ziggy88 Loc: quincy illinois 62301

Does Syria Have a Role in the End Times? When does Damascus cease being a city?
By Pastor Gary K. Boyd

What hand will Syria play when things go from bad to worse in the Middle East? Will Damascus, a 5,000 year old city that has never been destroyed, draw the ire of Israel who scripture says will lay it to ruin? The proof of scripture shows you how Syria will not escape God’s wrath, read on.

With all the events taking place in Syria right now, many people are asking, "What does the Bible have to say about Syria and the end times?

World War Three
I believe the last war will come in three stages. First the Psalm 83 War that Asaph the prophet said would come forth that will start the great tribulation. Then in the middle of the great tribulation phase two begins, the War of Gog and Magog that God has a hand in destroying all the nations armies that have surrounded Israel. Only 1/8th of these armies are left alive to go back into the nations to tell what happened. Then phase three the last battle of Armageddon when Christ’s army returns to pulverize those who come to destroy Israel in the valley of Megiddo. Is this then the beginning of World War III the place where Damascus is laid to ruin? Those are legitimate questions, but let me assure you, this is not the end. How can I be so sure?

The Bible Says So
Because the Bible says Armageddon takes place at the end of the seven year Tribulation Revelation 16:16, “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” In the present day the Tribulation has yet to begin.

That said, I believe recent events in Syria have great significance when it comes to the study of bible prophecy.

This doesn't mean you're guaranteed to see the immediate fulfillment of any specific bible prophecy. However, it does mean you should pay close attention.
Why? Because, at the very least, these events are setting the table for the fulfillment of multiple bible prophecies that will come one after the other.

Signs Everywhere
Just look around you. The signs of the Second Coming are everywhere. The restoration of Israel (Isaiah 11:12)... The Jews back in Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)... The Gospel preached to the world (Matthew 24:14)... An increase in travel and knowledge (Daniel 12:4)... The rise of the European Union (Daniel 2:43)... And many more.
Jesus says once you see all these signs come together, His return is near Luke 21:28, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

This means the start of the Tribulation is close, and you should expect to see the fulfillment of many end times prophecies in the near future.

Below are two prophetic events especially relevant to the ongoing events in Syria. The first could take place at any moment.

I believe a careful study of the Bible reveals the second event will take place sometime after the war foretold in Psalm 83.

Either way, both events could be very close to fulfillment. While both could still be several years away, breaking events could lead to their fulfillment in this very hour.

The Destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17:1)
“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.”
Chapter 17 in the Book of Isaiah paints a sobering picture. In it, the city of Damascus is a pile of rubble. The Bible says it will disappear from the face of the earth and become a heap of ruins (Isaiah 17:1).

At the same time, large parts of northern Israel will also lie in ruin. Read of it here, Isaiah 17:3, “The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Now, before you say this prophecy was fulfilled during Old Testament times, keep this in mind... This passage says Damascus will cease to be a city (Isaiah 17:1). Damascus has never been destroyed in history up till this point! This then is future tense.

Damascus
It will be utterly and completely destroyed. Yet, Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on record. Its history goes back more than 5,000 years. At 2,600 years old, the Book of Isaiah itself is new compared to Damascus! This prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.

How Do Current Events in Syria Relate to Isaiah 17?
Following the U.S. strike on the Syrian chemical weapons facilities, a statement was issued by the Russian ambassador to the US saying: 'Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences."

While this statement was clearly in response to a U.S. attack, Russia, Iran & Syria have made it clear they will respond to any nation they view as an aggressor.
This includes Israel and makes a much more likely target than Syria or Russia retaliating directly against the US. Hezbollah is part of the Iran/Syria/Russian alliance and would be more than glad to launch targeted attacks into Israel with backing from these nations.

Israel Targeted Airbase
While it hasn't been a major news story, Israel has also been bombing Syria. They've attacked Hezbollah targets in Syria several times over the last year and last week bombed an airbase that resulted in several Iranian Republican Guard deaths, including a Colonel.

Hassan Nasrallah, The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group said the Israeli airstrike on an air base in central Syria that killed seven Iranians was a "historic mistake" that has brought Israel into direct conflict with Tehran. "This is unprecedented in seven years of war in Syria that Israel directly targets Iran’s Revolutionary Guard," Nasrallah said.

Israel issued its own threats in response, with senior Israeli security officials saying that if Iran strikes at Israel from Syrian territory, "Assad's regime and Assad himself will disappear from the map." They continued, "Our recommendation to Iran is that it does not try to act because Israel is determined to continue on this issue to the very end."

If Syria and its allies view their situation as desperate, they may decide to use these recent bombing raids by the U.S. and Israel as an excuse to launch a chemical or rocket attack on Israel.

This is because drawing Israel into the war could rally the Muslim world to Syria's side. Saddam Hussein tried this same tactic during the first Gulf War. In 1991, he fired Scud missiles at Israel in an effort to draw them into the war and break up the coalition aligned against him.

Swift Response From Israel
If Syria, Hezbollah, or any of their allies managed to strike Israel with a weapon of mass destruction, the response would be swift. Israel would most likely respond in kind. If their intelligence revealed the Assad regime was behind such an attack, nuclear retaliation on Damascus would not be out of the question.
While this is all speculation, and not necessarily how Isaiah 17 will be fulfilled, it shows how realistic a near-term fulfillment of this prophecy could be. With current instability in the region, and so many warring factions in Syria, events could spiral out of control very quickly.

At this point in time, it's not difficult to imagine a scenario in which Damascus is completely destroyed.

