Russia says Bashar Assad left Syria and is in Moscow, so is this Isaiah 17:1?

Watch Sky News live: Assad ‘has left’ Damascus, says Russia, as Syrian army declares end of his rulehttps://t.co/z3HIfbyMeq https://t.co/OHFpLLBb1O

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 8, 2024

COGwriter

Syria’s leader has left the country as rebel forces have defeated his government:

December 8, 2024

DAMASCUS, SYRIA — The Syrian government collapsed early Sunday, falling to a lightning rebel offensive that seized control of the capital of Damascus and sent crowds into the streets to celebrate the end of the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule.Syrian state television aired a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been set free.

The man who read the statement said the opposition group, known as the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, called on all rebel fighters and citizens to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state.”

The statement emerged hours after the head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said Assad had left the country for an undisclosed location, fleeing ahead of insurgents who said they had entered Damascus following a remarkably swift advance across the country.

Many of the capital’s residents were in disbelief at the speed at which Assad lost his hold on the country after nearly 14 years of civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced half the country’s prewar population of 23 million and drew in several foreign powers. … Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” https://www.voanews.com/a/rebels-topple-syrian-government-ending-50-years-of-iron-rule-by-assad-family/7891386.html

8 December 2024

The Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Bashar Assad has stepped down as Syrian president and left the country following negotiations with armed opposition groups amid the fall of Damascus to Islamist forces.

In a statement issued on Telegram on Sunday afternoon, officials clarified that Moscow was not involved in the talks but acknowledged Assad’s decision to transfer power “peacefully.” … Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other anti-government militias took control of Damascus on Sunday. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad al-Jalali has expressed his willingness to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people, adding that he remains at home in Damascus. https://www.rt.com/news/608977-moscow-reacts-overthrow-assad/

8 December 2024

Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, gained international attention after it led a successful blitzkrieg-style assault campaign to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad successfully. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/who-are-hayat-tahrir-al-sham-the-syrian-rebels-who-overthrew-bashar-alassad-101733665486331.html

December 8, 2024

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, who fled the country Saturday as rebels closed in on the capital of Damascus, has arrived in Moscow and has been granted asylum by the Russian government, according to Russian News Agency Tass. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/assad-arrives-moscow-granted-asylum-russia

Notice also the following:

Blaine Holt to Newsmax: Syrian Overthrow Pits ‘Bad Guy Versus Bad Guy’

December 8, 2024

The news that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been ousted is neither good news nor bad for the rest of the world, as the fight between the dictator and the Islamist rebels who ended his regime pitted “bad guy versus bad guy,” retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Sunday. … with the Syrian government being overthrown, “Al-Qaida is moving in,” said Holt.

“This is going to create a vacuum that Israel is going to have to deal with almost immediately because stability is going to be required,” he added. …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, while visiting an area near the Syrian border, called al-Assad’s ouster a “historic day.” He also said he’s ordered Israeli forces to seize areas in the buffer zone, to bar hostile forces from establishing themselves on his country’s border. https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/syria-basharal-assad/2024/12/08/id/1190804/

December 8, 2024

Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. In recent days, the insurgency even dropped his nom de guerre and began referring to him by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa.

The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test.

Insurgents control capital Damascus, Assad has fled into hiding, and for the first time after 50 years of his family’s iron hand, it is an open question how Syria will be governed.

Syria is home to multiple ethnic and religious communities, often pitted against each other by Assad’s state and years of war. Many of them fear the possibility Sunni Islamist extremists will take over. https://apnews.com/article/syria-insurgents-algolani-hts-aab4c8894238904a4e351076726499fb

So, a Sunni Muslim with connections to a terrorist group is not claimed to be in charge, what will happen?

Notice also the following by the late Raymond McNair:

Daniel 11 … mentions some of the Mideast peoples who will be involved in that struggle among the nations at the close of this age. The belligerents will include the “King of the North,” the leader of the European Union (or its final outgrowth, called the “Beast”). The “King of the South” (an Islamic leader—apparently from Egypt {or} some other Muslim state) is also referred to. The following lands/peoples are specifically mentioned: Egypt, the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine), the Ethiopians (modern Cushites, south of Egypt {like the Sudanese}), Libya {would also include Algeria, Tunisia}, Edom, Moab and Ammon. Many descendants of the ancient peoples known as Edomites or Idumeans now live in the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf states, etc. (McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! Copyright Raymond F. McNair 2005, Church of God—21st Century)

I, too, have believed that Syria would be part of the King of the South. Because of biblical prophecies related to the coming King of the South (cf. Daniel 11:40-43), I have long written that Bashar Assad would lose power as the King of the South looks to be a Sunni, not Shiite, Muslim leader.

There are also various competing groups in Syria.

So, it is likely that some in Syria will still support Iran, for a time.

Iran still wants Syria to get along with it:

December 8, 2024

Iran, a key ally of Bashar al-Assad throughout the Syrian conflict, said on Sunday it expects the “friendly” relations with Syria to continue even after al-Assad’s fall in Damascus.

“The relations between the two nations of Iran and Syria have a long history and have always been friendly, and it is expected that these relations will continue,” a foreign ministry statement said. https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/12/08/iran-says-it-wants-friendly-ties-with-syria-after-al-assad-s-fall

Because of prophecies in Isaiah 22:6-9, I have long asserted that it looks like some Syrians will work militarily with Iran to cause great damage to Jerusalem.

