This  came  from  a newsletter from  Colorado  Springs  Cultivate Ministries,  12.1998 and I'll try to summarize this article if  I can,  to  bring  this to your attention. "We  are told  in  Jer. 51:46,49 that the approaching war against Iraq will be a war that expands and will draw in other nations. In fact Jer. 50:46  reveals that this war will have an effect upon the entire earth! We quote "At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, And  the cry is heard among the nations." .. May  5,1996  discussions  between Israeli and Arab leaders in Egypt  (prophesied  in Isa. 30:1-3) revolved around establishing a Palestinian State  on God-given  Israeli land, the future fate of Israeli settlers  and most importantly  reserved for May of 1999, the  future  control over Jerusalem.

It  is highly possible that the reports of Israel having  already secretly  negotiated  a joint religious administration  of  Jews, Islamics  and Roman Catholics over Jerusalem may include the  one concession  that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  would need as  an incentive for Orthodox Jews to accept  the  eventual plan.  The concession would be the provision for the Jews  to  be permitted  to  once  more worship on the Temple Mount  which  is presently  controlled by the Muslims... This harmonizes with  the Temple  prophecy found in Rev. 11:2. It is our  prophetic  understanding  that before these plans are put into motion the  Middle East peace negotiations will explode into violent warfare leaving a  host of Islamic countries defeated and humbled before the  one true God Who watches over Israel.

Psalm  83  consolidates  these countries which  are  destined  to become "as stubble before the wind." The key to this prophecy  is found  in verses 3-5 "They have taken crafty counsel against  Thy people,  and consulted against They hidden ones. They have  said, come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the  name of  Israel  be no more in remembrance. For  they  have  consulted together with one consent: They are confederate against Thee."

Consider  these 3 pertinent facts: 1. The following list  of  nations  had  never before in history been  a  joint  confederation against  Israel  and  had never had a unifying  factor.  2.  This confederacy had to have come into existence since Israel became a nation in 1948. 3. This confederation against Israel had to be in actuality  as  unified front opposing the God of Israel  -  their true bond is a religious one.

Israel  is  the manifest, physical evidence that the God  of  the Bible is the only true God who fulfills all He has declared. This prophecy was recorded centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ. The religion of Islam did not come into existence until apex. 600 years  after the birth of Christ. Until that time there  were  no political ties binding the nations of this prophecy together, let alone  any kind of religious union. Although the fractured  religion of  Islam has been at odds over  theological  disputes  for centuries,  it was not until 1948 that the prophesied rebirth  of the  nation  of Israel provided the unifying  catalyst  for  this prophesied religious alliance.

The  negotiations  over Jerusalem with Israel are  being  watched around  the world by Islamics of every sect. For Israel to be  in possession  of Jerusalem, or for Israel to exist at all for  that matter,  on  what is believed to be soil belonging to  people  of Allah,  is  a constant declaration the Bible is  true  while  the Koran is not.

Realize  that the following nations from a listing from Psalm  83 are  prophesied  to be defeated, whether  they  be  predominantly Sunnis, Shias or Wahhabis, are still all Islamic nations in 1998. 1.  Edom  and Amalek are Saudi Arabia (other prophecies  seem  to indicate  Saudi  Arabia will elect to withdraw from this  war  at some  point). 2. The Ishmaelites are very likely the area of  the Arab Emirates. 3. Moab is Jordan. 4. The Hagarenes, the mother of the  Hagareness  was Hagar from Egypt, also perhaps the  area of Sudan..  5. Gebal & Tyre are Lebanon. 6. The Philistines are  the Palestinians.  7. Assur and the children of Lot are  Iraq  along with  Jordan in a special relationship. 8. The heading of  Assur would also include Syria as is verified in numerous other prophecies.. Pray for these people to find the true God as the Psalmist did  in  verse 16. The mention of Iraq verifies that the  war  of Jer. 50 and 51 will spill over to these surrounding countries.

We  believe  the Jerusalem settlement which is  to  transpire  in 1999,  is  a warning to all Christians that we are  on  the  very doorstep  of this great war and the Rapture of the Church (see  I Thess. 4:13-18)

After  crossing out the defeated nations of Psalm 83 turn to  the Bible  passage  of  Ezekiel 38:3-8 which  describes  Magog  (i.e. Russia) and its confederate's future invasion against Israel. The time is described as a day when Israel has been restored from war and  the Jews have returned to Israel from the nations.  At  that time  Israel  is viewed as a refuge of  safety...  the  countries listed  in Russian invasion are Persia (Iran),  Ethiopia,  Libya, Gomer  (Germany), Togarmah (Turkey) and all their  bands..  these subdued areas contain the oil wealth of the world and the Ezekiel invasion  force  is to take a spoil and to take  prey...  Islamic countries  will be going to war to mainly take revenge on  Israel and  Russia  and Germany to take dominion over  the  world's  oil treasury. They will fail (see Eze. 38:4)