Things of ominous import are ratcheting up in the Syrian and Lebanese regions of the Middle East cauldron. So high have rumors of a major Israeli strike soon to come raised fears that Bashar Al-Assad, the Syrian dictator, has deemed to take his entire family on vacation somewhere distant from Damascus.
Both Israeli and Arab press report Assad has abandoned the Syrian capital and that he did so suddenly and with little announcement.
The latest war-making revolves around the IDF taking out a major Iranian terrorist leader/diplomat in a building near the Iranian Embassy.
Iran has gone on a campaign of threat that has everyone in the region on high alert. Israel fully expects there will be retaliation, probably of a spectacular sort, for the taking out of senior Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus in a strike upon a building adjoining the Iranian consulate.
(See update below.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and high-ranking members of the IDF have vowed severe actions if Iran does something dastardly in retaliation for taking out one of their most heinous terrorist plotters.
Israel has constantly been battling Lebanese military forces on the border of Syria and holds Syria responsible for allowing those forces to launch attacks and retreat to within Syria. Israeli military command has vowed that action will be taken to eliminate threats from Lebanon, even if Damascus is involved.
Iran has, rather than back down, vowed to make Israel pay for the killing of their Guard. Most who keep close tabs on the situation in the region believe this is the cause of Assad and his family taking the sudden leave, claiming it’s vacation time.
The following news excerpt further enlightens on the volatile situation that threatens stepped-up war-making.
In a message to Israel, Iran sent its foreign minister, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, to Damascus on Monday, a week after an airstrike in the city struck a building adjoining its consulate, killing senior Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Iran has vowed revenge on Israel, accusing it of the strike…
He paid tribute to the Syrian and “Iranian martyrs” during his visit and also slammed Israel.
During the visit, Syria said that it does not recognize the “Zionist regime.” Under the Assad regime, Syria was always one of the holdouts in the region that did not recognize Israel and has considered itself part of the “axis of resistance” linked to Iran. However, the Assad regime has known since the mid-1970s that it will never defeat Israel.
Since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011, the regime in Damascus was weakened, and so invited Iran to send over militias and the IRGC. Iran then used Syria as a testing ground for its militias to move weapons to Hezbollah and drones to Syria.
Starting in 2018, Iran began to increase threats to Israel from Syria, using drones flown from the T-4 base near Palmyra and built a base near al-Bukamal called Imam Ali. It also encouraged Hezbollah to open the “Golan file” and move Hezbollah members closer to the border. Hezbollah has been attacking Israel since October 8.
Russia and Iran manipulate Syria for different goals
Syria has now joined Iran in publicly slamming Israel, claiming it is helping “mobilize” the international community against Jerusalem. However, the real powers behind the throne in Damascus are both Russia and Iran. They may not always agree on everything, but Russia has exploited the Hamas war on Israel for its benefit, which Iran has done as well, hoping to isolate and weaken Israel. Iran’s message in sending its envoy is that it will continue to seek to punish Israel.
[Source: Iran FM threatens Israel amid symbolic visit to Damascus, By SETH J. FRANTZMANAPRIL, APRIL 8, 2024 The Jerusalem Post]
(And now an important news update from the time this commentary was begun.)
Iran directly attacked Israel, sending drones and a few missiles toward Israel –around 300 in total. None landed within Israeli territory but were destroyed or landed outside Israel’s boundaries.
One 7-year-old Arab girl in a Bedouin village was seriously injured in the attack and was reported as hospitalized.
The Jerusalem Post reported the following.
The IDF has updated that the full Iranian attack consisted of over 300 threats, of which 100 were ballistic missiles launched from Iran. Another 30 cruise missiles were launched from the Islamic Republic, along with drones. There were also two rounds of rockets, around 40 total, fired on Israel from Lebanon, with Israel responding with counterattacks in close to real-time…
Israel, the U.S., the U.K., and Jordan worked to intercept the drones and missiles over Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Israel, according to foreign reports. France also assisted in shooting down the aerial threats.
[Source: Iran attacks Israel: No drones, cruise missiles breached Israeli airspace, By YONAH JEREMY BOB, TZVI JOFFRE, TOVAH LAZAROFFAPRIL 13, 2024 22:47 Updated: APRIL 14, 2024 10:36, Jerusalem Post]
A CBS news report said that President Joe Biden called Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack on Israel and told him the United States won’t support a retaliatory action against Iran – that the U.S. doesn’t want a wider conflict in the region.
Damascus is known to be the city that harbors headquarters for practically every official Muslim terrorist organization that exists. Iran is known to be sponsor for a number of these. This fact might well be the primary catalyst for bringing about the city’s Biblically Forecast doom.
To the observer of these prophetic times, the likely implication of things heating up by the moment involving Syria can’t be missed. The Isaiah prophecy comes instantly to mind when thinking on all of this that is developing so quickly.
“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isa 17:1).
