A Deeper Dive into the Modern Implications and the Coming Judgment
The prophetic war described in Psalm 83 is far more than just an ancient prayer; it is a declaration of the future destiny of nations that rise against God’s chosen people. As we examined in Part 1, this psalm does not describe a past war such as the Six-Day War or any earlier biblical battle, but rather one that many believe is still on the horizon—a coordinated attack by Israel’s surrounding neighbors, with divine consequences.
Let us now examine the modern political landscape in the light of this prophecy, look deeper at the spiritual motivations behind this coalition, and explore what Scripture says about the outcome.
The Enemies of Psalm 83: Spiritual and Geopolitical Continuity
Psalm 83 lists a specific group of enemies. These are not random. Every one of these groups descended from people who were in spiritual rebellion against Yahweh. Their hatred is not just political—it is spiritual. These nations are not merely hostile to Israel; they are hostile to the God of Israel.
Here is a deeper look at some of these names and their modern counterparts:
▪︎ Edom (אֱדוֹם) – This name means “red” and is the nation descended from Esau. Modern Edom corresponds to southern Jordan. The Edomites were long-time enemies of Israel, and their hostility carries over into modern Islamic Arab rejection of Israel’s right to exist.
▪︎ Ishmaelites (יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים) – The descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar. Today, the term symbolizes many of the Arab peoples, particularly in Saudi Arabia and surrounding regions. Though Ishmael was blessed, the covenant was not with him, and his descendants have largely embraced Islam and rejected Yahweh.
▪︎ Moab and Ammon – Both descendants of Lot, and both situated in modern Jordan. These peoples had a long history of enmity against Israel (see Judges 3, 2 Chronicles 20).
▪︎ Amalek – A people whose hatred of Israel was so deep that God declared perpetual war against them (Exodus 17:16). Amalekites are associated with violent opposition, and today may be seen in terror groups like Hamas.
▪︎ Philistia (פְּלֶשֶׁת) – Located in the region of modern Gaza. The ancient Philistines were sea people who settled on the southern coast of Canaan. Today, the Gaza Strip is a hub of anti-Israel hostility.
▪︎ Tyre and Gebal – Ancient Phoenician cities in Lebanon. Modern Hezbollah is active in this region and openly vows Israel’s destruction.
▪︎ Assyria (אַשּׁוּר) – Located in parts of modern Iraq and Syria. While Assyria was once a great empire, its spirit of conquest and anti-Israel pride lives on in hostile regions of northern Mesopotamia.
These groups form a prophetic ring around Israel. Today, this same ring is seen in the nations most aggressively opposed to Israel’s existence and thriving in the spiritual stronghold of Islam, which replaces God's covenant promises to Israel with a counterfeit.
Why Do They Hate Israel?
Psalm 83:4 lays bare the spiritual motive:
"They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.'" (AMP)
כִּ֤י הִנֵּ֨ה אֹויְבֶ֬יךָ הֵמָ֗יוּן וּֽמְשַׂנְאֶ֥יךָ נָשְׂא֥וּ רֹֽאשׁ׃ (Hebrew Interlinear)
Literal: "For behold, Your enemies make a noise, and those who hate You have lifted up the head."
This is not merely a political or ethnic war. It is a war against Yahweh. The enemies of Israel are also the enemies of God, and they are moved by a demonic desire to erase the covenant promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same spirit that filled Haman in the book of Esther and Antiochus Epiphanes in the time of the Maccabees is present today in radical Islam and global anti-Semitism.
Surah 112:2 of the Qur’an says:
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ
Allahu As-Samad
Literal: "Allah is the Samad (often translated as eternal refuge, self-sufficient)."
But the original word šmd (שמד) in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle refers to a title given to Baal:
“šmd dances in the hand of Baal like an eagle.”
This shows that Islam, which uses As-Samad, is not using a divine title from Yahweh, but is unknowingly borrowing from a false god’s title, directly linking the god of the Qur’an to Baal worship. Thus, the spiritual war continues.
A Coming Judgment: The Psalmist’s Cry and God’s Response
In Psalm 83:9-12, Asaph pleads for God to act as He did in earlier times when He crushed Israel’s enemies:
“Deal with them as [You did] with Midian, As with Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, Who were destroyed at En-dor, Who became like dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.” (AMP)
These were enemies God supernaturally defeated. It is a call for divine intervention, not merely military victory. The enemies of Israel are to be judged by God Himself, not just through IDF or tanks or jets. They will be made like "dung for the earth"—disgraced, destroyed, and remembered as examples of what happens to those who curse Israel.
This mirrors what the LORD promised to Abraham:
“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” (Genesis 12:3, AMP)
וַאֲבָֽרֲכָ֙ה מְבָ֣רֲכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר
Every nation or religion that rises against Israel will meet judgment. That includes Islam, which rejects the Son of God, rejects His crucifixion, and curses the promises made to Isaac and Jacob.
The Final Goal: Let Them Know That You Alone Are Yahweh
Psalm 83 ends with a powerful statement:
“So that they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:18, AMP)
וְיֵֽדְע֗וּ כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ שִׁמְךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ עֶלְי֖וֹן עַל־כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Yahweh alone is God. Not Allah, not Baal, not the gods of Moab, not the god of Ishmael. Yahweh’s name—יהוה—is to be feared, honored, and praised. That is the ultimate purpose of the war: to prove to the nations who the true God is.
This is not just a geopolitical war—it is a cosmic, spiritual showdown between the God of Israel and the gods of the nations. The Psalm 83 war is a prelude to the greater events of the last days, possibly even preceding Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39.
More to come in Part 3: how this war connects with Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Revelation.
