Islamic State facing defeat in Mosul: then what?

US Army attack in Mosul District

The group calling itself the Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS) looks close to being defeated in Mosul:

July 2, 2017

With American-backed ground forces poised to recapture Mosul in Iraq and Raqqah in Syria, Islamic State’s de facto capitals, U.S. commanders are confident they soon will vanquish the militant group from its self-declared caliphate after three years of fighting.

But the White House has yet to define strategy for the next step in the struggle to restore stability in the region, including key decisions about safe zones, reconstruction, nascent governance, easing sectarian tensions and commitment of U.S. troops.

Nor has the Trump administration set policy for how it will confront forces from Iran and Russia, the two outside powers that arguably gained the most in the bitter conflict — and that now are hoping to collect the spoils and expand their influence.

Iran, in particular, is pushing to secure a land corridor from its western border across Iraq and Syria and up to Lebanon, where it supports Hezbollah militants, giving it a far larger foothold in the turbulent region.

“Right now everyone is positioned” for routing Islamic State “without having the rules of the road,” said Michael Yaffe, a former State Department envoy for the Middle East who is now vice president of the Middle East and Africa center at the U.S. Institute of Peace. “That’s a dangerous situation.” http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-trump-isis-mideast-20170702-story.html

The Islamic State has been horrible and continues to kill and terrorize (watch also Why does the Islamic State kill and terrorize?). But as an entity, it is facing defeat. As regular readers are aware, that has long been what I have written about it.

But its goal of a broader trans-Islamic caliphate or confederation will happen.

While the Islamic State is facing defeat in Mosul, it is trying to make inroads into places like Pakistan:

“Pakistan no longer denies IS’s presence as it used to,” Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at Wilson Center in Washington, told VOA.

He and other analysts warn that the IS group in Pakistan, while still relatively small, is spreading swiftly in many areas where the government struggles to maintain law and order, including the restive Balochistan province. 07/01/17 https://www.voanews.com/a/is-so-called-islamic-state-gaining-strength-in-pakistan/3924377.html

This does not mean that the Islamic State will have a massive presence there or even eventually continue to call itself the “Islamic State.” What it does show is that in various predominantly Islamic nations that there are people who support the idea of an Islamic caliphate or at least some type of Islamic confederation.

US President Donald Trump has taken some actions to accelerate its defeat. As far as his plans go, his officially posted positions (on his website page on Foreign Policy and Defeating ISIS) state he plans to:

Work with our Arab allies and friends in the Middle East in the fight against ISIS.

Pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, international cooperation to cutoff their funding, expand intelligence sharing, and cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting.

Defeat the ideology of radical Islamic terrorism just as we won the Cold War.

Donald Trump has made some progress on the first two of those (the third is more questionable). Yet, presuming the organization is destroyed, its terrorist ways will still, sadly, still be used.

The goal of the Islamic State to have a massive caliphate of Islamic nations will come to pass. That is also the goal of the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, and various other groups. The goal of Islamic jihad, to unite to make Islam a more unified power, will come to pass.

It will happen because at least one version of that goal is foretold in biblical prophecies such as Daniel 11:40-43 and Ezekiel 30:2-8. But it will NOT end well according to those same passages of scripture as the European King of the North will defeat the King of the South. If Jeremiah 46:14-24 has future application, this is another set of verses showing problems will hit that coalition.

Now let’s look at something Ezekiel was inspired to prophesy:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.

5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

6 “‘This is what the LORD says:

“‘The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign LORD. 7 “‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. 8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.

9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come (Ezekiel 30:1-9, NIV).

And this seems to be the destruction of the King of the South by the King of the North in Daniel 11:40-43 as Ezekiel 30:4-5 sound very much like Daniel 11:42-43. Notice a different translation of verse 3:

3 For the day is near,
Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. (Ezekiel 30:3, NKJV)

The above is an end time prophecy as it ties in with the final time of the Gentiles, which also ties in with the Great Tribulation (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?) and the Day of the Lord.

