I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon.—Zechariah 10:10

Israel and Lebanon are daily in the news. In response to the recent shelling of towns in northern Israel, Israel has begun a systematic bombardment of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon to remove the threat. The Hezbollah, a militant force influenced by Iran, but located in Lebanon, shares the goal of the radical Palestinian sect Hamas: disrupt the Israel-Arab peace process at any cost. To this end, also, have been a series of Hamas terrorist acts against Israelis, which claimed the lives of more than 50 persons a short time ago.

These circumstances raise an old question afresh: will peace come soon? The assassination of Prime Minister Rabin immediately swelled Israeli public opinion in favor of Rabin’s peace process. But the subsequent violence by Hamas and Hezbollah have modified the mood. Peace is still important to the Israelis, but security is the greater concern. Probably the recent reminders of Israel’s vulnerability will make public sentiment less prepared to cede the Golan Heights to Syria in the quest for a peace settlement. Probably a settlement with Syria will be delayed.

However, many students of Bible prophecy hold that Ezekiel 38:11 shows peace will become more pervasive before the last assault of Gog from the north. If so, this implies that some formal accords are yet to come, or at least a growing economic interchange which makes peace in the common interest of all major parties. Even in this case, the trail of events leading to that peace is uncertain. Will another war intervene? Will Israel cede more land? Or will Israel acquire more land as in 1967 and 1973? We consider here some possibilities.

More Land to Come?

Zechariah 10:10, cited above, speaks of Israel dwelling in "Gilead and Lebanon" after their return. The setting for Zechariah’s prophecies is the return of Israel from Babylonian captivity (Zech. 2:6, 7). And in the years following that return, Israel did come to inhabit these areas. In fact during the ministry of his first advent, Jesus visited "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" in these areas (Matt. 15:21, 24; John 1:28, Mark 7:31; also compare Zech. 11:12, which refers to the first advent).

Might these prophecies have an additional application now, in Israel’s recovery from the greater Roman dispersion? Very likely yes. For example Zechariah 1:18 refers to four "horns" which scattered Israel, and at some level probably refers to the four world empires seen in Daniel’s visions—Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome—and only in modern times is Israel recovering from the dispersion caused by that last power.

Certainly Zechariah 12:10 applies to the present recovery. It says God will pour "upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication; and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him" ASV ( ). This is an experience which Revelation 1:7 links with the second advent period..Therefore, Zechariah 10:10 may also have an application to the present return of Israel. Thus it is of interest to inquire, what lands are intended in the expression "Gilead and Lebanon," and when may Israel acquire them?

Gilead

Gilead is a land east of the Jordan River. In Numbers 32:40 it is described as the area settled by the half tribe of Manasseh before Israel crossed the Jordan into Canaan. As maps of the 12 tribes show, that would be northward, yet south of the Sea of Galilee. Other texts seem to use the word for a broader area extending farther southward as well.

"The Jabbok River divides Gilead into two parts: northern Gilead, the land between the Jabbok and the Yarmuk, and southern Gilead, the land between the Jabbok and the Arnon (Josh. 12:2). The term ‘Gilead,’ however, came to be applied to the entire region of Israelite Transjordan (Deut. 34:1)" ("Gilead, Nelson’s Illustrated Bible" Dictionary, 1986, ).

Today that region is part of the country of Jordan. It is hard to imagine a peaceful transfer of that land to Israeli control under anything like present conditions. Therefore a settlement of Gilead by Israelis such as Zechariah 10:10 describes would suggest either another major Arab war, terminating the present accord with Jordan, or the result of the establishment of the kingdom.

Lebanon

Lebanon derives its name from two mountain ranges, running about 100 miles long, north and south, with the fertile Bekaa valley between, perhaps 15 to 20 miles wide. To distinguish the two parallel ranges, the eastern range is sometimes termed "Anti-Lebanon," and this range contains lofty Mt. Hermon at its southern end ("Lebanon," Nelson’s).

Joshua 11:17 says Joshua took as far north as "unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them." Joshua 13:5 says the remaining land left unconquered when Joshua was old included "all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath." Evidently the western portion of Lebanon, including the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and the present day locations of Beirut and Tripoli, were not intended as parts of the promised land.

