Syria Keeps Killing

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

Syria continues to deal with demonstrators with force:

Jun 2, 8:11 AM EDT

Syria troops renew attack on central town; 15 dead

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Activists say Syrian government troops are pounding a central town with artillery and gunfire, killing at least 15 people.

The Local Coordination Committees, which help organize and document the country’s protests, said the deaths occurred in the town of Rastan Thursday. With the latest deaths, at least 58 people have been killed in the town in the past three days…

Since mid-March, when protests swept Syria inspired by uprisings across the Arab world, the regime has killed more than 1,100 people, according to human rights groups. There were no reports of protests Thursday in Rastan. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_SYRIA?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

June 1, 2011

Syria’s latest crackdown kills 33; girl dies

Child deaths on rise as rights groups say at least 25 kids have died in regime’s violent response to revolt http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/01/501364/main20067972.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.3

The situation in Syria and the rest of the Middle East will likely be chaotic until a strong leader rises up in that region that will transcend current national boundaries. No matter what the Syrian government attempts to do to stop this, an pan-Arabic confederation is going to form which will cross current national boundaries.

Those of us in the Living Church of God believe that Bible prophecy tells of a time when the Arab nations will unite under a leader shown as the final King of the South in the Book of Daniel (e.g. Daniel 11:40). Many Muslims seem to be looking for such a leader, though they tend to use the title Caliph or Mahdi. We also believe that an Islamic confederation will take place that certain Europeans will support that will not turn out well for the Anglo-Israel descended peoples (Psalm 83).

Mosque in Damascus

Interestingly, at least two Islamic sources that I have found state that the Mahdi will end up being based in Damascus, Syria:

“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.”

“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…”

A December 1979 Plain Truth article by Keith Stump’s titled The Arab World in Prophecy provides insights into who may be the future king of the South mentions Syria’s participation:

Mahdi, the expected end time messiah who is to cleanse and restore the Islamic faith…to usher in a seven-year golden age just before the end of the world…The expectation of a coming Mahdi (in Arabic, “the divinely guided one”) is prevalent among virtually all Moslem sects, though they often differ in the specifics of the concept…

The prophecy of Daniel 11 details events…But who is the “king of the south”?…Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north”–called in the Bible symbolism “the beast”–who will arise as superdictator over an end-time European confederation, there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south”–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi. And these two individuals will eventually find themselves in a head-to-head confrontation–possibly over oil–which will ultimately lead to devastating war in the Middle East!…

“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: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of Jordan[, and the Hagarenes [anciently these peoples dwelt in the area known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinians] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot [Jordan and Western Iraq]” (Psalm 83:4-8)..

What is currently happening in Syria seems to aligning with the rise the leader of a pan-Arabic confederation that all should watch for.

Now, the capital of Syria is Damascus (cf. Isaiah 7:8) and notice what the Bible shows will happen to it:

1 An oracle concerning Damascus:
“See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. 2 The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down,with no one to make them afraid. 3 The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,and royal power from Damascus;the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty. (Isaiah 17:1-3)

3 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment…5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
And the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden.
The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,”
Says the Lord. (Amos 1:3, 5)

Putting all this together, it is possible that the future King of the South may for a time be in Damascus and this may be part of why it will be destroyed or perhaps it could instead be related to the current government and its relationship with Iran. If it is for years from now, this destruction may be related to the prophecy of the King of the North eliminating the King of the South in Daniel 11:40-43. The government military actions currently going on in Syria will not prevent this, either way.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab 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 does Islam teach about the Imam Mahdi?
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? Is he the Imam Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?