I remain of the view that some Syrians will work militarily with Iran to cause great damage to Jerusalem as laid out in Isaiah 22:6-9.

There remain Shiite Sunnis in Syria who are, or will militarily, support Iran.

That is not the only issue involving Syrians, as the Bible points to terrorism.

Notice some passages from our free online book Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century:

Terroristic Deal?

Another possibly related set of passages related to a temporal Muslim-European alliance is found in the 83^rd Psalm. Here is part of it, starting with verse 3, with some modern national identities from former Radio and Worldwide Church of God writers inserted using “{ }” (Boraker R. SYRIA RAIDS ISRAEL – Where Is It Leading? Plain Truth. November 1966, p. 27; Hoeh H. GERMANY in Prophecy! – Part 2. Plain Truth, January 1963, pp. 28; Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy, p. 13; McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! CG21, 2005):

³ They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. ⁴ They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel {includes Jews as well as the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, meaning the British-descended peoples and the USA} may be remembered no more.”

⁵ For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: ⁶ The tents of Edom {Turks and possibly Afghanis} and the Ishmaelites {Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Libya}; Moab {part of Jordan} and the Hagrites {Syria}; ⁷ Gebal {Lebanon}, Ammon {Jordan, and perhaps the UAE}, and Amalek {part of the Turks}; Philistia {Palestinian Arabs} with the inhabitants of Tyre {Lebanon; perhaps also in part of Southern Italy}; ⁸ Assyria {migrated to Germanic Europe} also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot {Jordan and western Iraq}. (Psalm 83:3-8)

Nations like Tunisia and Algeria would also be expected to be involved, as well as those associated with the end time European Beast power…

Notice something else involving Syrians and the Palestinians, who Iran supports:

⁸ The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. ⁹ All the people will know — Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria — … ¹¹ Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, ¹² The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. (Isaiah 9:8-9, 11-12)

In addition to the nation of Israel, the USA (prophetic Samaria) and its British descended allies (prophetic Ephraim) will have more terrorist attacks. Syrian, Palestinian (called Philistines in Isaiah 9:12) and some other refugees and other migrants within their borders are a potential terrorist problem (Jeremiah 15:6-8; Ezekiel 21:12, 32:24). The Bible clearly warns that there will be “terror within” as (Deuteronomy 32:25).

Isaiah and Ezekiel look to be prophesying problems from Syrians, Palestinians, and Iranians. And this would be expected to include terrorism. And this is also consistent with prophecies in Psalm 83.

That said, some Protestant prophecy watchers have wondered if the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1 is near.

Let us look at that scripture and some others:

7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus (Isaiah 7:7-8).

3 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. (Amos 1:3)

1 The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. 2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid. 3 The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, The kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Syria; They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” Says the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 17:1-3)

Damascus has been claimed to be the “oldest, continuously-inhabited city” in the world. And while some have questioned that claim, the reality is that Damascus has not been destroyed to the point of becoming the “ruinous heap” since God inspired Isaiah, thousands of years ago, to record that would one day happen. The destruction would be expected to come from some type of warfare.

What happened the past couple of days is NOT the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1.

I have long felt that there were two or more biblically-related possibilities.

One is when the King of the South and the King of the North turn against each other as prophesied in Daniel 11:40-43.

And the other is related to an attack by Iran and Syria against Jewish Israel and Jerusalem as prophesied in Isaiah 22:6-9.

There are also other ways Damascus could be destroyed.

Why the ambiguity?

Well, mainly because Isaiah 17:1 is not totally clear about the time period, though the verses past it may be pointing to timing related to Isaiah 22:6-9.

If that is the case, then we could see Damascus destroyed within a year. Otherwise, particularly if its destruction is related to Daniel 11:40-43, that will not happen for at least four years from now.

A decade ago, we out out the following video on our BibleNewsProphecy channel:

11:54

Damascus and Syria in Prophecy

Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria?

That video goes through various scriptures and certain Islamic prophecies to explain what may and what will happen to Syria and its capital Damascus. Here is a link: Damascus and Syria in Prophecy.

The situation in Syria is volatile and will change.

Israel is expected to take actions that will provoke actions against it.

The biblical reality is that we are getting closer to the time of Damascus’ destruction.

The time is also coming when God will take away the protection of Judah and the City of David (Isaiah 22:9: Jerusalem, cf. 2 Kings 9:28).

We look to be in a time of wars and rumors of wars as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:4-8).

Watch! (cf. Mark 13:37)

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar al-Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here are links to two related videos Iran In Prophecy and Iran and Israel Conflict.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation. A short video is also available titled Trump’s Deal of the Century and Daniel 9 27? Here is a link to something related in the Spanish language: Estados Árabes emiratos unidos y el tratado de paz en el medio este.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? Two videos of related interest are: The Future King of the South is Rising and The Rise and Fall of the King of the South. Here is a version the Spanish language: ¿Esta Surgiendo el Rey Del Sur?
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes, Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy, and Terrorism, Iran, and Fatima, Dajjal, Antichrist, Gold, & Mark of the Beast?, and Jesus and God’s Plan for Muslims. Here is a link to a sermon in the Spanish language: El Imám Mahdi las mujeres y la profecía bíblica
Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes This article has information from the book, Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century, as well as from the old WCG and other sources. Here is a link to a related sermon: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes. Here is a related sermon in the Spanish language: El cristianismo visto a través de los ojos islámicos.