Friday, June 30, 2017

Global SITREP C5-17: The Syrian Situation Revisited Part VII

Marjan Oil Field rig 
30 June 2017: Last entry for Part VII. Warfare for control of Quneitra resulted again in the Syrian Army deliberately sending mortar rounds into Israel. No one can be that far off in getting their mortar fire on-target. The IAF response was to immediately obliterate the Syrian mortar position.

Also, within the past 24-hours Russian propaganda media has reported that rebel forces in Daraa plan to use chemical weapons in a manner so as to blame it on the Al-Assad regime and in so doing cause retaliatory US/French air strikes on the regime. This report is an I&W that the Al-Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, is likely behind any such event should it actually occur in the stalemated Daraa warzone.

28 June 2017: It turns out that we caught the Syrians red-handed making Sarin at one of the Al -Sha'irat Air Base shelters not destroyed in the Tomahawk attack of two months ago. It looks as if the mixed of precursor chemicals has stopped and Syria has, for the moment at least, backed down. 

Last night, 27 June, the White House issued a warning to Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime which is identical to the expectation published here (highlighted below) one week ago. The Associated Press published and then updated the White House warning early this morning. 


The warning is based on received, actionable and highly critical intelligence that al-Assad's military was detected preparing precursor chemicals "for a possible sarin gas attack in either the east (or) south of the country." So highly critical, urgent and actionable was the received intelligence that the normal American inter-governmental channels for issuing a direct warning to the Syrian government were bypassed. The warning was direct in stating that both Bashar al-Assad and his military forces would pay a "heavy price" if the chemical attack were to occur.

There is nowhere more south in Syria than the under siege city of Dara'a, and the east of the country is hotly contested by the U.S.-led CJTF-OIR forces against approaching Iranian/Hezbollah and Syrian columns as reported here in the previous parts of this SITREP.


26 June 2017: All eyes on the Golan Heights. A major flare-up could occur here at any moment's notice. Since Saturday the IAF has destroyed a Syrian heavy machine gun bunker and two Syrian Main Battle Tanks, both costing Syrian soldiers their lives.  

20 June 2017: Two noteworthy items. First, Saudi coastal security forces caught a team of IRGC-QF terrorists red-handed in the midst of an operation to blow up several Marjan Oil Field rigs. The Saudi's apprehended one IRGC terrorist team in their explosives-laden watercraft while two other teams managed to escape back into Iranian waters. Such an attack, even though it was thwarted, is an act of war, and serves to illustrate the nearness of Jeremiah 49:34-39 to its literal fulfillment.

Second, as noted earlier in comments, Russia is seriously outgunned by the US in the ongoing showdown in Syria. Also noted in the previous SITREP was the recent forward deployment into Syria of just two U.S. HIMARS rocket artillery system vehicles. Russian squawking about this deployment of two HIMARS 6x6 vehicles illustrates how sensitive they are to their mere presence.

However, two HIMARS vehicles do not constitute an overwhelming offensive juggernaut. So why the Russian angst? Note Russia's recent ultimatum to strike U.S. air or ground assets which located west of the Euphrates River. This is precisely where the HIMARS have been deployed. So, would Russia actually launch strikes against the HIMARS to show their resolve to counter the U.S. build up and make good on their threat? If this is Putin and his generals plan they had better reconsider and recalculate their risk assessment.


For the sake of argument, let's say Russia takes them out. In the U.S. counter-strike we would in a matter of minutes, certainly within an hour's time, take out all of their expensive big boy toys toys at Hmeimim Air Base. The embarked airwing of the USS G.H.W. Bush is a mere 5 minutes away from reaching out and touching those Russian toys, even while in port Haifa, and in a manner that would leave none of them operational. Without their vaunted S300 and S400 air defense systems and an operable runway at Hmeimim Air Base the Russian mission in Syria would effectively be eliminated. Mission incomplete, mission fail. The point is that Russia is severely outgunned in Syria.

