Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Global SITREP D10-15: Bible Prophecy and the War in Syria

UPDATE 27 October 2015: Russian drone footage of fighting in the Jobar district of eastern Damascus, Syria. This is the literal fulfillment of Bible prophecy in everyone's face. Hat tip to Ken B who found this clip in Australian news.

Update 24 October 2015: OSINT reporting continues to present strong evidence that despite incessant Russian combat air support the Syrian, IRGC and Hezbollah troops pushing hard towards Aleppo have achieved little if any progress. Just the opposite appears to be the fact of the matter. Thus far the RIS (Russian-Iranian-Syrian) anti-jihadist offensive has actually stalled due to US-supplied BGM-71E TOW anti-tank rockets once again making their presence felt on the battlefield. These anti-armor weapons were first noted being present on Syrian battlefields last year. Once again several dozen of the Syrian army's  Russian-made Syrian T-72s with their reactive armor have been chewed up deluxe by these American weapons which, truth be told, are every bit a decisive 'game-changer' on the battlefield. 

So successful have the CIA-armed FSA units using TOW rockets been that they have blunted the pro-regime forces offensive towards Aleppo and spun around to go on the offensive near Hama and in eastern Latakia Governorate. It is here that IRGC Brigadier General Reza Khavari and seven other IRGC field commanders were dispatched to wherever Shi'a Twelver Muslims go upon becoming battlefield casualties near Aleppo. Of note, one of these seven IRGC new casualties was Abdollah Baqeri Niyaraki, the former bodyguard of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Regular IRGC troop losses follow accordingly.

It may not be just a matter of time before Russian marines and their Cuban-crewed T-90 main battle tanks at the Jableh airbase come face-to-face with these same jihadist forces as they begin to push deeper into the al-Assad ancestral homeland of Latakia. Thus far a handful of Russian troops have been killed by anti-regime artillery rockets near their airbase west of Jableh.

23 October 2015:  "Damascus has grown feeble; she turns to flee, and fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? Therefore, her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut-of in that day," says the LORD of hosts. "I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad." -Jeremiah 49:24-27  "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap." -Isaiah 17:1

According to news reports issued last evening, the three primary non-Islamic State jihadist groups in Syria (The al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and the Islamic Union of Jund al-Sham) have joined forces and created a unified command center known as Jund al-Malahem, or The Army of Epics. They have made their headquarters in the Ghouta suburb of eastern Damascus. This jihadist unified command's objectives are to destroy the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and his army as well as the military forces of al-Assad's would-be rescuers from Russia, Iran and Lebanon who arrived in greater numbers three weeks ago. Should Russian or Iranian combat aircraft begin flying combat sorties in the Golan region then Israel will be forced to scramble the IAF and the war would immediately escalate into what most believe at present to be the unthinkable.

The sum of these forces arrayed against each other are more than capable of reducing the already dire condition of Damascus, seen in the image above, into the literal fulfillment of the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah. We are here as witnesses to the literal fulfillment of the prophetic word of God. I suggest a study of 1 Corinthians 14 would be most beneficial (a blessing) to all at this time.

16 October 2015: This SITREP will attempt to cover a very rapidly changing situation in northwestern Syria as Russian, Iranian and Syrian (RIS) combat forces engage Sunni jihadist rebel forces along a broad axis from Hama to Idlib as seen in the map above. This general offensive began this week and appears focused in the direction of Iblib (blue circles image below).

   Image courtesy ISW

Let me state categorically from the start: 

1) I do not believe the war in Syria will morph in the the prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39, and those who are saying so are mistaken in their analysis or exegesis of Bible prophecy. A rather small Russian force is now present in Syria, perhaps 3,000 men in total, and they have brought with them, at sea and ashore, equipment which dates to the end of the Cold War. The Russian armor (tanks and infantry fighting vehicles) are crewed by a small cadre of imported mercenary Cuban soldiers. What next, Venezuelan soldiers? 

There are Hezbollah soldiers, probably not more than a total of 4,000 in Syria, and approximately 2,000 IRGC troops have have been inserted direct from Iran. This is not a large force, but it is an unprecedented deployment of Iranian troops outside of their borders. The IRGC forces have been deployed into Syria because Lebanese Hezbollah is not capable of holding any defensive line much less defeating all of the Sunni jihadist forces. The IDF is taking note of this. 