Note that the destruction of Egypt by the King of Babylon mentioned in Ezekiel 30:25-26 may also be an ante-type. (Perhaps it should be pointed out that Libya is mentioned specifically above in Ezekiel 30:5 as well as Daniel 11:43–though the Hebrew word in Ezekiel 30:5 for Libya seems to be the word the NIV translators translated as Lydia (see also Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in Prophecy). The word translated above as Libya, Puwt, may be referring to some of the peoples of Iran as Puwt was a Persian tribe or possibly the branch that made it to Pakistan.)

Ezekiel 32:2-16, and especially verses 11 & 12, also tells of the destruction of Egypt when it is apparently allied with multitudes, by the King of Babylon:

2 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:

‘You are like a young lion among the nations,And you are like a monster in the seas,Bursting forth in your rivers,Troubling the waters with your feet,And fouling their rivers.’

3 “Thus says the Lord God:

‘I will therefore spread My net over you with a company of many people, And they will draw you up in My net. 4 Then I will leave you on the land;I will cast you out on the open fields, And cause to settle on you all the birds of the heavens. And with you I will fill the beasts of the whole earth. 5 I will lay your flesh on the mountains, And fill the valleys with your carcass.

6 ‘I will also water the land with the flow of your blood, Even to the mountains; And the riverbeds will be full of you. 7 When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud,And the moon shall not give her light. 8 All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you,And bring darkness upon your land,’ Says the Lord God.

9 ‘I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. 10 Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.’

11 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall.

‘They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt, And all its multitude shall be destroyed. 13 Also I will destroy all its animals From beside its great waters;The foot of man shall muddy them no more, Nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them. 14 Then I will make their waters clear,And make their rivers run like oil,’ Says the Lord God.

15 ‘When I make the land of Egypt desolate, And the country is destitute of all that once filled it, When I strike all who dwell in it, Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

16 ‘This is the lamentation With which they shall lament her; The daughters of the nations shall lament her; They shall lament for her, for Egypt, And for all her multitude, ‘Says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 32:2-16)

The above seems to have two fulfillments, and presuming a second one, it would seem to relate to the final King of the South.

Perhaps, however, it should also be mentioned that the Bible tells of a time, prior to the destruction of an Egyptian-linked power, when some type of peace deal will be in place (cf. Daniel 9:27); This ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 will likely get most of the world to believe that the major terrorist threats are gone–but that deal will be only temporary.

The idea of unity among those in certain lands dominated by Islam is also consistent with the following prophecies:

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people will know — Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria — … 11 Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. (Isaiah 9:8-9, 11-12)

3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. (Psalms 83:3-8)

Nearly all the above peoples who are listed as enemies are in lands dominated by Islam (for details of which term means which nation, check out the article Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?)–including some lands that the Islamic State is still controlling. A coalition will develop.

Psalm 83 is very likely to involve terrorism. Why? Because taking “crafty counsel” sounds like plotting terrorism. Notice also that a deal will happen involving Assyria, which is prophesied to takeover the USA and UK per Isaiah 10 (see also Germany in Biblical Prophecy).

In the Book of Daniel, the Bible also tells of a deal between the final King of the South of the Middle East and North Africa and Assyrian/European King of the North in Daniel 11:27, and that deal appears to be a little bit prior to the time that the USA is prophesied to be taken over per Daniel 11:39 (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

While the Islamic State will be defeated, another power in the Muslim-dominated regions of the Middle East and North Africa will rise up. And its results, eventually, will be worse than what we have seen from the so-called Islamic State.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why does the Islamic State kill and terrorize? The 15th edition of the English language publication Dabiq from the group calling itself the Islamic State has an article titled “Why We Hate You & Why We Fight You.” Do you know the reasons the Islamic State claims are why it kills and terrorizes? Dr. Thiel goes over those reasons, plus goes over the REAL reasons that they do, by explaining verses in the Bible that the Islamic State’s articles either ignore or do not understand, including some about Jesus. Additionally, Dr. Thiel agrees with some of the Islamic State’s criticisms of the West, but not their solution. Dr. Thiel mentions the real solution.
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: Alemania en la profecía bíblic. Here are links to two English language sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a related YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Differences Between Islam and the Continuing Church of God What are some of the main differences? Are there any similarities? A video of related interest is titled: Islam: Any Christian Concerns or Similarities?
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill? Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic? A related video is titled: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic?
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.