No “Psalm 83 War”; Bill Salus Offers Confusion

[Dale]

Bill Salus has a book whose title implies that Israel is a coming Mideast superpower. This is based on Psalm 83 prophecy, along with Jeremiah 49 and Isaiah 17. What I say here is based on a Youtube video where he is interviewed.

Salus doesn’t claim to know what happens first but he suggests that two cities in the Middle East will be destroyed by nuclear bombs. He predicts that Arab and Moslem nations will come against Israel, and that Israel will use a nuclear bomb to destroy Damascus, the capital of Syria. Tel Aviv will also be destroyed by a nuclear bomb but Israel will instantly bounce back from this setback. (???) See my next two posts for a response.

Overall, what Salus offers us is a series of oversimplifications and misunderstandings. He jumps to conclusions. Salus is not the first to think that Psalm 83 is a prophecy or a prophecy of the end times. Many, probably most, scholars don’t believe that Psalm 83 is a prophecy at all, they regard it as a prayer that Israel will be delivered from its enemies. Some scholars believe that it is a prophecy that was fulfilled long ago.

Here are headings for Psalm 83 from the Harper Study Bible, Revised Standard Version, Zondervan.

A prayer for God to confound the enemies
A. Prayer to judge Israel’s enemies
B. The prayer of imprecation


Disciples Study Bible, New International Version, Holman Publishers

From a note on Psalm 83: “The psalmist appealed to God to demonstrate his power and justice as He did in the days of Gideon.”

Both of these reflect the view that Psalm 83 is a prayer for deliverance, not a prophecy, and certainly not a prophecy of the end times.

“Make them like tumble-weed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.” Psalm 83:13 NIV
“… so pursue them with your tempest...” Psalm 83:15 NIV
“May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.” Psalm 83:17 NIV

This is a prayer for deliverance, not a prophecy of destruction.


The podcast I am responding to:

What Israel is About to Do Will Shock the World!​

(Bill Salus interviewed by Jane Duvall)

 

[Dale]

Could Israel survive the destruction of Tel Aviv, its capital and largest city? Could Israel then bounce back to become a Mideast superpower? The idea shows willful ignorance of facts that can be easily checked.

At the present moment, the population of Israel is 9,229,473.
The population of Tel Aviv is 4,424,855.

In other words, 48% of the population of Israel lives in Tel Aviv. Israel’s commerce is centered in Tel Aviv, and much of its industry is found there as well. There is no way that Israel could prosper after losing half its population, and perhaps more. A nuclear blast won’t stop at the city limit.

Another oddity is that Salas assumes that Jerusalem will be untouched when Tel Aviv is totally destroyed. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are 33 miles apart, from city center to city center. Jerusalem is 49 square miles and Tel Aviv is 20 square miles, so their borders can’t be more than twenty miles apart. I am not sure that Jerusalem would be unscathed.


Population of Israel
Israel Population (2023) - Worldometer.

Population of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv Population 2023

 

[Dale]

Why does Bill Salus think that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed by a nuclear bomb? He mentions Jeremiah chapter 49.

Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers​

will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD Almighty.​

“I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the​

fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”​

Jeremiah 49: 26-27 NIV​

This does show us the Lord Almighty decreeing the destruction of Damascus, but it also mentions Ben-Hadad. Who is Ben-Hadad? Ben-Hadad I was King of Aram-Damascus from 885 to 865 BC. It is the Damascus ruled by Ben-Hadad that is destroyed. We all know that it has been rebuilt.

Returning to the present, could Damascus be a target in a modern war?

For almost twenty years, Syria has been in a horrendous civil war, accompanied by genocide. There are American troops in Syria at this moment, exchanging fire with Iranian proxies. US troops were originally sent there to fight ISIS, the terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. This leaves me in grave doubt that Syria is in any condition to get into a war with Israel.

