Israel has executed pinpoint airstrikes on areas on the outskirts of Damascus in the last 48 hours. They are apparently fearful that Assad will give Hezbollah forces the use of some highly accurate missiles with ranges over 100 miles to use against Israel. Iran has a vested interest in securing the Assad regime as he is a firm Shiite ally of Iran, whose government is also a Shiite. The Shiite Muslims are much more apocalyptic than their Sunni Muslim counterparts. The Shiites believe that the future holds a great war which will see final victory and world conquest for them over their enemies through the arrival of a leader called the Mahdi. The coming Mahdi, like the biblical Antichrist, will seek to destroy the Jews and establish a global Caliphate. Iran is definitely looking for a war with Israel. They reportedly have 150,000 troops ready to be deployed into Syria. Israel knows this, yet President Obama, whose father was known to be a Shiite Muslim in Kenya, is really dragging his heels on following through with commitments to Israel regarding providing weapons and standing with them against Syria and Iran. Is there a relationship between Obama’s Shiite background through his father and his own Muslim schooling and his almost complete silence on Shiite Iran’s threat and his hedging on action against Shiite led Syria? I think so.

Several things work to Israel’s advantage through these recent attacks against Syria. As Israel attacks Damascus they are showing President Obama that they will take action to defend themselves even if he will not help them. They are also indicating to Iran that Israel will be pushed for only so long. They may be planning an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites which could come at any time. While Iran and President Obama would be dumbfounded at their audacity, Israel will have further amazed their enemies at just how well they are able to effectively accomplish their mission. In addition, with Israel dropping what reports indicate are huge nuclear-like ordinance on targets just outside of Damascus, they are, perhaps unwittingly showing how easily and how soon they could fulfill a particular biblical prophecy. In Isaiah 17:1, there is stated the words: “The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.” All of the Islamic nations threatening Israel will be astounded when this happens. Yet, an attack of this magnitude, which will almost certainly involve nuclear weapons, will bring the wrath of Israel’s enemies, and their retaliation. But, according to the prophet Ezekiel, God will intervene to protect the tiny nation: “‘I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,’” says the Lord God. ‘Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many Peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 38:21-33) Zechariah describes in graphic detail God’s actions against Israel’s enemies one day who seek the destruction of the Jewish state: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people who have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” (Zachariah 14:12)

Events of recent days seem to indicate that the prophecies of the Bible have a great deal of relevance to the current unfolding of world events. No amount of denial on the part of the skeptics will make the Bible have any less credibility for our days. Jesus told His disciples that He would be returning. The Bible indicates that Jesus’ return will be in two phases. First He will return in the clouds to rapture His Church to heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18); and Second, Jesus will return to the earth, specifically, to Jerusalem to secure His rule of the entire earth from there for a period of 1,000 years. (Revelation 19-20, Zachariah 14) In between the coming of Jesus Christ FOR His saints and His coming WITH His saints to the earth, will be the seven-year great tribulation period when the Antichrist will rise to power. The Antichrist, through his false prophet, will cause everyone to receive his diabolical mark indicating complete loyalty to him and his satanic regime: 666. Those not taking this mark will be hunted down and many will be killed. Revelation tells us about the Antichrist at that time: “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (666).” (Revelation 13:16-17)

I believe we are seeing events preceding and preparing the world for the fulfillment of these Divine predictions occurring at this time. Are you a believer in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? In Matthew 24:33, Jesus said about these very times: “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior by asking Him to save you today and to forgive you or your sins through His dying for you on the cross and rising from the dead. The Bible promises that: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)