How does what’s happening in Syria fit into the end-times?

In the early hours of 8 December, 2024, pres. Assad and his family fled their country Syria and sought asylum in Russia, where they own several multi-dollar luxury apartments. Assad ruled Syria with an iron-fist and was known for his brutality in crushing his opponents and critics. Russia backed him up and Assad in essence became a puppet of Vladimir Putin. But because Russia got distracted in the Ukraine, rebel forces managed to take over the capital, Damascus, and drive Assad out within eight days. I won’t be surprised if Israel’s Mossad was secretly involved in boosting these rebels to get him out. In politics sometimes there are often the strangest of bedfellows. This remarkable event came as surprise to many, but fits perfectly into God’s end-time calendar, as we will see.

Assad, as Shia Muslim, believed in the Shia Crescent vision- “crescent” is envisioned as extending from Iran (the center of Shia Islam), through Iraq, into Syria, and reaching Lebanon (via Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Shia militia and political group). As such Assad supported Hezbollah and Hamas that had been attacking Israel from the north in Lebanon, the north-east around the Golan Heights, and from the west of Israel, the Gaza Strip. Roads stretched from east to west through Syria to transport armament. These roads have now been blocked. So how does this tie in with the end times?

I believe Israel’s battles with Hamas, the Houthis (from Yemen), and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is a fulfilment of Ps 83 where it says that ” They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee…” Then it lists these nations. This Ps 83 War is ongoing, but Israel is clearly making inroads.

Is 17 predicts the fall of Damascus where the whole city gets destroyed and parts of northern Israel as well. The way the prophet Isaiah writes this sounds like the after-effects of a nuclear attack “And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.” There are differences of opinion when this will happen- before or during (or even after) the Gog-Magog War- I believe it could perhaps hail in the start of the Gog-Magog War.

Israeli tanks at last count were about 20 kms away from Damascus, taking control of the territory they travel in. At the same time we have rebel groups who approached Damascus from different sides. The dominant rebel group is the HTS rebels – under command of one Jolani- who took control of Damascus. These rebels currently say they want peace with Israel, that they will not force women to wear the hijab and allow them to do tertiary studies; but then they said the same thing in Afghanistan when American troops withdrew, but never did it. So they lie to suit their purposes. Their leader, Jolani, has a $10 million bounty on his head by the Americans, and has previously said that after Damascus, they will march to and “liberate” Jerusalem. So one doesn’t know what to expect of this group.

The last major war before the Great Tribulation starts is the Gog-Magog war of Eze 38-39. Russia, Iran, Turkey and others will plot in secret to attack Israel. But before this there will be a temporary time of relief, of temporary peace. Israeli villages will lie peacefully, Eze 38:8 “they shall dwell safely…” Eze 38:11 “I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.” Then these countries shall come in like a storm Eze 38:9 to attack Israel.

I believe the election of Trump as the new American president, Israel’s victory over its immediate enemies, and now Assad fleeing are all events that will contribute to creating the temporary peace that Israel will enjoy. During the Millennium territories such as Lebanon, Gaza, the wall with Egypt and the partition wall of about 400 miles currently dividing Israel and the Palestinian territory will be torn down, and I believe what we see now is a harbinger of that.

Of course we also know that in terms of our pre-tribulation eschatology, the Rapture must happen before the Great Tribulation starts. We also don’t know how long this temporary peace will be before the Gog-Magog War starts.

Assad’s removal crippled Iran’s ambitions, since the corridors from Iran are now closed. Turkey, who is no friend of Israel, supports the HTS who took over control of Damascus. Pres. Erdogan of Turkey has his own ambitions of creating a Sunni caliphate (Muslim region)- in particular a revived Ottoman Empire. The danger is that Erdogan might stir trouble against Israel. We know that the Gog-Magog War has Turkey as one of the three main players, so this could very well be orchestrated by the Lord to stir Turkey even more against Israel.

Then there is Iran, whose weapon-supply highways had now been stopped, their proxies Hamas and Hezbollah are almost completely out of action, and Israel reached deep into Iran killing Hamas and Hezbollah leaders with precision-bombs. There’s also Mossad’s cellphones and walkie-talkie explosions. But Iran must save face and restore her prestige in the area; they are also fearful of another Arab Spring- where there might be a regime change internally, as we now saw in Syria as well. So Iran is cornered. So I see two dangers to Israel here:

DANGER ONE: When Trump takes over as president on 20 Jan 2025 America will take a hard stance against Iran. Under pres. Biden America provided Iran with USD100 Billion- meant as humanitarian aid but spent on enriching uranium, that, according to the latest news, can produce 12 nuclear bombs. Iran issued a Fatwa not to use these bombs against Israel, but they are already finding ways to get around this Fatwa. A Fatwa is actually only an Imam’s opinion, so ways can be found to overcome it. Iran swore though to destroy Israel. So the danger is that Iran will strike Israel with a nuclear bomb at some stage. If they can create the infrastructure to deliver this bomb or bombs before 20 Jan, it creates the greatest danger, for Israel will certainly strike back in similar fashion . For Iran, this time while pres. Biden is still in charge, is a window of opportunity that is slowly closing.

DANGER TWO: Although the HTS cry peace now they cannot be trusted. They are Sunni (less radical), but amidst the Sunni you always find radical elements. The danger is that they get hold of one of Iran’s nuclear bombs, and drop it on northern Israel. Israel then retaliates and drop one on Damascus. By that time Israel will be embolden by their exploits and inroads and thus “at peace”- fulfilling Eze 38:11. This will be one way how Is 17 could be fulfilled- and in my opinion a plausible scenario of how Russia and Iran then back up Syria, whose Jolani of HTS is already supported by Turkey, by starting the Gog Magog War.

What is interesting is that ultra-orthodox Jews and both the Sunni and Shia Muslims believe that Damascus plays a pivotal role in the coming of their Messiah.

Ultra-right Jewish rabbis believe that it has been recorded in the Midrash that the Fall of Damascus will allow the Messiah to come. At the same time Turkish pres. Erdogan (Sunni) with his Revived Ottoman Empire aspirations believes that Damascus holds the key to the appearance of the Imam Mahdi. In Sunni traditions, the Imam Mahdi is a righteous leader from the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad who will appear in the end times to establish justice and restore the true Islamic way of life. The prophet Isa (Jesus), they say, will descend from heaven to assist Mahdi in defeating the forces of “evil.” Assad’s Shia Muslims also believe that the Imam Mahdi will appear to fight against “the forces of tyranny” in and around Damascus.

Both messiahs of the Jews and Muslims will, of course, will be the same person i.e. the Antichrist. So what we do know from Biblical prophecy is that Damascus will at some stage be completely destroyed. This will probably start the Gog-Magog War, which will in all probabilities end with the Antichrist arranging a peace treaty between Israel and its enemies. In politics things change fast, so hold onto your seats as we proceed through the end-times!