Justifying Psalm 83 As Prophecy

Q

I’m writing to you about Psalm 83. I’m puzzled because Asaph says the nations named are conspiring against Israel. He doesn’t say they attack. If that is so, perhaps God will answer Asaph’s prayer and confound His enemies while they squabble amongst themselves during the plotting stage of an attack. I just don’t get the sense of an actual war from Psalm 83 — only plotting and planning. If you believe Psalm 83 is a war prophecy, please tell me your reasoning.

A

You’re right in saying the Bible never says whether this conspiracy came to fruition causing the Lord to answer Asaph’s prayer. And no one that I know of sees any possible historical fulfillment even in Israel’s modern age. Some people or group of people have always been missing, the most obvious ones being the Palestinians who didn’t become an issue for Israel until after the major wars of 48, 67, and 73 had been fought. But they certainly are an issue today, as is Lebanon with its Hezbollah connection.

But everyone agrees that something has to happen to bring Israel into a perception of peace and safety before Ezekiel 38 can take place. Current realities make that hard to imagine until Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the PLO are neutralized. And when Israel buries the dead from Ezekiel’s battle it will be in a place that belongs to the Palestinians today, although Ezekiel calls it Israel. (Ezek. 39:11)

I suppose the Palestinians could just go away or voluntarily re-unite with Israel, and Hamas and Hezbollah could decide to sit out the Battle of Ezekiel 38 along with Israel’s other next door neighbors who are all listed in Psalm 83 but missing from Ezekiel 38. But absent those possibilities some, myself included, see Psalm 83 as the missing link in Israel’s End Times Scenario.