Therefore, the term "Lebanon" in Zechariah 10:10 probably means the area around Mt. Hermon, but how far in each direction is uncertain. Today the massive Mt. Hermon is a dividing point between the countries of Lebanon on the west, Syria on the east, and Israel on the south. For Zechariah 10:10 to be fulfilled in modern times seems to require a deeper thrust by Israel into south central Lebanon. This would be intolerable for the Arab powers under present conditions. As with "Gilead," it would seem to require another major Arab war, or the result of the establishment of the kingdom.

Another Arab War?

Peace accords have been reached with Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinians, and the momentum of events seems to be building in this direction, although stalled intermittently by tragic episodes. From a natural point of view, it seems unlikely the neighboring Arab states would find much present advantage in a fresh round of war in the near future. From a natural point of view, it seems unlikely the fomenting radical elements will have sufficient strength to force their wish.

These observations suggest that if Zechariah 10:10 applies to our day, it’s full scope will be after the ancient worthies reappear and after Gog from the north has been defeated, when the influence of Israel expands by divine favor in the Kingdom. Then, probably, "they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations" (Isa. 66:20), and it would not be surprising for the surrounding nations to also yield to Israel the remainder of their God-given inheritance of land.

On the other hand, what crises the next decade or two may hold, and their possible consequences, is impossible to know. We cannot preclude another major conflict, before Gog’s invasion, which could augment Israel’s territory.

Psalm 83

Psalm 83 speaks of a malicious Arab conspiracy against the state of Israel, and many students of prophecy suppose this passage has some relevance to the Arab-Israeli conflicts at this end of this Gospel age. We share this view.

The defeat of this alliance is likened in verses 9-12 both to the defeat of the Midianites under Gideon and the defeat of Sisera and Jabin under Deborah and Barak (Judges 4, 7, 8). Both of these episodes were pictures of the Armageddon climax, and for this reason it is feasible that the Arab hostilities described in Psalm 83 at least include the final middle-east conflict, which is part of Armageddon. Possibly they point to more than one conflict and embrace the whole series of wars during which the Arab wish has been "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" (Psa. 83:4).

The enemies listed in this Psalm are Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, the Hagarenes, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, the Philistines, the inhabitants of Tyre, and Assur. The lands inhabited by these peoples answer to today’s Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza, and Iraq. This is not a comprehensive list of the enemies of Israel. For example Syria, Egypt, Iran, and Gog [Russia] are not mentioned. But other scriptures supplement this list, and provide a more complete picture (e.g., Ezek. 38:2-6; Zech. 14:18).

Joel’s Account of the Last Crisis

When considering the last crisis impending on Israel before the Kingdom, it is common to turn to Ezekiel 38-39, and Zechariah 14. Less common, though still frequently compared, is Joel’s description of these closing events. We will close with a look now at the account in the second chapter of Joel. The invading host from the north is described as a formidable, unstoppable force in close array, whose forward march leaves but flame and destruction in its wake (vs. 3-11). The Lord says the purpose for this crisis is to turn the hearts of Israel to himself.

"Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him" (vs. 13, 14)?

And so it happens. A solemn fast and assembly is called, the people are gathered, and "the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar," saying "Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach . . . wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God" (v. 17)? Then the Lord will graciously respond to this humble prayer of faith.

"Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people . . . I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate . . . Fear not, O land . . . Be not afraid . . . Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God" (vs.18-23).

Israel holds a unique position in the eyes of the world, attached irrevocably to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whatever religious stripe, or lack of religion, may characterize various nations of the globe, they know that Israel’s claims to the land are based on its ancient roots in the land, and those roots are inseparably intertwined with the worship of Jehovah. Even in Israel’s stunning victory during the six-day war of 1967, news commentators frequently referred to the word of the prophets who spoke of God’s protecting care for his people. The connection will not be lost when the much greater deliverance still ahead arrests the attention of the world.

"And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity.... Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name ... and ... sanctified in them in the sight of many nations.... Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God" (Ezek. 39:23-29).