What is happening now in the Middle East and Gaza? Could we be looking at a fulfillment of the prophecies about Palestinians (Philistines)? Here are the prophecies written long ago, but meant for our time.

(Written and posted in June 2007)
(Photos from FOXNEWS.COM added January 2009)

The Palestinians or PLO are the Philistines written about in the Scriptures from the time before the people of Israel were a nation. The Iranians call them “Philistines.” So do the Russians. But we made an icon out of the name “Palestine” without knowing what we are talking about. Understand that Scriptures are talking about the Philistines that Samson and others fought, and King David went to war against.

Who are the Philistines?

Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Out of them came all the people who lived and died on the earth since the great flood. The Philistines came from a tribe called the Casluhites. These were descendants of Mizraim, one of the sons of Cush, the son of Ham. They are not Semitic, which some assume.

For a while after the flood, the sons of Noah and their sons set up camp wherever they felt comfortable. But a change came shortly. The sons of Shem also grew and set up nation tribes in different places. Shem was the ancestor of Eber from which the name “Hebrew” came. Eber had two sons: Peleg and Joktan. Regarding Peleg it is written:

Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg [Division] because in his time the earth was divided. Genesis 10:25

Most readers simply skip over that phrase as nothing more is said about it. This is a key to understanding the Bible: the Bible raises more questions than it answers. A wise person will seek out the matter. This phrase is explained elsewhere, but not in the Torah or the Prophets.

In chapters 8, 9 and 10, The Book of Jubilees explains how the earth was divided and who received what. Noah gathered his sons and his sons’ sons together, and, in the presence of a Messenger [Angel] who served as a witness, divided the earth by the drawing of lots. After that Noah’s sons divided, by lot, the land they had received, to their sons. Then they made an oath to the effect that if any of their descendants tried to take land that was not given to them by the drawing of the lots, they would fall under a curse:

And thus the sons of Noah divided out to their children, in the presence of Noah their father, and he caused them to swear an oath cursing him who endeavored to seize a portion which had not been allotted him. And they all said, “So be it! So be it!” for themselves and for their descendants to eternity in their generations, until the day of judgment on which the Lord God [Eyahuwah Elahim] will judge them with a sword and with fire for all the wickedness of uncleanness which they have committed in that they filled the earth with transgressions, uncleanness, fornication, and sin.
Jubilees 9:12

The colder northern region went to Japheth. The hot central region to Ham. And the moderate land between Egypt and Turkey was assigned to Shem by the drawing of lots.

But Canaan, a son of Ham, moved into the land from Lebanon to Egypt, to the land belonging to Shem. Ham and his other sons, Cush and Mizraim came to Canaan, and said,

“You have settled in a land which is not yours and did not fall to us by lot. You should not do this. For if you do this, then you and your children will fall by condemnation in the land and as cursed ones by sedition. For by sedition you have settled and by sedition your children will fall and you will be rooted out to eternity. Do not dwell in the dwelling place of Shem, for to Shem and his children was it given by lot. Cursed are you and cursed shall you be above all the sons of Noah by the curse which we covenanted with an oath between us in the presence of the holy judge and before Noah our father”

But he did not listen to them and dwelt in the land of Lebanon from Emath to the entrance of Egypt, he and his sons until this day. And on this account this land is called Canaan. Jubilees 10:23-27

Later Canaan’s tribes were joined by Mizraim’s descendants including the Philistines. Thus they also came under a curse to this day!

Now here are the prophecies concerning the Palestinians (Philistines) and “Philistia [Gaza].”

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that ‘the rod that struck you is broken.’ From the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine. It will slay your survivors.

Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines!

A cloud of smoke comes from the north and there is not a straggler in its ranks.

What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “Yahua has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.” Isaiah 14:29:32 (NIV)

And another from Ezekiel:

Thus said the Master Yahua , “Because the Philistines have acted in vengeance and took vengeance with scorn into their being, to destroy with lasting enmity, [Hamas]” therefore thus said the Master Yahua , “See, I am stretching out My hand against the Philistines, and I shall cut off the Kerethites ['reprobates'] and destroy the remnant of the seacoast [Gaza], and execute great vengeance on them with raging reproofs. And they shall know that I am Yahua , when I lay My vengeance upon them.” Ezekiel 25:15-17 The Scriptures.

Jeremiah also received a message concerning the Philistines:

Thus said Yahua , “See, waters are rising out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood [symbol of an army]. And they shall overflow the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell within. And men shall cry and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels, the father shall not look to their children, because of weakness of hands.

“Because of the day that shall come to ravage all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon [Lebanon] every helper that survives. For Yahua is ravaging the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Kaphtor. Baldness shall come upon Gaza. Ashkelon [* formerly a territory of the Philistines] shall be silenced. O remnant of the plain, how long will you cut yourselves?

“O you sword of Yahua , how long till you rest? Put yourself into your sheath, rest and be still!” [The world calls for "cease fire."]

“How shall it rest when Yahua has given it a command, when He has ordered it to attack Ashkelon [*] and the seacoast [Gaza]? ” Jeremiah 47:2-7

Prophecy does not depend upon us either to believe it or to fulfill it. It does not rely on us and our knowledge about it. These prophecies have remained buried in the Scriptures for years only to be fulfilled now to show what is about to take place and what we will observe with our own eyes! These are end time prophecies that will be fulfilled before the end of our age.