in chief.  I say that because while all the other parties in the muslim coalition have their origins in the genealogies  of Noah’s sons, no such claim can be made for Gog.

He appears three times in the Bible.  The first one is in the first two verses of Amos 7, but you have to be reading Amos from the Septuigent translation to see it. There, Gog is identified as the king of a swarm of locusts. To further shroud him in mystery Proverbs 30:27 states that locusts have no king, and observers of locust swarms agree that no obvious leader directs them, as a queen would direct a hive of bees for example. The swarm of locusts led by Gog in Amos 7:1-2 was symbolic of a judgment  that was scheduled to come upon the Northern Kingdom, but the Lord stayed His hand because of Amos’ intercession.

The next time Gog is mentioned is in Ezekiel 38:2, where he is called by name as the leader of  the coalition of Muslim nations attacking Israel.

His final mention comes from the Book of Revelation where he will again lead the people from Magog against the Lord’s army at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:8). That’s a span of nearly 4,000 years. Far too long for any human leader.

The Bible clearly states that behind the human seats of government stand supernatural figures manipulating the thoughts and actions of the world’s leaders.   We can see this in Daniel 11:13 where an angel sent to speak with Daniel was delayed 21 days by “the Prince of Persia”. The angel told Daniel he was not finished fighting against the Prince of Persia and soon be fighting against the Prince of Greece as well (Daniel 11:20). Only the archangel Michael was sufficiently powerful to free him, so we know he was not speaking of contending with human rulers.

These supernatural figures are in Satan’s employ, helping him in his effort to wrest the ownership of Planet Earth from its Creator. (In Isaiah 14:3 Satan himself is called the King of Babylon, and in Ezekiel 28:11 he’s called the King of Tyre.)  Gog is at least the supernatural figure behind the throne of Russia, and perhaps is even Satan’s counterpart to Michael, who commands the Lord’s armies (Rev. 12:7).  This could be a clue that the Battle of Ezekiel 38 won’t be undertaken for purely human reasons, although it will look that way to the human world. It will really be one more in a long string of attacks Satan has mounted against God’s people in his ongoing effort to destroy them.  I believe this is the reason the Lord addressed only Gog in Ezekiel 38-39. He’s talking to and about the one who is really in charge.

From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God (Ezekiel 39:22).

But this time Satan’s effort will produce the opposite effect. Where in the past the Jewish people have credited their own superior ability for their victories, this time they’ll see that they couldn’t have survived without the Lord, and it will open their eyes to the fact that He’s still their God and is still fighting for them.  This realization will lead to the reinstatement of their Old Covenant relationship with Him, and they’ll immediately set about rebuilding their Temple, a requirement for Old Covenant worship.  The clock that has been stopped for 2,000 years will will start ticking again and Daniel’s missing 70th Week will begin.

Time will tell whether this view is correct. But one of the great advantages of living in our day is that it won’t be long until all our questions will be answered.

Hezbollah has said that Israel’s disappearance after their next war is an established fact. Iran’s President has called Israel a dirty microbe and a savage animal that will soon disappear in a flash. The commander in chief of Iran’s army predicts that millions will soon receive the joyous news of Israel’s destruction. Today Israel is on high alert after bombing a Syrian chemical weapons factory outside of Damascus and a weapons convoy heading into Lebanon. Russia is upset by this, and Syria and Iran have both vowed to retaliate, saying Israel’s attack gives them the right to do so.

With all the rhetoric flying around the Middle East about a major war coming, and with multiple countries rapidly beefing up their military preparedness, a quick review ofPsalm 83 is in order to refresh our minds on the prophetic details of this coming attack against Israel.

Psalm 83 was probably written some time after the end of King Solomon’s reign (about 900 BC)  but the Bible contains no account of such a coordinated effort by all of Israel’s neighbors to destroy them, either during that time or since.  A partial fulfillment may be in view in 2 Chron. 20 which describes Moab, Ammon, and parts of Edom invading Judah during King Jehosophat’s reign (872-848 BC).  Interestingly, Jahaziel, a Levite who prophesied Judah’s victory in that battle was a descendant of Asaph, who wrotePsalm 83.  Applying one of His favorite tactics, the Lord set Israel’s enemies against each other and they defeated themselves. (Ezekiel 38:21 tells of a future use of this same tactic.)

But the Battle of 2 Chron. 20 doesn’t fully meet the requirements of Psalm 83, having many fewer antagonists, so on that basis we can assume it was a partial fulfillment at best and the ultimate fulfillment is still in the future, perhaps the very near future. If so, it could be the bridge between the current state of affairs in Israel and the conditions necessary for the Battle ofEzekiel 38 to happen.  Let’s find out.

