Current Events 25 Years Since September the 11
It’s 25 years since the September 11 twin towers or World Trade Center attacks in New York. Those events shook and changed the world, resulting in America launching it’s war on terrorism. It was an attack on the World Trade Center and what that center represented. America is a trading nation. It is no coincidence that the key nations that joined the American led coalition at that time were also trading nations, such as the UK and Australia. Several times in recent history these nations have been drawn into wars in the Middle East to protect trading partners and key trade routes.
For example, in the 1956 Suez Crisis Britain, France, and Israel went to war with Egypt after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. Control of the vital trade route forced Britain and France to act. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 a similar group of nations went to war to protect Saudi Arabia and restore Kuwait. The United States, United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Canada and a large number of other countries participated. Once again they were fighting to secure resources, trading partners and trading routes.
Britain, the later day Tarshish power and her “young lion” national offspring, have acted together a number of times, to secure their trade and trade routes. In Ezekiel 38:13, they are described as merchant powers.
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”
This Sheba and Dedan along with the merchant powers, are to object to the invasion of the Northern Confederacy upon Israel in the later days. Their concern, not so much the Jewish people, but what the Northern power has come to take: silver, gold, goods even a great spoil. Who are this Sheba and Dedan?
Sheba and Dedan
Dedan were the traveling merchants of Arabia, at the time of the prophet. They are mentioned in Isaiah 21:13 as the, "travelling companies of Dedanim.” The ESV says, "In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites.”
The lexicographer Gesenius identifies Sheba with the Sabaeans, a nation and region of Arabia. He supposes there were two Arabian tribes, Sheba and Dedan, one in southern Arabia and one based in northern Arabia. Smith in his Bible Dictionary identifies Sheba with the great southern Arabian kingdom and the peoples which composed it. Werner Keller in "The Bible as History" identifies Sheba with the ancient kingdom of Sheba based in southern Arabia, which was a merchant power who did business with the Kingdom of Israel under Solomon - the queen of Sheba came to visit. him. It is quite certain then that Sheba and Dedan in Ezekiel 38 are the tribes and kingdoms of the the Arabian desert, which is modern day Saudi Arabia, Yemen and we could include the other nations of the Arabian peninsula as well.
In the booklet, “Guardians of Israel & Arabia,” Paul Billington, viewing events in the Gulf at the time, saw it as a demonstration how this group of nations came together to defend their commercial interests, he wrote,
“The Middle East crisis of 1990 demonstrated with astounding clarity how that Tarshish and her young Lions aided the Biblical Sheba and Dedan to defend their commercial interests — just as Ezekiel’s prophecy might lead us to expect.
“The response to that crisis by the United States was massive. The most powerful of the “young lions” roared against her foe in the ears of the whole world! Britain — the old lion and “mother country” — was the first to give solid support to the U.S. Within weeks of the crisis other young lions — Canada, Australia and New Zealand were giving their support.
“We can but marvel at this incredible fulfillment of the prophetic word — events that have been expected, written about and longed for — come to pass before our very eyes! If events seemed to go in another direction for a while — as when Britain withdrew from the Gulf during the 1960’s — we have seen just how rapidly the pieces of the picture come into place again when God wills it."
These nations were acting out of their own national interests, yet were guarding Israel and Arabia.
The collapsing "ring of fire.”
Iran sought to construct a “ring of fire” around Israel. Israel would be suffocated by Iranian proxies on all sides. These included, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen. Since October 7, 2023 we have watched this ring of fire collapse, with the war finally reaching Iran itself.
Hamas is largely destroyed in the Gaza Strip, hanging on to its last grip on power. Its very existence is currently delaying any reconstruction and prohibiting any other power taking control of the strip.
Hezbollah suffered a major defeat this week in Lebanon. The strategic Ali al-Taher ridge was reportedly to be used to launch an attack on northern Israel. Underneath the ridge, cut through the rock was an underground fortress, from which missiles could be launched at northern Israeli towns. Back on June 20, it was reported by Israel HaYom, that the Iranians were pressing for a ceasefire in order to save this complex, which they spent 20 years constructing.
"Israel Hayom has learned that the Iranians pressed for a ceasefire in order to stop the IDF's intensive operation, which is currently encircling the complex where dozens of Hezbollah terrorists are trapped. This is a well-equipped underground city, far more advanced than Hamas' tunnels in Gaza.”
The day before the 25th anniversary of September 11 and right before the Jewish New Year, the IDF blew up the Ali al-Taher ridge fortress with 1100 tons of explosives.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF has now released footage of the Hezbollah infrastructure below the ridge.
"The IDF said on Friday morning that what remains of the Ali al-Taher ridge, beneath which Iran spent two decades building Hezbollah’s last and most significant line of defense in southern Lebanon, is “nothing more than a sandbox.” “
The destruction of the 14 tunnel routes on the ridge, stretching about 5.4 kilometers in total, was given the IDF codename “Chisel of Flames.””
The Iranian “ring of fire,” is being demolished. This is an essential and significant development, that could bring about the “peace and safety” described in Ezekiel 38. When Gog desends upon the land of Israel in the later days, he views Israel as a land at rest. His assessment is,
"I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates"
How wrong he is. The Almighty says,
"And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel”
Yemen
The Iran backed Houthis took a large swath of territory in Yemen on September 11, putting themselves in a strategic position to control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint for world trade. This may seem contrary to the direction that we would expect events to develop, in order to bring about the prophetic picture in Ezekiel 38. However, we will wait and see, this move could backfire. The merchant powers simply will not, and cannot allow a further chokehold on merchant shipping routes. As much as the UK has avoided being drawn into this current war in the Middle East, this could bring an end to that.
Further, Saudi Arabia had signed a defence pact with Pakistan and Turkey, The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. That pact proved worthless as the Houthis moved in. Will this force the Saudis closer the Abraham Accords?
This September 11, “The Hill,” ran an opinion piece entitled: "25 years after 9/11, America and Britain still stand stronger together.” We will see, but depending on how events develop, these traditional allies could soon be working together. In fact, back on the 22nd of March, the UK Independent, had an editorial piece entitled, "It is impossible for Britain to stay completely out of the war in the Middle East.” The Independent is not a right wing newspaper, so this opinion is significant.
Fox News quoted a former Pentagon official who said the Houthis had entered a US 'kill box' after seizing the Red Sea island. The article stated,
"Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait Sept. 11, opening a new front at a vital global shipping chokepoint as a former Pentagon official warned Sunday the militants had entered a "kill box.””
It would be very significant if the Houthis regime collapsed, as more than any other area, Yemen is the territory of ancient Sheba.
Twenty five years ago, right after September 11, I was doing the Sunday exhortation in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where many planes had been diverted on that dreadful day. The following is from my notes that day, identifying 3 areas that we could potentially see prophetic development as a result of September 11.
"Three areas identified:
• Britain at odds with Europe—divided from?
• Greater split in the Arab world
• Situation of peace and prosperity in Israel.”
These are points that we believed from scripture would come to pass. Twenty five years later, we have certainly seen these things develop. The prophetic word is sure!
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19)
Come back next week God willing, as we continue to discuss the sure word of prophecy on Bible in the News, on www.bibleinthenews.com — this has been David Billington with you.
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