The New Syrian Revolution A Sign of the Times?
Shalom in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace!
As this world becomes more dangerous and finding peace becomes more and more elusive, we are reminded of just how important it is for us to consider the signs of the times, particularly in light of the teachings of Scripture.
Matthew records the disciples asking Jesus about the timing of His return.
As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)
The disciples were responding to Jesus’ earlier prophetic predictions about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem: “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matthew 23:38–39), which was fulfilled in 70 ce with the Roman invasion of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20–27).
Jesus answers by delivering the prophetic address known as the Olivet Discourse, which He begins by comparing the signs of the times to the pangs of childbirth.
You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:6–8)
Jesus is describing for His disciples of yesterday—and informing us today—that, as we get closer to His return, the signs of the times will escalate and intensify.
He expects us to be mindful of these signs and to wrap our view of the present around what is going to happen in the future.
We live today in light of tomorrow!
As we watch the news or glean from our favorite digital streams, it is difficult for us to miss the birth pangs of global conflicts, especially in the Middle East. What transpired recently in Syria—the downfall of the Assad regime—grabs our attention not only because it changes the landscape and balance of power in the Middle East but because it could very well be another sign of the times appearing without our expecting it!
The entire world was stunned, shocked, and surprised by the military agility of the band of revolutionaries who have now replaced Assad. Very few expected that these Isis- and Al Qaeda-inspired rebels would be able to overthrow the Assad-Ba’ath Party and the Alawites, an Arab religious minority in Syria. Now, these Sunni Islamists are in control of Syria. This turnover is the dawning of a new day in Syria but not necessarily a better day for relations between Israel and Syria, which remains to be seen.
But what does the Bible tell us about Syria, and how can we better understand recent events through the lens of the Word of God?
Syria in Prophecy
The future of Syria and its capital city, Damascus, is detailed explicitly in the Bible.
The Scriptures tell us that, one day, Syria will be destroyed. By this, we can surmise that Syria’s ultimate posture toward Israel will be hostile. The long-term fate of Syria will ultimately be based on the way Syria (as with any nation) treats Israel and the Jewish people as declared in the covenant God made with Abram, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3).
We do not know for sure, but Syria might be one of the enemies who surround Israel, as described in the book of Zechariah. The Lord will then return to save Israel on that glorious day when the Jewish people turn to their Messiah and Savior.
And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:9–10)
While we should keep praying for peace between Israel and her neighbors, the future does not bode well for this possibility with Syria any more than it does with Iran or Iraq!
So, what does the Bible say specifically about the future of Damascus—as representing the nation of Syria?
A key prophecy is found in Isaiah 17:1–3:
The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fall-en ruin. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be for flocks to lie down in, and there will be no one to frighten them. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and sovereignty from Damascus and the remnant of Aram; they will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,” declares the Lord of hosts.
The Bible is very clear on the fate of Damascus. The Hebrew words for removed and fallen ruin leave us with little doubt that Damascus will one day be utterly destroyed.
Author Joel C. Rosenberg places Isaiah’s prophecy about Damascus in the future:
Isaiah’s prophecy about the judgment of destruction of Damascus in chapter 17 is yet to be fulfilled. Damascus has never been totally destroyed and made uninhabitable. To the contrary, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.[1]
According to Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser, Isaiah’s prophecy is describing a city that once flourished but will one day be reduced to a heap of ruins.
When did this ever happen in history? Even if it is hyperbolic, it surely must point to some major tragedy that is coming. So a major “fortified city will disappear and a royal power from Damascus” (Isaiah 17:3).[2]
Other biblical prophets described Syria’s demise. The prophet Amos predicted, “Thus says the Lord, ‘For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment . . . ’” (Amos 1:3). About a century after the destruction of Damascus described in 2 Kings 16:7–9, the prophet Jeremiah also described Damascus falling once again at a later date:
Concerning Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard bad news; they are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, it cannot be calmed. Damascus has become helpless; she has turned away to flee, and panic has gripped her; distress and pangs have taken hold of her like a woman in childbirth.” (Jeremiah 49:23–24)
Neither the Assyrians nor any other significant ancient or modern Middle Eastern power has ever totally destroyed Damascus. Therefore, I must agree with Rosenberg’s and Kaiser’s view that the final judgment of Syria is future.
