Archive for Nile

Drought: The Red Sea, The Nile and Euphrates Rivers

Posted in Euphrates River, Isaiah, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , on June 1, 2014 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 11:15 And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; and He will wave His hand over the River with His scorching wind; and He will strike it into seven streams and make men walk over dry-shod.

The Sea of Egypt is what we know today as the Red Sea. There are two tongues of the Red Sea. The northeast tongue is the Gulf of Aqaba. Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia share the tongue and have ports here.

The northwest tongue is the Gulf of Suez. This gulf solely belongs to Egypt. At the end of the gulf is the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the fastest path from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. The canal’s history dates back to 1,874 BC. It has a depth of 66 feet. Without the canal, freight would have to go around the southern tip of Africa. 8% of the world’s cargo went through the Suez Canal in 2009 (Information provided by Suez Canal Authority).

There is some debate about the river in this verse. Some interpret this to be the Euphrates River. Some take it to be the Nile River. Take your pick. The Bible says both of these rivers are going dry during the Tribulation.

Revelation 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.

Isaiah 19:5-7 The waters from the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, the streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes will rot away.The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile and all the sown fields by the Nile will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.

The context of this verse is the Sea of Egypt. The Nile River delta branches into seven smaller tributaries before it empties in the Mediterranean Sea. I would lean towards this verse being about the Nile River going dry.

The grammar in Hebrew is direct. God will cause this to happen. There will be no doubt. It will be so dry, people will be able to walk across the River on dry land. His method will be a hot scorching wind. Keep in mind, the level of the Nile River is currently dropping due to weather and a dam being built on the Nile in the center of Africa.

Imagine what will happen to the price of oil when the Suez Canal goes dry. Combine that with all the money governments around the world are printing. Can you say massive inflation!

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Isaiah 19:2, Trend Update, Egyptian Violence

Posted in Isaiah, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on August 15, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 19:2 “So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; and they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom…”

This prophecy was written by Isaiah approximately 2,700 years ago. God states He is the one behind the actions and events.

Mid August 2013, Trend Update

Approximately 1 ½ months ago, the elected president of Egypt was overthrown in a coup by the military. The two fighting factions are the military of Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. The situation in Egypt has grown progressively worse. The violence is escalating with over 600 people confirmed dead and over 4,000 injured in recent events. Violence is reported across the country. More protests are being planned.

Heat is making the stench from the corpses almost unbearable.  Ice is being brought in to chill the bodies. Islamists have attacked Christian targets in several areas torching churches, homes, and businesses. Buildings and property throughout Egypt are being burned. Tourists are not recommended to travel to Egypt. Joint military exercises between the United States and Egypt have been cancelled by President Obama.

News information was gathered from the Associated Press.

Again, I am not suggesting the events we are seeing today are Biblical Prophecy being played out before our eyes. It may be. Time will tell. I would probably have more conviction on prophecy unfolding if the Nile River goes dry. The Nile going dry has not happened in history to my knowledge.

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Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , on May 28, 2012 by paulthepoke

Here we are in May 2012, roughly 14 months after the Egyptian uprising. We are on the eve of the Egyptian Presidential Elections and they are fighting across the country regarding the choices they have for a president. Just a point of consideration with this reblog. I am not suggesting what we are seeing is the prophecy of Isaiah 19. It is definitely worth watching. The surprise will be if the leader is not a brutal dictator. There have not been many peaceful leaders emerge from Egypt or the Middle East.

Things could get real interesting on planet Earth if the Nile River goes dry as suggested later in this chapter.

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Isaiah 19:5-8 Trend Update

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , on April 6, 2011 by paulthepoke

The waters from the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, the streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes will rot away. The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile and all the sown fields by the Nile will become dry, be driven away, and be no more. And the fishermen will lament, and all those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will pine away.

Please note the following news article. I offer this up as a point of consideration. I am not suggesting this is what will cause the Nile to go dry. Interesting, don’t you think???

