NUCLEAR WAR IN
THE MIDEAST
PART 7
(JORDAN)
by Steve
Ashburn
In Part 6 of this
series we saw how Syria was destroyed as a nation, her
people deported to other nations, and how her land
basically became pastureland for Israel. After this,
Israel finally came into complete possession of her
promised land, the ancient land of Canaan. Generally
speaking, this includes Lebanon from the vicinity of
Sidon, southward to the Sinai, eastward into Jordan, and
north to the Euphrates River.
Isaiah 49:19–20
indicates there will be massive immigration of Jews to
Israel after this war, so that the land “shall even now
be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants” and
immigrants will demand, “The place is too strait for me:
give place to me that I may dwell.” In fact, Isaiah 54:1
infers that the population of Israel will more than
double during the end times due to this massive wave of
immigration: “for more are the children of the desolate
than the children of the married wife.” Israel’s newly
acquired territory in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West Bank,
and Gaza will provide them room. We now continue in our
studies of this Psalm 83 war, with a description of
God’s judgment on Jordan, one of Israel’s most
intractable adversaries.
Moab and Ammon
were sons of Lot, whose descendants settled the area
north and east of the Dead Sea. Although their ancestor
was a godly man, Moab and Ammon became pagan nations who
worshipped false gods such as Chemosh and Molech, were
perpetual enemies of Israel, and who led Israel into
idol worship (King Solomon introduced worship of these
gods in Jerusalem; 1 Kings 11:7). Together with Esau
(Edom), they settled the area now known as Jordan. The
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan by and large consists of
their descendants, amalgamated with Bedouin Arabs, who
now commonly are referred to as Jordanian Arabs.
Isaiah 15–16
contain prophecies against Moab (modern-day Jordan).
These chapters are sandwiched between Isaiah 14 (the
last part of which describes the end-times attack
against Gaza) and Isaiah 17 (which describes the
end-times war against Syria). In addition, Jeremiah
48–49 is a parallel passage to these chapters, and as we
have seen refers to the end-times attack on Jordan (Moab
and Ammon). Although Nebuchadnezzar precursively may
have fulfilled these prophecies in the sixth century BC,
the timeline is indicated by Jeremiah 48:47: “Yet will I
bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days.”
Therefore, let’s take a look at this interesting
prophecy.
Isaiah 15:1
begins, “The burden of Moab.” As we have seen before,
the term, “burden” denotes an extremely severe judgment.
The rest of this verse explains why it is so severe:
“Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and
brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is
laid waste, and brought to silence.” Ar and Kir were
ancient cities in Moab which in modern times are known
as Rabba and Al Karak, located respectively
seventy-seven and eighty-seven miles south of Amman,
Jordan, along the King’s Highway (Route 35). Our text
verse indicates that these cities will be laid waste
overnight (symbolically, this also could refer to cities
[or other locations] in Jordan in general).
In a similar
fashion, Isaiah 17:14 describes a probable nuclear
attack on Syria, and generally speaking, upon Arab
countries who attack Israel: “behold at eveningtide
trouble; and before the morning he is not.” In all
likelihood, therefore, Isaiah 15:1 describes a nuclear
attack on Jordan, which takes out at least two cities.
The parallel passage in Jeremiah 49:2 says, “I will
cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the
Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her
daughters shall be burned with fire”; in context, this
means that “Rabbah of the Ammonites” (modern-day Amman)
and “her daughters” (sister cities) will be destroyed
“with fire” (nuclear weapons). Israel may use
enhanced-radiation warheads (neutron bombs) in order to
minimize the damage. Alternatively, fuel-air bombs could
be used much more selectively in some cases, and with
less collateral damage.
The parallel
passage in Jeremiah 48 indicates that Jordanians will
attempt to flee from the danger, but will unable to
escape:
Fear, and the pit,
and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab,
saith the Lord.
He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit;
and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in
the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the
year of their visitation, saith the
Lord. They
that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of
the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon,
and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour
the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the
tumultuous ones. Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of
Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and
thy daughters captives. (Jeremiah 48:43–46)
Those who attempt
to flee from nearby destruction (“the fear”) shall be
trapped in “the pit” (with no way out); and those who
manage to escape yet again will be taken “in the snare”
(captured prisoner). Thus, God will bring upon Moab “the
year of their visitation” (their punishment for
attacking Israel). Some refugees will take shelter in
“the shadow of Heshbon” (Heshbon was the ancient capital
of Ammon and seat of its king, Sihon, located twelve
miles southwest of Amman); Scripture here probably
alludes to the capital of Jordan (Amman), its seat of
government (“Sihon”) and military strength (“the
force”); but fire will destroy Amman (“Heshbon”), its
royal palace (“Sihon”), the greater metropolitan area
(“the corner of Moab”), and “the crown of the head” (the
scalps) of the riotous Jordanians (“tumultuous ones”).
