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 with each other, 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. Although Russia will participate, she will be a reluctant combatant. Scripture tells us that Russia will be forced to enter 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 alliances with many of these nations, and they're going to demand that Russia lead this coalition. Russia is also interested in the riches of Israel, and will definitely want a piece of the spoils of war. Because of this, God is going to cause Russia to reluctantly participate in this very short-lived and ill-fated war. Why isn't Russia concerned about the response of the United States and NATO? I'll answer that question in a moment.
Since Lebanon will be involved, can we infer from scripture that Israel's current efforts to destroy Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon will not be successful before this next major Middle Eastern war? That begs the question as to whether the War of Gog and Magog is closer than we imagine.
So, what could cause all of these countries to suddenly form this new coalition to attack Israel? What is the trigger event... the black swan... that could cause these countries to attack Israel? It could be anything, but I'm theorizing that it will most likely be Israel's destruction of Damascus. Damascus most likely won't be destroyed during the War of Gog and Magog, because God comes against the troops who are attacking Israel during this battle, and is not attacking the specific nations that have sent their troops to do battle with Israel. What does that mean? It means that the prophecy about Damascus' ultimate demise is a totally separate event.
Now that we can see that the prophecy concerning Damascus is a separate event, could the destruction of Damascus be at the hands of Israel? Could this be the spark that sets off the powder keg and triggers the War of Gog and Magog? Think about this... Syria commits an act of aggression against Israel; an act so heinous that it threatens the very existence of Israel. Israel determines that for it's own safety and future existence, that it has no other option but to respond with a nuclear weapon. They fire one missile and destroy Damascus, determined to show that Israel won't accept defeat and to warn other nations that she is ready to defend herself by any means necessary. I'm sure we all agree that the crime against Israel would have to threaten the very existence of the nation in order for them to use a nuclear weapon.
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 the nuclear option, 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 be in a position to defend Israel.
There are only two reasons I can think of that would prevent the United States from being involved in this war. The first would be the political environment. If Israel does, indeed, destroy Damascus using a nuclear weapon, the United States may be in a position where it can't (or refuses to) defend Israel's actions, thus taking a stand against Israel. Secondly, the United States may not be in a position where their military might would be a threat to Russia. As things progress, and as biblical prophecy clearly shows, the United States isn't a superpower during the Tribulation. Something occurs that removes us from being a major player on the world stage. That's a whole other blog article, so I won't speculate any further here.
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!
If you want to know more about the War of Gog and Magog or the destruction of Damascus, click on the links provided.
REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!
BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!
TRIBULATION HARVEST