Putin feeling froggy? Think he might jump? Not if he's as smart as he thinks he is. President Trump and his senior Pentagon military planners are calling Putin's bluff. Nevertheless, miscalculations do happen and Bible prophecy indicates there may well be a near-term miscalculation in Syria.




F/A-18 Super Hornets
The Eschatology Today predicted event written about in Part V of this series has now occurred and the also predicted new phase of the war in Syria is now a fact. It took almost exactly 30 days for the prediction within the 15 May update of that SITREP to occur in the real-world:

15 May 2017: The two nuclear-armed (US and Russia) opposing armed force coalitions in Syria now appear to be engaged in operations designed to seize and hold territory. This is conventional warfare as we have known it for millennia. The real danger here is the allies with each coalition could engage each other in combat, either deliberately or by accident and particularly in southern and western Syria. In the skies overhead a free-for-all dogfight could also occur between the two sides combat aircraft. And then there's the continuing Iranian-Hezbollah drive to seize the Syrian side of the Golan. This is all stage-setting for the major conflagration this series on the Syrian Situation has been highlighting according to Bible prophecy (Isaiah 17; Jeremiah 49:23-27)

If one were to continue to read the paragraph following the above from that same update and then look at the situation that is now developing just to the north of the "cities of Aroer" of northwestern Jordan, that is, around Dara'a, Syria, and as reinforced in the recent 18 June update in Part VI of this series, one might be able to see how these events are eminently predictable through the literal interpretation of the plain text wording of Isaiah's and Jeremiah's prophetic texts:

I would speculate (actually, I expect) that the Dara'a campaign appears to be falling into an Aleppo-like grind where the Syrian regime's offensive makes no headway resulting in the use of chemical weapons by the al-Assad regime in an attempt to break the stalemate. We all should understand what will result if this does occur as Dara'a lies just 9 miles from the Jordanian border.

So, with this as the lead-in to Part VII of this series, we can hopefully have a better understanding of how these prophecies will come to their literal fulfillment. What is Bible prophecy if not God telling us well in advance what will happen in the future due to the decisions made by the opposing sides in these last days "wars and rumors of wars." 

The critical thing is, these are no longer a hazy or distant future fulfillment of prophetic texts, but fulfillment that we can see occurring now, coming with as little advance notice as a Biblical month of 30 days. We're talking in this series on Syria about literal prophetic fulfillment before it happens, not as occurs from far too many preachers pulpits where the discussion is after the fact. This is utilizing the fulfillment of Bible prophecy as testimony to the inerrant nature of the LORD God's prophetic word. If this is not a here and now witnessing tool, then none exist. 



32 comments:

  1. Sean, With Iran in the mix, sending missiles hundreds of miles into another country, it would seem Jeremiah 49:34-37 could happen concurrently with the fulfillment of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49:23-27; the missles Iran sent could have reached our forces and certainly our command recognizes that.

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  2. Yes, all concerned in the US Gov't/DOD and our CJTF-OIR allies recognize the threat presented Iranian missiles being fired into Syria. Without doubt this threat extends to Israel and the US 6th Fleet.

    Jeremiah 49:34-39 has always been just as much a part of the "prophetic flood" of fulfillment we're concerned with as Isaiah, Asaph and Ezekiel prophecies. Now we can see in a tangible way why Jeremiah 49:34-39 will be fulfilled literally.

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  3. USA Today had an article saying" a drone, a Shaheed-129, was shot down by an F-15E Strike Eagle after it "displayed hostile intent and advanced on coalition forces," the U.S. military said in a statement.
    It's not just heating up in the midwest!

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    Replies
    1. This is the second armed Shahed 129 to be shot down in the past 12 days by a US fighter aircraft.

      This time it was a US F-15E which downed the large Iranian drone as it approached the al-Tanf de-confliction zone from the north.

      FWIW. Australia has caved-in to Russian threats and pulled its aircraft from flying missions over Syria in support of CJTF-OIR forces. Shame.

