Lebanon — The Turning Point
The war in Lebanon began in a simple enough way — merely a political upheaval about disparity in government representation. Its development, however, has been anything but simple, and Bible students can now detect the hand of God right from the disarmingly simple beginning. For both Israel and Syria are now deeply involved, AND ON THE ‘SAME SIDE.
On 12th September, “Time” Magazine revealed that both the Israeli Prime Minister and the Defence Minister had flown secret trips to Beirut to confer with Syrian officials about southern Lebanon. “Time” could hardly conceal its astonishment that two nations, who had so recently been enemies, could so readily agree. The reason, of course, is a common enemy — the PLO, a threat to any civil government, as King Hussein found out years ago. “Jerusalem has gained what amounts to de facto control over a strip of territory in southern Lebanon, reaching up to the Litani River. Only a few months ago, this strip was so dominated by Palestinian guerrillas that it was known as Fatahland.”
In one incredible stroke, it seems that problems on two fronts have been eased for Israel. On the Golan, Syria now has only one division of troops between there and Damascus. No troubles there for Israel. The last remaining area of PLO guerilla raids has been tamed the north now seems secure.
Firstly, Egypt in the south, and now Syria the north, have become reasonable and King Hussein on the east has long kept to himself. Has Syria now made the turning point? In view of Isaiah 19:24-25, these events are very interesting. “In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the Lord of Hosts shall bless, saying; Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”
If Assyria is to be the work of the Lord’s hands, has He begun, and are we to see more of His work up there? September 1976 is a turning point.
Asher’s Inheritance
But there is more significance to these events than just making friends with Syria.
It appears that Israel is to assume control up to the Litani River. Joshua ch. 19 records the inheritance of Asher according to the lot of the Lord under Joshua. This was the most northern coastal allocation. It included the city of Tyre, but fell just short of Sidon — the natural boundary was UP TO THE LIT-ANI RIVER! Any student of Bible history will recall that Asher never was able to fully take up its inheritance. Tyre belonged to the Phoenicians, remained with them, became a great trading centre and helped Solomon in the building of the temple. Tyre was not destroyed until after Israel went into captivity — thus Asher never had opportunity to occupy its northern-most area.
Thus, September 1976 is a special time for all. Asherites. For the first time in their history, they have a measure of control over their promised land. In spite of U.N. resolutions to withdraw to old borders; despite all that the Arabs can do; Israel, one way or another, continues to expand and take up all the territory that is rightfully hers.
Some Startling Parallels
The present war in Lebanon has its prophetical roots in Ezekiel 28, under the judgments on Tyre and Sidon. Ezekiel ch. 26 & 27 contain lengthy passages referring to the wealth and health of their trade, an obvious parallel with recent Lebanon. Chapter 28 particularly refers to the destruction of the trading community, but references at the end make it plain that a latterday second fulfilment is intended.
A sample passage from v.22,
“Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgements in her, and shall be sanctified in her. For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side. And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord”.
This passage had its primary application in Alexander the Great’s time, when he destroyed Tyre and Sidon, but the language equally describes the horror of Lebanon today. In particular, the phrase “pricking brier” very well describes the PLO guerilla attacks on Israel. But immediately after this come verses that leave no doubt to its latterday application. “Thus saith the Lord God, When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered .. . “. The parallel cannot be escaped.
False Worship Twice
There are a number of puzzling passages in Ezekiel 28 referring to Yahweh worship that have been hard to fit, e.g. the king of Tyrus is told, “Thou bast been in Eden, the garden of God” and then follows a list of stones of the breastplate of Israel’s high priest. Bro. Arthur Gibson, at Cambridge University, has discovered a fascinating link.
It now appears that, when Israel went into captivity, Tyre copied as much Yahweh worship as possible and set up a false temple worship centre in Tyre, where a replica of the temple was built. Four hills in Tyre were named after the Mounts in Jerusalem. Even the high priest’s breastplate was copied —hence the reference in v.13. The purpose of this was for Tyre to proclaim to the commercial world that Yahweh had deserted Israel, had now conferred His favours on Tyre and was now enthroned in Tyre alongside their other god Melkart. These recent discoveries have provided the hitherto obscure meaning behind the savage destruction of Tyre in Alexander’s painstaking efforts to eliminate even the remnants on an off-shore island. It also makes plainer the many strange references to Israel-type worship in connection with Tyre.
But the modern parallel which we can now observe is equally startling. The commercial enterprise of old Tyre was matched by modern Lebanon. She began by being strictly neutral in the Mid-East wars. But the PLO, harboured by Lebanon in “Fatahland”, was a “pricking briar” to Israel. Thus far the parallel with old times is obvious, but …One of the factions fighting the war in Lebanon is called . . . CHRISTIAN! Press photos in magazines and papers have shown rifles and artillery pieces, adorned with the picture of Jesus, firing on defenceless towns and people. Refugees in camps being blown to bits in the name of Jesus? The yalue in the discoveries at Cambridge University, about ancient Tyre’s stolen worship of Yahweh, now becomes apparent in being able to pinpoint a feature which has occurred again to greatly displease the Lord that we could say that the severity of the judgments on Lebanon, compared with that on Egypt, for example (Egypt’s cities remain intact), could lie in the fact that neither Arabs nor Moslems (nor Jews) have been contaminated by many aspects of false Christianity -the trinity, for example. ONLY LEBANON, IN HER CHRISTIAN QUARTERS, HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THESE ERRORS. Her refining is grim to behold and is a warning to others, not only just Israel’s neighbours, but to all those who embrace such errors. The purging of error throughout the whole world will, one day, be at least equal to that which has come upon Lebanon. It is the price of falsifying the worship of the one true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.
The Borders of the Land of Israel