Gaza In Prophecy
Pastor Leslie Chua
“For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left…
The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes.”
Gaza in the eastern seacoast of the Mediterranean Sea has been the focus of the international news media since 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched an attack against Israel. More than 1,200 Israelis were brutally killed and about another 250 were taken as hostage to the Gaza Strip.
In response, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas. Since then, Israel has systematically taken Gaza apart bit by bit in its hunt for the Hamas leadership and key operatives. Israel’s goal is to completely dismantle the terror group’s military and governing capabilities.
Despite suffering tremendous losses to its manpower and military capabilities, Hamas still refuses to surrender and hand over all the Israeli hostages.
Several ceasefire talks were negotiated and Hamas had repeatedly reneged on the agreements. Israel had little choice but to continue its military campaigns. At the rate that things are going, the entire Gaza Strip will be flattened and left desolate.
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Recently, U.S. President, Donald Trump, took the world by surprise when he proposed to make Gaza the Riviera of the Middle East. The plan involves the U.S. taking over this piece of prime seafront real estate and redeveloping it with participation from the wealthy gulf states and foreign money.
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From media clips and photographs, the sight of the present state of Gaza is horrific. The destruction is unimaginable and most of the places have become uninhabitable.
Recently, U.S. President, Donald Trump, took the world by surprise when he proposed to make Gaza the Riviera of the Middle East. The plan involves the U.S. taking over this piece of prime seafront real estate and redeveloping it with participation from the wealthy gulf states and foreign money.
Trump’s proposal will necessitate moving out and resettling the Gazans elsewhere in places such as Jordan and Egypt. The sovereignty issue of Gaza over the longer term is ambiguous. Will the U.S. own Gaza? Or will it come under the administration of a group of Arab states? Or will it somehow be returned to Israel? We have no idea.
The Riviera of the Middle East plan seems bizarre at first glance. The world is taken aback by the proposal. It is also difficult to imagine the Palestinians and the surrounding Arab nations agreeing to it.
However, Trump holds the geopolitical trump cards in his hands. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States’ major concern is Iran. Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the region and it poses a grave security threat to these countries. They rely on the security umbrella of the U.S. to ward off the Iranian threat. Though these countries would not say it openly, the Gaza and Palestinian issues are a secondary concern to them. So, with some arm-twisting, there is a good chance that Trump’s preposterous Riviera idea may just take off.
If that happens, the U.S. will take over the administration and jurisdiction of Gaza. A multi-year plan will be quickly drawn up to reconstruct the place. We do not know the ownership status following this. But in time to come, Gaza will be handed over to Israel during the millennial rule of Christ if not in the foreseeable future.
I am not saying that this will happen. But this is a possible scenario based on the current dynamics in the Middle East.
Biblical Perspective
More importantly, it is not impossible from the biblical perspective. The first 7 verses of Zephaniah chapter 2 seem to paint a prophetic scenario of the destruction and desolation of Gaza and after that, its rebuilding before the land is restored to Israel. In terms of timing, the destruction and rebuilding will happen before the rapture of the church and the 7-year Tribulation period while the possession of Gaza during the millennial rule of Christ upon His return.
Gaza Destroyed
We read these verses earlier – “For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left…” (Zephaniah 2:4-5).
All these places – Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron – are the names of the ancient cities of the Philistines situated on the seacoast. Present-day Gaza is located in these areas. The identification of the location is unmistakable.
According to Zephaniah’s prophecy, Gaza will become desolate. Its inhabitants will be driven out in broad daylight. The city will be destroyed “until no inhabitant is left.” It is a divine judgement.
Gaza Rebuilt
Verse 6 of the prophecy suggests the rebuilding of Gaza – “And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.”
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The description of the destruction, desolation, and reconstruction of Gaza mirrors the present situation, especially if the fighting continues and Gaza is completely razed to the ground and then rebuilt into the Riviera of the Middle East.
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Essentially, the land will become useful again. Though you cannot find the words, “rebuilding” or “reconstruction” in the prophecy, the ancient prophetic language certainly describes the re-habitation and rehabilitation of the land.
The description of the destruction, desolation, and reconstruction of Gaza mirrors the present situation, especially if the fighting continues and Gaza is completely razed to the ground and then rebuilt into the Riviera of the Middle East.
Before the Day of the LORD
Here is the counter-argument.
This prophecy might be referring to the future destruction of Gaza during the Tribulation, the last 7 years before the end of this present age. During this time, the Antichrist and his armed forces will devastate much of Israel and the surrounding areas.
After that, Jesus will come to rescue Israel and rule over the nations of the world. At the beginning of this 1,000-year reign, all the lands promised to Israel, including Gaza, will be restored to Israel. This scenario certainly fits into the sequence of events from verses 4 to 7.
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We are clearly told that the destruction and desolation of Gaza will take place before a catastrophic event known as “the day of the anger of the LORD.” The timing of the destruction is repeated 4 times. The emphasis cannot be missed.
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This is where things get interesting. The context of Zephaniah’s prophecy gives us a clue to the timing of the destruction of Gaza.
For the context of the prophecy, look at verses 1 and 2 – “Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect — before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD” (Zephaniah 2:1-2).
We are clearly told that the destruction and desolation of Gaza will take place before a catastrophic event known as “the day of the anger of the LORD.” The timing of the destruction is repeated 4 times. The emphasis cannot be missed.
To be even clearer and for a broader context, the last segment of Zephaniah chapter 1 is a description of the events of the day of the LORD.
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As for Israel’s possession of Gaza, it will happen after the Tribulation and the return of Jesus – “The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah…” (Zephaniah 2:7).
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“The day of the LORD” or “the day of the LORD’s anger” refers to the 7-year Tribulation period.
So, this is a clear indication of the timing of Gaza’s utter destruction and its subsequent rebuilding. It will take place before the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
As for Israel’s possession of Gaza, it will happen after the Tribulation and the return of Jesus – “The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah…” (Zephaniah 2:7).
The remnant refers to the survivors of the war in Israel in the second half of the 7-year Tribulation. According to the prophet, Zechariah, two-thirds of the Jewish population will be decimated in this war and only one-third will survive (Zechariah 13:8). This one-third is the remnant.
“The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah…” clearly indicates that Israel will possess Gaza after Christ’s return.
Will Gaza become completely destroyed and desolate in this present conflict between Israel and Hamas? Will Donald Trump’s vision of Gaza as the Riviera of the Middle East become a reality?
We do not know but it is a possibility.