Thus, Scripture
indicates an Israeli nuclear strike against Amman,
including the royal palace (“Sihon”). The Hebrew word
translated “devour” (wattokal) is used twenty
other times in the Bible, and usually is translated
“consumed,” in reference to eating food, or in some
cases to fire from the Lord consuming sacrifices, while
leaving the altar untouched. The usage of this word in
our passage seems more consistent with “consuming” flesh
rather than melting objects; thus, the use of neutron
warheads here is implied.
The Lord then
pronounces severe woe on Moab, and pejoratively refers
to them as “the people of Chemosh” (idol worshippers),
which seems in context a reference to their Islamic
religion; they will “perish” and their surviving “sons
are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.” In the
parallel account in Jeremiah 49:3, Scripture says,
“their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and
his princes together.” This infers that the king of
Jordan (currently King Abdullah II) and his chief
advisors and military commanders will be captured.
Verse 2 of our
text passage in Isaiah then describes Jordanians weeping
and wailing, and seeking comfort in their pagan temples
(“Bajith” signifies a pagan temple, in ancient times
that of Baal; in a modern context this may refer to
mosques).
He is gone up to
Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab
shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their
heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off. In
their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth:
on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every
one shall howl, weeping abundantly. And Heshbon shall
cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto
Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry
out; his life shall be grievous unto him.
My heart shall cry
out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an
heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of
Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way
of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.
For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay
is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green
thing.
Therefore the
abundance they have gotten, and that which they have
laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the
willows. For the cry is gone round about the borders of
Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling
thereof unto Beer-elim. For the waters of Dimon shall be
full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions
upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of
the land. (Isaiah 15:2–9)
Dibon, Nebo,
Medeba, Heshbon, Elealeh, and Jahaz were ancient towns
in Moab, and probably signify the population of modern
Jordan howling at the Israeli retaliation toward—and
probable invasion of—their country. Although the
Jordanian army will put up a fight (“the armed soldiers
of Moab shall cry out”), they will not prevail against
the IDF (“his life shall be grievous unto him”).
The parallel
passage in Jeremiah 48:40–42 indicates that aircraft of
the IDF will be used: The Lord “shall fly as an eagle,
and shall spread his wings over Moab.” At that time,
Israeli ground troops will overrun fortresses in Jordan:
“Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised.”
As a result, Jordanian soldiers will greatly fear: “and
the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as
the heart of a woman in her pangs.” After that, “Moab
shall be destroyed from being a people,” as Jordan
becomes Israeli territory.
Our passage in
Isaiah indicates that refugees will be herded like
cattle (“his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer
of three years old”) for three years to sites in Jordan
near ancient Zoar [present-day Al-Safi] and Horonaim
[near present-day Al-Karak] (southeast of the Dead Sea);
the “mounting up of Luhith” probably signifies the road
ascending up to the region of Horonaim (present-day
Route 35). They will carry their possessions with them
on the way; “the waters of Nimrim” (present-day Wadi
Numeira), is a stream emptying into the Dead Sea
southeast of its southern end, near the present-day town
of El Iraq, Jordan, where refugees will carry their
property.
This general
locale probably will act as a staging area for the
temporary housing of refugees pending their relocation
to other countries. The “brook of the willows” was the
ancient boundary between Moab and Edom, which in modern
terms would be the Wadi Karak, near present-day Al Karak,
a town southeast of the Dead Sea. Variations of the
word, “weep,” “cry,” or “howl” are found twelve times in
Isaiah 15; this indicates extreme anguish of the
Jordanians at being forcibly evicted from their land by
Israel.
As a geographic
note: There are three wadis which cascade off the
Jordanian Plateau, dropping three thousand feet into the
southeastern Dead Sea valley. From north to south, these
are the Wadi Karak (“the brook of the willows”), at the
mouth of whose canyon was located ancient Sodom; the
Wadi Numeira (“the waters of Nimrim”), at the mouth of
whose canyon was located ancient Gomorrah; and the Wadi
Zered, at the mouth of whose canyon was located ancient
Zoar (to which Lot fled, Genesis 19:23). Taken together
with Admah and Zeboiim, these five cities made up “the
cities of the plain” (Genesis 13:12) where Lot dwelled.
Eglaim and Beer-elim
were ancient towns in southern Moab on the border with
Edom; Isaiah indicates that the “howling” will reach to
this area, which in modern context would mean all of
Jordan. Scripture says that “the waters of Dimon shall
be full of blood,” meaning that the battle for Jordan
would be intense around the location of Dimon [Dibon,
the ancient capital of Moab], near present-day
Dhībān, located north
of the Arnon River in west-central Jordan. Isaiah says
that God will bring even more bloodshed to those who
escape from Jordan (“for I will bring more
upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab”), and
also upon those who remain in the land (“upon the
remnant of the land”).
