Recent Events

“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).

— Matt Kerry

The Euphrates River extends in a 1,740-mile-long southeasterly arc from about 350 miles north of Israel to about 930 miles to its east. It originates in Turkey and empties into the Persian Gulf. The border of the land promised to Abraham, “from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates,” is worth considering because it seems a bit ambiguous in scripture and, depending on where it is placed, dramatically changes the size of the land God promised to Abraham. Whether we place the line of this promised border due northeast or east to the Euphrates River, it is evident that God promised to expand Israel’s present‑day borders considerably.

Current Events

As of March 2025, the world has witnessed an unparalleled geopolitical shift among the nations of the Middle East. Israel is gaining strength among its neighbors, and any nation that opposes it is in decline. As an aftermath of the recent attacks on the northern and western borders of Israel, this tiny nation has taken military action against its local enemies in Gaza and Lebanon as well as their far‑flung nation‑state supporters in the countries of Syria, Iran, and Yemen. The shocking success and speed of Israel’s military actions inspire us to investigate the scriptures to see what God is preparing. Is God orchestrating the expansion of Israel’s borders through these geopolitical shifts? We think so.

The prophet Micah describes the land promised to Abraham’s offspring. “In that day the boundary shall be far extended” (Micah 7:11). With God’s promise to Abraham and this clue of the extent of the land promised, let us examine other prophecies regarding the expansion of Israel’s borders to the north and the east.

To the North

“I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them” (Zechariah 10:10). Two areas are mentioned here, Lebanon which is to the north and Gilead to the east. While Gilead is in present‑day Jordan, historically, Gilead was where the prophet Gideon fought the Midianites. It was also the birthplace of the prophet Elijah and the judge Jephthah, the son of Gilead (the land’s namesake), who fought and defeated the Ammonites.

Lebanon, the country north of Israel, is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, especially concerning the borders of the nation of Israel. Consider the directive of the prophet Moses regarding the extent of the land Israel was to take upon their entry into the Promised Land. “Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (Deuteronomy 1:7). Again, we see “The Great River Euphrates” is mentioned as a border of the land promised to Israel. However, this scripture provides the added detail that this border continues — from Lebanon to the Euphrates — to the north. So, the promised border of the land of Israel expands to the Euphrates on a line that extends from the north of present‑day Israel.

To the East and North

“Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old” (Micah 7:14). In addition to Gilead, we can now add Bashan to the land promised to Israel. Bashan is north of Gilead and directly east of the Sea of Galilee. Bashan is the land where King Og came down to fight Moses and lost and where the scriptures refer to “the bulls of Bashan,” implying the finest bulls were raised in Bashan.

The prophet Jeremiah also indicates that Bashan and Gilead is to be part of the promised land; “I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and his desire shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead” (Jeremiah 50:19). The prophet Micah adds an interesting detail; “In that day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain” (Micah 7:2). Notice the double emphasis. From Assyria to Egypt, is describing the same borders as from Egypt to the River (Euphrates). Through Jeremiah’s prophetic pen, God emphasizes that the border of Israel will go from Egypt to the Euphrates River in Assyria.

To The East and West

“In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:6).

This scripture may be describing Israel’s speed of victory in the Six Day War, especially since that war unified Jerusalem under Israeli territory. But could this prophecy also describe the recent speed of victory in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria? The Gaza Strip, Moab, and Edom are on Israel’s left, and Gilead, Ammon (today’s Amman), Moab, Edom, and Bashan are all to the right of Israel and part of modern‑day Jordan. (Right and left are usually defined from one looking east).

The prophet Amos provides a well‑known prophecy concerning the surety of Israel’s return to their land; “And I have planted them on their own ground, And they are not plucked up any more from off their own ground, That I have given to them, said Jehovah thy God!” (Amos 9:15, Young’s Literal Translation).

In Amos chapter one, God declares punishments on the nations surrounding Israel for various transgressions: Damascus, Syria, Gaza, Edom, and Moab. The list of punishments continues in Amos chapter two, where He promises to send a devouring fire upon Moab (Amos 2:1‑2).

Later in the fourth chapter of Amos, God includes the land of Bashan: “Hear this word, cows of Bashan who are in the mountain of Samaria, who press down the helpless, who crush the poor, who say to their husbands, Bring in, that we may drink. The Lord Jehovah has sworn by His holiness that the days are coming that He will lift you up with meat hooks, and the last of you with fishhooks” (Amos 4:1‑2). God’s judgments will be leveled against the nations surrounding Israel. The prophet Isaiah precisely predicts today’s decline of Damascus in detail; “The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).

These prophecies should be considered in light of current events. The war in Gaza brings us great sorrow. We mourn the lives of the twelve hundred Israeli citizens who were so brutally murdered, as well as over two hundred taken captive. We also mourn the loss of thousands of non‑combatants in Gaza who have also been killed, lost because of the tactical use of their lives by Hamas as human shields. Hamas gambled with the lives of their people in the hope that Israel would not risk killing innocent people.