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  4. Sean,

    Might it be that Putin figures with all of the political mess taking place in the USA and other nations, we are too occupied to respond to his threat he recently made. If that is what he is thinking, I get the gut feeling he is misreading all of us by the misshaped Liberal Media. But what I think isn't important and I know that this is all riding on the shoulders of the young enough to go get em. I just hope and pray that no one is asleep at the controls when this happens. We all know that it will just not the actual timing.

    Thank you for all of your dedication and labors of love you share here. I can never express it exactly like I would like to but I think the Heavenly Father knows what I mean and asking for HIS blessings on you.

    GG5/SHALOM

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  5. An update on the Iranian missiles fired into Syria recently.

    Of the seven (7) surface-to-surface missiles Iran launched only two (2) came close to hitting their IS targets in Dier Ez-Zour; three (3) fell short hitting the Iraqi desert, and two (2) fell harmlessly into empty Syrian desert.

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  6. Sean, with these near misses, could it be that God is simply extending his mercy to these nations just a little longer? Perhaps giving more people in these countries a chance to repent?

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    1. Yes, we remain in the Age of Grace.

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    2. What is amazing is that even with the prophesied destruction of some of these nations it seems to me that he is still giving warnings and time to repent, and even escaped by getting out of these nations Before Destruction hits ,if not for the nations at least for the people in these nations

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    3. Hartdawg,
      About 4.8 million people had to leave syria. Most wouldn't have left on there own. There are many christian organizations that have been serving food and water throughout Europe. I am sure some of the refugees have heard the gospel message and tho they have lost their homes have gained an eternal home with Jesus the Lord of Lords.

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  7. I think I need to repeat an important prophetic little something from Isaiah 17 about what is yet to happen in Syria. Israel will have a key role in what is about to take place in Syria.

    In verse 3, "They will be as the glory of the children of Israel." The mere existence of the "children of Israel" today is an ancient two-fold miracle.

    God gave the childless Abraham and Sarah a child (Isaac) from which God would be able to fulfill His covenant promise. God performed this miracle a second time with Isaac and Rebekah who were also childless. Jacob was the result of the second miracle, and along with the birth of Jacob the covenant that God had made with Abraham was confirmed with Jacob (Genesis 28:14-15), who God would later re-name as Israel. Thus were the "children of Israel" made possible.

    Tied directly to what will occur to Damascus and the whole of the nation of Syria are verses 4, 5 and 6 of the prophecy. But Israel prevails as we seen in verse 9.

    All of this results in what occurs in verses 12-13

    "Woe to the multitude of many people
    Who make a noise like the roar of the seas,
    And to the rushing of nations
    That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
    The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters;
    But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away,
    And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind,
    Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
    "

    These losses to the nations which God will rebuke have nothing to do with what will occur thereafter according to the prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39. God makes very clear in the text of Ezekiel 38:10-12 the reasons why these events will take place.

    These purposes are the LORD's sovereign purposes; they have nothing to do with the prior events in what was Syria.


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  8. Sean,

    I know that it’s been discussed before on your blog but I feel the need to ask about it again. I re-read Isaiah 17 and verses 7-8 stood out to me:

    “In that day a man will look to his Maker,
    And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.
    He will not look to the altars,
    The work of his hands;
    He will not respect what his fingers have made,
    Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars.”

    Do these verses indicate that IN the nation of Israel many eyes will be opened to the Lord as a result of this war? Will there be a “national awakening” of Israel, a turning back to the Lord as a result of the *Isaiah 17 war*? For a very long time, people who studied eschatology had the notion that Israel’s “national awakening” will happen at the time when the Lord defends them from the Gog-Magog coalition of nations (described in Ezekiel 38/39). Is it possible that this awakening starts sooner than the Ezekiel 38/39 battle because of this coming war (that involves the destruction of Damascus)? Because, Isaiah 17:7-8 seems to indicate that.

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  9. Nora,

    In my interpretation of this text ... Israel will suffer great damage in the fulfillment of Isaiah 17. This speaks to loss of life and tremendous physical damage in the north central part of the country - ancient Ephraim. Much of it is today the northern portion of the West Bank.