In context, this
means that Jordanian troops who escape to neighboring
countries will be attacked like “lions”; this could
refer to action by the IDF, or to coalition forces in
Iraq which in Isaiah 21:8 were described as a “lion,”
referring to the US and its allies.
Jordanian rebels
who remain in the land (“the remnant of the land”) will
suffer the same fate. Presumably those who surrender,
including most civilians, will be herded (like “an
heifer”) to staging areas in the general region of Al
Karak, to be relocated to other nations. Isaiah 15
indicates this process will take “three years.” This
period seems to be confirmed in the parallel passage in
Isaiah 16:14: “Within three years, as the years of an
hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with
all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very
small and feeble.”
Our Scripture text
indicates that within three years, “as the years of an
hireling [contractor],” the relocation of Jordanians
will be complete, with perhaps only a small number (“and
the remnant shall be very small”) of the elderly and
infirm (“feeble”) remaining.
An interesting
question is: Who is this “hireling,” or contractor? This
same terminology is used in Isaiah 21:16, in reference
to present-day Saudi Arabia (“Kedar”): “Within a year,
according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory
of Kedar shall fail.” It seems that some Middle Eastern
populations will be relocated to other countries, with
the cooperation of the US and other Western nations,
likely in order to avoid the possibility of another
nuclear war. The “hireling” (contractor) in this case
would probably be a UN-type organization or committee
(like the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees), who would
find homes for the newly displaced populations.
The parallel
passage in Isaiah 16:8 also sheds light on this
invasion: “For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the
vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken
down the principal plants thereof, they are come even
unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her
branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.”
Our text verse indicates that coalition forces (“the
lords of the heathen”) will destroy the fruitfulness and
productivity of Jordan, and sweep through the country
from the eastern desert (“the wilderness”) even to Jazer
(west of present-day Amman). After this, Jordan’s
population (“her branches”) will be “stretched out”
(evacuated) and relocated to other countries (“gone over
the sea”).
Israel, in the
meantime, will be in possession of her ancient land
promised to Abraham, living securely without fear of
further attacks. Scripture says that God will then begin
to exceedingly bless his promised land, until it truly
will be overflowing with agricultural produce and
livestock, and become like the garden of Eden (“and he
will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like
the garden of the
Lord”; Isaiah 51:3). The parallel passage in
Jeremiah 49:2 says, “then shall Israel be heir unto them
that were his heirs”; the related passage in Zephaniah
2:9 states, “the residue of my people shall spoil them,
and the remnant of my people shall possess them.” The
timeline in Zephaniah is end-times, as indicated by “the
remnant of my people,” referring to modern Israel, after
being regathered into their land.
Interestingly,
Scripture says that during the time of this evacuation,
there will be a drought in the area, so that “the waters
of Nimrim” (present-day Wadi Numeira) will be dry.
Historically, this wadi was a tourist attraction in
Jordan, having a fast-flowing stream and many cataracts.
It dropped about three thousand feet from its source on
the plateau near El Iraq, Jordan to the Dead Sea.
However, the region is currently experiencing its worst
drought in nine hundred years. Our Scripture passage
predicts that at the time of this war, the drought will
have worsened, with no green plants or hay:
“For the waters of
Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away,
the grass faileth, there is no green thing.” This also
is consistent with our Lord’s prophecy in the Olivet
Discourse that at this time (the beginning of the end
times), there would be severe droughts (“and there shall
be famines . . . in divers places”; Matthew 24:7). To
the astute student of the Bible, this drought is an
important sign to look for. In fact, the Bible indicates
that drought conditions will extend from Iraq (Jeremiah
50:38) to Egypt (Isaiah 19:5), encompassing the entire
Mideast region—exactly what is happening today!
During the
millennium, the ancient peoples of Moab and Ammon will
be restored as nations: “Yet will I bring again the
captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the
Lord”
(Jeremiah 48:47); “afterward I will bring again the
captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the
Lord”
(Jeremiah 49:6). Therefore, Moab and Ammon will have a
blessed place in the kingdom age. These descendants of
righteous Lot will bring sacrifices to the Lord and
worship him in his temple in Jerusalem, as Isaiah 42:11
implies: “Let the wilderness and the cities thereof
[east of Israel] lift up their voice”; their territory
will be south and east of the Israeli tribes of Reuben
and Gad, respectively.
In Part 8 of this
series, we’ll continue our study of Bible prophecy about
Jordan in the end times. Scripture has a lot to say
about another ancestor of modern-day Jordanians (and
residents of the West Bank) who will attack Israel in
the last days, and that man is: Esau. Biblical prophecy
against his descendants is so extensive that it deserves
an article of its own—so don’t miss Part 8!
I provide more
details of this and many other end-times prophecies in
my recently published book, END TIMES DAWNING: Get
Ready! (available from
www.endtimesrecord.com). Please read it! Also if you
would, please leave a book review on Amazon!
Yours in Christ,
Steve Ashburn