The Gog of Magog War (Ezekiel 38-39)
Current events in Syria are also setting the stage for the Gog of Magog War. More than 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel warned of a future time when a vast coalition of nations will attack Israel.

Ezekiel identifies these nations as "Magog, Rosh, Meschech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah" (Ezekiel 38:1-6). These nations have since come to be known as the Gog of Magog alliance.
Now, with the exception of Persia and Cush, I realize most people have never heard of these nations.
But keep in mind Ezekiel used the names of these nations as they were known in his day. Each one is a clearly identifiable nation today. So who are these nations in our day and time?

Below is a list. The Old Testament name is listed first, followed by its modern day equivalent:
Rosh = Russia
Magog = Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan
Persia = Iran
Cush = Sudan
Put = Libya
Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah = Turkey
Collectively, these nations have never attacked Israel. In fact, in the history of the world, such an alliance of nations has never existed.

Coming Together Now
But today we see it coming together right in front of us. Since 1989, Russia and Iran have gradually strengthened their diplomatic, military, and economic ties.

Yet, in the first 2,600 years after Ezekiel recorded his prophecies, the nations of Russia and Persia (Iran) had never been part of any alliance of any sort. Never. Cooperation between Russia and Iran, especially military cooperation, didn't take place.

This led many people to claim Ezekiel's prophecy was symbolic. Why? Because the idea of the Gog of Magog war seemed absurd. After all, at the dawn of the 20th Century, Russia was an orthodox Christian nation and Israel didn't exist!

But those who believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible knew otherwise. They knew all prophecy would come to pass. Because bible prophecy doesn't come from mere humans. It's God's Word (2 Peter 1:19-21).

In the years since, the stage has been set for the literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. A 1917 communist revolution transformed Russia from a Christian nation to an atheist nation.
In 1948, Israel once again became a nation. And earlier this week, Russia and Iran issued a joint statement vowing to respond with force to any aggressor.

Turkey a Direct Threat
What about Turkey? For decades, people have wondered how Turkey could be a part of this alliance. After all, Turkey is a member of NATO.

And in late 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian jet when it strayed into Turkish airspace. There was bad blood, Russia and Turkey seem to be at odds.
So how could Turkey be a part of this alliance? At first glance, it seems unlikely. But in the summer of 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jailed thousands of political opponents. And recently, Turkey voted to eliminate its parliamentary form of government and give expanded powers to Erdogan.

Ultimately, this could be what pushes Turkey into the Russian sphere of influence. Erdogan is an anti-Western, pro-Islamist leader, and he's worked hard to strengthen Turkey's ties with Russia. It is my speculation that Erdogan may be the antichrist by the moves he has made against the West recently; like wanting to put together a 57 coalition of Arab nations for an attack against Israel.
He has had several heated exchanges with Israel's Netanyahu in the press and has shown support for the Hamas uprising along the border in Gaza. Turkey has clearly shifted from friend to foe over the past decade and presents a direct threat to Israel having one of the largest militaries in the region.

In light of these developments, we can see the Gog of Magog alliance coming together for the first time in history.
For the first time since Israel re-emerged on the world scene in May 1948, the main players of the Ezekiel 38-39 alliance are all working together.

Even more important, they all have military personnel close to Israel's border. The stage is set for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39.

What Will Ultimately Happen?
While terrible destruction awaits Damascus (Isaiah 17:1), northern Israel (Isaiah 17:3), and the entire Gog of Magog Alliance (Ezekiel 38:19-22), we have reason to be hopeful.
Because of these events, the Bible says people will soon look to and acknowledge their Creator - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Isaiah 17:7).

When He strikes down Israel's enemies, the whole world will know He is the God Israel (Ezekiel 38:23).

In the days and weeks ahead, we can't be certain what will happen in Syria. But in the long run, we can be absolutely certain the events of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 will be fulfilled.

Damascus will lie in ruin, and the Gog of Magog Alliance will be destroyed. These events are certain.
Because whatever He has declared, God will bring to pass Isaiah 14:24 that says, “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.”

And when these things happen, the world will no longer be able to deny Him. He will destroy the enemies of Israel in plain view of the entire world.

"In this way," says the Lord. "I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 38:23 (NLT)
Maranatha, come soon Jesus………….

Crayons Loc: St Jo, Texas

Everyone loves Cutlery from Damascus. High dollar stuff.

kemmer

(Yawn)
Twenty years ago, the doomsday predictors assured us that the Soviet Union was part of the "Gog/Magog" deal. It's getting hard to tell one "end time" fable from another. Give it a rest.

susanblange Loc: USA

Isaiah 9:12. "The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still". Expect Syria (the king of the north), Egypt (the king of the south), and the Palestinians to attack and punish Israel. Philistines and Palestinians are interchangeable in prophecy. Syria and Assyria are also interchangeable. The Messiah is very close to stepping onto the world stage. There will be war before there is world peace. The Jews have rejected their Messiah and they will suffer the consequences.

kemmer

Hmm... It seems the "king of the north" and the "king of the south" have changed over the past 20 years. In any case, Israel can vaporize any Middle East country being so foolish as to attack Israel.

susanblange Loc: USA

Israel's military strength comes from their God. They have rejected their God and they won't know it until it is too late. Rebekah, Isaac's wife, was the sister of Laban the Syrian. Leah and Rachel, Jacob's two wives, were the daughters of Laban the Syrian. Joseph's wife, the mother of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, was Egyptian. Isaiah 19:25. "Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance".

kemmer

Actually, it comes from their techies and military capabilities.