Global War - The times of the end Part 3 - Who are Israel's defenders?

In part 2 of this series we discussed the probable identity of the invading army which is to come up and lay waste to the land of Israel as outlined in Ezekiel 38. 

Now, in part 3, we will discuss those who will line up alongside Israel as their initial defenders. Let's read from Ezekiel 38 v 13.  

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?  

We have here three different names to explore in terms of peoples. Let's dive in.  

Sheba

When we read Sheba, we immediately call to mind the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon at the height of his reign. Unfortunately, the exact location of that ancient Kingdom cannot be determined with any certainty.   

What we do know is that Sheba is also mentioned as one of Noah's descendants (as a son of Raamah, son of Cush, the son of Ham) and that the best sources we have today place the area of ancient Sheba as near to the Bab-el-Mandeb- the narrow strait in the red sea passage through which commercial shipping travels on its way to the Suez canal. Most likely this is the area currently occupied by modern day Yemen. In and of itself, it's not particularly conclusive until we also consider Dedan.  

Dedan

Dedan was also a son of Raamah, the son of Cush, the son of Ham of Noah. He is listed as Sheba's brother in Genesis 10.   

His descendants are mentioned in Isaiah 21:13, Ezekiel 25:13 and Ezekiel 27:15. They probably settled among the sons of Cush, on the north-west coast of the present Persian Gulf. As evidenced by Ezekiel 27, it was a trading nation which had strong ties to the trading network established in Tyre.   

The area today that best fits with this region is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Before October 7th 2023, Saudi Arabia was on a path to normalising relationships with Israel. This was not based so much on shared common values but on a pragmatic recognition on both sides that Sunni Muslims and Israeli Jews were aligned against a common and powerful enemy in the form of the Shiite power wielded by the clerics in Iran. Saudi Arabia fears outsized Iranian influence in the Arab world as much if not more than it detests Israel.   

The path to normalisation may have been set back officially but this did not stop Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan joining forces to protect Israel from Iranian rocket attacks in April. At some point, these nations, particularly Saudi who for now has emerged as the de-facto leader of the Arab states will have to make a choice in an ever increasing cycle of war and destruction. According to Biblical prophecy, they make this choice to be allied with and aligned in defence of Israel as outlined in Ezekiel 38.   

It's important to note that Dedan as here identified sits immediately to the north of the area we previously identified as Sheba. Together, these powers would control the Red Sea passage and all that land to the south of Israel. Yemen may not be on board yet but there's definitely potential for that to change if the Houthis cause enough trouble that someone steps in to sort them out. 

The identity of that "someone" is a good segue for us to talk about the merchants of Tarshish.   

The merchants of Tarshish

Up front, it's important to be precise with the words used in Ezekiel 38 "The merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof...". So the final part of this opposition allied force is not just one people but potentially many. Let's discuss who is part of this group.  

Another Noahic descendant Like the others mentioned, Tarshish is mentioned as a Noahic descendant in Genesis 10. He and his descendants were described as being a people by the isles, coastlands or archipelagos and by these geographic features were those nations divided.   

References in the Bible Jehoshaphat  In 1 Kings 22 v 48, Jehoshaphat built ships which were said to be ships of Tarshish at Ezion-geber. It's debatable whether these were ships going to Tarshish (because their intended destination was Ophir) or whether these ships were considered Tarshish ships in the sense that they were of the style or function of those that came from Tarshish. Some newer Biblical translations omit the reference to Tarshish and simply refer to these as trading ships. I think it's relevant to include the word Tarshish as long as we allow for the fact that it's relevant as a descriptor to understand the likeliest place for the ancient people of Tarshish being a place which traded via sea over long distance.   

Jonah  

In the book of Jonah, in Jonah 1 Jonah fled from the presence of God after being commanded to go to Nineveh. Instead of doing what God commanded, Jonah went down to Joppa and got on a ship heading to Tarshish. This voyage would take Jonah west from the land of Israel through the Mediterranean sea and in the exact opposite direction from Nineveh. Jonah's plans were thwarted by God as we all know.   

