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| Syria |
UPDATED 17 December 2024: The above map is a good baseline for the various entities controlling Syrian territory at present. It is from this position that Eschatology Today interprets the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49: 23-27 will come to their fulfillment.
As of this morning the "rumors of war" that emerged yesterday concerning a Turkish invasion of northern Syria may have become once again a real shooting war. Islamist Turkiyeh has been assessed by most observers to be taking advantage of the sudden collapse of the former regime last week. A noticeable buildup of forces along the northern border in recent days and drone swarm attacks against Kurdish-SDF forces resulted in a lightning Turkish takeover of the border city of Manbij. Those forces have since advanced towards an adjacent border city at Kobani. The Kurdish-SDF has approximately 900 U.S. troops embedded within it. ((Pentagon belatedly admitted there were 2,000 U.S. troops embedded with the SDF.)) The Kurds refer to this northern region as Rojava. The Kurds of northern Syria fear a genocide of their population at the hands of the Turks and their allies.
Jeremiah 49:23-27 provides the best overview for the events which will overtake the whole of Syria, as does Isaiah 17 for the inevitable conflagration between HTS-controlled Syria and Israel. We've seen this prophetic narrative coming for a very long time, but did not fully understand how it would transpire. We did not see how the HTS onslaught against the former Assad regime would cause Russia to evacuate its forces from across Syria.
Previously both the Russian and American military presence in northern and northeastern Syria prevented a large-scale Turkish military invasion, but now with the absence of Russian forces only the U.S., as a NATO ally of Turkey, would conceivably stand in the way. A rumored American withdrawal from Syria, as noted in recent public statements by President-elect Trump, may be the impetus for the Turkish land grab in northern Syria. A unilateral U.S. withdrawal would leave the Kurdish SDF alone to withstand a resurgent ISIS in the Syrian heartland, and the Islamist HTS group of forces seeking to expand their control to as far as the Iraqi border.
To the south Israel is transferring a good portion of its major land warfare power from southern Lebanon back into Gaza where all indications are that HAMAS and the PIJ are in the process of re-grouping their forces for continued warfare. This would belie the talk about an imminent hostage release-ceasefire agreement as just so much deception, notwithstanding President-elect Trump's promise of dire consequences to HAMAS should hostages remain captive on 20 January 2025. The next 34 days will have to run their course, because as our Lord spoke, "these things must take place."
UPDATE 18 December 2024: Eschatology Today believes in the uniformity of the LORD's inerrant prophetic word in Scripture. Even though our eyes are on Isaiah and Jeremiah the current junction is also where the follow-on prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39 as well as the Angel Gabriel's prophecy to Daniel (Ch. 11:40-45) both seamlessly fold in. Ezekiel 38/39 has been covered extensively, so the focus here will now be on the secondary aspects of these prophecies.
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| Wagner PMC is now Russia's 'Africa Legion' |
The Russian's Are Not Coming, They're Already Here
Russian forces have begun their withdrawal from their two 49-year leased bases on the Eastern Mediterranean Levant in the Tartus and Latakia governorates of Syria. They have hooks embedded, but the LORD has not yet pulled on them!
Some of the evacuated Russian personnel and war materiel has moved north, back to Russia for the war in Ukraine, as has about 12,000 North Korean combat troops (kings of the East) but that's another story. The rest of Russia's forces are re-deploying to Libya and several nations in the sub-Saharan Sahel region of Africa (i.e. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic and Sudan), a/k/a "the king of the South." Until a year ago the Russian PMC Wagner Group was deployed to the Sahel countries, but with the demise of Wagner Russia has re-branded those troops as its 'Africa Legion.'
Give this next sentence the attention it deserves. Ezekiel 38/39 tells of the massive Magog military confederation which invades Israel being utterly destroyed by the LORD on the mountains of Israel. But it does not say that the Magog confederation nations are completely destroyed as well. Has any other prophecy-centric website put forward this clear distinction? These nations appear again during the 70th Week of Years in Gabriel's Daniel 11:40-45 prophecy moving against the Antichrist (the 'he' in that prophecy and his military presence in Greater Israel (the Glorious Land).
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| Russian 'Africa Legion' Countries |
The Iranian and the Turkish Problems
No need to rehash what we've already covered about the catastrophe coming to Syria, except to say that a great deal of what has come upon and is still to come upon Syria, is due to the imperial machinations of Turkey's Islamist leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Just as Vladimir Putin wants to recover the former Soviet Union so too does Erdogan want to recover the Ottoman Empire. In this objective the Kurdish people of Turkey, Syria and northern Iraq are an obstacle and a genocide against them looks to be Erdogan's version of a 'final solution.' Erdogan recently stated that had the victorious Allied Powers (UK and France) after World War I not divvied up the Ottoman Empire the way they did Aleppo, Damascus and the rest of Syria would today be an integral part of Turkey. It would seem that Turkish and Russian designs on the Levant and Israel align nicely, hence their Magogian alliance in Ezekiel 38/39.