    Verses 7/8 are akin to how the US turned to God right after 9/11. It's what all people do after a great calamity. Churches ate filled - temporarily at least.

    However, Israel remains spiritually blind until the 70th Week. So while many in Israel will look to and respect the god of their fathers as a result of Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 39:29 where it really begins.

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  10. The text of Ezekiel 38 tells us when the invasion attempt will occur.

    Other prophecy tells us where Israel's borders will be; what countries will no longer exist; that Islamic terror against Israel will no longer exist. No walls, bars or gates. Safety and security. All of this has been discussed at length before.

    We're dealing with the present focus on Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

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  11. Sean, It's been a couple days since Iran tried to blow up the Saudi oil rig. There hasn't been much news about this. This makes me think this is as serious as you stated above. Usually, there is alot of noise in the news but instead it seems eerily quiet. I wouldn't be suprised to wake up one morning to a nuetralized Iran.

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  12. Jmoll,

    The IRGC-QF terrorist team was caught by the Saudi security forces a week ago (Friday, 16 June). My update about the event was four days after-the-fact because OSINT on this was scarce at best.

    In the past couple of days a lot more media have reported on it. The latest is that Iran is demanding their "fishermen" be returned immediately with apologies, some cash in hand and charges brought against their captors.

    My guess is the Saudi's will get them to confess and then behead them.

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  13. Hopefully you all recall the post from earlier this year in which a key point was about the 20-some odd evangelical leaders who were brought together as an advisory capacity for newly elected President Trump.

    If so, has it occurred to any of you that this evangelical advisory group is well aware of the Isaiah 17 prophecy, and that they may be guiding Trump in an effort to stave off the fulfillment; that the warning issued last night is an integral part of what is now driving US policy in Syria?

    This is precisely what I'm seriously considering as being behind the scenes.

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  14. Seems like it should all start coming to a head very quickly. We know God is guiding the process, but as you point out, He has people in place to do so....and no, I had not considered that. Although I think he has some very great people in that circle, I do wonder how much of an eschatological viewpoint is being expressed. I visit many sites, and I have noticed the same names commenting on multiple sites. It tells me that our watching community is small (probably larger than I think). I think it is too difficult a subject for many to consider when making day-to-day decisions., so I've considered his advisory council more of "social issues" advising, as opposed to real prophetic discernment. Hopefully, I'm wrong on that.

    I think Jeffress is one of the advisors, and I think he does provide at least some focus on this area. Michele Bachman if she is still in this group probably provides the biggest viewpoint (from the names I know). Thoughts?

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  15. Sean,

    Yes Sir and my prayers are that the "evangelical leaders" advising POTUS will be endued with God's Greater Wisdom as they come together in these critical times. From the news you posted and what I have received on Syria, Isaiah 17 just keeps shouting over and over again.

    Surely there are Democrats among that sickening gang that recognizes that something very huge is amiss with their current rhetoric but if not, then I believe it would behove all of us to pray for all BELIEVERS in JESUS CHRIST to be overwhelmed with the reality of the Time and Season we are all witnessing, before it is too late.

    Syrian destruction comes way before any other because of the Word of God that is unravelling right now. If this thing goes like I keep dreading, the USA and allies could possibly be decimated also with the chemical warfare trying to eventuate before our eyes.

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  16. "All coming together" are the operative words me thinks, and have been thinking for some time now.

    I've not seen active, discernable prophetic movement like what is seen in real-time these days at any time previous to this, excepting only the '67 Six Day War and the '73 Yom Kippur War.

    On the advisory group... everybody knows somebody else, who knows somebody else who wrote a book or gave a sermon on prophecy. And I can't imagine that Netanyahu is unaware of such prophecy, Joel Rosenberg has had private conversations with him about these things. Probably ditto for POTUS.

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  17. Sean,

    CUFI recently had a very real Prayer Breakfast in Israel and from what I have heard it was overwhelming in being Holy Spirit lead and Michelle Bachman was the biggest Spirit Lead voice there and if you can find it on YouTube it is powerful. I will try to find it again and if I do, will send it to you first. But from what I have learned about that whole session it was powerful and direct to the very point that we are all just now beginning to wake up to.

