The burden of Gaza according to the word of the Lord. It is written in Zeph 2:1-5: “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…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. And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.”
In Zeph 2:1-5 cited above, Zephaniah prophesied the destruction of Gaza and Ashkelon. He also spoke of the coming wrath of God on the nation of the cherethites and the land of the philistines. This prophecy was spoken in Palestine about 679–648 B.C. and it is to be fulfilled in the day of the Lord, which is at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with us His saints to set up His millennial kingdom on the earth (Zeph 1:14-18, 2:2). By the word of this prophecy, we understand that at the time of the second coming of Christ, Gaza, Ashkelon, and the other cities mentioned in the Scriptures above will not be in the hands of Israel. Rather, these cities will be controlled and ruled by Israel’s enemies. This is why the Lord will make war against these cities and destroy them at His coming. The Lord promised that on that day of His wrath at His coming, He will leave no former inhabitant in these cities. He declared that He will give these cities to the remnant of His people Judah (Israel) and they shall posses it. For on that day, He shall turn away the captivity of Judah. This is the Word of the Lord and it shall be done at the time appointed.
The word Gaza means strong. Gaza was one of the five philistine cities conquered by Israel in the ancient past (Judg 1:18, 6:4, Josh 10:41, 11:22, 15:47). It was perhaps the oldest city of the land of Philistia located near the coast of the Mediterranean about 40 miles south of Joppa. It was the last town on the road to Egypt located at the entrance of the wilderness (Acts 8:26). In the past, it was an important place on the border of the desert between Syria and Egypt because the land was very fertile with many wells of water. In the Old Testament days, it was a chief enemy of Israel (1 Sam 6:17, 2 Ki 18:8, 1 Chro 7:28) and had many giants living in it. Many wars have been fought over this city with most of the city lying in ruins until 57 B.C. when the Romans rebuilt it. Philip, one of the Disciples of Christ also passed by it about the same time as written in Acts 8:26. In the second and third centuries (A.D.), it came under severe pagan influence. In those days, many martyrs died for Christ there. It was later taken by the Arabs in 634 A.D. and has remained a Moslem city most of the time since then until the nation of Israel was established in 1948. Then, in the 1956 Suez-Sinai war, Israel temporarily occupied it but left due to international pressure. But Israel took it again in the six-day war of 1967 and remained there until 2005.
Now, for the reason that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, the Palestinian intifada began in 1987 and the Arabs in this area emerged as a real threat to the existence of the state of Israel. These Arabs are now called Palestinians though the land of Palestine does not belong to them. Formerly, the name Palestine applied to the land of Philistia which fought many wars with Israel in the past. In fact, 20 of the 120 wars of Israel were with Philistia. It is from this name Philistia that the word Palestine was derived. The Hebrew word is Palesheth and is translated Palestina (Isa 14:29, 31, Ex 15:14). It literally means sojourners which fits well with the seed of Abraham who were sojourners in this strange land (Gen 12:10, 23:4, 35:27, Heb 11:9). Today, the word Palestine is now applied to the whole land of Canaan which in our day mainly inhabits Jews and Palestinians. In many Scriptures where Philistia is mentioned, it does not refer to the whole land of Canaan (Israel). Rather it refers to the land of Philistia. Originally, this land extended all along the Mediterranean from Gaza on the south to Lydia on the North. It consisted of five main cities namely Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ekron, andAshdod. And all these cities were chief enemies of Israel.
For the reason that it is written concerning the Lord that He will destroy the land of the Philistines including Gaza at His second coming, leaving behind no Arab inhabitant because they have hated His people with everlasting hatred, it was necessary that the city of Gaza be taken away from Israel and be given to the Arabs before the second coming of the Christ. This is according to the word of the Lord as written in Zeph 2:1-5. For this cause, the LORD God allowed Ariel Sharon to dismantle many Jewish settlements and completely disengage Jews from Gaza on Sept 12, 2005. Not that this is the doing of the Lord but that God allowed this to happen that in the end it may be just for Him to fight against them that took His land for themselves. This is why the Lord has allowed the Gaza disengagement. In like manner according to the word of the Lord, the remaining cities of the land of Philistia namely Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron will also be given to the Arabs in the days to come that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled. Israel will part with these lands in the days to come, for there shall be a performance of the things the Lord hath said. According to the latest population figures for Israel, the cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod have about 105,000 and 192,000 residents as at 2003. Though we do not know how many of these residents are Jews, yet we know that these lands must be under Arab control before the second coming of the Lord that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
The land of Philistia today is now occupied by many Palestinians and they must spread across the whole land before the second coming of Christ that the wrath of the Lord may fall upon as many of them that have sworn to the destruction of His people. Today, Philistia is one of the hot-beds of hatred against Israel. The Lord declared in Psa 108:9 that Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. This is written concerning the time of the end at the time of Israel’s latter day defeat by the Antichrist and their flight into the wilderness in those days. This Scripture clearly reveal that God will finally triumph over Philistia. This suggests that before the LORD does this, this part of the Promised Land will give God and Israel much trouble, for this is why the word triumph is used. Interestingly, this is what we see today unfolding before our eyes and it shall be for many days until the lands of Ashkelon, Ekron, and Ashdod are also given to the Palestinians in like manner as Gaza; until Jerusalem is given back to the Gentiles for 42 months that the world may partake of the wine cup of the fierceness of the wrath of God which will be poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation. On that day, none of those that parted His land will escape His fierce judgment. Behold! He comes as a man of war and out of His mouth goes forth a sharp sword that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron. And He treads upon the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
That many that read these things may know that these words shall surely come to pass, it is also written in Zech 9:5-8 concerning the land of Philistia: “…and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes”
In this Scripture, the Lord again reiterated that He will fight against all the land of Philistia at His second coming. The fact that the Lord said no one shall oppress Israel from that day and forward proves beyond reasonable doubt that this word will be fulfilled at the second coming of the Lord with His saints for it is then that the oppressors shall cease from Israel (Isa 9:4).
Also, in Psa 108:7-9, certain parts of the Promised Land are also mentioned which are to play a part in the fulfillment of prophecy in the last days during the tribulation. Shechem in Samaria (West Bank) and Succoth in Gilead (east of the Jordan) are mentioned in verse 6. Ephraim and Judah which refers to the state of Israel are mentioned in verse 8. Edom and Moab which is the modern country of Jordan are mentioned in verse 7. Philistia is mentioned in verse 9. All these places will feature prominently in world affairs in the days of the Antichrist during the tribulation and Great Tribulation which are to come shortly. Today, we see some of these things coming together before our eyes showing us the shadow of things to come that the end of all things is at hand. Yet some have refused to believe our report as it is written: Lord, who hath believed our report? To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We beseech you all to believe that the Lord will soon come for His people. This is His promised coming at the catching away otherwise called The Rapture. Though the Lord has tarried that all of us His children might be completely ready for His appearing, He will soon appear. Because He will come at the time that many do not think, we exhort you all to watch and pray always lest you enter into temptation in the days to come. There are ten virgins: five are wise and five are foolish. The wise went in with the bridegroom to the marriage at His coming but the foolish were not ready, hence they were unworthy to go in. They had lamps without light for they lacked the oil that gives light to the lamp. The door was shut in and when they returned knocking at the door saying to the bridegroom “open to us”, the bridegroom answered that He never knew them. Therefore, you also take heed lest you become like the foolish virgins. Watch and be ready always, for you do not know the day or the hour that the Lord will come lest He comes and finds you unprepared. Peace be to you all. Amen.
