Syria and Jerusalem partitioned?

Al-Aqsa Mosque (photo by Andrew Shiva)

News reports tell of more violence in Syria and Israel as well as the partitioning taking place. First notice something related to Syria:

October 16, 2015

GENEVA – Talk of a Holy war in Syria is deeply worrying U.N. advisers and the second ranking United Nations official says the religious or ethnic partition of Syria would be part of an extremely dangerous trend.
U.N. Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson spoke to journalists in Geneva Oct. 15 and was asked to comment on growing fears of a partition of Syria expressed by mediating officials.

“Any division of a country is a very painful process and can just lead to a continued civil war. I would, both in the case of Syria and in the case of Iraq, strongly make the case for keeping the nations together.

“I say this also from the perspective of a fear that I have that ethnic and religious factors divide nations more and more. This is an extremely dangerous trend,” said Eliasson, a former Swedish foreign ministry official.

He said there is diversity in practically every nation which is a source of richness.

“It might seem easy way to divide countries to solve the problem, but what you do in fact was you build in, you confirm that religious and ethnic divisions legitimize the separation of a country.

Earlier in the week two senior U.N. human rights specialists expressed alarm at the rise in violent rhetoric by influential religious leaders – including calls for “holy war” against certain faiths – in relation to the situation in Syria.

The U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, Jennifer Welsh issued a joint statement after pronouncements from religious leaders.

HOLY WAR CALLS

In it they condemned the recent call by clerics in Saudi Arabia for Sunni Muslims and their States to support a “holy war” against Shia Muslims and Christians in Syria, as well as against States and non-State armed groups perceived to support them. http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/syria-partition-and-holy-war-talk-worries-un-officials-34816

Let me add that secular news sources are concerned that a regional war between the Sunnis and Shi’ites will come. Some believe that the building up of Syria with Russian and Iranian forces will force Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Sunni nations to arm to deal with the predominantly Shi’ite nation of Iran and its Syrian partner Assad.

Notice also:

October 16, 2015

Syria, ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya … and the list goes on. Islam is at war with itself. Basically Sunni (Saudi Arabia, et al) vs. Shia (Iran, et al). The Sunnis have the most oil and most of the Islamic population from Saudi Arabia to the Mediterranean and around it on the African side. http://flatheadbeacon.com/2015/10/16/u-s-russia-and-the-middle-east/

The Bible tells of a time when there will be a coalition in the Middle East and North Africa that will form including Egypt in Ezekiel 30:2-9 and Daniel 11:40-43 (see also Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?). Indications are that this will include Syria (see also The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy), hence the situation will ultimately change. Thus its semi-partition will change.

There was another stabbing in Israel today:

October 16, 2015

A Palestinian man wearing a T-shirt with the word “press” written on it in large letters stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday before being shot dead by troops, the latest in a monthlong spate of attacks.

The attack took place just meters from a clash between Palestinian stone-throwers and Israeli troops. An Associated Press photographer covering the clash saw the stabbing and then heard several gunshots. Soldiers rushed to the scene, administering aid to the injured soldier who was eventually taken away by ambulance.

The Foreign Press Association for Israel and the Palestinian territories said the attack was carried out by someone posing as a journalist and called on local Palestinian media organizations to verify all credentials.

In Nablus, another West Bank city, Palestinians firebombed a site revered by some Jews as the tomb of the biblical figure Joseph, an attack condemned as “irresponsible” by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Flames blackened exterior walls of the small stone structure, a scene of Israeli-Palestinian clashes in the past.

In the past month, eight Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, most of them stabbings. During the same period, 33 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire — 15 labeled by Israel as attackers, and the others in clashes between stone-throwers and Israeli troops.

Many of the Palestinian assailants are from east Jerusalem, the sector of the city captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians as a future capital. The recent attacks have largely been carried out by individuals with no ties to militant groups. The violence comes at a time when a possible partition of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean into two states — Palestine alongside Israel — is fading fast.

In response to the stabbings, Israel has taken unprecedented measures, including setting up checkpoints in Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem this week despite Israel’s long-standing assertion that the city is united.

In one area, men passing through a checkpoint Friday said they lined up and ordered by troops to lift their hands and shirts to show they were unarmed before being allowed to pass.

Israel also imposed restrictions on Muslim worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site in Jerusalem’s walled Old City. Men under 40 were barred from the shrine, and hundreds of young worshippers spread out prayer mats on streets leading to the Old City. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/palestinian-press-vest-shot-dead-stabbing-soldier-34517214

Men under 50 have been banned from attending al-Aqsa mosque

October 15, 2015

After Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967, the two parts of the city were united. With the second intifada (2000 to 2005), Israel began to build a fence to separate peripheral Palestinian neighborhoods from Jerusalem. It has now come to pass that for quite some time, Israel has not exercised sovereignty in the eastern part of the city. Government symbols no longer exist there, and the government’s presence is limited. East Jerusalem has become a no-man’s land and a fertile hotbed for despair, alienation, isolation and religious extremism. If one adds to the pot the incitement by such actors as the northern branch of the Israeli Islamic Movement, headed by the radical Sheikh Raed Salah, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the roiling social networks, the result is what we are now witnessing. The request for IDF assistance by the Israeli police in the heart of Israel’s capital can be compared to summoning the US Marines to patrol the streets of Washington. The symbols of Israeli sovereignty are in danger. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/10/15/why-its-time-for-israel-to-close-temple-mount-to-jews

Sadly, some Palestinians believe actions like stabbings is the best course of action (see Palestinians involved in stabbing attacks in Jerusalem: another intifada?). Of course, the solution to Palestine and Jerusalem is not war and terrorism, but the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the kingdom of God. Malik Hussein and others should, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

Yet, the Bible does speak of Jerusalem being divided (Zechariah 14:1-2; watch also Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated). A division has existed for some time and now is getting a bit more pronounced.

The Bible teaches that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1) and also that a type of temporary ‘peace deal’ is expected in the region according to Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 9:27; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

Because of this, I have long felt that it is likely that there will be a regional war that will proceed the apparent peace treaty.

When the peace deal comes into play, many will be lulled into falsely believing that real peace has been attained (cf. Luke 17:26-29), but that will not be the case (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:13).

There will still be problems for Syria and Israel until Jesus returns.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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. This is a YouTube video.
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
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.
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.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
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? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
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? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in Prophecy What is ahead for North Africa? What does the Bible teach?
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will happen to those in Egypt? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Egypt and End Time Prophecy.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
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 is a related video Iran In Prophecy.
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? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? Here is a link to a related video video: Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermons Why Teach the Kingdom of God? and The Gospel of the Kingdom.