There will be no peace in Gaza
According to Awolaja reported in Tribune Online, Biblically, there will be no peace in Gaza he said.
FOR obvious reasons, this week’s hot exchange between Egyptian superstar Mo Salah and Super Eagles midfielder John Ogu mirrors the polarization of world opinion concerning the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Moved by the plight of the Palestinians, Salah had said: “The massacres need to stop, families are being torn apart. What’s clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions. The scenes at the hospital last night were horrifying. The people of Gaza need food, water, and medical supplies urgently. I am calling on world leaders to come together and prevent the slaughter of innocent souls. Humanity must prevail immediately.”
But Ogu was livid. He wrote: “@mosalah, I have seen the video of you wanting humanity to prevail. Where were you and the energy when Hamas attacked and killed innocent Israelis? I’m sure you are aware that many Israelis are kidnapped still. Your nation didn’t accept some refugees. I live here and I can tell you what I know and saw. Israeli soldiers, police, were killed. Many civilians were butchered, burnt; babies beheaded, many still kidnapped. Many rockets are thrown till date from Gaza.”
It is, of course, natural to see the conflict, as many have tended to do, from religious lenses, which is why Daily Trust wrote a front page editorial this week calling on US President Joe Biden to end the Gaza conflict and towing the Aljazeera path of pro-Palestine rhetoric, while Fox News, say, has been unapologetically pro-Israel. Regardless of the diverse postures, the fundamental fact remains that it was Hamas that started the conflict. Among many other chilling details, an Israeli security personnel who witnessed the killing of a family explained how Hamas rogues tortured parents in front of their children, gouging out the eyes of everyone in the house, cutting off flesh, and then shooting the victims with their hands tied behind their backs. The killers ate on the victims’ dining table. It was indeed Israel’s 9-11 moment as holocaust survivors and music festival attendees lay dead, silenced forever. Hamas wants total annihilation of Israel.
Even if Nigerians took a pan-Africanist interest in the conflict, deploring the plight of blacks in both territories, there would still be polarization based on Nigeria’s experience with Boko Haram and Fulani herders, murderous groups that have given Nigeria a prominent spot on the Global Terrorism Index. In this piece, however, my interest lies in the Biblical exploration of the conflict. But first, we must dispense with the myth of “women and children” protection during war. Whether you are thinking of WWII, the Oyo wars or the wars fought to unbundle the Roman Empire, there has never been special treatment of “women and children” during war. Six million Jews perished in WWII and of that figure, there were an estimated 1.1 million children. What this means is that any talk of “women and children” as the basis for ending the ongoing war is misplaced. The term is quite discriminatory; it suggests that men are expendable during war.
The truth is that going by Biblical prophecy, there is more tears ahead for the Palestinians of Gaza and indeed any nation opposed to Israel in the Middle East, because the war that will reconfigure the region, which we call Open Miraculous, is still ahead. We will begin from Zephaniah 2, verses 4-5: “For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.” What this means is that anyone hoping for a two-state solution or praying for peace in Gaza is just writing a romantic poem. Going by the Torah, the prophecies of Isaiah (see chapter 19), Zechariah and Zephaniah, among others, Israel’s future lies in regaining all the land it controlled under King David.
The Bible speaks of an all-out war in the Middle East whereby Israel will triumph all round, having completely jettisoned United Nations (UN) mandates. Indeed, the UN will break up over Israel. Zechariah 12:2-3 says: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege (a diplomatic siege) both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH (the United Nations) be gathered together against it.” In a short while, the entire UN will be against Israel, but for its doom.
According to Isaiah 60, the current disagreement between Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is only temporary, and the latter will in fact massively support Israel in building the Millenial Temple. In Isaiah 60:6-7, we read: “The multitude of camels (convoys of goods) shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba (Saudi Arabia) shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.” This scripture shows various nations massively contributing towards the building of the Isareli temple after realizing, through war, that the God of Israel is the Creator.
What happens after Israel has regained all its territory? The people dwell in peace; in unwalled villages, then a coalition led by Russia attacks Israel with the greatest air raid in history, beating the Israeli intelligence network. However, by divine intervention, the coalition will be routed, and that will be the end of Russia as a world power, because EU forces will attack Russia after God has given Russia and its coalition members a burial in the land of Israel. That is found in Ezekiel 38-39. In Ezekiel 38: 2 we read: “Son of man, set thy face against Gog (Russia), the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal.”
I have deliberately avoided a full scriptural breakdown because this is a column, not a Biblical message. However, seeing people taking different positions on the Gaza conflict, I decided to state the Biblical position in obedience to Psalm 122:6: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”