We can’t know if Bashar Al-Assad has studied Bible prophecy and has looked at this Isaiah Foretelling. But his sudden decision to get out of Dodge –rather, out of Damascus—sure makes it seem as if he has seen the handwriting on the wall…
With such tyrants, such allusions or idiomatic expressions probably don’t come close to applying. But to “Watchers on the wall,” it seems appropriate to conclude that the “handwriting is on the wall” and that Isaiah’s Damascus Foretold fate might well be determined to be forming at this present hour.
Terry James Prophecy Line 
Looks like Damascus’ days are numbered and that the time it will become a “ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1) will soon come to pass. Whether Assad is aware of this prophecy or not, he is following the pattern of Middle East terrorist leaders – run and hide while his minions take the fall. Of course, it is difficult to have sympathy with those who have freely chosen the path of hate which they consider to be the will of their false god, Allah.
Amazing just how quickly we see Bible prophecy unrolling before our very eyes and this, too, also shows us how close our redemption also is.
Yesterday the members of my church were blessed to take a class about the Fear of God by a brilliant, faithful doctor of theology. He clearly demonstrated how the Bible tells us the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and should be the foundation of every human being’s life. Fear for the Believer is a combination of understanding His plans, unfathomable power and sovereignty, combined with awe and reverence.
In a world run amok, we see the consequences of global leadership driven by a rejection of the God of the Bible. Whether they worship Allah, Buddha, Vishnu, Gia, Mary, or a distorted, emasculated version of Jesus Himself, the results are chaos and all are of Satan. There is no fear of the Lord. This condition dominates our world, and nation, and is leading straight to the 7 Year Tribulation.
It would be ironic if Assad left Damascus for fear of the prophecy in Isaiah; but it seems he won’t repent of his sins and turn to the One he is afraid of, just like Pharaoh and so many other God-haters throughout history. The Middle East today is no different than in the times of the Old Testament when the nations surrounding the promised land witnessed and heard of the mighty works “I AM” did to create, protect and preserve Israel. But they did not seek after the Lord.
Knowing of YHWH and being afraid of Him is not the same as knowing YHWH and worshipping Him. Even the demons knew to tremble when confronted by Jesus and His followers.
This quote by Pastor John MacArthur is timely: “A Believer who knows God’s will and word can explain reality to a king.”
Hello, Robin.
Paul did a great job describing those who substitute other things in place of God in Romans, chapter 1 and showed us how such people rapidly degenerate. When we read it, it sounds just like current events, even though he wrote that letter almost 2000 years ago.
What is really tragic is that his descriptions no longer apply to only to secular society but for most of the so-called church today. The latter is really without excuse and I have no doubt the consequences will fall upon it even more severely than the secularists.
The diminished level of rational thinking we see so prominently now is very reminiscent of those hooked on drugs or booze – and I can testify firsthand on the latter, having once been addicted to alcohol. I was a real mess but these people are worse off than I was. That so many of them are now in positions of power in Western governments and church leadership roles is truly appalling.
It is very much a sign of these times.
Same for me Ed, sober almost 26 years now (by God’s amazing grace.) It’s hard to be judgmental of those who are lost in their sin, since we all were once. Obviously some are worse than others, but those who come to Christ are forever redeemed and their sin is removed from them as the east is from the west. Nevertheless it is very hard to watch lawlessness and rebellion against God spread like a contagion across the globe.
In class yesterday we went over Romans 1: 18-32 and looked at what God declares are the consequences of an unwise (reprobate) mind. I can’t begin to imagine what it is going to be like for those left behind when all restraint is gone. We have seen horrible things dramatized in movies, but that is still highly sanitized in comparison to what is coming. Hollywood has no qualms about glorifying violence and gore when it is all ‘make believe’. Reality is going to break many people’s minds. I TRULY don’t want this to happen to anyone I know, let alone to those I love.
Every day more brothers and sisters are coming to Christ, praise the LORD!
But selfishly, I admit I want to go home.
The atrocities Hamas committed against the Jews on October 7th are an example of the kind of evil already infecting this world and this is nothing compared to what the Tribulation will bring. I, too, am weary of the unending push of evil into our existence, and, like you, am looking forward to the time when I put this whole planet in the rear-view mirror.
I have to admit that my batteries are running down, but I am not giving up. I see that you aren’t either and that is very encouraging!
We keep fighting the good fight of the faith.
Amen, these days will be nothing compared to our eternity, sinless and with Jesus!
Excellent article Terry. You laid out extremely well, the reasons for the destruction of Damascus. I would also daresay that the timing for that event is drawing near. Lord BlessMark
Terry,
I’m praying for you to be well. Our Savior has you in His hands and is keeping you loved, safe and blessed. Your ministry is vital to His Church, and you have worked long and hard in His vineyard. Know that you are loved and so very appreciated for all you have done and continue to do to advance His Kingdom.