Ethiopia to defy Egypt and build huge Nile dam

Published: 03.30.11, 19:11 / Israel News

Ethiopia on Wednesday said it planned to build a huge dam on the Nile despite a long-running row with Egypt over use of the river and concern the dispute may spark a war. The nine countries through which the river passes have for more than a decade been locked in often bitter talks to renegotiate colonial-era treaties that gave Egypt and Sudan the lion’s share of the river’s waters.

However, six of the nine upstream countries, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi, have signed a new deal stripping Egypt of its veto and agreeing to renegotiate how much water each country is entitled to. (Reuters)

For more information:

Google: Ethiopia Nile Dam

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Isaiah 19:17-18 Hebrew Language in Egypt

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , on April 5, 2011 by paulthepoke

The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is purposing against them.

Who and where is the land of Judah? Judah is a son of Jacob/Israel from Genesis. The lineage of Judah becomes the Tribe of Judah (Genesis 46, 49).  Jesus is from this tribe and is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). This tribe is synonymous with the southern kingdom in the day of Isaiah. It is modern day southern Israel, the area which shares a border with Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

From previous verses, we know the Nile River is dry during this time. The text does not say if the cause is by drought or if water is being withheld by the Aswan Dam. Time will tell. The following is food for thought in the event the waters of Nile are restrained by the dam.

Recently as 2009, Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has stirred controversy with comments about Arab citizens and Egypt. He once suggested Egypt’s Aswan Dam might be bombed. In 2008, he said Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President at that time, could “go to hell.”

Now if Israel is threatening to bomb the Aswan Dam, this would most certainly cause fear, dread, and terror. The concept of the verse is reeling in terror. This would effectively flood and wipe out Egypt. Granted, God has many options at his disposal in regards to stirring up fear. He has plagues, weather, darkness (Exodus) just to mention a few.  I am not suggesting or claiming to know the mind or purpose of God. It does not say. I do find the scenario worth noting in today’s geo-political world. God can absolutely plant an idea into the mind of a person (see Ezekiel 38, 39 with Gog and note Pharaoh and his hardened heart in Exodus).

In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.

There are all kinds of speculation and conjecture as to the symbolism or meaning of the five cities noted in this verse. Some commentators are looking for a hidden meaning. Some are seeking spiritual significance of the number five. Some are allegorizing the number of cities.

I am going to take God at His word and believe that He says what He means. There will be five cities in Egypt where those residents will speak Hebrew. Those people in those five cities will be committed to the God of the Bible.

One of those cities is named. The name of that city is debated with legitimate scholarship, not speculation or allegorical interpretation. The argument lies in which text. Here are the considerations.

The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV).

The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa (Dead Sea Scrolls) and some medieval Hebrew manuscripts read   עִיר הָחֶרֶס (ir hakheres, “City of the Sun,” i.e., Heliopolis). This reading also finds support from Symmachus’ Greek version, the Targum (Aramaic translation of the Bible), and the Vulgate (Latin translation of the Bible).

FYI, Heliopolis is located in northern Egypt on the Nile River where it branches into multiple rivers and streams.

I trust at some point in the future this city name will be clarified and make sense.

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Isaiah 19:5-10 Egyptian Great Depression

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , on March 8, 2011 by paulthepoke

The waters from the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, the streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes will rot away. The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile and all the sown fields by the Nile will become dry, be driven away, and be no more. And the fishermen will lament, and all those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will pine away. Moreover, the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax and the weavers of white cloth will be utterly dejected. And the pillars of Egypt will be crushed; all the hired laborers will be grieved in soul.

… and the river will be parched and dry… The Nile River and the Aswan High Dam are Egypt’s lifeline. About 95% of Egypt’s population lives within twelve miles of the river. The Nile River is Egypt’s main source of drinking and fresh water. Water purification plants are located on the Nile. The Aswan High Dam provides about half of Egypt’s electrical power supply. The river is also a major factor in the tourism industry. Nile River cruises will be out of business without a river. The brick industry will cease to function without water.