Psalm 83

O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you- the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. (Ps. 83:1-8)

The language is out of today’s headlines and the countries lined up against Israel in this Psalm inhabited the lands of Israel’s current neighbors. Edom and the Ishmaelites were in land occupied by southern Jordan today while the territories of Moab and Ammon make up the rest of that country. Ahman, the modern spelling of Ammon, is the capital of Jordan.

(While the government of Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel, we should remember that some 70% of Jordan’s population is “Palestinian” and in fact the country was originally formed to be the Palestinian home land. Currently there’s a proposal in the works that would join the Palestinians and Jordan in a federation.  This would give the Palestinians almost every advantage of statehood without having to recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.)

The Hagrites were part of Aram, whose capitol was Damascus in modern Syria.  Some have tried to link the Hagrites to Egypt, saying they were the descendants of Hagar.  She was the Egyptian slave woman Abraham and Sarah acquired there who became the mother of Ishmael.  But according to 1 Chron. 5:10the Hagrites occupied the area east of Gilead in today’s northern Jordan.

Gebal (also called Byblos) and Tyre are cities that can still be found in present day Lebanon, home of Hezbollah.  The Amalekites lived in Israel’s southern desert and Philistia settled in Gaza on Israel’s southern border, where Hamas currently reigns.  Assyria would conquer Aram shortly after Psalm 83 was written and the descendants of Lot is another reference to Jordan.  Remember, Moab and Ammon were the sons of an incestuous union between Lot and his two daughters and settled in land the Lord  gave them east of the Jordan River (Deut. 2:9).

So here we have all of Israel’s next door neighbors, all of them sworn to Israel’s destruction, and all of them preparing for war because of what’s  happening in Syria.

In a couple of surprising side notes, the US, which has traditionally maintained a strong naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, abruptly withdrew its fleet just as the Russian navy showed up off the coast of Syria.  It’s being reported that President Obama has told Turkey, Israel, and Jordan that it’s up to them to make sure Syria doesn’t try to widen the war. (As evidence of this, he gave Israel the green light to execute their bombing raids on Syria.)  Some analysts also believe Iran is actively considering the benefits of having Syria and Hezbollah provoke a limited  war with Israel to deflect any attempt by Israel to attack their nuclear facilities.  If so, it should soon become apparent, but for now let’s go back to Psalm 83.

Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”

Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:9-18)

Asaph, the Psalm’s writer, can’t resist telling the Lord exactly how he’d like Israel’s enemies to be dealt with. In that sense he’s just like you and me.

Midian was defeated by a vastly outnumbered force under the command of Gideon. It was another case of the Lord turning Israel’s enemies against each other and causing them to defeat themselves (Judges 7).

Jabin was a king of the Canaanites and Sisera was the commander of his army. The Lord lured the Canaanite army into a trap and the Israelites destroyed them (Judges 4).  The commander of Israel’s army was named Barak, just like Israel’s recent Defense Minister. Probably a coincidence.

Oreb, Zeeb Zebah, and Zalmunna were all leaders of the Midianite army defeated by Gideon.

Asaph’s prayer was that Israel’s current enemies will be just as soundly defeated as were the Midianites and the Canaanites, their armies scattered and their leaders executed.

Israel estimates that in excess of 50,000 short range missiles and rockets located in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza are positioned to strike strategic targets everywhere in Israel.   in addition, Syria has moved hundreds of long range missiles into firing positions, placed them on combat readiness, and given them updated target coordinates.  To avoid duplication in targeting, Iran has created and will direct a unified command center in Damascus to coordinate the massive simultaneous deployment of these weapons upon the outbreak of hostilities.  Their thought is that the Israelis will not be able to fend off such an all out attack and will be effectively disabled.

But Israel might pick this opportunity to launch a preemptive attack against the command center, wiping out Damascus in fulfillment of Isaiah 17.  Losing their command and control abilities  could cause the enemy attack to degenerate into a confused and chaotic effort that Israel could  quickly defeat just like Gideon defeated the Midianites.

Should this be the case, Israel will become larger, not smaller, with the contention over the ownership of Gaza, the West bank and the Golan put to an end. Israel will become stronger, not weaker, its military reputation vastly enhanced. The divided land would be divided no more, and Jerusalem would remain a unified city. The controversial security fence would likely come down, since the borders on all three sides would be considered to be safe and the threat of terrorist attacks diminished. In most people’s minds 60 years of war will have finally ended. It will be the perfect opportunity for Israel to be lured into a false sense of security and become a peaceful and unsuspecting people living in a land of unwalled villages as Ezekiel 38:11 requires. This is a critical condition that must be met prior to Ezekiel’s battle and the final fulfillment of Psalm 83would go a long way toward meeting it.

Meanwhile, the Russians and Iranians, who would have fought this battle primarily by proxy, would study their defeat and learn from their mistakes, lying in wait for the next opportunity to strike. It won’t be long in coming.