Yet author Bill Salus claims that Israel will destroy Damascus with a nuclear bomb, and further, that all of Israel’s Arab/Moslem enemies will go away after this happens. I don’t think that would be the result. This destruction of Damascus may happen before or after Tel Aviv is destroyed by a nuclear weapon, probably coming from Iran. Besides Jeremiah, Salus bases this on prophecy about Damascus in Isaiah 17. He seems to be completely wrong. The prophecy of Isaiah 17 was fulfilled long ago. How do we know this? Today there are only two surviving tribes of Israel, Judah and Benjamin. What happened to the other ten tribes? They were destroyed, or dispersed, in the war described in Isaiah 17, which happened long ago.

The Bible doesn’t predict that Damascus will be destroyed and never lived in again. (It does say this about Babylon.) In the last two chapters of Ezekiel, an angel gives the prophet information on the permanent borders of Israel in a glorious future. Damascus is mentioned four times in connection with the future borders of Israel.

Berothah and Sibraim (which lies
on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as
Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,
along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath
to the north. This will be the north boundary.
“On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and
Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of
Israel, to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar.
This will be the east boundary.
Ezekiel 47:16-18 NIV

“These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier,
Dan will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road to
Lebo [Or to the entrance to] Hamath; Hazar Enan and the
northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of
its border from the east side to the west side.
Ezekiel 48:1 NIV

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

Psalm 83 was already fulfilled 75 years ago.
The psalmist Asaph penned a prophetic song about a future time when countries would unite to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. He wrote:

- Do not keep silent, O God!
- Do not hold Your peace,
- And do not be still, O God!
- For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
- And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
- They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
- And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
- They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
- That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:1-4)

The rest of the Psalm goes on to mention the parties aligning against Israel and calls on God to supernaturally rescue His people from the coming assault. Many see the fulfillment of this prophecy in Israel’s current dangerous state. They hear voices calling for the destruction of the nation and read the reports of 250,000 missiles aimed across the borders into the country. On the surface, a prophetic fulfillment certainly seems plausible. However, when you closely examine the facts, it becomes evident that this cannot be the Psalm 83 war. There are three primary reasons why it is clear to me that Psalm 83 is not being fulfilled now but was already realized 75 years ago in 1948.

The Name
Psalm 83 is about ensuring that the name “Israel” remains in the dustbin of history. After suppressing the Bar Kokhba revolt in AD 136, the Romans were tired of Jewish uprisings. In an attempt to break down Jewish identity, Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina and Judea was renamed Syria Palestina. At that moment, the name of Israel disappeared, and it remained gone for over 1800 years. Then, suddenly, the State of Israel was created in a day on May 14, 1948. Immediately, the surrounding nations rose up against them. The name “Israel” had returned, but they were determined that it still “be remembered no more.”
The Timing

Psalm 83 is about a war, but that war took place 75 years ago. When the State of Israel was born, all the neighboring states armed themselves and attacked. What was their goal? They wanted to kill the baby before it had a chance to take its first breath. They wanted to “cut them off from being a nation.” At first, no one stood with Israel. Not even the American State Department believed that it should be recognized. But President Harry Truman surprised them all by being the first world leader to accept the existence of this newfound nation. I believe that America has received untold blessings from the Father because of this move. Despite the best efforts of Israel’s enemies, they were no match for an all-powerful God who was fulfilling His promises to the tiny nation. As in Psalm 83, the people called out for divine assistance, and it was given.
The Perpetrators