    GG5/SHALOM

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  18. That's a great point (everybody knows someone who knows someone)....there is so much info out there (books, internet, you tube). They may not directly acknowledge the info, but they more than likely have been exposed to it. My question is....does anyone have the fortitude (was going to say something else and went with fortitude... : ) ) to do anything with it?
    If Micah is giving us a timeline (which it looks to be), we should be expecting some serious activity. Good update!

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  19. I believe Dr. David Jeremiah is on that board also and certainly has insights into Eschatology.
    I'm glad someone is trying to stand up and stop the use of wmd's.

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  20. They could try to stave it off but eventually, prophesied events will happen perhaps sooner than later. That’s just my own thought but maybe their actions to try staving it off will cause the prophesied events to happen inadvertently, in a paradoxical way. Israel could be easily dragged into a serious conflict with her enemies at this point.

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    1. Exactly. This is related to my recent comment that prophecy is God telling in advance the results of the actions (or inaction) of mankind. We reap what we sow in other words.

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  21. thanks Sean for keeping us informed! I feel so blessed to be part of this
    "watchman" group, knowing the times we are in. Thanks for putting up with some
    of my silly questions and comments. It's an amazing feeling to watch prophecy
    unfold before our eyes!!! You're doing great! Stay strong!

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  22. These verses so loudly seem to cry out right now.

    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 off in that day,” says the LORD of hosts.

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  23. Ezekiel (39:29), Paul Romans 11) and now (as we've recently learned) Micah (5:3), have spoken the Lord's perfect will with respect to the timing of the Harpazo.

    All of these relate either directly or indirectly to the full and completed number of Gentiles to accept salvation in Christ Jesus.

    There is no other metric by which the Lord's perfect timing for the Harpazo shall be determined.

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  24. Sean, I wish to emphasize the main word 'GENTILES" as the number that is required for the Heavenly Transition to take place. Hashem is not waiting on the Hebrew Children because this is after all the Closing of the Church Age i.e.: The Age of Grace, as you have so very often spoken and so has God's Holy Word. Is GRACE that which restrains? I know that I have been taught that it is supposed to be the Holy Spirit that is removed but the Holy Spirit is the 3rd member of the Trinity and unless HE convicts and overtakes the sinful nature of man, who will do it?

    I know, this is Thursday and too early to be digging so deep but that is one part of the bible teaching I have had issues with over the years. The ONLY HOLY SPIRIT part is fact on but if HE is taken out of it, then who will bring to pass all that God's Word foretells us will happen at "time of the end"?

    GG5/SHALOM

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    1. GG5,

      My understanding is that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is the He that indwells the bride of Christ; the He that restrains.

      This means the Holy Spirit-indwelt bride of Christ has since Pentecost been what has restrained the workings of Satan and the spirit of antichrist on the earth.

      So when the bride of Christ is taken up, so is the Restrainer taken up. This is how the restraint will also be taken out of the way of evil.

      Yet the Holy Spirit will still be working for the redemption and souls of the 70th Week saints, a great many of whom are also led to the Lamb of God by the sealed 144,000 of all Israel.

      Does this make it any clearer?

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  25. Rereading Romans 11 brought something new to me. Without disobedience there is no grace (ver 6)....through the hardening of Israel's heart (partially by their belief that they could keep the law and thereby gain their salvation...which caused them to miss Christ when He came the first time), God has provided the way of Mercy & Grace to Israel, while simultaneously opening the same chance to us by Israel's rejection of the Messiah. Awesome!

    I believe we are receiving clear indication/warning that God's attention is about to switch from his "wild olive tree" to his "cultivated olive tree (Rom 11:24).

    Lance

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  26. In answer to Jeremiah 49:26 this footnote appears in my Study Bible:

    Amos 4:10
    "I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD.


    Jeremiah 50:30
    "Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, And all her men of war will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD.

    GG5/SHALOM

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