 The combined RIS force is divided among front lines on northern, central and southern fronts.  Not even one-tenth of one-percent of the Magog military force identified by the Lord in Ezekiel 39:2 have been deployed into Syria. Without belaboring the issue any further, there is nothing in the ongoing Russian/Iranian operation in Syria today which indicates any connection to Ezekiel 38/39.

2). I do believe the war in Syria will result in the near-term fulfillment of Jeremiah 49:23-27 and Isaiah 17 which precede Ezekiel 38/39. If one studies the texts carefully the immediate indication is that the RIS forces stand to suffer a major defeat, but so too do the Sunni jihadists. And as we all know from these prophetic texts, Damascus will cease to exist as a city in stages, as the text relates "like a woman in labor," (Jer. 49:24b) and so too will the state we know as Syria (Is. 17:3b/c). The two opposing forces will apparently annihilate one another by one means or another. Notice the area where the battles are raging at the moment in northwestern Syria is precisely the region identified by Jeremiah 49:23! Brethren, we are witnessing this process of fulfillment in real-time!

Firstly, there is a need to mention a report which has interrupted what I had prepared to post initially. A very large explosion which was felt in villages and towns in all directions at a distance of 5 to 10 miles occurred yesterday behind the lines of the RIS forces, not far from where the aircraft is located on the map. According to initial OSINT reports jihadist rebel forces may have fired a captured but highly inaccurate Scud missile at the Russian air base near Latakia (Jableh region). I'll be looking for details on this.

Secondly, the much heralded RIS landwarfare offensive has apparently not gotten off to a good start despite intense airstrikes and gun/missile artillery barrages and complete tactical air superiority. Very little ground has been taken from the Sunni jihadists thus far. There are also reports that RIS armor has suffered very significant losses in this first week. Recent reports reveal that the Russian armor is crewed by Cuban troops. Then there are reports of prominent Iranian and Hezbollah formations having lost their commanders in combat near Aleppo, with IRGC-Qods Force General Hossein Hamadani being the most senior and most significant.

To tie up a few loose ends in this SITREP, the following points should be made. I think this will be a Russian-Iranian military disaster because it is not being done with anything closely approximating overwhelming military force. Iranian and Russian leaders (namely, Soleimani and Putin) have grossly underestimated the requisites for this type of operation; they're trying to wage asymmetrical warfare on the cheap.  That fact alone will result in operational failure and the withdrawal of whatever forces remain on the battlefield.

There are verses in both Jeremiah's and Isaiah's prophecies that directly relate to an apparent military catastrophe along the Syrian littoral of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and ashore in the area from Hama to Arpad (the area of Aleppo and north to the Turkish border), and, of course, the destruction (possibly if not probably by nuclear means) of Damascus and all of the military forces that will be within the city as it meets its prophetic fate. Also, not only will the endgame of this intervention in Syria be a military disaster for the Russians and Iranians, but Syria as a nation itself will cease to exist.

The sum of these inter-related prophecies, plus Jeremiah 49:34-39, may well provide an even clearer explanation for the absence of both Syria and Iran in the Psalm 83/Isaiah 11:14/Ezekiel 28:24-26 prophecies which specifically involves Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza/Sinai.

24 comments:

  1. Sean..

    Hello Brother,

    You said you believe that the Syrian war will NOT turn into Ezekiel 38. To help me in my studies, can you tell me your thoughts on why it wouldn't or won't so I can get a clearer picture?

    Sorry Brother, I'm still trying to learn all this stuff.

    Blessings,

    Brother Frank

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  2. Frank,

    What does God say to us through Jeremiah 49:23-27 and Isaiah 17 since these are the prophecies that are coming to fulfillment prior to Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38/39?

    Are we not told through Jeremiah that "all the men of war shall be cut off" and all the palaces of the government will be consumed by fire? And does Isaiah prophesy the same as Jeremiah but in slightly different yet more detailed terms?

    So, if all of the armed forces in Syria are destroyed and the country and its government are destroyed and unpopulated, how does Ezekiel 38/39 launch out of Syria?

    Is Syria the "utmost north" from Israel, or is Mother Russia itself the utmost north?


    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Frank aka vp ord,
    If your reading Sean's blog from a phone, you can go to the web version and in the upper left corner you can type any info and search for any Eschatology today Sitreps that have been written.
    I have found it very helpful.
    God's blessings to you.

    Jeff

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  4. Frank,

    Also, what does Ezekiel 39:2 (KJV) say?

