Ezekiel 29 -- Headlines from 2011?

Wow, this sure sounds like a current events primer.  Ezekiel delivered prophesies from God against Egypt.  Match these to recent headlines:

“Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass … I will make Egypt so weak it will never again rule over the nations.  The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt.  Instead, Egypt’s punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help.  Then they will know that I am the Lord God … The day is near; the Lord’s day of judging is near … An enemy will attack Egypt … When the killing begins in Egypt, her wealth will be taken away, and her foundations will be torn down.  Cush, Put, Lydia, Arabia, Libya, and some of My people who had an agreement with Egypt will fall dead in war … Those who fight on Egypt’s side will fall.  The power she is proud of will be lost … Egypt’s cities will be the worst of cities that will lie in ruins.  Then they will know that I am the Lord when I set fire to Egypt and when all those nations on her side are crushed.”

A lot of what Ezekiel described here was tied to the invasion of Egypt by the Babylonian army centuries ago.  However, the words in 29:16 really caught my eye:  “The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt.”  Since they’ve depended on Egypt over the last 30 or so years via the Israel-Egypt peace accords to keep other Muslim nations from attacking Israel, then could this verse have possibly referred to anything in the distant past?  If so, wouldn’t that make this prophecy fail?  And does God’s word EVER fail?

30:13 continues the thought:  “There will no longer be a leader in Egypt, and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.”  Egypt has just lost the leader it’s had for some 42 years.  So there has been  a leader up to now.  Yes, there may be another leader to follow, but this lends credence to the fact that this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled also.  Right now, no one is in charge, and chaos and crime are rampant.

Father, I’ve seen in other places in Your Word where prophesies contain multiple years of events – they don’t all happen at once.  Parts have been fulfilled while other parts remain to be fulfilled.  Please help us to be watchful, knowing that every day we are one day closer to the return of Your Son.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford