On the Other Hand

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18).

— David Rice

This subject involves interpretation. We will observe with time how things proceed with Israel toward the opening of the Kingdom. However, our opinion is that (1) Israel effectively has the land of promise and is in the process of securing control of it, with one exception, namely a narrow corridor leading upward to the River Euphrates. (2) Israel’s borders with Egypt and Jordan appear to be resolved. (3) The prophesied Arab wars against Israel are in the past. Following are some texts concerning this.

Southwest

Respecting Egypt, Genesis 15:18 refers to the Wadi el-Arish as a southwest border for Israel. In the attached map, notice that this Wadi crosses the present border of Israel. This suggests that Israel’s present border with Egypt does fulfill the text.

Today, Egypt has no desire to invade Israel or engage in open warfare. They did plan invasions in 1948, 1967, and 1973. Subsequently, in 1978, Anwar Sadat opened a peace effort with Israel. Egypt signed a formal peace agreement with Israel by which Egypt reacquired control of the Sinai. In the interim, Egypt has suffered internal challenges, as noted in Isaiah 19:2, that make it unlikely for Egypt to engage in further armed border disputes with Israel.

North

Genesis 15:18 puts the northern border at the River Euphrates, as the article observes. Kings David and Solomon secured portions of land that went northward to the Euphrates. These were interior narrow strips of land. They were not the possession of any particular tribe of Israel. It was land controlled by Israel’s military, but the nation’s population did not expand there, as far as we know. What of today?

Perhaps that will be opened in the Kingdom. However, perhaps because of the fall of Syria’s government, a small northern stretch through Syria’s interior will become controlled by Israel as time goes by. It is interesting that the Druz people in the area have asked for Israel’s control of the region.

Northwest

What about the northwest, in Lebanon? We are unaware of any text suggesting that either Tyre or Sidon, two cities in Lebanon by the coast, were ever intended to be part of the land promised to Israel by God. Tyre and Sidon are both south of Beirut. Israel has invaded northward to remove Hezbollah and has forces in the area south of the Litani River. But Israel has no interest in securing this as part of their nation. And the scriptures do not predict that it is land destined for Israel.

Mount Hermon is in the country of Lebanon. Today, its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon. The lower slopes are in Israel. “The southern slopes of Mount Hermon extend into the Israeli part of the Golan Heights” (Wikipedia simple English, “Mount Hermon”). There could be some adjustments, but there does not appear to be any cause for substantial expansion.

Gilead

What about the east? Israel has already annexed the Golan Heights, and the US has recognized it as belonging to Israel. This includes the area that was anciently termed “Gilead” in the days of Jacob. The term appears three times in Genesis 31, where it apparently applies to land that today would be in the Golan Heights, which is already part of Israel.

Numbers 26:29 tells us that sometime later someone named Gilead was also born in the tribe of Manasseh. “Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.” As Manasseh settled ½ of its tribe east of the Jordan, the name “Gilead” was apparently expanded to land east of the Jordan, further south than in Genesis 31.

Today, that portion of “Gilead” is part of the country of Jordan. It is not part of the land promised to Abraham. When Moses led the Israelites to that area before crossing Jordan, “the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession” (Deuteronomy 2:9). God said the same respecting Ammon, further north (Deuteronomy 2:19).

However, when Moses led Israel to the area, the Amorites had taken land in the area. Moses assured them he had no intention to war with them. He only asked to pass safely through the land to cross the Jordan into the land of promise. But the Amorites refused, and both Sihon and Og attacked Israel. Whereupon God gave Moses a victory and permitted Israel to settle the land, which they did with 2½ tribes — Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.

There is spiritual meaning here — the Church (Reuben, firstborn) and the Great Company (Gad) will have a heavenly home, and the Ancient Worthies (Manasseh) will be the connecting link between heaven and earth. Thus, Manasseh straddled two sides of the River Jordan. However, in Ezekiel 48, when the allotment of the 12 tribes of Israel is specified for the Kingdom, none of the land given to the sons of Lot is included for Israel. (Perhaps in Obadiah 1:19, speaking of Benjamin, who sometimes represents the Great Company, a spiritual fulfillment is intended there also.)

Jordan joined a formal peace agreement with Israel in 1994. In April, 2024, they cooperated with Israel, the US, England, and France in downing Iranian projectiles launched against Israel. There is no indication that further wars will occur between Jordan and Israel or that any of their land will be forfeited to Israel. It was intended for the sons of Lot, and it appears it will remain so.

Arab Wars

Psalm 83 does prophecy about vibrant wars initiated by Arab countries bordering Israel to eliminate Israel. This was fulfilled in 1948, again in 1967, and again in 1973. We have now gone more than 50 years without another national Arab invasion of Israel. Nor does any Arab nation today express a wish to do so. God delivered Israel three times, and that seems sufficient for Arab countries to avoid any future national conflicts. Notice that Psalms 83:9-11 speaks of three ancient examples of God delivering Israel. This suggests that the three deliverances already occasioned — 1948, 1967, and 1973 — are sufficient to fulfill the hostilities predicted in this psalm.

These three conflicts appear to be identified, one by one, in Zechariah 12:7, 6, 8. Verse 9 then speaks of a final conflict, evidently the one described in Ezekiel 38, leading to verse 10, when Messiah is unveiled to Israel as a whole at the opening of the Kingdom. Thus, four invasions are specified: 1948, 1967, 1973, and one future. This is consistent with Joel 1:4, 2:25, which also itemizes four invasions the last of which introduces the Kingdom (Joel 2:12 20).

Notice that in Ezekiel 38, along with Gog (usually thought to be Russia), the allies in the invasion against Israel are Persia (Iran), Togarmah (Turkey), Cush (Yemen), Libya (Libya), and Gomer (Germany). No Arab countries neighboring Israel are included.

Summary

Gaza is explicitly mentioned by God as part of the land destined for Israel (Joshua 13:3). The “West Bank,” better termed Samaria and Judea, was always part of Israel’s promised land. The Golan Heights was taken by Israel in 1973, annexed in 1981, and recognized as part of Israel by America in 2019.

These three areas are decidedly part of the land promised to Israel by God. We appear to be in a phase of Israel’s experience when Israel is motivated by circumstances, as well as by faith in some of its citizens, to exercise control of these areas that are theirs, by right of God’s promise. A narrow northward expansion to the Euphrates seems indicated by Genesis 15:18. Will that result from the recent fall of the Syrian government? Or will that come in the Kingdom? It has our attention.