… and all the sown fields by the Nile will become dry… Egypt’s agriculture depends entirely on irrigation. Egypt’s agricultural sector is one of the most productive in the world. This will change without water from the Nile. With irrigation, two crops per year can be produced. Farmers do not have to pay for water used in irrigation.

The Aswan Dam has allowed Egypt to reclaim about 2.07 million acres from the Delta along the Nile Valley, increasing the country’s irrigated area by a third. About 1.03 million acres, mostly in Upper Egypt, were converted from flood irrigation. Approximately half a million families have been settled on these new lands.

Today, 95 percent of the wheat and rice crops are used to satisfy domestic consumption. Wheat yields in Egypt have tripled between 1952 and 1991 due to increased availability of water from the dam. Despite the increases, Egypt continues to be a large importer of food. Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer. Egypt is already feeling the pinch of decreased wheat imports from the Russian drought of the 2010 summer and the Australian floods of 2011.

Areas where rice and sugar grow have seen cultivation increase. Two crops of rice can be grown each year, but sugar cane has a growing period of almost one year.

And the fishermen will lament… Lake Nasser formed by the Aswan Dam has arguably the best freshwater fishing in the world for Nile perch and Tiger Fish. Other species include catfish (the giant Vundu being the biggest) and tilapia.  There are over thirty species of fish in the lake. Sardine fishing is also part of the Nile River economy.

…the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax and the weavers of white cloth will be utterly dejected… Cotton has been the country’s largest agricultural export product for many years. Egyptian cotton is known for its superiority among the world cotton varieties. Textile factories and farmers will cease to operate.

…all the hired laborers will be grieved in soul…Without irrigation from the Nile…unemployment and chaos.

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Isaiah 19:5-8 The Nile Goes Dry

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , on February 27, 2011 by paulthepoke

The waters from the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, the streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes will rot away. The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile and all the sown fields by the Nile will become dry, be driven away, and be no more. And the fishermen will lament, and all those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will pine away.

This prophecy was written approximately 2,800 years ago. I could not find any record where the Nile River has dried up since this was written. This prophecy is quite a statement. The Nile River will go dry. The notion of a dry Nile is also noted in Zechariah 10:11b …And He will strike the waves in the sea, so that all the depths of the Nile will dry up…

In case one really does not believe that the river could actually dry up, the grammar of verse 12 restates the fact that the river dries up three times for emphasis!

The tribulation period also speaks of a dried Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12. This time period has two of the largest rivers on the planet going dry.

Verse 6: The Hebrew word translated canal is nahar, it means rivers. When it dries out, it is going to stink. I have smelled a pond that has dried out and that is awful. I can’t imagine what the longest river in the world and its tributaries are going to smell like when it dries out. Think of all the vegetation, dead fish, and other animals…nice smell. Simply put, all the rivers, streams, and the Nile are going dry.

How is the going to happen? There is the obvious answer of drought. Outside of the Nile River, Egypt is not a hospitable place. It is desert and nothing grows there. It would take drought in central Africa in the highlands of Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile, to accomplish this.

A second answer is the Aswan Dam in southern Egypt. The waters of the dam could be withheld.  Ironically, the primary purpose of the dam is to manage flooding of the Nile River. As a trend, the levels of the Nile River are receding in recent times. This is due to countries up river in central Africa who are using more of the water as a resource. As of December 2006, the following statement was issued by NASA based on satellite imagery. “Several African basins, such as the Congo, Zambezi and Nile, show significant drying over the past five years.”  February 2010 headline from newspaper in Sudan read, Nile River Volume Decreases, The Problem To Local Communities.

The fact that the Nile is going to go dry is stated over and over and over in these verses. I believe God says the Nile is going to dry up.

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