UAE accused of training Colombian mercenaries for Sudan's war
The UAE's training of Colombian mercenaries for Sudan's paramilitary forces represents an escalation of foreign involvement in civil war, echoing biblical warnings about nations gathering for conflict and the spread of war through hired swords.
Joel 3:9-10
Prophetic Fulfillment“Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, 'I am a warrior.'”
Why this passage
Joel 3:9-10 is a prophetic summons to the nations to prepare for the Lord's judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The prophet calls for a reversal of the peace of Micah 4:3—plowshares become swords, the weak boast as warriors.
This is not a command to war but a declaration that God will gather the nations for judgment.
The pattern of nations hiring mercenaries and arming themselves for conflict echoes this summons. The UAE's training of Colombian fighters for Sudan's paramilitary forces is a modern instance of 'stirring up the mighty men' and turning foreign citizens into warriors for another nation's war.
Behold, the nations rage and the kingdoms are moved—yet the Lord sits enthroned above the fray. As foreign mercenaries are hired to fight in Sudan's war, we are reminded that no weapon formed by man escapes His sovereign gaze.
Take heed, O reader: when wars spread through hired hands and distant powers, the pattern of the last days grows clearer. Yet our hope is not in peace treaties or ceasefires, but in the Prince of Peace who shall one day break the bow and shatter the spear.
Today's Prayer
Pray for the people of Sudan caught in this escalating conflict, that God would protect the innocent and bring the violence to an end through His sovereign power.
Further Scripture
Additional passages that illuminate this event, each grounded in a distinct interpretive lens.
“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,”
Why this passage
Psalm 2 is a royal psalm describing the rebellion of earthly rulers against God's sovereign rule. The 'raging' of nations and 'plotting' of rulers is presented as futile—God laughs at their schemes.
The psalm establishes the principle that human power structures, no matter how coordinated, cannot ultimately oppose God's purposes.
The UAE's covert training of mercenaries for Sudan's war is a form of 'taking counsel together' among rulers—a coordination of power that Psalm 2 identifies as ultimately vain. The psalm's wisdom applies directly to any alliance of nations or rulers that seeks to advance their interests through violence.
How it applies
The UAE's involvement in Sudan's war through hired Colombian fighters is a modern example of nations 'raging' and rulers 'taking counsel together' against God's order. Though they plot in secret, Psalm 2 reminds us that such schemes are ultimately vain—the Lord who sits in heaven holds all nations in derision.
This news event illustrates the futility of human power when it operates apart from God's sovereignty.
“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.”
Why this passage
Obadiah's prophecy against Edom declares a universal principle: the Day of the Lord is near for all nations, and the measure they use will be measured back to them. Edom's violence against Israel during Judah's fall is the immediate context, but the principle extends to any nation that participates in violence and oppression.
The UAE's training of mercenaries for Sudan's paramilitary—a group accused of atrocities—fits this pattern of nations doing harm that will return upon them. The prophetic warning applies to all nations that involve themselves in bloodshed through hired hands.
How it applies
The UAE's role in training Colombian mercenaries for Sudan's war places them in the path of Obadiah's warning: 'as you have done, it shall be done to you.' Those who hire foreign fighters to commit violence in another nation's civil war are storing up judgment. This event serves as a reminder that the Day of the Lord is near for all nations, and no covert operation escapes His sight.
Related by Scripture
Other events we've interpreted through the same passage or hermeneutical lens.
Israeli attack on Tyre in Lebanon kills eight as evacuation ordered for Christian quarter
Wars & Rumors of WarsShares Joel 3:9-10Eight killed in south Lebanon strike as Israel warns entire city to evacuate
Wars & Rumors of WarsShares Joel 3:9-10Middle East crisis live: People flee Lebanese city of Tyre after Israel orders evacuation ahead of strikes
Wars & Rumors of WarsShares Joel 3:9-10Israel and Iran trade strikes, threatening to drag the region back into full-scale war
Wars & Rumors of WarsShares Psalm 2:1-2NATO drills aimed at practicing coordination during potential anti-Russia operation — MP
Wars & Rumors of WarsShares Joel 3:9-10
Community launching soon
Get the invite by email when the Watchman's Wall opens
Share this article
Source: abcnews— we link to the original for full context.