This is where today’s situation strays the farthest from Psalm 83. In the biblical prophecy, we read of nation after nation rising up against Israel. In 1948, Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen all stood against the new state. In today’s scenario, there is only one country coming against Israel – Iran. In Syria, it is not Bashar al-Assad’s government aiming the missiles at Israel. It is the many Iranian proxy militias. Missiles are ready to be fired from Lebanon, but it is not the Lebanese military manning them. It is Hezbollah, a proxy terrorist organization supported by Iran. In Iraq, it is again Iranian proxy terrorist militias targeting their missiles at Israel.
Most of the nations surrounding Israel despise Iran’s militias and the Islamic regime’s interference in their government and society. In fact, the leaders of these nations are speaking out against this potential attack. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounced any launch of rockets toward Israel from within his country. The Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, strongly condemned the use of Iraqi territory to launch any regional aggressions at the behest of Iran.
Finally, if we look at a number of the specific nations mentioned, we see they just don’t fit the Psalm 83 scenario. Jordan and Egypt are mentioned in the prophecy using their biblical names. Currently, they both have peace treaties with Israel. Lebanon and Syria are also mentioned, yet today they are so dysfunctional that they are barely existing as sovereign, independent countries. In contrast to the others, Yemen isn’t mentioned at all in the prophecy, yet we still find it as part of the proxies that are threatening Israel. Psalm 83 is the gathering of the nations against Israel. What we see today is just one nation gathering its many militias against the country.
So, what is happening today? If anything, rather than an already fulfilled Psalm 83 being played out, I see a buildup to Ezekiel 38. Alliances are being made and weapons are being distributed in preparation for Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the others to finally trigger their attack. Am I saying this is the Ezekiel 38 war? No. Could it be related to it? I believe it is likely.

From Amir Tsarfati, Behold Israel

 

[keras]

What Israel is About to Do Will Shock the World!

What God is about to do will almost destroy the world.
Particularly the Middle East region: Amos 1:1-15, Amos 2:1-5, Zechariah 1L1-18, Zechariah 3:8, Psalms 83, Revelation 6:12-17, +

author Bill Salus claims that Israel will destroy Damascus with a nuclear bomb, and further, that all of Israel’s Arab/Moslem enemies will go away after this happens.

Bill Salus is wrong, Isaiah 17 and many other Prophesies make it clear that it will be fire sent by the Lord, that will destroy Damascus and clear and cleanse all of the holy Land. Deuteronomy 32:34-43
Including Jewish Israel, of whom only a remnant will survive; Isaiah 29:1-4, Romans 9:27

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

What God is about to do will almost destroy the world.
Particularly the Middle East region: Amos 1:1-15, Amos 2:1-5, Zechariah 1L1-18, Zechariah 3:8, Psalms 83, Revelation 6:12-17, +

Bill Salus is wrong, Isaiah 17 and many other Prophesies make it clear that it will be fire sent by the Lord, that will destroy Damascus and clear and cleanse all of the holy Land. Deuteronomy 32:34-43
Including Jewish Israel, of whom only a remnant will survive; Isaiah 29:1-4, Romans 9:27

IMHO Bill Salus has an interesting take on these passages. He may be wrong(possibly) and you may be right Elder brother about how God will take out Israel's enemies. But the fact is, Damascus is going to be destroyed. It is horrible to think about a city being destroyed in our day, but, we most remember that it has happened before so it could/will happen again. We just have to watch.

 

[Dale]

How do we know that the prophecy in Isaiah 17 is about a war in Old Testament times? How do we know that this is when the missing ten tribes of Israel disappeared from history?

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal
power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the
glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty.
Isaiah 17:3 NIV

Ephraim was one of the tribes of Israel that does not survive today. By the time of Christ the territory of Ephraim had become Samaria.

“Ephraim was carried into captivity in 722 BC by Sargon II.”
Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1973
Sargon II was King of Assyria.

“This chapter contains a prophecy of the ruin of Syria and Israel, the ten tribes; who were in alliance; and also of the overthrow of the Assyrian army, that
should come against Judah.”
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible on Isaiah 17.

Ver. 3. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim,.... The ten tribes, now in
confederacy with the Syrians, whose metropolis or fortress was Samaria,
which seems to be intended here; and should be destroyed, at least taken out of the hands of the Israelites, and they be carried captive by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, 2Ki 17:6 and this may be understood, not of that particular city and fortress only, but of all their strongholds, the singular being, put for the plural. The Targum is, "the government shall cease from Ephraim"; they shall have no more a king over them, nor have they to this day.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible on Isaiah 17:3

 

[keras]

How do we know that the prophecy in Isaiah 17 is about a war in Old Testament times? How do we know that this is when the missing ten tribes of Israel disappeared from history?

