Gilad Shalit released - now the Obadiah prophecies can take place

I did not want to mention what I believe will soon happen until after Gilad Shalit was safely home in Israel after spending five years held captive by palestinian terrorists.  This is because the deal for Gilad's release had been called off at the last moment several times previously.

I believe that Israel, either knowingly or unknowingly, gave up Gush Katif (Gaza) in order to protect Israelis from the prophecies of Obadiah that will soon take place.  When Gilad Shalit was taken captive, this prevented the prophecies from happening because Israel would never knowingly go after terrorists if one of its citizens were in danger.  Gilad Shalit being held by the terrorists in Gaza prevented major retaliation for the daily bombings that take place in Israel from Gaza.

Now that Gilad Shalit is home safe, if the terrorists bomb Israel, there is nothing to prevent a major retaliatory strike or an attack on iran's nuclear facilities.  Yes, Israel has gone after the terrorists but were limited because of not knowing exactly where Gilad was being held captive.  Now there is no longer that worry.

The prophecies of Obadiah (in the Tanach - or "Old Testament") states that Israel WILL retaliate and Gaza will be destroyed.  Likely this will be in response from a strike by Syria which is close to happening. Possibly this is the gog-magog invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39) Damascus will also be destroyed at some point.  Whether or not these two prophecies will occur near the same time or not is the only question although Obadiah is clear that Israel will be attacked before Gaza is destroyed.

Israel cannot let the terrorists get away with believing that it pays to kidnap Israelis.  If Israel takes no further action, it is asking for terrorists to kidnap other Israelis because they see it pays --- Israel traded over 1,000 terrorist prisoners to get Gilad back.  Some of those prisoners are convicted murderers and all were serving time for terrorist acts.  This is like the united states releasing all terrorists (including all of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay detention camp) in order to gain the freedom of one american.  If it happened, the united states would put every american citizen in danger of being kidnapped because terrorists would see the ransom payoff worth risking it for.

First the prophecy about Damascus:

Isaiah 17

 1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

Next the Obadiah prophecy about Gaza:

Obadiah 1 (only one chapter in Obadiah)

⁸ Shall I not in that day, saith Jehovah, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

 ⁹ And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter.

 ¹⁰ For the violence done to thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

 ¹¹ In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.

 ¹² But look not thou on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster, and rejoice not over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither speak proudly in the day of distress.

 ¹³ Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay ye hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.

 ¹⁴ And stand thou not in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; and deliver not up those of his that remain in the day of distress.

 ¹⁵ For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.

 ¹⁶ For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yea, they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though they had not been.

 ¹⁷ But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

 ¹⁸ And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall burn among them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau; for Jehovah hath spoken it.