Modern-Day Damascus
While Damascus has flourished throughout the years, we have witnessed a steady weakening of Syria’s military might throughout the rule of Bashar al-Assad (2000–2024), who succeeded his father, Hafez, after decades of cruel dictatorship. Also, Syria under the Assads—both father and son—has proven to be a mortal enemy of the modern State of Israel. We will be waiting to see how the new leaders of the country live as neighbors with Israel.
Looking at pictures of modern-day Damascus, you can see it is still a vibrant city, although its governance is uncertain. What happened recently in Syria was unexpected. Within a week, a mix of anti-Assad rebel groups took Syria back while its president fled to Russia. Again, it is unclear how the new leaders will rule Syria and what their position will be regarding Israel.
We need to remember that, just a few short years ago, the “rebel” group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS for short, led by the military leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was part of ISIS. He then merged with Al-Qaeda and finally broke with the group in July 2016. But this does not mean his ideology or jihadist commitments and a long-standing anti-Israel position has changed. We should watch and pray. Meanwhile, the United States has removed HTS from its roster of terrorist groups and the ten-million-dollar reward for the capture of Ahmed al-Sharaa has been discontinued.
We hope that this new Syrian government will view Israel more positively, which is something Israel is still trying to figure out. In fact, Israel took immediate action to destroy dozens of arms storage facilties and naval capabilities scattered throughout Syria in case the newly formed leadership decided to wage war against it. Israel also swiftly moved into a demilitarized buffer zone within Syria beyond the Golan Heights to protect its border.
While the details of war and peace in the Middle East are still unclear, we believe God will defend His people. The Holy One of Israel will preserve the Jewish people and His promised land. We also know that those who refuse to bow the knee to Jesus the Messiah will be judged individually and nationally.
Prophecies of Peace in the Middle East
So, what comes next? The biblical timeline is not always easy to determine, but we are sure that we presently have new and complicated relations between Syria and Israel and a future with an increase of hostilities and destruction. But, then again, there is more to the biblical story!
Scripture also affirms that a glorious day of peace in the Middle East is coming! Egypt and what remains of the Assyrian Empire (which could easily include parts of modern Syria!) will enjoy peace in the future kingdom as they subject themselves to the reign and rule of Jesus the Messiah. It will be a great and glorious day!
As Isaiah wrote,
In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23–25)
Whether or not the nations in Isaiah’s prophecy make peace with Syria, we know that the Lord wants us to pray for the salvation of Syrians and for peace in the Middle East.
We should pray for a cessation of hostilities and for the gospel to go out among Syrians, including the hundreds of thousands of refugees still living in Jordan and other countries.
How close are we to the day when these prophecies will come to pass? We will see! The stunning beginning of a new Syria puts Damascus back on our prophetic map in a way it was not previously. All eyes should be on the Middle East, and especially upon Israel, as we see the Lord preparing the way for His return.
Our marching orders and the work of Your Mission to the Jewish People does not change. We are committed to creatively and lovingly presenting the gospel—the good news of Jesus the Messiah, to the Jew first and also to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). We need your prayers and your understanding of the times in which we live.
I hope you enjoy the rest of this newsletter as we drill down on some key prophetic events detailed in Scripture. We read these in hope but also recognizing the warnings of judgments upon nations and individuals that are at the very core and heart of the biblical message.
Jesus is coming, which means one thing for those who believe and quite another for those who do not!
Standing for His truth with love and compassion for all!
Your brother,
Mitch Glaser
[1] Rosenberg, Joel C. “STUDY-Damascus Prophecies-R.” Joel C. Rosenberg, September 2013, http://www.joelrosenberg.com/files/2013/09/STUDY-Damascus-prophecies-R.pdf.
[2] Walter Kaiser, personal communication, email message to author.