Lesson 10: Focus on the Middle East
Biblical history, current world news and end-time prophecy are largely focused on the Middle East. The conflicts and potential conflicts there strongly affect the rest of the world and will do so increasingly. It's critically important that we understand the Middle East from a biblical perspective.
Don Hooser, a minister in Washington, tells this story:
In 1991, I gained added understanding of the geopolitics in the Middle
East. In that year, one of the sites chosen by our church for celebrating
the biblical Feast
of Tabernacles was Amman, Jordan. My wife and I and two of our children
took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to observe the eight-day
festival there and afterwards go on a weeklong tour of Israel.
During the Feast, we went on several day tours, the most exciting being
the remains of the ancient city of Petra. In Israel, we were able to visit
Jerusalem and many important biblical sites, a priceless experience.
Jordanians are known for being quite friendly and hospitable toward tourists.
But when we were there, they really rolled out the red carpet for our
group. Why such exceptional hospitality?
Consider what a remarkable year this was to be in Jordan. The Persian
Gulf War had just ended on Feb. 28. The United States, with its Operation
Desert Storm, led the coalition forces from 34 nations to oust Iraqi forces
from their occupation of Kuwait. Most of the Arab nations joined with
the coalition forces, but Jordan remained neutral. After the war, King
Hussein's government was trying to do everything possible to repair the
damage done to its relationships with Middle Eastern and Western nations.
King Hussein was king of Jordan from 1952 to 1999 when he died. In 1978,
he married a beautiful and gracious American, Lisa Halaby, who was renamed
Queen Noor al Hussein. A real highlight of our time in Jordan was an invitation
by Queen Noor to a reception in one of the royal palaces. After being
treated to fancy hors d'oeuvres, we sat in an elegant hall while the queen
spoke very warmly to us for about 45 minutes.
Queen Noor's primary point was to apologetically explain to us why King
Hussein had decided not to take sides against Saddam Hussein of Iraq.
She explained that her husband's sympathies were with Kuwait and the allied
coalition, but the Jordanians felt extremely vulnerable since Jordan borders
Iraq. The king feared possible massive retaliation from Iraq.
After her address, we formed a reception line and each one of us got
to introduce ourselves and shake hands with her. It was an inspiring experience
plus it helped to enlighten us about the complexities and dangers in the
Middle East.
Share Your Story
A Short History of Jerusalem and the Holy Land
The "land of Canaan" is first mentioned in Genesis 11:31. After Abraham had
lived there for 24 years, God promised "all the land of Canaan" to him and
his descendants "as an everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:8). Then 430 years
later, after the Israelites had become enslaved in Egypt, God miraculously
delivered them out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses (Exodus 12:40).
God promised "to give them the land of Canaan"—a "land flowing with milk and
honey" (Exodus 6:4; 3:8).
Under the leadership of Joshua, God enabled the Israelites to conquer the
Canaanites and to settle in that land. However, for about four hundred years,
the Israelites never fully conquered the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem
(Joshua 15:63). It was King David who finally took full control of the city,
also known as "Zion," and David called it "the City of David" (2 Samuel 5:6-7).
Israel became a powerful nation under David and Solomon, and Jerusalem became
the capital. Solomon built a magnificent temple on Mt. Moriah, the same hilltop
where Abraham was to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2; 2 Chronicles 3:1).
After Solomon's death, when the nation split in two, Jerusalem continued to
be the capital of the southern house of Judah.
In 586 B.C., Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem and the temple
were destroyed, and the survivors were taken as captives to Babylon. But in
539 B.C., Babylon was conquered by the Persians, and all who had been captives
were allowed to return to their homelands. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel,
Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews who chose to return rebuilt the city and temple,
although not to their former glory.
When Judea came under the domination of the Roman Empire, King Herod enlarged
and beautified the temple. Most of Jesus Christ's ministry was in Judea and
Galilee, and many of the important events that took place during His ministry
occurred in Jerusalem, including His crucifixion and resurrection. The Church
was born when Christ's disciples received the Holy Spirit as they were gathered
in Jerusalem to observe the festival of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
When the legions of Rome crushed a Jewish rebellion in A.D. 70, Jerusalem
and the temple were once again destroyed. Centuries later, in 638, Muslim
Arabs took the city. In 691 Muslims completed the Dome of the Rock, and many
believe it was built on the site where the temple had previously been. Since
then, Jerusalem has changed hands several times. In 1517, the Ottoman Turks
seized control and dominated the Middle East for four centuries.