Because the Prophesies simply do not fit in the ancient times.
Surely it is plain to everyone, [excepting recidivist preterists] that what is Prophesied has never yet happened. But now, we have the situation that cries out for God to take action against the shocking ungodly mess that is the Middle East.

Isaiah 17:1 Damascus will cease to be a city, she will be reduced to a heap of ruins forever desolate. Animals will live there, undisturbed.

Jeremiah 49:23-27 Of Damascus: The Syrians are covered in confusion, for they have heard news of a coming disaster, they run around in fear and trembling and panic grips them. No more joyful songs or celebrations are heard in her streets, because on that Day her young men will fall and soldiers will lie still in death. The Lord says; I will kindle a fire inside Damascus and it will devour her strongholds.

Amos 1:3-4 For crime after crime of Damascus, I will give them no reprieve because they oppressed My Land with malicious spite. Therefore I will send fire to consume her strongholds.

Zechariah 9:1-2 The Word of the Lord comes to the lands north of Israel and it will soon come upon Damascus. For to the Lord belongs all of that area and even though the cities of Lebanon have become rich, He will strip them of all their possessions and break their power. A devastating fire will devour them all.
Ref: REB. Some verses abridged and paraphrased.

All these prophecies tell of the soon to happen destruction of Damascus, Syria and clearing and cleansing the entire holy Land.

Note that in all cases, they go on to talk of other nations who are also affected by this fire judgement. Isaiah 66:16 In particular Isaiah 17:4-6 says how Jacob, that is: the 10 tribes of Israel- now the Western nations and the 2 tribes of Judah now the current State of Israel, will lose their strength. It seems that most of the world’s military forces will be destroyed by the Lord on His Day of vengeance and wrath Isaiah 34:2-3, Hosea 2:18, Micah 5:10-11

Although the Sixth Seal, the next prophesied event to happen according to the sequence in Revelation, does not mention fire as the means of punishment, [there is nothing in Revelation 6:12-17 to say how it will be carried out] we can ascertain the details from parallel passages like: Isaiah 34:2-4, Isaiah 2:12-21, Joel 2:1-11, Malachi 4:1 and especially 2 Peter 3:7 & 10.

Notice in Jeremiah 49:23, how everyone knows what is coming. This can be explained by the 24 hour period between the initial flash of a Coronal Mass Ejection sunstrike and the arrival of the main mass of superheated plasma. Ezekiel 7:10-19

That it will be a single Day of destruction is confirmed by the use in every case of the Hebrew and Greek words for a 24 hour period and this fits how a CME will hit the earth and then continue on into outer space. Isaiah 63:4, Joel 1:15

 

[Dale]

What God is about to do will almost destroy the world.
Particularly the Middle East region: Amos 1:1-15, Amos 2:1-5, Zechariah 1L1-18, Zechariah 3:8, Psalms 83, Revelation 6:12-17, +

Bill Salus is wrong, Isaiah 17 and many other Prophesies make it clear that it will be fire sent by the Lord, that will destroy Damascus and clear and cleanse all of the holy Land. Deuteronomy 32:34-43
Including Jewish Israel, of whom only a remnant will survive; Isaiah 29:1-4, Romans 9:27

IMHO Bill Salus has an interesting take on these passages. He may be wrong(possibly) and you may be right Elder brother about how God will take out Israel's enemies. But the fact is, Damascus is going to be destroyed. It is horrible to think about a city being destroyed in our day, but, we most remember that it has happened before so it could/will happen again. We just have to watch.

Why do you believe that Damascus is going to be destroyed? Did you read my post #3?

Ezekiel tells us plainly that Damascus will be there in the future.

The current war was started by Hamas, a proxy for Iran. Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has rained missiles down on Israeli civilians, and Hezbollah is a proxy for Iran. American troops in Syria are being repeatedly attacked by other proxies for Iran, who have not been deterred by US counterattacks.

