What has been happening in Syria the last couple of years, and the last few months specifically, has been mind-boggling.Conflict within the country began on 2011, and was generally related to the “Arab Spring” that welled up across the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Today the volatility in Syria makes daily headlines. It has become a quagmire of conflict along political, economic, ethnic, and national boundaries.President Obama famously announced America’s “red line” in warning Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons as he desperately tried to maintain power in Syria.
This is what Obama said in September 2013:
“We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized.That would change my calculus.That would change my equation.”
Of course, soon after that statement, the Assad regime indeed did use chemicals to kill and maim its own innocent civilians.
Obama’s response was ambivalent.
And the drama in Syria continues to escalate exponentially.Today Russia, Iran, and Iraq have tentacles in Syria under the auspices of protecting the territory from ISIS, Al Qaida, and Hezbolla.The United States and allies are in the region for the same reason.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that up to 360,000 people have been killed in Syria since 2011. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates there are approximately 4,000,000 refugees as a result of the war in Syria.
It’s important for prophecy watchmen to pay attention to what is happening in Syria.Syria is a part of God’s prophetic time clock.
For example, recently, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted this message on Twitter:
News Update
Netanyahu: Israel has red lines in Syria against Iranian aggression, terror
We welcome the ceasefire efforts for Syria -anything to stop the dreadful slaughter is important,”said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the Sunday cabinet session, “But above all, any settlement for Syria must incorporate the cessation of Iranian aggression against Israel from Syrian soil.” He stressed: “We won’t stand for the delivery of weapons to Hizballah, or the creation of a terrorist front on the Golan. Those are red lines for the State of Israel.”
On the heels of Obama’s red line statement two years ago, Netanyahu has clearly articulated his own red line related to what is happening in Syria.Clearly, Israel will protect its people at all costs, and to Netanyahu’s credit, you better believe that there will be a strong response to any military aggressiveness toward the Jewish people.
So, we now have a second red line declared by a world leader regarding Syria.
Certain stages of prophecy are quickly taking place.Russia has military presence in Syria. Iran has military presence in Syria as Russia’s proxy.ISIS and Hezbollah are very clear in their intentions toward Christians and the nation of Israel.
And the scary part is that Syria is geographically within a stone’s throw of Israel.It certainly could be a foreshadowing of the Gog and Magog invasion as prophesied by Ezekiel.
Turning to Scripture, it aptly describes this burden against Damascus … Syria’s capital city … in Isaiah’s prophecy:
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap”(Isaiah 17:1 NKJV).
Click on the link below that gives a very powerful and real picture of this prophecy coming true today.The clip is just over two minutes long, and well worth watching. Perhaps you’ve seen it already. [1]
It is very difficult to argue today’s physical ruin of Damascus. Many prophecy students, including me, believe that Syria is a part of the prophetic time clock ticking toward midnight for all of mankind.
We are reminded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 22:6). This command is as true today as in the day of the Psalmist.
Remember.
Syria is just a stone’s throw away from Jerusalem.
Endnotes
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51v4L1wxvsg