In 1917, during World War I, the British defeated the Ottoman Empire and
gained control of Jerusalem. Finally, in 1948, after Britain announced it
would relinquish control of Palestine, the United Nations voted to divide
Palestine between the Arabs and the Jews. As the British withdrew, the modern
state of Israel was born. Within hours, armies from five surrounding Arab
nations attacked Israel, determined to destroy it. After months of fighting,
Israel was the victor. But Israel has had to fight additional defensive wars
in 1956, 1967, 1973 and several other major skirmishes since then.
In the 1967 war, the Israelis gained control of the Old City—the eastern
part of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount. However, so far Israel has allowed
the Muslims to keep religious control of the Temple Mount in order to avoid
a major confrontation with them.
Today, there are 57 Islamic nations, including 22 Arab countries. Since many
of these surrounding nations are hostile toward Israel, the tiny nation of
Israel often thinks of itself as David facing a giant Goliath.
Today, Jerusalem is considered a holy city in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
God picked Jerusalem to be "the holy city" but, shamefully, for much of its
history, it has been more like "Sodom and Egypt" (Revelation 11:2, 8).
Jerusalem was earlier known as Salem, which means "peace" (Genesis
14:18; Psalm 76:2; Hebrews 7:1-2). However, the city has not lived up to that
either. According to Wikipedia, "Jerusalem, in the course of its history,
has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured
and recaptured 44 times."
After Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns to earth, Jerusalem will
become the capital of the entire world (Isaiah 2:1-3). It will truly be a
holy city and city of peace! Then after the Millennium, it will be replaced
by an even greater city—New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2).
You can read much more fascinating history of the Middle East in
our booklet titled The
Middle East in Bible Prophecy.
What Does the Bible Say About the Middle East?
Was Jerusalem prophesied to be a focus of much end-time conflict?
Zechariah 12:2-3
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding
peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen
in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples;
all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations
of the earth are gathered against it…"
Jerusalem was predicted to be the center of controversy and conflict in the
end time—"a cup of drunkenness" and "a very heavy stone for all peoples."
Will Israel be right in the middle of major end-time wars?
Daniel 11:40-45
"At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and
the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots,
horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm
them, and pass through.
"He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be
overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent
people of Ammon.
"He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land
of Egypt shall not escape.
"He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over
all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall
follow at his heels.
"But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore
he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
"And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the
glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help
him.
The land of Canaan, later known as Israel and even later as Palestine, has
always been a major crossroad and has often been coveted and conquered by
competing powers. "At the time of the end" there will be major wars between
"the king [kingdom] of the South" and "the king [kingdom] of the North." Since
the focus of the Bible is on the area of Israel, "south" means mostly south
of Israel and "north" means mostly north of Israel.
Prophecies in Daniel, Revelation and elsewhere make it clear that "the king
of the North" will be a European
revival of the Roman Empire. But until recent times, it was hard to imagine
a coalition of forces to the south that would have enough power to compete
with the European power. However, in the last few decades, we've been seeing
the growing power of Islamic fundamentalism that could increasingly unite
the Muslim world.
Why were 1948 and 1967 key prophetic turning points in history?
Matthew 24:14-16
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness
to all the nations, and then the end will come. Therefore when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in
the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let
those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."
This passage refers to "the holy place," implying a place for the worship
of God. Jesus referred to the prophecy "spoken of by Daniel the prophet,"
so He must have been referring to Daniel 12:11, especially since we know that
prophecy is for "the time of the end" (verse 9). In Daniel 12:11, we see that
the setting up of "the abomination of desolation" coincides with the time
when "the daily sacrifice is taken away." Therefore, "the holy place" must
refer to a Jewish altar where animal sacrifices are made. For Judaism, there
is only one city in the world qualified to have a holy altar, and that is
Jerusalem. And the Jews had no control of the Holy Land until 1948 and the
Temple Mount in Jerusalem until the Six Day War of 1967.
