ziggy88 Loc: quincy illinois 62301

First Stages of World War Three Have Begun
By Pastor Gary Boyd

Be not deceived. World War III is on our collective doorsteps. The war north of Israel is about to escalate into something we have not seen in the Middle East; the escalation will involve tactical nukes. What else would lay a Syrian city to ruin like it talks of in Isaiah?

China is undoubtedly the biggest warmonger nation in the world. China’s neighbors are so distressed, that they are all taking defensive action with the help of the US military. Trump has sent a aircraft carrier to Vietnam for a show of strength. China is literally antagonizing everyone in Asia. However, China will not start World War III, but they will not hesitate to become the primary facilitator of the coming war after it begins in Syria.

Where Will World War III Begin?

Although all signs point to China being the first mover in the upcoming war, the war will actually begin in Syria and this is foretold by the Bible.

Given the past precedents, prophecy students wonder if an Israeli strike on Iran is not coming and will not inevitably lead to a wider Middle East war. Especially in light of a very familiar unfulfilled prophecy concerning Iran’s close ally, Syria, who is also a known sponsor of terror against Israel. The prophecy in question is the burden of Damascus s expressed in the Bible in scripture:

Isaiah 17:1 (KJV) — The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

Damascus Will Be Destroyed Like No Other City in History

One can see from the prophecy contained in Isaiah that it refers to Damascus as a ruinous heap. What exactly is a “ruinous heap”? The use of this term clearly describes the fate of this historic city.
Consider the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which remain to this day, the only two cities every attacked by nuclear bombs called Fat Man and Little Boy. Even though these two cities were the targets of the first nuclear weapons, these cities continue to exist to this day despite major portions of the two cities having been partially leveled.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki survived a nuclear attack, but Damascus will not. Why? There are two basic reasons: (1) The first two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were small and less deadly in comparison to the nuclear weapons of today; (2) The bombs dropped on Japan were detonated at a high altitudes above the cities (ie an air burst). Generally, if one has to be hit with a nuclear weapon, an air burst is decidedly more preferable than a ground strike. An airburst produces greatly reduced fallout levels compared to ground strikes. This in large part explains why Hiroshima and Nagasaki survived as cities, while Damascus will not. Clearly, a ground strike is in the future of Damascus.

When Will Israel Nuke Damascus? The Clue is in Psalm 83

Isaiah prophesied the destruction and abandonment of Damascus, Syria over 2,700 years ago. Yet the city continues today, despite so many Middle East wars and predictions that "this year" it will finally come to pass. So what's missing that has been holding this prophecy back? Israel’s strike on Iran? Or perhaps the overlooked prophecy in Psalms 83 about a future Arab war alliance targeted at wiping out Israel. Find out why the Arabs are sure to one day acquire weapons of mass destruction that leads them to finally attack Israel together again...and how their defeat opens up for the "beginning of sorrows" and Great Tribulation to finally happen.

Update: Is Trump's Syria Strike Prophetic?

I'm getting lots of questions because of Trump's cruise missile strike on Syria. People wonder if it's prophetic. Specifically, “could it lead to the fulfillment of Isaiah 17?" (when Damascus becomes a ruinous heap).

Short Answer: The US is not part of the Isaiah 17/Psalm 83 prophecy: Israel and her enemy neighbor nations alone that are: Saudi Arabia – Iran – Jordan – Iraq – Egypt – Muslim Brotherhood – Palestinians – Hezbollah – Hamas – are the ones directly involved in this attack.

Long Answer: When you read the article below, you will understand all the real conditions in Scripture to Damascus's destruction—probably the next event in prophecy. This event sets up everything else, including the Third Temple the Antichrist makes his base, the gathering of the faithful to Israel. Even the 144,000 Jews/Israelites being able to assemble on the Temple Mount to worship and (be sealed by) God, something that would be stopped by the Muslim Waqf in power there today.

Iran's Worrisome Nuclear Program

If you are into Bible prophecy, you probably have heard about the controversial nuclear program of Iran—and Israel's plan to strike Iran over it.

In 2002, it was revealed that Iran had secretly been enriching uranium with thousands of centrifuges. Enriched uranium is the key component of a nuclear bomb. Nobody wants an apocalyptic religious state like Iran to have nukes. Even worse, Iran resumed enrichment once President Ahmadinejad took office in 2005 and he refused to stop it, despite severe sanctions against Iran. Even after the extreme Ahmadinejad left office in 2013, the concerns over Iran's nuclear program have only increased.

