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Why Did They Vanish as Peoples?The Watchtower—1975 | July 15
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The land of the Mediterranean coast between Gaza and a point near Joppa was the home of the Philistines. During various periods of history the Philistines, Moabites and Ammonites made things very difficult for the Israelites.
In the early part of the reign of King Saul, the Philistines had garrisons in Israelite territory. They were strong enough to prevent the Israelites from having their own smiths, thereby keeping the nation totally disarmed. (1 Sam. 10:5; 13:1-3, 19-22) So great was the foreign oppression that many Israelites selfishly sided with the Philistines against their own countrymen. (1 Sam. 14:21) However, especially after David became king, the power of the Philistines was broken, but they nevertheless continued to exist as a distinct people for many centuries thereafter.
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Why Did They Vanish as Peoples?The Watchtower—1975 | July 15
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The only explanation for the disappearance of the Moabites, Ammonites and Philistines is to be found in an ancient historical record that has continued to exist to this day. That record is the Bible. As acknowledged in The Encyclopædia Britannica, no explanation other than that supplied by the Bible prophets has real validity.
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Why Did They Vanish as Peoples?The Watchtower—1975 | July 15
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Yes, the real reason for the vanishing of the Moabites, Ammonites and Philistines is that God’s judgment was against them. To his prophet Ezekiel, Jehovah declared:
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Why Did They Vanish as Peoples?The Watchtower—1975 | July 15
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“Because the Philistines have acted revengefully, and have taken vengeance with destructive malice in their hearts, with an undying enmity, therefore thus says the Lord God: See! I am stretching out my hand against the Philistines; I will cut off the Cherethites and wipe out the remnant on the seacoast.”—Ezek. 25:2-16, New American Bible.
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Why Did They Vanish as Peoples?The Watchtower—1975 | July 15
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Of the calamity that befell the Philistines, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible observes:
“Nebuchadnezzar put out any remaining sparks of Philistine independence. He deported both rulers and people, as the mention of the kings of Gaza and Ashdod and the princes of Ashkelon in the lists published by Unger and Weidner has shown.”—Vol. 3, p. 795.
How forcefully the end of Ammon, Moab and Philistia testifies to the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy! The judgment of Jehovah God was indeed carried out against these hard-set enemies of his ancient covenant people, the Israelites. Truly the prophetic Word of God can be depended upon. As we read at Isaiah 55:11: “My word . . . will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.”
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