BY BRITT GILLETTE
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?
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.
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). This means 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.
1)
The Destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17)
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
(Isaiah 17:3). 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).
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.
So
how do current events in Syria relate to Isaiah 17? Following the
U.S. strike on the Syrian airfield Shayrat, Syria's allies issued a
joint statement saying, "What America waged in an aggression on
Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with
force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is
and America knows our ability to respond well".
While
this statement was clearly in response to a U.S. bombing, these
nations made it clear they will respond to any nation they view as an
aggressor.
This
includes Israel. While it hasn't been a major news story, Israel has
also been bombing Syria. They're bombing Iranian-backed Hezbollah
terrorists operating on the northern border of Israel.
If
Syria and its allies view their situation as desperate, they may
decide to use these bombing raids as an excuse to launch a chemical
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.
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 necessary 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.
2)
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.
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.
And
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. 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 just
today (Easter Sunday 2017), 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.
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 on
Israel's northern 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).
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.
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