A merchant people 

We also need to be aware that this people is described not just as Tarshish but as the merchants of Tarshish. So, we are looking for a people or territory to the west of Israel, likely on an Island that was and is known for its trading history. There is one such power that fits the bill which is that power upon the territory of Great Britain. Does the label of a mercantile power fit? It most certainly does when you consider that Great Britain's trading links go back as far as they do.  In addition, when you look at more recent history, the British domination of much of the globe was down to its proficiency in maritime affairs. Its vast trading networks and political influence allowed it to surpass all others and establish itself as the dominant power on the seas for hundreds of years. 

The British East India company (a private corporation set up for the purposes of trade and expansion) grew so powerful that it effectively took over most of India. When it failed, the British Government stepped in to take over the rule of India with Queen Victoria being hailed as its Empress in 1877. So, a trading power it most certainly is.   

Traded goods 

In Ezekiel 27, in the lamentation upon Tyre, the prophet records that Tyre had a vast trading network. One of those trading regions is listed as Tarshish, that brought silver, iron, tin and lead. Tin was one of the two items needed to produce Bronze and areas such as Cornwall in the south west of Great Britain was famous for its tin mines as far back as the Romans and likely earlier. While there are other nations and areas in the Mediterranean which produced such metals the twin requirements of being a great trading power that sold these wares does narrow down the list of possibilities. The overall proof is seen the final part of the description in Ezekiel 38. "with all the young lions thereof".   

The Young Lions - British power dispersed 

The symbol of British power is the Lion. The young lions would therefore suggest descendants of or newer powers emanating ultimately from Britain. These powers are best described as the Anglo-sphere of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc who either retain constitutional ties with or are the closest of allies of Britain. 

The USA is today the world's superpower and its rise to surpass its former colonist over the last 100 years has fundamentally reshaped much of the current world order. The USA today has military bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia along with destroyers patrolling the Red Sea shipping lanes to protect against Houthi rocket attacks emanating from Yemen. They are already set up in the region to the south of Israel and are very closely aligned with Saudi Arabia.   

Even today, despite some wobbles, the English speaking nations are the most likely to support Israel and its right to exist. In the face of overwhelming hatred and antipathy from many nations, the US has supported Israel in its current wars with Hamas and Hezbollah.   If we allow for the above to be true, it is surely no coincidence that Great Britain and the US have maintained a level of political and military dominance in recent times. They owe that success not to their own prowess but to God's assessment of them as the powers who support Israel. 

After the first world war and in the wake of the collapse of the Ottoman empire, Britain was given the mandate for the land of Israel. Its support for an Israeli state was contained in the Balfour declaration issued in 1917 in which a home for the Jewish people was outlined as being in the area now occupied by Israel.   

The support of Israel by the Anglosphere has continued even as Britain's power waned and the USA's ascended. The relationship here is so deep that the US political establishment is often accused of doing Israel's bidding through the influence of the Jewish lobby in the US. Today, the USA houses the largest population of Jews outside of Israel itself owing to the mass migration of Jewish people from Europe in the nineteenth century as they fled persecution.

Summary

If we are to summarise Ezekiel 38 v 13, we could do so thus.   

An allied confederacy of powers including the Anglosphere (Britain, the US and its allies) and the Arabian peninsula stand in support of Israel in the last days. They stand against the Russian confederacy already mentioned in Part 2 and they ask the question outlined in the second half of Ezekiel 38 v 13.  Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?   

Note that this is an enquiry not of what has been done but of the intentions of the Russian power. This suggests that the allied confederacy is either in control of or the protector of the land of Israel at the time the query is asked. 

The Russian power is said to have thought an evil thought in v 10 and to go up against the land of Israel as so described in v11 and 12. There it meets resistance and is asked this question but ultimately it prevails. We do now know exactly how this happens but it must be successful in defeating the allied powers and overspreading the land of Israel.   

So, the land of Israel is overturned for the third time as foretold by Ezekiel in chapter 21 v 27. At this point, all hope for the Jews looks lost. But, the Russian confederacy has not counted on the might of Jesus and the saints. Let's extend this series to four parts and next time discuss the events which lead up to an culminate in the eventual salvation of the remnant of Israel by Christ and his followers.