I'm reading, The “Lost” Ten Tribes of Israel…Found!  

Steven M. Collins  

available at: http://stevenmcollins.com/homepage.php for $12.99 in pdf format.

While I don't intend to do a book review at this point, I will say that it is a worthwhile read and well worth the modest $12.99. It's 600 plus pages long and represents a ferocious volume of research.

We are currently mutually and equally confused as to whether we're moving directly into the Gog/Magog war or a predecessor Psalm 83 war as postulated by Bill Salus in his excellent ISRALESTINE.

Salus asserts that the Psalm 83 war has not yet occurred. Indeed, his entire hypothesis stands or falls upon this assertion. Collins asserts the opposite -- that the Psalm 83 war has occurred. The following quotation summarizes his position (highlights are mine, page# reference unavailable).

" David’s thoughts on this war are recorded in Psalm 83. David’s  

psalms were frequently inspired by the events of his life, and the  

context of this chapter directly parallels the events of I  

Chronicles 19. Psalms 83:3­4 refers to a “crafty counsel” of  

many nations which were assembled to destroy the Israelite  

nation. Psalm 83:8 shows that these nations had conspired to  

“help the children of Lot.” Ammon was one of Lot’s children  

(Genesis 19:36­38), and I Chronicles 19 states that an alliance

of many nations was fighting Israel under the guise of coming to  

assist the Ammonites (Lot’s children). This strongly indicates that  

Psalm 83 and I Chronicles 19 are describing the same event. To  

further cement these two biblical accounts together, Psalm 83:8  

specifically states that Assyria (“Assur” was the forefather of the  

Assyrians) was a member of the alliance attacking Israel. This  

parallels the reference to “Mesopotamians” in I Chronicles 19, as  

Assyria was the dominant Mesopotamian nation of that time.  

A number of the nations referred to in Psalm 83 were, like  

Ammon, subject people of Israel who were likely eager to throw  

off Israel’s domination. The Philistines, Edom, Moab, and Amalek  

were all subject to King David of Israel (I Chronicles 18:11), and  

joined Ammon’s revolt against King David. Psalm 83:7 also lists  

 Gebal and “the inhabitants of Tyre” (both Phoenician cities) as  

being part of the enemy alliance. This indicates the conspiracy  

against Israel included some Phoenicians, who likely thought  

they were “siding with a winner” by opposing Israel and backing  

Assyria. King Hiram of Tyre, David’s ally, apparently experienced  

a rebellion of Assyrian sympathizers among his own people.  

However, the wording of verse 7 (it states that some  “inhabitants

 of Tyre,” not the leadership or whole city of Tyre,  

were part of the enemy alliances) indicates that Hiram, the king  

of Tyre, and part of his people remained loyal to David. Sidon,  

another major Phoenician city, apparently stayed loyal to David,  

as they are not included in the list of Israel’s enemies in Psalm  

83. Since King Hiram remained a close friend of King David and  

Israel after this battle, it is apparent that the leadership of Tyre  

remained loyal to King David. While the account in I Chronicles  

utilizes the general name of “Mesopotamians” to describe David’s  

foes, David’s own account in Psalm 83 is more specific in naming  

the Assyrians as his military opponents.  

While the King James  

Version of the Bible uses the term “Assur,” in Psalm 83:8, many  

other versions of the Bible (the Revised Standard Version, The

New Jerusalem Bible, The New Scofield Study Bible) plainly  

translate this word as “Assyria.” The Revised Standard Version is  

especially clear is stating: “Assyria also joined them; they are  

the strong arm of the children of Lot.” 

Given the fact that  

“Assyria” was the leader of the Mesopotamian nations, and that  

the Ammonites were the “children of Lot,” there can be little  

doubt that I Chronicles 19 and Psalm 83 refer to the same war.  

In the second stage of the battle recorded in I Chronicles 19:16­  

19, the Israelites and the Syrians mobilized their entire national  

military resources and clashed anew. This time there was no  

more pretense that the Syrians were Ammonite mercenaries.  

Also, the Assyrians were apparently no longer engaged, but had  

retreated after being soundly defeated by the Israelite army. The  

account states that David “gathered all Israel” and Syria “drew  

forth the Syrians that were beyond the river” (meaning  

reinforcements from east of the Euphrates River). The second  

battle of this war involved King David and his fully mobilized  

army marching eastward from the Jordan River to fight everyone  

the Syrians could muster. After suffering 47,000 dead, including  

their commander, the Syrians yielded to King David and “became  

his servants,” meaning they became vassal nations of Israel who  

paid tribute to King David."  

Both Collins and Salus could be right IF PSALM 83 IS A DOUBLE EDGED PROPHECY. 

First, if the Psalm 83 war is about to repeat, my personal observation is that Daniel's 70th. week would occur sometime around 2060 -- in line with Isaac Newton's schedule. This allows time for Salus' ISRALESTINE scenario to play out.

ISRALESTINE cannot play out unless the USA is taken out as a player. In other words, an imminent rapture is still likely.

If Collins is right (and Psalm 83 is not double edged), then we are moving directly into the Gog/Magog war. Again, the rapture is imminent. The USA has to be removed as a player. And the rapture would surely accomplish this. Pick a number, any number, in the millions, even the very low millions. Instantly remove that number from our population. The USA would be devastated. The military would be eviscerated. The economy would instantly crash. Essential services would cease to be. And so forth and so on. The USA would recover, but it would take time, and Gog/Magog is a very fast war.

Having been hopeful but wrong for nigh unto twenty years now, I'm beyond betting the ranch on any particular date. I continue to expect the call of our saviour imminently.