    "And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel..."

    Russia's army alone is well over 800,000 men. A sixth part of 800,000 alone equals over 133,000 troops.

    So, do the approximately 2,000 Russian troops deployed in Syria constitute either a sixth part brought forward in a combat deployment or a sixth part left behind in Russia? It's not even remotely close to what God has said through Ezekiel, and His prophetic word is always 100% perfect!

    Therefore, clearly this is not the situation in Syria and therefore this is not Ezekiel 38/39. We must study the texts of all these relevant prophecies; that's where the truth of the matter lies.

    It's not what "I say," but it is 100% what God has said.

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  5. Thank you Brothers!

    As Iron sharpens Iron

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  6. To be clear:

    Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49:23-27 are directly related to one another - they are the same prophetic subject matter from two major prophets of ancient Israel.

    All of the prophecies within Jeremiah 49 occur in the same general pre-70th Week time frame which makes them generally concurrent but slightly prior to Psalm 83, Isiah 11 and Ezekiel 28.

    Ezekiel 38/39 is the last major prophecy to fulfill prior to the 70th Week.

    Again, it's not what "I say" -- It is 100% what God has said.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sean, quite a comprehensive Biblical Eschatological and military-strategic-technical-operational analysis.
    Some questions:
    a) How would you view Russian confrontation of Israeli Air Force over Syria and Lebanon; would that provoke a aerial engagement between Russian Air Force and Israeli Air Force (similar to that of the War of Attrition 1969-70 over Egypt);
    b)What would be the future role of the US in the region ?, would the Europeans take a major role-- with the US playing a secondary role or would the US continue to lead; we read of the Western confederacy led by the Antichrist in Daniel
    c) If Syria is a wasteland reduced by a nuclear strike, how would Russian, Iranian and coalitional forces attack Israel in the North, would it be via Lebanon;
    d) Would the Russian Navy stay deployed in the Mediterranean; given the vast Israeli natural gas deposits as well as Syrian and Egyptian finds; would appreciate your responses
    Lawrence

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lawrence,

    a) How would you view Russian confrontation of Israeli Air Force over Syria and Lebanon; would that provoke a aerial engagement between Russian Air Force and Israeli Air Force (similar to that of the War of Attrition 1969-70 over Egypt)?

    An IAF-Russian air-to-air confrontation will likely be avoided at all costs by the Russian side unless the Russians have forgotten the lesson the far superior Israeli pilots taught their fathers over Egypt, not to mention the overwhelming local air superiority of sheer numbers the IAF has at its disposal.

    Russia must coordinate its air operations with Israel, not vice versa as the host nation (Syria) is still technically in a state of war with Israel and Israel would be within its rights to strike down any aircraft supporting the enemy government in Damascus.

    Russian aircraft also would have no business flying over Lebanon any more than they would flying over Turkey's sovereign airspace. They are essentially invited guests of the Syrian government and must conduct their operation accordingly within a specific set of parameters or rules of engagement.

    b)What would be the future role of the US in the region ?, would the Europeans take a major role-- with the US playing a secondary role or would the US continue to lead; we read of the Western confederacy led by the Antichrist in Daniel?

    In the near-term, which means until January 2017 when the next POTUS is sworn in, the US must maintain the dominant role. Turkey is a NATO ally, as despite the grossly errant teachings of Shoebat, "Richardson" and company, they will remain within the Western alliance exactly as it has been foretold by the by God via the angel Gabriel through the prophet Daniel. The Western alliance, a/k/a the fourth empire, as represented in Nebuchadnezzar's interpreted vision, stands upon two legs, not one. Turkey represents the eastern leg of the fourth kingdom. Other will soon join it prior to the start of the 70th Week. This fourth kingdom is represented in Ezekiel 38/39 as Sheba, Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all the young lions thereof. These prophetic words will match the map. The Black Sea in Roman times was basically a lake which it controlled; so I believe it will be during the 70th Week following the defeat of the Magog alliance (CSTO), including Ukraine, Crimea, et al.

    c) If Syria is a wasteland reduced by a nuclear strike, how would Russian, Iranian and coalitional forces attack Israel in the North, would it be via Lebanon?

