Many have contacted me recently asking if Israel’s current perilous situation could bring about the fulfillment of Psalm 83. I tell them no. Why? Primarily because Psalm 83 was already fulfilled 75 years ago.
The psalmist Asaph penned a prophetic song about a future time when countries would unite to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. He wrote:
Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:1-4)
The rest of the Psalm goes on to mention the parties aligning against Israel and calls on God to supernaturally rescue His people from the coming assault. Many see the fulfillment of this prophecy in Israel’s current dangerous state. They hear voices calling for the destruction of the nation and read the reports of 250,000 missiles aimed across the borders into the country. On the surface, a prophetic fulfillment certainly seems plausible. However, when you closely examine the facts, it becomes evident that this cannot be the Psalm 83 war. There are three primary reasons why it is clear to me that Psalm 83 is not being fulfilled now but was already realized 75 years ago in 1948.
The Name
Psalm 83 is about ensuring that the name “Israel” remains in the dustbin of history. After suppressing the Bar Kokhba revolt in AD 136, the Romans were tired of Jewish uprisings. In an attempt to break down Jewish identity, Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina and Judea was renamed Syria Palestina. At that moment, the name of Israel disappeared, and it remained gone for over 1800 years. Then, suddenly, the State of Israel was created in a day on May 14, 1948. Immediately, the surrounding nations rose up against them. The name “Israel” had returned, but they were determined that it still “be remembered no more.”
The Timing
Psalm 83 is about a war, but that war took place 75 years ago. When the State of Israel was born, all the neighboring states armed themselves and attacked. What was their goal? They wanted to kill the baby before it had a chance to take its first breath. They wanted to “cut them off from being a nation.” At first, no one stood with Israel. Not even the American State Department believed that it should be recognized. But President Harry Truman surprised them all by being the first world leader to accept the existence of this newfound nation. I believe that America has received untold blessings from the Father because of this move. Despite the best efforts of Israel’s enemies, they were no match for an all-powerful God who was fulfilling His promises to the tiny nation. As in Psalm 83, the people called out for divine assistance, and it was given.
The Perpetrators
This is where today’s situation strays the farthest from Psalm 83. In the biblical prophecy, we read of nation after nation rising up against Israel. In 1948, Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen all stood against the new state. In today’s scenario, there is only one country coming against Israel – Iran. In Syria, it is not Bashar al-Assad’s government aiming the missiles at Israel. It is the many Iranian proxy militias. Missiles are ready to be fired from Lebanon, but it is not the Lebanese military manning them. It is Hezbollah, a proxy terrorist organization supported by Iran. In Iraq, it is again Iranian proxy terrorist militias targeting their missiles at Israel.
Most of the nations surrounding Israel despise Iran’s militias and the Islamic regime’s interference in their government and society. In fact, the leaders of these nations are speaking out against this potential attack. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounced any launch of rockets toward Israel from within his country. The Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, strongly condemned the use of Iraqi territory to launch any regional aggressions at the behest of Iran.
Finally, if we look at a number of the specific nations mentioned, we see they just don’t fit the Psalm 83 scenario. Jordan and Egypt are mentioned in the prophecy using their biblical names. Currently, they both have peace treaties with Israel. Lebanon and Syria are also mentioned, yet today they are so dysfunctional that they are barely existing as sovereign, independent countries. In contrast to the others, Yemen isn’t mentioned at all in the prophecy, yet we still find it as part of the proxies that are threatening Israel. Psalm 83 is the gathering of the nations against Israel. What we see today is just one nation gathering its many militias against the country.
So, what is happening today? If anything, rather than an already fulfilled Psalm 83 being played out, I see a buildup to Ezekiel 38. Alliances are being made and weapons are being distributed in preparation for Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the others to finally trigger their attack. Am I saying this is the Ezekiel 38 war? No. Could it be related to it? I believe it is likely.