Iran is pushing full speed ahead with nuclear enrichment for its weapons program, and which has the full attention of Israel and the incoming Trump Administration as well as the UK, France and Germany, among other Euro and Middle Eastern nations. Iran has virtually achieved 90% purity, and thus nuclear weapons capability to the tune of a dozen or more warheads of various yields. Iran, in an alignment with Turkey, is also threatening the new Sunni Islamist government in Syria, effectively saying that its youth will bring Syria back into the Iranian orbit. Eschatology Today has always held the view that Iran will be militarily minimized based upon Ezekiel's listing of the country with second tier powers Kuwsh and Put. The drive for nuclear weapons capability is quite likely to terminate in the very short-term with subsequent airstrikes by a coalition of nations now that its air defense systems are virtually non-existent, thanks to Israel. Still, Iran survives enough to play its prophetic role with Russia and Turkey in Ezekiel 38/39.
To be continued as developments dictate...
I keep reading that the Trump admin is considering preemptive strikes against Iran and we know that Israel has plans for Iran as well. This being the case, I believe we are closer to the fulfillment of Jeremiah 49:23-27 than ever before and we just may see its fulfillment by the end of January 2025. We are indeed on the cusp.
ReplyDeleteAs for the question you posted about the Magog Military Confederation - I know of no other watchmen or prophetic sites who have mentioned this distinction and as such, I can't say that I have ever considered it either. Now that you have posed this question, I have gone back and reread Ezekiel 38/39 yet again, but this time I can see that distinction plain as day. Ezekiel 39:4 - On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you.
"On the mountains of Israel". Wow.
Jason,
DeleteMoments when I have a clear epiphany such as this one, well, to the LORD God all glory, it was His Spirit who made it so clear! The Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 11 prophecies are also clearly within close fulfillment proximinty to each other, with the former oxccuring just prior to the 70th Week and the latter taking place prior to the mid-70th Week and AoD occurrence. Wow imdeed!
Sean, from Amir Tsarfati's Telegram channel: Bloomberg report: Iran is holding talks with the Sudanese army regarding the possibility of establishing a military port in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast - in exchange for the extensive military support that Tehran is providing to the Sudanese army in the country's civil war. Russia is also working to renew contacts with the Sudanese army for a military port in the Red Sea, amid concerns about the loss of its large bases in Syria and the desire to maintain the air and sea bridge to its branches in Africa.
ReplyDeleteCan you think of a chapter in the Bible where Iran Russia and Sudan are mentioned?
Hmwerdbd,
DeleteYes, Sudan is part of Kuwsh (Cush), so both Ez.38 and Dan.11 can apply.
However, and with respevt to Russia, their troops have been in central Africa for several years and we've noted here before, and are being reinforced at present. Turkish forces are also in Libya; both Russia and Turkey have the renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar on their client list. Russia and Iran have long been in Sudan. Not many will recall that Israel has attacked Russian and Iranian weapon depots in Sudan previously even though Escatology Today made note of those attacks at the time.
This time we"re that much closer to prophetic fulfillment so an updated reminder is more than timely and appropriate.
By the way and FYI this SITREP has been seen by nearly 550 pairs of eyes in the past 48 or so hours, so folks are aware and interested in the content.
DeleteAs noted in the opening paragraphs of this SITREP - Islamist Turkey is about to embark on a war of expansionist aggression according to a speech made today by its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
ReplyDeleteTurkey must be expelled from the NATO alliance.
Turkey being expelled from NATO or The US, pulling out of NATO and remaining an Ally of Israel. As Jan 20th approaches, could you see the later happening?
DeleteWhy does NATO allow an Israel-hating, anti-Christian Islamist dictatorship to be a member of NATO? Toss 'em out.
DeleteSpeculation is worthless drivel. Eschatology Today deals with God-breathed prophecy and on-the ground facts.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US INFORMED GOD BLESS YOU
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure; my mission.
DeleteThe above comment was from MJB.
DeleteA CME blasted off the far side of the Sun (away from the Earth) yesterday. It was reportedly the fastest CME ever seen by mankind, moving at more than 6.9 million miles per hour. Had it been moving towards the Earth its arrival would have taken just about 13 hours.
ReplyDeleteA very, very, very fast sign.
Israel kept its promise to the Houthi terrorists in the zero-dark thirty hours on 19 December 2024.
ReplyDeleteTwo waves of dozens of heavily armed IAF strike aircraft pummeled the Houthi-controlled capital of Sana'a, the port at Hodeida and the oil terminal at Ras Isa.