Many prophecies are dual, having a former fulfillment and a more complete
final fulfillment. In fact, Daniel's prophecy has had two former fulfillments.
One was in 167 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple and forbade
Jewish sacrifices, referred to in Daniel 11:31. The other was in A.D. 70 when
the Romans destroyed the temple and abolished the Jewish priesthood and sacrifices
(Luke 19:43-44).
To understand Daniel 12:11 (a future event), it is vital
to understand these past events, as God often causes history to repeat itself.
Many historic and prophetic details are explained in our booklet The
Middle East in Bible Prophecy.
What else can we learn by comparing Luke's parallel account of Jesus'
prophecy?
Luke 21:20-24
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its
desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are
in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all
things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant
and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great
distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the
edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem
will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
Jerusalem's "desolation" happens right after Jerusalem is "surrounded by
armies." There will be spiritual desolation and "great distress" when freedom
of religion is taken away. There will be desolation (devastation) of the city
when "Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles." And Jerusalem will become largely
desolate (empty) of its citizens because many "will fall by the edge of the
sword, and be led away captive into all nations."
Does the Bible tell of an end-time Arab confederation determined
to destroy the nation of Israel and its chief backer, the United States?
Psalm 83:1-8
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."
For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy
against you: the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites;
Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria
also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot.
The following quote is from "Prophecy
of an Arab Confederation" from our booklet The
Middle East in Bible Prophecy:
"Edom includes the Palestinians and some of the Turks. The Ishmaelites,
descendants of Ishmael, are many of the Arab peoples throughout the Middle
East and North Africa. Moab is the area of central Jordan. The Hagrites appears
to refer to other descendants of Hagar, mother of Ishmael.
"Gebal...is commonly equated with the Phoenician city of Byblos,
modern Jubayl in Lebanon. Ammon refers to northern Jordan around
Amman, the capital (which gets its name from Ammon). Amalek appears
to refer to a branch of Edomite Palestinians. Philistia is the area
around what is today known as the Gaza Strip. Anciently Tyre was
a major city-state in southern Lebanon along the Mediterranean coast. Assyria ethnically
appears to refer to inhabitants of Central Europe who migrated there many
centuries ago, while geographically Assyria is in what is today northern Iraq. The
children of Lot refers to Moab and Ammon—again, regions of modern-day
Jordan."
Will the great battle commonly called "Armageddon" take place in
the Holy Land?
Revelation 16:14-16
For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings
of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that
great day of God Almighty.
"Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his
garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." And they gathered
them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
The final battle is actually called "the battle of that great day of God
Almighty." But before the actual battle, the demonic spirits "gathered them
[the armies] together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon"—northwest
of Jerusalem (verse 16).
The actual battle will be at "the Valley of Jehoshaphat" near Jerusalem (Joel
3:2, 12). There, God says, "I will gather all the nations to battle against
Jerusalem" and "will go forth and fight against those nations" (Zechariah
14:1-3). The armies that were planning to fight each other turn and "make
war with the Lamb," but "the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords
and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14). More will be explained about the Great
Tribulation and the Day of the Lord in future lessons.
Apply Now
With so much news these days about the Middle East, let's brush up on a
little geography by taking a look at the maps below from The
Middle East in Bible Prophecy (on page 41 and 73). For each nation,
notice its size and which bordering nations surround it. This will help
you to better understand the news and to appreciate how real peace is humanly
impossible. Then, not only "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm
122:6) but pray for Jesus Christ to return soon to bring peace to all nations.
Then no nation will
"learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4).
Next Lesson: The
Great Tribulation
Questions about this lesson? Feedback about
this lesson?
Related Resources:
The Middle East in Bible Prophecy
The Coming "Abomination of Desolation"
Israel's Amazing Story: Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy
Jerusalem: Focus of Bible Prophecy
Jerusalem's Temple Mount: Center of Conflict Today
