Church of God News

Damascus, the capital of Syria

COGwriter

There was an attack in Syria:

Syrian state media says Israel carried out strike on Damascus airport

27 April 2017

Syrian state media said Thursday that a huge blast which struck near Damascus airport in the early morning hours was carried out by Israel.

“A military position southwest of Damascus International Airport was targeted at dawn today by an Israeli aggression using several missiles fired from occupied territory, sparking explosions in the area,” the SANA news agency said, citing a military source.

Earlier, Israel’s Minister of Intelligence Israel Katz seemed to hint that this could be the case, telling Army Radio that the strike was consistent with Israeli policy regarding the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah.

There was an explosion at weapons and fuel depots belonging to Assad regime forces and Iranian-linked militia, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar news network reported. There were no reports of any injuries.

Reports circulating in Arab media claimed that the Israeli air force hit the location five times at around 5am local time, targeting weapons that were arriving for Iranian-backed militant groups. https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/143751-170427-syrian-media-claims-israeli-aircraft-bombed-damascus-airport

27 April 2017

An Israeli missile strike has caused a large explosion and fire at a military site near Damascus international airport, Syrian state media report.

A fuel tank and warehouses were damaged, the Sana news agency said.

But Syrian rebel sources said an arms depot run by Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, which is fighting in Syria as an ally of the government, was hit.

Israel said the explosion was “consistent” with its policy to prevent Iran smuggling weapons to Hezbollah.

But it stopped short of confirming it was responsible.

Israel regards Hezbollah, and its key backer Iran, as its biggest threat. It went to war with Hezbollah in 2006 and the group has grown considerably more powerful since then. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39728682

Presuming that this was an Israeli air strike, Israel may have been emboldened by the US strike against Syria earlier this month (see Trump bombed Syria: How might this align with biblical prophecy?).

Israel has had various run-ins with Hezbollah in the past (e.g. Hezbollah: Assad claims Russian missiles have arrived; SNC: No peace talks for now.)

Who is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah…is a Shi’a Islamic militant group and political party based in Lebanon. It receives financial and political support from Iran and Syria, and its paramilitary wing is regarded as a resistance movement throughout much of the Arab and Muslim worlds. The governments of the U.S., Netherlands,Bahrain, France, U.K., Australia, Canada, and Israel classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, in whole or in part.

Hezbollah was conceived by Muslim clerics and funded by Iran following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and was primarily formed to offer resistance to the Israeli occupation. Its leaders were inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Hezbollah’s 1985 manifesto listed its four main goals as “Israel’s final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration”, ending “any imperialist power in Lebanon”, submission of the Phalangists to “just rule” and bringing them to trial for their crimes, and giving the people the chance to choose “with full freedom the system of government they want”, while not hiding its commitment to the rule of Islam. Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, which they refer to as the “Zionist entity”.

Hezbollah, which started with only a small militia, has grown to an organization with seats in the Lebanese government, a radio and a satellite television-station, and programs for social development. The organization has been called a state within a state. Hezbollah maintains strong support among Lebanon’s Shi’a population, and is able to mobilize demonstrations of hundreds of thousands. (Wikipedia, viewed 05/25/13)

Hezbollah is basically a Shiite group, that is supported by Iran and the Assad government in Syria. While most people in Syria are Sunni Muslim, its President Assad is Shiite Muslim. Iran is predominantly composed of Shi’a Muslims.  Syria is believed to get a significant amount of its arms from Iran with some of that coming from Hezbollah.

I have long warned that we could see a regional war involving Iran, Syria, and Israel. We are getting closer to that happening.

As regular readers of this page are aware, the Bible shows that Syria’s capital, Damascus, will one day be destroyed:

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)

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, thousands of years ago, to record that would one day happen. The destruction would be expected to come from some type of warfare.

But, Israel, itself is also at risk. Syria and Hezbollah are Iranian allies. Iranian leaders have repeated called for the destruction of the nation of Israel, and today’s bombing may be used as part of Iran’s justification in the future for an attack against Israel.

Consider the following prophecy:

1 The burden against the Valley of Vision.

What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision — Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots,And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning,For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,”Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts.  (Isaiah 22:1-14 NKJV)

Elam seems to be a reference to at least some in Iran.  Kir is of interest as it has several possibilities. One is that the Bible tells that after Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took over Damascus, he moved Syrians to Kir. While this does not mean that Kir must (or must only) be a reference to Syria, the fact that Syria is an ally of Iran is interesting. Some believe Kir is an area in the south of Iran, while others suggest closer to the Black Sea. The Bible tells of a time when Kir will be destroyed (Isaiah 15:1b) and also says that Syria’s capital Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).

While Israel may believe that with Donald Trump as US President, that it is safe, the time is coming when God will take away the protection of Judah and the City of David (Jerusalem, cf. 2 Kings 9:28). Iran and Syria could very well be leaders of those that will attack Israel.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 27th, 2017 at 6:00 am and is filed under Prophecy.

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