Church of God News

Damascus, the capital of Syria

COGwriter

Voice of America reported the following:

February 23, 2016

STATE DEPARTMENT—Syria said Tuesday it accepts a cease-fire plan proposed by the United States and Russia that would begin Saturday.

A Syrian government statement said the military will continue its operations against Islamic State and al-Qaida-linked groups.

The U.S.-Russia plan also does not apply to those militants, and any other groups have until Friday to confirm their participation.

The main Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee said late Monday it agrees to the cease-fire as long as its demands for the lifting of sieges, delivery of humanitarian aid, and an end of bombings of civilians are met.

Cease-fire deal

In a joint statement Monday, the U.S. and Russia said that under the plan parties involved in the conflict would limit any use of force to situations such as responding in self defense. The parties would also agree to provide unhindered access to humanitarian groups delivering aid to besieged areas. …

The U.S. and Russia are co-chairs of a cease-fire task force that is part of the 17-nation International Syria Support Group. The group met in Munich earlier this month and had hoped to implement an initial cease-fire plan by last Friday.

Some of the issues linked to the cessation still appear to be unresolved. …

In an interview with Al Arabiya, Syrian opposition leader Khaled Khoja expressed concern that the Syrian government could use the presence of al-Nusra terrorists as a pretext to continue hitting rebel targets in areas near the terrorist group.

Earlier, the White House said President Barack Obama and Russian Leader Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Monday to discuss the plan.

The White House said Obama emphasized that the priority was to ensure “positive responses” by the Syrian regime and the armed opposition. …

IS attacks

Word of the potential truce comes a day after Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Damascus and Homs that left over 100 people dead.

Toner, of the State Department, condemned the attacks and said it would take a “united and global effort to destroy this terrorist organization.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement the terror attacks need an adequate reaction from the international community.

A U.N. spokesman said Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon welcomed the cease-fire plan and “strongly urges” all parties to abide by terms of the agreement. http://www.voanews.com/content/syria-agrees-to-us-russia-cease-fire-plan/3202811.html

This is one of the strangest ‘cease fire’ agreements I have ever read about.

Basically, some sides have agreed to not shoot each other, but can fight if attacked, and can continue to fire against those considered to be terrorists.  The main terrorist organizations have not agreed to the deal, so how much cease firing we will see is debatable.

The Obama Administration has repeatedly called for the overthrow of the Assad regime, but now it has made a deal that will help it stay around longer. The USA has funded opposition to Assad. And directly and indirectly, the Obama Administration has taken steps which led to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), now calling itself the Islamic State. This was an ‘unintended consequence’ as far as the US government is concerned, but the reality is that is what happened.

In the past, Russia was not been optimistic about this type of UN peace plan–whereas others see Russia starting a major war (watch Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code)).

And what about the terrorists?

Well, some Islamic terrorists believe that Syria must be part of their overall objectives because of certain Islamic prophecies. Notice some about a prophesied Islamic leader:

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. This great war or Armageddon …

After the earthquakes, which destroyed his enemies, and the subsequent amassing of Muslim armies under his leadership, the Imam will leave Makkah for Madina, where he will offer salaam at the Rozah Mubarak (The Grave of The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Having done this his next step would be to proceed on to Damascus, where the bulk of the Nasara (Christian) forces along with the tribe of Kalb would be deployed, as was previously mentioned.

In Damascus, the Imam will set up his headquarters. From here, he will conduct military operations against the enemies of Islam and defeats them (such as the ones in Jerusalem), and from here, he will rule.

In response to this, the Roman forces will attack, and destroy the city of the Prophet (Madina), and start to gather their forces against its inhabitants…

After the slaying of Dajjal by Prophet Eessa, Imam Mehdi will not live for very long. A few months will elapse and this great Imam, a man who provided the perfect sequel to Allah’s Supreme Religion -ISLAM, will pass on to the realms of the hereafter. The Muslims will perform his Janazah Salat and bury him, and the Messiah son of Maryam will then become the new ruler of the Muslims. (http://www.nooredarwesh.com/main/imam-mahdi-as viewed 05/01/10)

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):

Mahdi will be very just and his capital will be Damascus. (Who Is Imam al-Mahdi? http://www.islamicweb.com/history/mahdi.htm viewed 07/02/14)

Various Muslims believe that Syria and its capital Damascus must be taken to fulfill their prophecies.

But what about the Bible?

Well, there are biblical prophecies that tell of the coming destruction to Syria’s capital Damascus:

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. (Isaiah 17:1)

23 Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet. 24 Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. 25 Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? 26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts. 27 “I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.” (Jeremiah 49:23-27)

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 to record that would one day happen.

The new ‘cease fire’ will not stop this from occurring.

The biblically prophesied devastation could come as the result of the current war with the Islamic State. It is possible that attacks against the Islamic State will encourage it to attack Damascus. Also if the Assad regime broadly uses chemical weapons and/or becomes engaged in a conflict with Israel and/or the West, that could also fulfill the above.

As I have been writing for years, the situation with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad will change. Ultimately, Syria looks like it will support a coalition of peoples that the Bible says will be led by the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43). Currently, Syria is fairly isolated from the Arab world.

The situation for the Arab and Islamic world will have ups and downs. The Bible tells of a time of a significant peace deal that will affect the region, but that deal will not last (Daniel 8:25, 9:27, 11:23-24; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27)–the currently proposed cease fire is NOT that deal. The Bible teaches that more war will later come after the Daniel 9:27 deal and will include a coalition of peoples such as the Sunni nations in the Arab world (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8).

While few wish to believe it, it will take the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God to truly solve the conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. This cease fire will not.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016 at 4:12 pm and is filed under Prophecy.

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