Monthly Archives: September 2013

Syria and the Last Days – Part 2

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In my last blog I posed a question about the role of Syria in the last days. The Bible has a lot to say about Syria and her role throughout history, especially the capital city of Damascus. Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 17 that Damascus would be destroyed – totally. It’s not just going to be a little something that affects a few buildings in the city. Isaiah said that in the night there would terror, but by morning they would be “gone” (see Isaiah 17:14). It is true that our current crisis could bring about the fulfillment of this prophecy, but it is also true that the United States, Russia, or some other country may broker a deal that solves the current problem. Regardless, one day, Damascus will be destroyed. The reason this current crisis leads us to consider we are approaching the last days is because there will be heightened tensions against Israel in the last days, and Syria will initially play a role in this tension. Syria’s aggression against God’s people will eventually lead to their destruction, as the prophet Isaiah reveals in Isaiah 17. We also know that there will be a coalition of nations to rise up against Israel during the last days. I wrote of this in my book that will be published in the future: Immovable: Standing Firm in the Last Days:

The tension between the Arabs and the Jews is as old as the sibling rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael (see Genesis 21:8-14). While there are no prophecies that specifically point to a rise of Islamic hostilities in the last days, there are other predictions that require a strong alliance against Israel. Ezekiel spoke of a five-nation alliance with Russia that would attack Israel. Through God’s Holy Spirit, Ezekiel even named these countries, using ancient names of early history (see Ezekiel 38:5-6).

While these five nations are named in Ezekiel, it is significant that Syria is not included. It is possible that Syria could be included in the “many peoples with you” part of Ezekiel 38:6, but it seems more likely that Syria would have been included in the list of nations, if they are still a vibrant nation at the time. I believe Syria is not listed because they will be “gone” (Isaiah 17:14). While the current tensions cannot be determined to for sure be events leading to Syria’s demise, one can easily see how these tensions, or ones like them sometime in the future, could lead to Syria’s destruction causing them to simply not be present for this major battle called The Battle of God and Magog. These current events could very well be setting the stage for the return of Christ and the beginning of the Tribulation Period. It seems all of this involvement of Russia with Iran, and other nations, is simply strengthening the relationships that will one-day form this coalition Ezekiel prophesied. The news over the next weeks and months could be telling of Syria’s destruction or it could just be preparing the Middle East for a strengthened coalition for the future attack on Israel. Regardless, the current crisis gives indication the return of Jesus for His Church could be close. We must be ready! Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? When Jesus returns for His Church, will you be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air? We may not have much time before His return. You must be ready. Today is the day of salvation.

Syria and the Last Days

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As Syria has made the news, I can’t help but think about the correlations to the last days. It is significant that Damascus is a common city in the Bible, but it is noteworthy that Isaiah 17 says it will be obliterated: “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin” (vs. 1). Damascus is the capital of Syria and the second largest city in the country. It is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Some of the earliest, Egyptian records from 1350 BC refer to Damascus (called Dimasqu), and most historians think Damascus was around many hundreds, if not thousands, of years before that. Damascus has never been uninhabited, yet Isaiah prophesies against them predicting their total demise. Being that Damascus has never been destroyed, it is obvious that Isaiah’s prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. When will Damascus be destroyed? How will it be destroyed?

Isaiah 17:14 says, “At evening time, behold, there is terror! Before morning they are no more.” Whatever the means of their destruction, it will take place quickly and decisively. I can only think of two ways this could happen. One could be an earthquake that decimates the city. While this is possible, it is difficult to imagine. The Great Chilean Earthquake in 1960 has been labeled as the most powerful earthquake of all time, yet it did not totally destroy Valdivia, the city at the epicenter. The second possibility is destruction from a modern-day bombing – possibly a nuclear bomb. If there is terror in the evening, and by morning “they are no more,” one can see how a barrage of bombs would bring “terror,” and a nuclear blast would bring total eradication.

Could it be that the events taking place in Syria today are a part of Isaiah’s prophecy from 2700 years ago? What we do know is that one day, Damascus will be destroyed. We will not know that the current conflict is the incident Isaiah is predicting until after Damascus ceases to exist. It will happen, and it is easy to see how the current upheaval could result in Damascus’ destruction.

Now the question is, “Does this mean we are living in the last days?” Just because Damascus might be destroyed, does that have to mean the return of Christ is imminent? I’ll write about that next time. What are your thoughts?