The greatest crisis for the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad since the civil war started in 2011 is looming now as rebel groups, including ISIS, continue to accumulate territory and could soon approach the capital, Damascus.
While the future of the Assad regime draws the world's attention, several religious teachers are focusing on the city itself, because its destruction is prophesied in Scripture.
Talk-radio host, pastor and author of "Final Warning: Understanding the Trumpet Days of Revelation" Carl Gallups says the ISIS advance dramatically increases the likelihood Damascus will face annihilation.
"According to most reliable reports, Syria is now about 50 percent under the control of the ISIS brand of militant Islam, and Iraq is not far behind it. The dragon-beast of ISIS is seeking to devour everything in its path," he said.
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"And now, Islamic State fighters have made monumental advances towards the Syrian capital, Damascus. These advances have been accomplished in spite of the continual air strikes leveled upon them by the Syrian government. The Islamic State victory over the city of Palmyra, which guards a strategic route to Damascus, is the first time ISIS has taken over a city that was directly controlled by the Syrian army.
Gallups said that when all of the those facts "are weighed against the prophecies of Isaiah 17, which foretells the ultimate ruin and downfall of Damascus in the last days, just before the return of the Lord, one can understand why so many prophecy watchers are wondering if we might not be rapidly approaching (and at least in the edges of) those prescient days."
Gallups is not alone in speculating Assad's end is near. Ehud Yaari, an Arab affairs analyst in Israel, concludes Assad is facing certain defeat unless Iran dramatically increases its military assistance. Reports also indicate Russia is backing away from its support of Assad's regime as ISIS and other opposition groups gain territory.
Assad has claimed Western nations will eventually realize he is the only one who can stop radical Islamists. However, this week the American embassy in Damascus accused Syria of acting as de facto allies of ISIS by launching air strikes only against other rebel groups. The development could lead to the United States taking stronger action against Assad's regime.
But Assad maintains his hold on Damascus and territory along the Mediterranean, and the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently swore Iran would support Assad "to the bitter end."
United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura, who said in February Assad would be "part of a solution" in Syria, is now demanding he leave. Such a scenario increases the chances Assad will be forced into a last stand in his capital, as his avenues for compromise and retreat are being cut off.
Joel Richardson, a human rights activist, director of the documentary "End Time Eyewitness" and a New York Times bestselling author of books including "Mideast Beast" and "When a Jew Rules the World," says he understands why people may believe Scripture is about to be fulfilled.
However, Richardson says the destruction of the city as described in Scripture is linked to greater events and will only take place near the end of the Great Tribulation many Christians believe will take place during the end times.
Analyzing Isaiah 17, Richardson explains: "First, Damascus will be removed from being a city as well as all of 'Aram.' Aram speaks of the greater region of southern Syria. Second, 'the cities of Aorer' will be so adversely affected by the Isaiah 17 judgment, that they also will be 'forsaken.' Aorer is a reference to the region of modern day Jordan including the capitol city of Amman. Third, 'Ephraim,' which speaks of the ancient northern kingdom of Israel, pointing to modern day northern Israel, will also become virtually desolate."
Richardson believes the Scripture foretells the depopulation of Israel as well as the destruction of Damascus.
He observes: "Despite the fact that the prophecy speaks not only of the destruction of Damascus, but also of a major desolation of all of Israel, in none of the popular discussions of this text does anyone ever bring attention to Israel's desolation. It is as if they read only the first verse and ignore the remainder of the passage!
"I would argue that a responsible reading of this passage would not lead us to see an imminent desolation of Damascus. Isaiah 17 is simply one piece of the larger section of Isaiah's prophecy (chapters 13-23) which speaks of judgment not only against Israel, but all of her adversarial Gentile neighbors.
"So when will all of this occur? If one examines this larger portion of Isaiah's prophecy in its proper context, rather pulling out a single verse here or there, then it is clear that its ultimate context is the Day of the Lord, the judgment against the nations, and the return of Jesus."
But Pastor Mark Biltz, discoverer of the "Blood Moons phenomenon" and the author of "Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs," suggests events in Syria will drive a greater war resulting in more Jews returning to Israel.
"There is a prophecy that God will first send the fishers to fish them back then the hunters to chase them back! People always blame the victim so when Israel protects itself, you will see terrorist attacks all over the world and people will blame the Jews rather than the suicide bombers. They will want to kick all the Jews out of their countries, blaming them for causing the attacks because they defended themselves," Biltz said.
"You never have a peace without a war. Also I believe this war comes first. This will be the driving force to get the rest of the Jews to Israel as they are persecuted worldwide for Israel destroying the other nations that attacked them."
The security situation for Israel to its north is currently good, as Assad was perceived as a threat to the Jewish state. However, no one knows what kind of government will replace Assad's, and Israel likely will confront new threats.
Israel may also be forced to accept Druze refugees fleeing Islamic terrorists if the Assad regime can no longer protect them, forcing Israel to become more involved in a conflict it is trying to avoid.
Gallups believes many of the key geopolitical actors in the region are being driven by their own religious and eschatological motivations, regardless of what the West thinks. And he believes the situation in Syria and the Middle East is strong evidence the current generation is living in prophetic times.
"Think of the world in which we are now living. In our historical lifetime, Israel is back, and it is a formidable force in world politics. Furthermore, Israel is (prophetically) surrounded by enemies who seek to utterly destroy her," he said.
"Also, only in our historical lifetime, we now see Jerusalem under a returned Israel's domain of authority. Now we are watching, on each night's evening news, the beginnings of the prophesied alignment of the Ezekiel 38 nations – with their boldly stated purpose of destroying the returned Israel. These facts of current geopolitical happenings are now the centerpieces of the world's political and military concerns.
Gallups said that with Turkey "falling deeper into militant Islam, the rise of ISIS and other things, regardless of one's specific eschatological leanings, true students of the Word of God and astute observers of current geopolitical affairs would have to admit that obviously prophetic implications are boiling in the pot right now – and right before our eyes – and apparently Turkey, Iraq, and Syria are right in the middle of the pot."
"And the most important thing to remember in all of this," he said, "is that while we may not have all the pieces of the puzzle figured out yet, the Lord is on His throne – everything is in His hands."
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