If Israel is going to attack any country it will be Iran. If Israel is going to destroy any capital city, it will be Teheran.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Why do you believe that Damascus is going to be destroyed? Did you read my post #3?

I believe it because it is written. I read the scripture. Our Father will destroy all of Israel's enemies.

 

[Dale]

I believe it because it is written. I read the scripture. Our Father will destroy all of Israel's enemies.

Scripture doesn't say that Israel's enemies will be destroyed by nuclear bombs.
As I pointed out, Ezekiel tells us that Damascus will exist in the future, in the Millennium.

 

[Dale]

I don't believe that Bill Salus understands the Middle East at all. One of the things that he says in the podcast is that Israel always annexes the territory that it conquers. Always annexes territory? This is ridiculous. Shortly after the Six Day War, Prime Minister Golda Meir said that Israel was looking for negotiations to give the territories back.

The Sinai was never annexed into Israel, and was returned to Egypt. Many of the settler communities in the West Bank are on land that has never been annexed by Israel as well. Bill Salus doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Whether Bill is right or wrong remains to be seen.

 

[keras]

Ezekiel tells us plainly that Damascus will be there in the future.

Please provide your scriptural support for this.
The 4 Bible Prophecy quotes that I posted in #8, plainly say that Damascus will be deserted forever.

Whether Bill is right or wrong remains to be seen.

The Bible Prophetic Word is right.
Why do people make wild guesses and believe fables? There will be a lot of very embarrassed and ashamed people, on the Day we all have to stand before God in Judgment.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Please provide your scriptural support for this.
The 4 Bible Prophecy quotes that I posted in #8, plainly say that Damascus will be deserted forever.

The Bible Prophetic Word is right.
Why do people make wild guesses and believe fables? There will be a lot of very embarrassed and ashamed people, on the Day we all have to stand before God in Judgment.

People just interpret the word differently Elder brother. But we can agree to disagree and still love one another.There will be no condemnation on that Day for it is written
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

[WilliamLhk]

Nothing in Psalm 83 has even the merest hint of it being prophetic. Asaph in Psalms 83, 74, and 80 was clearly speaking about things he had seen and which were continuing to occur. Namely, of the ransacking of Jerusalem and the land by their neighboring tribes in 485 BC.
A more detailed account of this disaster for Asaph and the Jews can be found here:

The Psalm 83 War: When?

Index and summaries of all articles is here: https://www.worthychristianforums.com/blogs/entry/1403-index-and-summaries-of-articles/ The Psalm 83 War: When? Another popular but misguided teaching these days says this: Psalm 83 is a prophecy about an End Time war against the nation of Israel. In f...

www.worthychristianforums.com

 

[anetazo]

Well he's wrong.
Psalm chapter 83 is about kenites.

Asshur refers to satan as antichrist near future. Assyrian is proper name.

Isaiah chapter 812. Speaks of a Confederacy. This a one world political system.

How are kenites behind it ??

Kenites operate from banking, trade and commerce, politics and industries. Get the picture.

Zechariah chapter 1. The four horns are education, economics, political, religion. The kenites use these four agencies to bring in one world political system.

Who are kenites ??

Your in real bad shape if you dont know.

Matthew 13 . Jesus taught the difference between the wheat and the Tares.
Tares are kenites. Offspring of satan.
Wheat are of abraham.

Revelation chapter 2. Kenites claim to be of our brother judah, but do lie.

Kenites are the hidden ones. They mix in. Kenites are vagabond. They have no nation or allegiance to anyone.

Revelation chapter 13 . The Confederacy is one world political system. It receives deadly wound near future. At the 6th trump, antichrist comes to Jerusalem. It's 5 month period.

Ephesians chapter 6 . Those who are biblically illiterate will worship antichrist near future. The gospel armour is knowledge and wisdom of God's word.

 

[Dale]

Please provide your scriptural support for this.
The 4 Bible Prophecy quotes that I posted in #8, plainly say that Damascus will be deserted forever.

The Bible Prophetic Word is right.
Why do people make wild guesses and believe fables? There will be a lot of very embarrassed and ashamed people, on the Day we all have to stand before God in Judgment.