It's no mystery who is most endangered by the prospect of Iran possessing nuclear weapons. Israel has threatened to make a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear sites if sanctions continue to fail. This is no empty threat as Israel has bombed the nuclear sites of hostile nations in the past. Back in 1981, Israel bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor, receiving worldwide condemnation for it at the time. Then in 2007, Israel sent planes to bomb an alleged North Korean made nuclear reactor in Syria.

What is Israel’s Damage?

In Isaiah 17:3-4,6 scripture tells us, The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites.. On that day the splendor of Jacob will fade, and his healthy body will become emaciated.... Only gleanings will be left in Israel, as if an olive tree had been beaten—two or three berries at the very top of the tree, four or five on its fruitful branches.

In this prophesied event, northern and central Israel are named as taking damage and casualties, although comparatively less than Damascus (Damascus loses the kingdom, but Israel only the fortress). War is never completely one-sided. If Israel is prompted to attack Damascus, they will certainly suffer casualties in the process. Going further in the prophecy we can see that, as has usually been the case, Syria will not be acting alone against Israel:

Isaiah 17:12-14 (HCSB) “Ah! The roar of many peoples—they roar like the roaring of the seas. The raging of the nations—they rage like the raging of mighty waters. In the evening—sudden terror! Before morning—it is gone! This is the fate of those who plunder us [Judah] and the lot of those who ravage us.”
News Update:

There are so many players directly involved in the Syrian conflict that one needs a program to keep the players straight.

Multiple civilians were killed and dozens more injured in a coalition strike targeting the village of al-Sirajieh in southern Al-Hasakah governate, the Syrian Arab News Agency reports, citing civilian sources. (US) Coalition warplanes reportedly fired several missiles into the village, hitting residents’ homes….

… The US-led coalition has escalated its activity in Syria’s eastern region over the past two weeks or so, killing at least 69 civilians and injuring dozens more in the area of Dhahret al-Allouni, as well as al-Sh’afeh and al-Bahra in the Deir ez-Zor countryside.

Syrian pro-government popular militia entered Afrin last week in support of Kurdish militia forces besieged by the Turkish army and its Syrian rebel allies, who launched Operation Olive Branch earlier this year to clear the area of Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers to be a terrorist group.

Also on Saturday March 3rd Turkish media reported that the Turkish army and Free Syrian Army militia took control of the settlements of Rajo, Ramadiye and Hamilek, northwest and southwest of the embattled city of Afrin.

In recent weeks, the potential flashpoints across the Middle East have been dangerously intersecting with each other.

They include the deepening war in Syria, the risk of Israeli involvement, the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, the disarray within Lebanon, the continuing sectarian conflict in Iraq and the fear that new nuclear weapons may be introduced in the region.

But magnifying the risk is what looms above all these conflicts.

In varying degrees, all are being fueled or influenced — as a form of proxy war — by what many Middle East analysts fear is the coming showdown between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

This is not only a showdown over religion, dividing all of Islam, with Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia at the opposite ends of an Islamic rift that dates to the 7th century.

Aссording to the Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit, the United States has deployed 600 troops in the international coalition’s base in At-Tanf in Syria, adjacent to the Iraqi border. Where is the mainstream media on this? This is called preparation for war!

Countless thousands of Syrian civilians have been held hostage as human shields in Eastern Ghouta by US-supported terrorists.

Syrian forces, greatly aided by Russian airpower, are conducting a campaign to free the enclave from its rebel infestation…

According to State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, the Trump administration is considering options to hold Russia accountable for ongoing military operations in Eastern Ghouta…

These reports don’t even scratch the surface about what is happening in Syria, except it is safe to say that the seeds for World War III are firmly in play inside of Syria.

Conclusion
China has a presence in Syria, as does Turkey, Russia, Israel and the United States. This is a prescription for disaster. Although things look bleak with regard to North Korea and the war mongering ways of China, the real fireworks will begin in Syria and it will not end well for the people of Damascus.

nwtk2007 Loc: Texas

No nuke needed for Damascus. Just horns, or bright light!

jack sequim wa Loc: Blanchard, Idaho

The war of Ezekiel 38 could happen any minute, day, week. Russia and Iran? Anyone understanding how bizarre these two powers is, to form an alliance? It makes no sense given the history of these two. But God's word said they would join and now primed in Syria for an attack on Israel.... Ezekiel 38 war is more than likely pre-Tribulation.