Updates are at the bottom of this article.
Biblical prophecy reveals many events that are yet to occur, among them being the destruction of Damascus and the War of Gog and Magog. Whether they occur before or after the Rapture is unclear, but I'm going to take an educated guess and say that since these two events will be localized in the Middle East, then we'll probably still be here to watch these events unfold. I also think they're interlinked, and I'll explain why.
The War of Gog and Magog is a biblical prophecy that has yet to occur. It'll be a coalition of Middle Eastern nations that will include: Iran, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Scripture tells us that Russia will be dragged into this conflict. "And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2"Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him 3and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. 4I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords." Ezekiel 38:1-4 (I underlined these words to emphasize them.)
So why should Russia get involved? It's geopolitical. She's made financial and military alliances with many of these nations, and they're going to demand that Russia honor it's promises to help protect them. Russia is also interested in the riches of Israel, and will definitely want a piece of the pie, if they believe that this war will end in Israel's destruction. Why isn't Russia concerned about the response of the United States and NATO? I'll answer that question in a moment.
Since Israel is currently at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, we may be able to infer, from scripture, that Israel's current efforts to destroy Hezbollah may not be complete before this next major Middle Eastern war. If that's the case, could the War of Gog and Magog be closer than we imagine?
What could cause these Middle Eastern countries to suddenly form a coalition to attack Israel? What is the trigger event... the black swan... that could cause these countries to attack Israel? As of today, October 26, 2024, we've witnessed Israel enter Gaza to destroy Hamas, we've witnessed the ongoing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and we've witnessed Israel's destruction of air defense systems in Syria and Iran, in what appears to be the first of multiple waves of attacks against Iran (more of which may occur in the coming days or weeks).
Will Iran be desperate enough to launch a nuclear weapon from Syria, causing Israel to retaliate by launching their own nuclear weapon, destroying Damascus, sending a major signal to the other nations of the Middle East of their resolve to protect their country? Well, Islamic eschatology states that Al-Malhamat Al-Kubra "The Greatest Battle" must occur, a battle of apocalyptic proportion, which is said to be the catalyst that ushers in their Dajjal "messiah." So the possibility of Iran being desperate enough to order the launch of a nuclear weapon from their proxy state of Syria is pretty high, especially when Iran's proxy war through Gaza and Lebanon is now limited, and their own defense systems have been destroyed by the recent strike by Israel. If Iran's nuclear program and oil fields are attacked, they'll be hanging on by a thread.
Could this possible limited exchange of nuclear weapons between Syria and Israel be the spark that sets off the powder keg and triggers the War of Gog and Magog? Think about this scenario... Syria, on Iran's orders, commits an act of aggression against Israel; an act so heinous that it threatens the very existence of Israel (A biological weapon? A nuclear weapon?). Israel determines that, for it's own safety and future existence, it has no option but to respond, in kind, with a nuclear weapon. They fire one missile and destroy Damascus (prophecy fulfilled), determined to show that Israel will go to extreme measures to protect itself, and to warn other nations that she is ready to defend herself by any means necessary.
This sets two things in motion. The prophetic War of Gog and Magog, and the part of the prophecy that states that no one will come to Israel's defense... the whole world will turn against Israel for choosing a nuclear response, and no country will lift a finger to aid or defend her during the battle, not even the United States. That's one of the reasons Russia is bold enough to lead this coalition... because the United States won't defend Israel after choosing a nuclear option.
What has the current administration been advising Israel to do when it's been attacked with thousands of missiles from Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran? What did they advise Israel to do after the deadly invasion of it's southern border by Hamas? Every time Israel is attacked, they're advised not to retaliate because it could set off a major war in the Middle East. So it's plausible to guess the US response to a nuclear attack on Israel. Israel will most likely be told to stand down and not to retaliate in kind, because if it does, the the US will withhold any support (financial, weapons, military). What has Israel always said? It will do whatever needs to be done to protect it's sovereignty with or without the support of the rest of the world.
It doesn't matter what the results are from the 2024 US Presidential election, because win or lose, things are heating up so quickly in the Middle East, that the Middle East may blow up at any moment. It's my opinion that if Trump wins, it will speed up the timeline, because Iran will know that it only has a few weeks before the new administration takes office, so decisions will need to be made before the new administration takes power in January 2025. If the party currently in power wins the election, then Iran may take more time to make it's move, because it knows that it won't be met with much resistance on the part of the US.
Will born again believers be here to witness these prophesied events? I hope so! As horrific as they may be, I'd like to be here to see God move in such a mighty way to protect Israel and to open the eyes of unbelievers to show that He does, indeed, exist. The field will certainly be ripe, and God, through these events, could provide a last evangelistic push as we quickly approach the end of the church age!
It would truly be the season of Jesus' return and of the Rapture of the church!
UPDATE: On December 8, 2024, the Assad regime was defeated. Assad and his family have fled Syria and have received asylum in Russia. Assad's defeat means that Russia has lost control of it's military base in the Mediterranean (located on the coast of Syria), so they are no longer a power in the region. That's not going to sit well with Russia. It is theorized that with Israel's defeat of Hamas and the devastating attacks on Hezbollah, along with Russia's main focus being on the war in Ukraine, this provided the "rebels" the perfect opportunity to march in and bring down the Assad regime with very little resistance. This is the second reordering of the Middle East in the past few decades, and brings us one important step closer to the War of Gog and Magog.
If you want to know more about the War of Gog and Magog or the destruction of Damascus, click on the links provided.
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