The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest
by Jack Kinsella

Vol: 31 Issue: 6 - Tuesday, April 06, 2004

Leaving Philistia

An Israeli withdrawal from some Palestinian territories could be the key
to relaunching the stalled Middle East peace process, said David Welch,
the US ambassador to Egypt, reported Israel Radio Tuesday.

Welch said in an interview broadcast on Nile TV, "If there is an Israeli
government decision to withdraw from some places, perhaps that's the key
to unlock the process."

That is the US government's assessment of Ariel Sharon's plan to
'unilaterally disengage' from the Gaza Strip.  The phrase 'unilateral
disengagement' means a complete Israeli pullout from all of Gaza,
including all Israeli settlements.

The prime minister said he plans to evacuate all 21 Israeli settlements in
Gaza and four in the West Bank. He said a patrol road between the Gaza
Strip and Egypt would remain under Israeli control for the time being.

Sharon said he would seal off Gaza after a withdrawal, at least initially.

"Until we see what happens, we will continue to have control of an
envelope around Gaza," Sharon told Maariv. "The contacts between us
(Israel and Gaza) will be like between two countries, selling and buying,
but we won't have control over what happens inside."

Asked by reporters to explain his "apparent re-orientation from one who
would not negotiate under fire to one who is prepared to retreat under
fire," Sharon said he was left with no choice. "I was right then, and I'm
correct now. Realities change," the prime minister said.

"The situation then (the Oslo Accords period in 1993) was that Israel
spread out the first red carpet for Arafat, and the rest of the world
followed suit. It took quite some time for everyone to realize the scope
of his evil intents.

"The situation today is that we realize we have no one to talk to. But
there has to be some kind of process. This process (disengagement), that
includes the Americans, enables us to exist in what I believe to be a
better situation."

Sharon hinted that Egypt may contribute to solving security problems in
the Gaza Strip, but refused to elaborate. He said that although at first
transport arteries into the Gaza Strip would remain closed, he personally
would like to see the area opened as soon as possible, in order to relieve
Israel of any responsibility for the running of internal affairs in the
Gaza Strip.

In reaction to the disengagement plan, Yasser Arafat announced a plan to
form a 'Unified Leadership Council' between the Palestinian Authority,
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to share power in Gaza.  Arafat is to chair the
new group.  Hamas has gained influence and power in Gaza to the degree it
is already the de-facto government in the territory.

Assessment:

What today is the modern Gaza Strip is part of historical Philistia.  The
cities of ancient Philistia were Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath.
Philistia's northern border city was the city of Joppa, or Jaffo.

The Gaza Strip comprises the southern third of ancient Philistia, and the
modern cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron are still claimed by the
Palestinians as part of their land, extending up the coast to Jaffo, south
of Tel Aviv.

"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before
the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, BEFORE the day of the LORD's
anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which
have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye
shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger."

"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." (Zephaniah 2:1-6)

Most commentaries on these verses either view these verses as history, or
see them as an allegory for the nations that will be judged in the last
days.

However, when most of these commentaries were written, Philistia was a
forgotten part of the Ottoman Empire, not one of the world's most
dangerous flashpoints.

At the time most commentaries on Zephaniah were published, Biblical
'Israel' in the last days was assumed to be a euphemism for the Church and
not a real place.

Consequently, no commentary on Zephaniah I have been able to find takes
the prophecies regarding the cities of Philistia literally. But the
literal cities of Philistia are the subject of most evening newscasts
worldwide. (Ashdod was the site of a suicide bombing only last week, for
example)

The prophet Amos predicts' "The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his
voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn,
and the top of Carmel shall wither. Thus saith the LORD; For three
transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the
punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing
instruments of iron:" (Amos 1:2-3)

The phrase, "three transgressions of Damascus, and for four" doesn't mean
Damascus committed only four sins. It simply conveys the idea of 'sin upon
sin upon sin'.  In any case, Damascus is the oldest continually-inhabited
city on earth, so its prophesied destruction remains yet a future event.

Amos uses the same phrase to describe Philistia; "Thus saith the LORD; For
three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the
punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity,
to deliver them up to Edom: "

"But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the
palaces thereof: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him
that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against
Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord
GOD." (Amos 1:6-7)

Edom was settled by Jacob's brother Esau.  King Herod the Idumean was an
Edomite. The area of Edom and Moab are today in southern Jordan, just
across the Dead Sea from the West Bank.

Although the older commentaries regard Zephaniah and Amos's pronouncements
as historical or allegorical, in either case, Ashkelon is not a
desolation, it is a bustling coastal city.

Gaza is home to several million 'Palestinians' who derive their name for
the Roman name for 'Philistine' or 'Palestina'.   Like the prophecies
concerning Damascus, those concerning Gaza have never been completely
fulfilled in history.

But what about today?  Gaza is about to be completely abandoned by Israel.
Soon, there will be no Israelis living within its fenced-in territories.
The Gaza Strip is run by Hamas and is a hotbed of anti-Israeli terrorist
activity.  Israel is engaged in an escalating war against terror and
terrorism.

The dots continue to connect. . .

The prophet Zechariah said that in the last days, the whole world will
stand against Israel in a dispute over the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Zechariah correctly predicts Jerusalem's status as a 'burdensome stone for
all people' and that 'all that burden themselves with it will be cut in
pieces' as well as the almost fulfilled prediction that 'all the people of
the earth [will] be gathered against it'. (Zechariah 12:3)

Zechariah references the 'governors of Judah' [the West Bank territories
of Judea and Samaria] before restoring 'the glory of the House of David'
(12:6-7).

No mention is made of the coastal regions of ancient Philistia. That is
significant, since Philistia was NOT part of the Kingdom of Israel during
the period of 'the glory of the House of David'.

As Paul said, "For now we see through a glass, darkly;" (1 Corinthians
13:12) and for that reason, it isn't exactly clear how Israel's withdrawal
from Gaza and the prophecies of Zephaniah and Amos precisely fit together.
The scenario continues to unfold before us.

But the Scriptures say, "when these things BEGIN to come to pass, then
look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke
21:28)

We'll be watching.