Regarding Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, Hezbollah’s recent missile attacks against Israel’s northern communities resulted in the displacement of 60,000 Israeli citizens.¹ Israel’s military action has now nearly eliminated Hezbollah as far north as Beirut. The net result thus far? Israel’s military now controls the southern sixty‑five miles of Lebanese territory, almost half of the country.

The recent events in Syria, with rebel forces toppling President al‑Assad’s regime, could be a precursor to the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Ezekiel speaks of Gog, often interpreted as modern‑day Russia, launching an attack on Israel from the north. Russia’s strengthening ties with Iran suggest a political motive for such an attack. By moving against Israel in the future, Russia could solidify its regional alliances while simultaneously striking a blow against the United States by weakening its key ally in the Middle East.

(1) American Jewish Committee 11‑26‑24, “What to know about Hezbollah’s Escalation Against Israel” (www.ajc.org/news/what‑to‑know‑about‑hezbollahs‑escalation‑against‑israel).

The Northern Border According to Ezekiel 47

Ezekiel provides another key to the northern border of the land God promised to the nation of Israel: “And this is the border of the land to the north side, from the Great Sea, the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Zedad: Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. And the border shall be from the The leader, Joshuasea to Hazarenan, at the border of Damascus; and the north northward, even the border of Hamath. And this is the north side” (Ezekiel 47:15‑17). The key is that the northern border will lie where ancient Hamath and Damascus meet and then extend to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Eastern Border According to Ezekiel 47

“And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side” (Ezekiel 47:18). We read in Numbers 34:3 that the “outmost coast of the salt sea eastward,” which seems to say that the eastern side of the Salt Sea is also a border. However, in Obadiah we read, “And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau (Edom); and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead” (Obadiah 1:19). So, we must include Edom along with Gilead within the land promised to Israel. Moab must also be included since it is between Gilead and Edom.

The Southern Border According to Ezekiel 47

“On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah‑kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side” (Ezekiel 47:19, ESV). The “Brook of Egypt” mentioned here is the “Wadi el‑Arish,” which is approximately thirty miles west of the current border of Israel. God speaks directly to Moses: “Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the Salt Sea eastward” (Numbers 34:3). The Wilderness of Zin is included inside the promised border, as well as “Meribah‑Kadesh,” where Moses struck the rock, and water poured forth for the Israelites (Exodus 17:7). This is also the place of Kadeshbarnea. “And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon: And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea” (Numbers 34:4‑5). While there is speculation about where Hazaraddar and Azmon are located, whether they are slightly south or northwest of Kadeshbarnea, Kadeshbarnea is either the southern border itself or near it.

Displaced Peoples

Along with geographic descriptions of the promised land, God also provided a demographic description, a list of the peoples that would be displaced in the land promised to the Nation of Israel. “The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites” (Genesis 15:19‑21). See the map insert “Title Deeds of Israel,” which shows a dotted line enclosing the geographic and demographic areas that comprise the Promised Land.

God’s Command to Joshua

Joshua chapters 13‑19 contain explicit details of the land Jehovah commanded Joshua to lead Israel to possess. These geographic descriptions confirm that Israel will expand to Gaza, Judea, Samaria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Jehovah provided Joshua with details of specific areas He had promised to each of the tribes of Israel, and it was evident that He left no provision for a supposed two‑state solution, as some have suggested in today’s political discussion. While Jehovah’s promise to Abraham would bless all families of the earth, the expanded land of Israel is promised exclusively to the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Will Israel take this land by force with its existing military achievements? Will Jehovah orchestrate geopolitical events to open the door? Will today’s nation of Israel finally follow Jehovah’s directive to Joshua? We shall see and wait for Jehovah’s power to be manifested in the experiences of Israel.

Today and Tomorrow

The recent capitulation of the Assad regime in Syria has opened the door for Israel and the United States to destroy more than 80% of Syria’s military armaments. According to reports, this was made possible through an “escape deal” made with outgoing President al‑Assad. According to a December 18th article in the UK’s Daily Mail, Israel permitted President al‑Assad safe passage out of Syria in exchange for the exact coordinates of Syria’s vast stockpile of military armaments.

As a result of the recent destruction of Syria’s air defense armaments, Israel’s refueling air tankers are now able to fly freely over Syria to provide essential support for Israel’s whole array of attack aircraft. Ironically, this has given Israel air superiority from northern Israel to the Euphrates River and now allows Israel direct military flight capability to strike any part of Syria and even Iran. Militarily, Israel now dominates the land to its promised Northern border!

What may we expect next? Will we see Israel take the land to the north? Will we see a conflict with Jordan, or will Jordan capitulate without a fight? As we anxiously await future events, we will continue to pray for the promised Kingdom of God to reign on earth. We pray for peace to cover the land. We are excited to see God’s promises unfolding before our eyes, and we will continue to be sorrowful over the cost of death and disabling that war requires as payment to learn these lessons God would have mankind learn.