Preliminary BDA has it that multiple power stations were blown up knocking out electrical service to the capital and the immediate region.
Every last one of Hodeidah Port's tug boats were sunk putting the port into total paralysis - no inbound food or other seaborne commerce is able to dock pierside without the tug boats. Houthi's are gonna go hungry.
The Ras Isa Oil Terminal is a massive raging inferno. No fuel deliveries at all, period.
Houthi's received an abject lesson on what it really means to fool around and find out (FAFO) with a military superpower like Israel.
In about 120 minutes time Israel set Houthi Yemen back several decades of economic development. No power, no food and no fuel. Bummer.
Pull the tigers tail - get the claws. The mainstream does not really appreciate just how good Israel is at long-distance strikes within its region. The IAF are incredibly effective and skilled at this - and they are getting a LOT of practice these days. Bro Steve
DeleteThe IAF also put an end to operation at Yemen's Al-Salif port facility. 3 for 3 port facilities.
DeleteBrothers and Sisters in Christ, tell me something if you will...
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, do the 14 verses of Isaiah 17 serve as an oracle, a prophecy, specific to Syria and Israel at present?
If you believe not, then ignore what follows.
If you believe in the affirmative, then tell me - can each verse be an oracle, a prophecy, in and of itself?
Well as you consider a response, consider also this:
"Then behold, at eventide, trouble!
And before the morning, he is no more."
Is this prophetic verse not directly applicable to the manner of overthrow of the man who was Syria's dictator?
I'll wait.
I don't see why not. There are verses in the Bible that are in the same verse yet thousands of years apart.
DeleteBro. Sean - this is a very interesting take on this. I always viewed the personalisation of that verse (all the other versions use the plural) as relating to an entity; since the rest of the verse refers to 'those who plunder'. But certainly the Assad Baathist regime is an entity, isn't it? Going to look at this again. Bro Steve
DeleteThe "he" could be Ahmed al-Sharaa (or whatever name he now goes by) if there is a chemical weapons attack on ISRAEL that makes ISRAEL lean. Then Damascus is destroyed never to be inhabited again.
DeleteIn original Hebrew the text syntax is "he not." The precedent is "trouble the evening" [and] "by morning he not."
ReplyDeleteThere are many dozens of examples in many prophetic texts. The most cited example regards Enoch, as in "he not [for] God took him."
In al-Assad's case, there was trouble in the evening [and] before the morning the Russians took him by aircraft from Khmeimim AB.
A whole lot of subterfuge and distractions were necessitated in plotting the secretive escape of al-Assad from Syria, but the effect is as the prophetic text states: "trouble evening - by morning he not"
BTW, all responses are great ones. Thanks!
DeleteSean, in reference to your question about Is 17, since God is the master of double entendre (NOT in the prurient sense), we see so many possibilities of prophecies that can be time period specific as well as future. My daily Bible reading today is Amos 1-3. Oh my goodness, tho specific to a particular time, could be taken from today's headlines: Damascus, Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Tyre, et al. Not to mention Israel/Judah's judgment. We know it is coming. Certainly we have seen God metaphorically destroy the "Amorite" (Hezbollah, Hamas, Houtis) as in Amos 2:9 (a verse I have often prayed over my prodigal son who is out in the weeds--lots need to be destroyed in his life).
DeleteThis is definitely an established scriptural pattern. The example that immediately occurred to me was when Jesus read Isaiah 61 in the temple: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” According to Luke 4 “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
DeleteOf course the rest of the scripture Messiah was quoting from Isaiah reads: “and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor”
So clearly there have been millennia between the fulfillment of those sections of the same prophecy.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteThe information presented in the link was off the mark from the first words spoken. Everything actually began in 2009 with Obama's speech to the Islamic world from Cairo. That speech was a call to jihad, and it inflamed Tunis, Libya, Egypt and finally Syia within two years time.
Houthi Yemen jihadists launched a ballistic missile at Israel tonight.
ReplyDeleteIDF anti-missile systems failed to intercept the missile and it impacted Tel Aviv. A large fire has resulted. Details coming.
Bro. Sean; Likely precursor to Isa 17:4. Scripture indicates that Israel does not come through unscathed - but victorious. IMO, a sort of 'enhanced' version of the '73 Yom Kippur war. Victory, albeit at very great cost.
DeleteAmazing how these prophetic indicators are coming into focus at a geometrically increasing rate of knots. Bro. Steve.
There were multiple IDF attempts to intercept this one Houthi missile, 5 or 6 attemps made, all of them failed. This suggests this missile was different from others launched at Israel by the Houthis, and suggests it was a new type of Iranian missile capable of very high-speed maneuvering. That it impacted in a common park indicates imprecise targeting capability, a pure terror weapon. 16 people lightly injured, minor damages. Perhap an IDF AAR will inform more details.
Delete