    The no-go zone appears to be inclusive of Damascus and southeast to the plains of Bashan (Dera'a in Syria and the cities of Aroer, northwestern Jordan). The attempted invasion of Ezekiel 38/39 is an airborne invasion. This is how it appears over the battle zone so suddenly, a future version of Pearl Harbor attack, but which ends in total disaster for the enemy invaders, none of whom survive due to the power of the LORD God Himself, an probably the archangel Gabriel and his heavenly armies) in the intervention to save Israel so that they will know "I am the Lord their God." Even the gentile nations will recognize the Divine nature of the intervention on Israel's behalf.

    d) Would the Russian Navy stay deployed in the Mediterranean?

    I believe the Russian fleet will be dealt a crushing defeat as well as their forces ashore in Syria. Their will be no Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea afterwards, NATO will see to it that the Straits of Gibraltar and the Dardanelles/Bosporus make the Mediterranean Sea a lake under the control of the Western alliance. This control will extend into the Black Sea following Ezekiel 38/39.

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  9. You have great observations on your web site, Sean, so please keep up the good work. I'm unclear about your latest post, though.

    How can you attribute the destruction of Damascus as Bible prophecy being fulfilled by the rebel forces fighting ISIS, Assad's Syrian government and the stooges supporting Assad? Isaiah 17, to my reading, seems to indicate the future complete destruction of Damascus will be caused by Israel's military forces.

    Isaiah 17:9, for example, says: "In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation."

    This seems to attribute Damascus becoming a ruinous heap to Israel. Did I read this chapter wrong?

    - Brian from Florida

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  10. Brian,

    All of the ongoing depopulation and destruction being visited upon Syria is due to the war between Sunni and Shia-Alawite Islam. This is likely to continue until, as I note in the latest update, Israel is drawn headlong into the conflict.

    "Should Russian or Iranian combat aircraft begin flying combat sorties in the Golan region then Israel will be forced to scramble the IAF and the war would immediately escalate into what most believe at present to be the unthinkable."

    At present most people are not considering the potential for an Israeli nuking or fire-bombing of Damascus, but as you note that's precisely what Isaiah 17:9 is saying will happen.

    If we do a search of a great many commentaries on Isaiah 17:9 they still make reference to the Assyrian conquest of ancient times causing the destruction, or other events in the ancient past. So, a modern-day Israel is not being taught as the cause for Damascus' ceasing to be a city.

    Therefore, while the inter-Islamic war in and around Damascus continues, further reducing it to even greater piles of rubble, something far greater than this sectarian combat must occur for all the soldiers within Damascus to die in a single day, according to Jeremiah.

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  11. Hi Sean, You don't have to post this. Did you mean 1 Corinthians 15?. I think 1 Corinthians 14 is a blessing but didn't see the correlation.
    Hod's blessings to your work.
    Jeff

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  12. Jeff,

    Yes, 1 Corinthians 14 is directly related because it is about... wait for it .... PROPHESY.

    There exists no better way to know what lies immediately ahead than to receive it directly from the LORD via the Holy Spirit as a word of prophecy.

    Those who prophesy and interpret in the Spirit are as desperately needed at this late hour as they were when Paul was inspired to write these words. These things, prophesy and interpretation, are signs to the unbelievers. And what does Paul say here about church gatherings? Is there one minister or pastor who gives a sermon and that is it? Where, pray tell, is the power of the Holy Spirit in that? Let us indeed desire to prophesy in the Spirit for the glory of God the Father and the Son, our Lord and Savior. Let us win souls of the unsaved by showing there is no God other than our God!

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  13. Amen Brother,
    I pray it will be.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Brother Sean

    I just saw this news "Developing: Israeli Military Enters Syria, Border Clashes/Bombings" http://warmonitor.net/news/2015/10/24/reports-israeli-jets-spotted-over-syria/
    Do you have any updates on this

    Lawrence

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  15. Lawrence,

    As of 0900 EDT on 25OCT15 there is nothing to validate the report of IDF ground forces having crossed into Syria.

    There are multiple reports about a 23-year old Arab from Jaljulia (vic. Kfar Saba) in central, Israel who flew a paraglider last evening from Israel into the extreme southern Golan region of Syria, not far from the Jordanian border. The terrain and steep canyons in this region are more than favorable to foot soldiers and unsuited to any kind of mechanized force.

    Paragliding is a common sporting endeavor in this region, so much so that this wannabe Arab jihadist with Israeli citizenship suddenly appeared here and took off as he did was not enough to trigger the alert. However, his flying the paraglider into Syria and landing in a region known to be controlled by the Shuhada al-Yarmouk jihadist militia triggered an alert prompting a large-scale search by the IAF that continued until well after the sun had set.

