Assad Attacking Damascus! TW: Will Syria Attack Israel or Turkey?

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad (Source: Agência Brasil, Wikipedia)

President Assad’s troops are attacking Damascus and elsewhere:

22 July 2012

(Reuters) – Syrian forces bombarded parts of Damascus with helicopter gunships on Sunday, witnesses said, rounding people up as troops clawed back territory a week after opposition fighters launched a major assault on the capital.

In a further escalation of a conflict that opponents of President Bashar al-Assad have turned into all-out civil war, fighting raged around the intelligence headquarters in the biggest city Aleppo and in Deir al-Zor in the east.

Syrian forces regained control of one of two border crossings seized by rebels on the frontier with Iraq, Iraqi officials said, but rebels said they had captured a third border crossing with Turkey, Bab al-Salam north of Aleppo. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/22/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8610SH20120722

As far as Damascus goes, it will be destroyed relatively soon (for some details, please see yesterday’s post ‘Damascus Volcano’ and CP: ‘Damascus a Ruinous Heap?’).

There are various Islamic views on the leader, the Imam Mahdi rising up (who could be the King of the South of Daniel 11:40-43). Here is one that suggests he does after Syria has problems:

Traditions have been reported mentioning the signs for the time of the appearance of the Imam who will arise (qa’im), peace be on him, and the events which will take place before his appearance, together with the indications and features of it. Among them are: The Sufyani will come out in revolt; the Hasanid will be killed; the Abbasids will dispute over worldly kingdom; there will be an eclipse of the sun in the middle of the month of Ramadan; there will be an eclipse of the moon at the end of that month in contrast to ordinary happenings; the land will be swallowed up at al-Bayda’; it will be swallowed in the east-it will be swallowed up in the west; the sun will stay still from the time of its decline to the middle of the time for the afternoon prayer; it will rise from the west; a pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with seventy righteous men; a Hashimite will be slaughtered between the corner (of the Ka’ba) and the station of Abraham); the wall of the mosque of Kufa will be destroyed; black standards will advance from Khurasan; al-Yamani will come out in revolt; al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria; the Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will occupy Ramla; the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light; then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet; a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons; a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days; the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority; the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria)…

The Abbasids will dispute; a voice will call from the sky; one of the villages of Syria called al-Jabiyya will be swallowed up; the Turks will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will attack al-Ramla; at that time there will be much conflict throughout the land until Syria is destroyed.

(Kitab al Irshad Chapter: The Twelfth Imam (Peace be on him) Page (s): 541 – 548 Published by Tehrike Tersile Qura’n. Contributed by Br. Ali Abbas, abbas@seas.gwu.edu http://www.al-islam.org/masoom/bios/12thimam.html viewed 7/22/12)

But, it should be noted that another Islamic view somewhat differs with this as it states that Damascus will be the Mahdi’s capital (other Islamists have stated that Jerusalem will be the capital, e.g. TW: Muslim Brotherhood Leader in Egypt Wants ‘United States of the Arabs’ and Then Jerusalem):

Hazrat Imam Mahdi (A.S.) ( Courtesy: http:// www.kr-hcy.com/ articles/ imam-mehdi )…

The term “MEHDI” is a title meaning “Guided one”. The Mehdi is a normal man who is going to follow the true Islam. His name will be Muhammad and his father name will be Abdullah. He is a descendant from Ali and Fatima (daughter of the prophet Muhammad) so he will be descendant from al-Hasan or al-Hussain or both. The Mehdi will be very just and his capital will be Damascus. The Mehdi is NOT a prophet but he is the final Rightly Guided Khalifah. The Mehdi will lead Muslims to a great victory against the Sufyaani and the Romans.

Today’s edition of TW News & Prophecy from the Living Church of God has the following about Syria:

Could Syria Attack?

The news on Syria changes daily. “Western military sources warned Saturday, July 14, that not only Israel, but additional strategic targets in Middle East lands deemed enemies by Bashar Assad should prepare for him to launch surface-to-surface missile attacks.

The assaults would start out with conventional warheads, but… the next round of missiles [could come] from his huge stockpile of mustard gas–not to mention sarin nerve poison and cyanide” (DEBKA, July 14, 2012). Syria’s weapons of mass destruction have recently been moved from storage. Potential Syrian missile targets so far include Israel, Jordan and Turkey. “Air and missile reprisals against Syrian military or regime centers would carry the danger of Hizballah retaliation from Lebanon leading to direct attacks from Iran” (ibid.).

The Syrian government is now fighting to hold onto Damascus. “The Syrian general staff has prepared for the last battle for Damascus by relocating its command headquarters to a well-fortified complex” (DEBKA, July 17, 2012). What might happen if Syria launches an attack against Turkey, Jordan and the nuclear-armed Israel? God’s word holds powerful prophecies regarding the future of Damascus–prophecies yet to be fulfilled. They indicate Damascus will be left in ruins and at least partially destroyed by fire–its mighty dead in the streets (Isaiah 17:1; Jeremiah 49:23-27).

Events are happening quickly in Syria and prophecy highlights what might be just around the corner. These events are sad and sobering, but highlight the powerful insights of the Scripture. For more information on the future of the Middle East, be sure to review our free booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy.

Syria is technically still at war with Israel and has stated that it may attack it. Israeli leaders have also made statements in the past year that Israel may decide it needs to attack Syria first. Syria long has had chemical weapons that it may use (see Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Israel’s Threat, & Iran).

Although Syria’s President does not want to leave, and may think he made major “progress” today, the situation in Syria must change.

Partially because of the internal civil war, Syria’s President may decide that attacking Israel, probably in conjunction with support from Iran, is his best option. It will not be, though he may do that. The Bible suggests that Syria will support the coming final King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-8) and a change in or from the Assad regime will be necessary for this to happen–and it will come to pass.

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?