Keras:

The events you are talking about happened about 2500 years ago. On Damascus being “a heap of ruins,” consider this. Aram-Damascus was the capital of an independent country, but it became a province of Assyria, paying tribute to the Assyrian Emperor. In that sense, Damascus was destroyed as an independent state.

Tiglath-Pileser III, King of Assyria invaded Syria and “reduced Damascus in 733.” This is from the Encyclopedia Britannica, 1946 under Damascus. It goes on to say that Damascus vanishes from history from about 720 BC and 333 BC, when it fell to the forces of Alexander the Great. So history tells us that Damascus was destroyed, and left desolate, for almost 400 years. Nevertheless, it has been rebuilt, and has been an important city for over 2000 years. There is no reason to believe this prophecy of destruction will necessarily be repeated.

 

[Dale]

Please provide your scriptural support for this.
The 4 Bible Prophecy quotes that I posted in #8, plainly say that Damascus will be deserted forever.

The Bible Prophetic Word is right.
Why do people make wild guesses and believe fables? There will be a lot of very embarrassed and ashamed people, on the Day we all have to stand before God in Judgment.

Keras, you quote very selectively from Jeremiah 49. You also quote Amos 1:3-4. I don’t know what translation you are using but either you are editing the quote or that translation is simply giving you incomplete information.

Keras: << Amos 1:3-4 For crime after crime of Damascus, I will give them no reprieve because they oppressed My Land with malicious spite. Therefore I will send fire to consume her strongholds. >>

A better translation:
This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Damascus,
even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she
threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth,
I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume
the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.
Amos 1: 3-4 NIV

Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers
will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD Almighty.
“I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the
fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”
Jeremiah 49: 26-27 NIV

The fire here comes from Assyrian soldiers. God’s judgment is behind it all, of course.
Both Amos and Jeremiah refer to “the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”
Who is this Ben-Hadad that both Jeremiah and Amos refer to?

Among the Kings of Aram-Damascus:

• Ben-Hadad I, 885–865 BCE
• Ben-Hadad II, 865–842 BCE
• Hazael, 842–805/796 BCE, usurper
• Ben-Hadad III, 796–792 BCE, son of Hazael

Aram-Damascus - Wikipedia


Both Amos and Jeremiah are talking about Aram-Damascus, at one time a very well fortified city. These forts were built by Hazael and a series of Kings named Ben-Hadad. It is that well fortified ancient city that the prophets say is an enemy of Israel, and was destroyed.

We can’t simply apply the same prophecies to the modern city of Damascus.

 

[Dale]

Please provide your scriptural support for this.
The 4 Bible Prophecy quotes that I posted in #8, plainly say that Damascus will be deserted forever.

The Bible Prophetic Word is right.
Why do people make wild guesses and believe fables? There will be a lot of very embarrassed and ashamed people, on the Day we all have to stand before God in Judgment.

You quote from Isaiah 17 very selectively. You quote Isaiah 17:1 but ignore Isaiah 17:3, just two verses later, which I already quoted in post #4.

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal
power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the
glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty.
Isaiah 17:3 NIV

Do you have any idea of who or what Ephraim is? Ephraim is a tribe of Israel, which dominated the norther kingdom of Israel, after the Israel of David and Solomon split into the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009, under Ephraim:
“In 930 BC the tribe of Ephraim led the northern tribes in a successful revolt against the south and established the Kingdom of Israel, with Jeroboam I, an Ephraimite, as king.”

“From about 745 BC, the northern kingdom was often referred to as the kingdom of Ephraim, a reflection of the tribe’s importance.”

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009, under Israel
“In the 8th century BC the northern kingdom was overrun by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, with Samaria, the capital, falling in 722/721.”

The “fortified city will disappear from Ephraim” in Isaiah 17:3 means that the northern Kingdom of Israel will fall to Assyria, which happened in the 8th century BC. This is when the Ten Tribes of Israel which do not survive today, became the Lost Tribes.