He posted on Doves presenting an analysis of this Psalm as a war Psalm , and he concludes it is not .
He points out rather that The Psalm is GOD going against all of Israel's enemies Himself . It is Israel being DEFENDED by the LORD GOD ; even she does not use her might and power against them .
Not by power , not by might , but by MY SPIRIT SAITH THE LORD .
He shows us then that God wants the world and Israel to know who the protecter and defemder is ALONE for He then gets The Glory ....even Israel will not get any glory in this . She is receiving blessing only from Him in the sight of her enemies as His Chosen One .
No war here just supernatural Miracles of God Almighty saving Israel in Psalm 83. Go there ...must read !
thoughts: it really must be this way , as he describes lest Israel mistakenly thinks herself strong enough to be her own Savior !
not to be missed ....
Sometimes Christians write their opinions on forums . I have seen him offer an opinion many times , but this post is more than that , The Holy Spirit inspired this and the fervor with which it is offered up is the undeniable proof !!!
Thank you Brother Jim for your obedient heart in this .

this to me means we are closer than ever to The Rapture of The Church !!!!
and Psalm 83 is a sister Psalm to 91.
The number in reverse 83 to 38 .....Ezekiel 38 , actually in this scenario a war never takes place just a readying for war ...The Lord intercedes and the game is over, 5/6 of the enemy armies destroyed . Then Israel begins burying the dead for seven years !
Are we near to this now ?
why Jim posted this ........

Amen!

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/march2012/jim317.htm

Does it talk of war? Yes it does.
Psalm 83:9 - Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon

What happened to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon? Judges 4:6-7 “Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7‘I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’
and
Judges 4:12-16 "Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. 14Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the LORD has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15The LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left."

God enabled Israel to obtain the victory through the force of arms against a much more powerful and apparently larger foe which had oppressed Israel for 20 years. The same thing happened to the Medianites, with Zebah and Zalmunnah in Judges 8, albeit with only 300 soldiers and Gideon. It was still a war, just not a war Israel could expect to win in their own strength without supernatural assistance from the Almighty One.

I'm reminded of the 6 day war. Only then Israel took credit for the victory thinking it was "luck" that they won. Next time they will recognize that the Almighty doesn't need "luck", and neither do they.

PS: Two notes. Isn't it interesting that Psalm 83 speaks of Barak as the leader of Israel's forces, and Ehud Barak is currently Israel's Defense Minister?

These battles were fought on Israeli soil after their land had been invaded by oppressive forces. That sounds less like Israel attacking Iran sites, or Damascus, or such and more of them repulsing a large invasion. Say, maybe, a million or so muslims marching into Israel in a couple of weeks, for instance? The river Kishon is by Haifi, just a bit south of Lebanon.

Ain't that the truth Navi. It's going to be obvious when it happens and I hope not to be here when it does. The point is that Almighty God show Himself to be Almighty to Israel, and on her side.

I think the point would be driven home better if Israel was in a bit of a panic wondering what in the world they were going to do and they were given the victory against all expectations. Wiping out her enemies without an attack having started wouldn't have the same impact on this stiff necked Apple of God's eye. Not that they wouldn't be pleased, but they wouldn't feel as protected / rescued.

I can't see God sending the judgments of Psalm 83 on those nations without there being an active aggression against Israel.

I'm sure it will be obvious to all that God has protected Israel from the overwhelming attack by her enemies. God has a tendency to let His enemies destroy themselves and that may be what we are about to see.

I won't be dogmatic about anything, either. But, would offer this idea. That Psalm 83 is a prayer asking God to deal with those mentioned in the Psalm, and that Isaiah 17, is God's answer to that prayer... maybe? :)

This is just an idea, that I had seen tossed about on another forum. Not sure If I'd read that on another site like Jack Kelly's or not? Think I'll take a look over there and see.

Anyway, what do you guys think about that idea?

Chris N.

Considering that the battles mentioned in Psalm 83 are very near Lebanon, and considering the Hisbullah is coordinated with Syria, Isaiah 17 would seem to fit as perhaps the most dramatic part of God's response to Psalm 83. It would certainly make an impact on Syria.

But I see these events as part of God wooing back His people Israel, and if Isaiah 17 results from Israel dropping a couple of nukes on Damascus (as we have thought likely), how would that encourage them to rely on the Lord God rather than their own power? Now if it happened without Israel being involved, say by a plague of 100 pound hailstones, that would make a big impact on everyone I would think. At least until the deceiver starts his spin campaign.

If one of these rouge asteroids that seem to be popping up in the news were to land on Damascus would the world see that as an act of God or would they say it was random bad luck for Syria?

Here is the post that I sent to John Tng in response, that will hopefully be posted tomorrow on Fivedoves:

Hi Jim and Doves,

I agree that Psalm 83 alone does not point to a war. However, there are many parallel passages to Psalm 83 that do. I have put together a study on this war called "The Great Middle East War", where I broke down all the passages and put the parallel passages together. While not in Psalm 83, you will find exact word-for-word parallels between some of the other passages, but most are still direct parallels.

Here are a few examples in Psam 83 that are not exact word-for-word, but still direct parallels:

Psalm 83:12-15 O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains on fire, So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm.

Amos 1:14-15 Amid shouting in the day of battle, And a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Their king shall go into captivity, He and his princes together," Says the LORD.

Isaiah 17:12-13 Woe to the multitude of many people Who make a noise like the roar of the seas, And to the rushing of nations That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Zephaniah 2:2-3 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you! Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD's anger.

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Psalm 83:9-12 Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, Who said, "Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for a possession."

Ezekiel 36:1-5 "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because the enemy has said of you, 'Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,'"' therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people" - therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD!

Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around - therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country."'

I also agree that the church will be gone before Psalm 83 take place. I believe that we are God's "hidden" ones. I cover other parallels to our absence toward the end of the study.

Click here for link to the study

Maranatha!
Amy Van Gerpen