    PM Netanyahu said today that this Arab will be stripped of his Israeli citizenship immediately.

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  16. Sean,

    Here is an article I came across w/ video from the Ruskies. It shows the level of destruction going on and you can imagine the fulfillment of Bible prophecy happening soon. Very sad life those people have lived for what? 5 years!

    http://www.news.com.au/world/russia-releases-shockingly-clear-footage-of-the-devastation-surrounding-damascus/story-fndir2ev-1227576520336

    Ken B

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  17. Ken B

    I watched the video of the destruction of Damascus. Amazing! Isn't it amazing
    God picked us to witness these final end days and the fulfillment of prophecy!!
    So many emotions. Thanks for sharing this video Ken.

    Rhonda

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  18. Thanks Ken, as everyone can now see I have permanently embedded the video at the top of the post.

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  19. The problem with thinking this devastation of Damascus in the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1, is that there are other prophesies related to the Day Damascus will be reduced to a ruinous heap. When this disaster does happen virtually the entire Middle East will be affected. Amos 1;1-15 and Amos 2:1-8 tell of the Lord's punishment by fire onto all the nations there, including Judah, the State of Israel.
    So what is happening now is another example of 'birth pangs', but we know from Bible prophecy that when the Islamists combine to attack Israel, then the Lord will act to destroy them.

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  20. Bruce n Jan,

    You have clearly misunderstood what I have posted to this blog.

    I have not stated the ongoing devastation of Damascus is the fulfillment, but that this ongoing war in Syria is part of the process of the fulfillment of the two primary prophecies in Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49:23-27.

    Secondly, the prophetic destruction of Damascus obviously does not and will not occur within the time frame of a single, 24-hour day. On the contrary, the destruction of Damascus occurs over a period of time as made very clear by the two primary prophecies cited above.

    I am also not convinced that Amos 1 and 2 have anything to do with with the current pre-70th Week era, and may have come to fulfillment in the Assyrian and then the Babylonian conquests in ancient times.

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  21. And in my own defense... I said

    "you can imagine the fulfillment of Bible prophecy happening soon."

    I don't see where anyone here said this was the fulfillment...

    And to claim that what is happening in Syria has nothing to do with Biblical prophecy is silly.

    Ken B

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  22. Well, Ken B, I didn't say what is happening now has nothing to do with Bible prophecy. I said it was the 'birth pangs'. Matthew 24:7-8
    We can all see the tremendous convergence of signs that point to the Day the Lord will arise, that Day will be triggered by an Islamist attack on Israel, as Psalm 83 details. I do hold to the fact that the Day of the Lord's wrath, will be just a one literal day event. Isaiah 9:14, Isaiah 10:17, Zechariah 3:9, Psalm 50:1
    I guess we will experience the truth soon.

    Thanks for your good blog, Sean, I find it very informative.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bruce n Jan,

    Isaiah 9:14 was fulfilled in the conquest of the northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC when Shalmaneser V took the city of Samaria (the capital of Israel) in one day following a siege of the city that lasted for three years. (2 Kings 17:5-6)

    Isaiah 9:14 has no relation whatsoever to the future of modern Israel as:
    1) it is a literally fulfilled prophecy, and
    2) the Lord has promised that in this current return they will never be removed from the land again. (Absolute proof of this being the near-future fact forevermore is found in Ezekiel 37:24-28)

    Isaiah 10:17 is about the coming judgment upon the King of Assyria and his army. Again, fulfilled in the ancient past.

    Zechariah 3:9 is an unfulfilled companion prophecy to that found in The Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 5 verse 6: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." As Paul says in Romans 11:25 "All Israel will be saved." Also: Jeremiah 50:20 and several others reference this.


    None of these verse point to or confirm a single and literal 24-hour long "Day of the Lord." "Day of the Lord" is a phrase, sometime reduced to or closely associated with the phrase "that day." It is a literal period of time at the end of this age in which the LORD God directly intervenes on this earth to accomplish His plan for Israel and for the nations of the world. To establish His Kingdom upon the earth.

    This phrase is inclusive of all of the days from the Harpazo of the bride of Christ through the 70th Week and the 1,000 years of His Millennial Kingdom. This means that the "day of the Lord" has a total literal duration of AT LEAST one thousand seven years and a day.

    ReplyDelete

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