The Timing of the Psalm 83 War

Comment by Truth:

The Psalm 83 War has not yet been fought. In my opinion, it must be fought before the Ezekiel 38 war. The people groups referenced in Psalm 83 and related scripture (Jeremiah 49:34-39, Isaiah 17; Isaiah 11:14; Zephaniah 2:3-10; Zechariah 10:10; Obadiah 19-20) are not found among the people groups who participate in the Ezekiel 38 war. I believe that Israel will have defeated them militarily before the Ezekiel 38 war.

In a previous article on the Psalm 83 War “Psalm 83 War Imminent?” , I had assumed that Israel would have to fight this war in order to gain access to the Temple Mount. Now I see another possibility. In my understanding of the prophetic timeline, the timing of the division of Jerusalem, the stopping of the sacrifice, and the order of events in Daniel 8:11-14 led me to reconsider my assumptions.

Please refer to the latest version of the prophecy spreadsheet, Prophecy_v4.6.2.xls.

Let us first consider the division of Jerusalem and the stopping of the sacrifice. In my opinion, Jerusalem will be divided on 9/23/2015 (ref. cell Q5), but the sacrifice will not be stopped until 4/26/2016 (ref. cell R5), more than seven months later. The division of Jerusalem will be traumatic.

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Zechariah 14:2

Now consider two other theoretical timings:

1) What if the sacrifice were stopped first, and then Jerusalem divided later?

In this case, the timing of events gives the impression that Jerusalem would be under an externally imposed (probably military) force progressively destroying its freedoms.

2) What if the sacrifice were stopped and Jerusalem divided on the same day?

In this case, the timing of events gives the impression that Jerusalem would be under an externally imposed (probably overwhelming military) force bluntly destroying its freedoms in a single day.

The prophetic timeline, however, has Jerusalem divided first, and then more than seven months later, the sacrifice stopped. What does this timing imply?

In my opinion, Israel will misguidedly give up half of Jerusalem in yet another attempt to trade land for peace. In exchange, the Israelis will be guaranteed protected access to worship on the Temple Mount and the right to reinstitute animal sacrifice.

In other words, Jerusalem will not be taken by force. It will be traded away politically. This is consistent with Daniel 9:27.

27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the midst of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the wing he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. Daniel 9:27

This is not military force. It is a covenant; a political agreement which will have a term of seven years.

The Muslims will not be happy. They will violently oppose the agreement. For a short while, however, they will be prevented from stopping Israeli access to the Temple Mount, probably by an international peace-keeping force.

Daniel 8:11-14 sets forth the chronological order of events:

11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of YHWH; it took away the daily sacrifice from YHWH, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of transgression, YHWH’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the transgression of desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of YHWH’s people?”

14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”

We are particularly interested in verse 13. The order is:

1) Daily sacrifice is on-going (“the vision concerning the daily sacrifice”)

2) A transgression occurs that results in desolation (“the transgression of desolation”)

3) The sanctuary is surrendered (“the surrender of the sanctuary”)

4) The people of YHWH are trampled underfoot (“the trampling underfoot of YHWH’s people”)

Does this order agree with the prophetic timeline? Daniel 8:13 is considered below.

1) Daily sacrifice is on-going

Daily sacrifice will likely be reinstituted by 9/23/2015. (ref. cells R5 and W15)

The sacrifice probably begins within the last of the “seventy ‘weeks'” (before 9/23/2015) because Daniel 9:24 tells us that those ‘weeks,’ among other things, are decreed to “anoint the Most Holy Place.”

24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.” Daniel 9:24

In my opinion, the reason for anointing the Most Holy Place is to prepare it for the reinstitution of animal sacrifice. Once the anointing takes place, animal sacrifice can begin.

2) A transgression occurs that results in desolation

Transgression is defined as “an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offense”

Daniel 9:27 tells us that just such an offense occurs. The “He” of Daniel 9:27 will commit the offense.

27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the midst of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the wing he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. Daniel 9:27

The “He” of Daniel 9:27 will break the covenant.

In my opinion, this “abomination that causes desolation” occurs on 4/26/2016. (ref. cell R5)

3) The sanctuary is surrendered

The surrender of the sanctuary is implied by “In the midst of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.”

In my opinion, this event occurs on 4/26/2016. (ref. cell R5)

4) The people of YHWH are trampled underfoot

In my opinion, this event begins on 4/26/2016. (ref. cell R5) Considering that the “abomination that causes desolation” marks the beginning of The Great Tribulation, “trampled underfoot” probably means that the people of Israel are being killed.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

Matthew 24:15-21

If the above analysis is correct, Israel will find itself betrayed on 4/26/2016. The “land for peace” agreement will be broken by the “He” of Daniel 9:27. The people of Israel will be being murdered.

It is likely that the leadership of Israel will decide that diplomacy has failed, is failing, and will continue to fail. The only course of action will be for Israel to defend itself. It will be a fight for its very existence. Failure to win will mean the death of Israel and large numbers of its people.

And so, in my estimation, it is plausible that 4/26/2016 could mark the start of the Psalm 83 War.