Now the
word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of
the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against
him, “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the
prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “I will turn you around, put hooks into
your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all
splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them
handling swords. “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with
shield and helmet; “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the
far north and all its troops—many people are with you. Ezekiel 38:1-6 NKJV
There
is a saying in Jewish culture which goes something like this; “coincidence isn’t kosher.” So I would be the first to say that the
number of articles and commentaries from different sources and people regarding
this prophecy from Ezekiel in the past few weeks is definitely not a
coincidence. This article written by Britt
Gillette is a very good example of just what I am talking about. Be sure to visit endtimesbibleprophecy.com if you haven’t already done so.
The
Rise of the Russian-Turkish-Iranian Alliance
In
early September, Russia, Turkey, and Iran met in Tehran to discuss the future
of Syria. It was just one of many meetings in the past several years between
three of the most powerful nations in Middle Eastern politics. In a
mid-September meeting, Russia and Turkey agreed to carry out coordinated
military patrols on the borders of a "demilitarized" buffer zone
between Syrian troops and rebel forces in Syria's Idlib province. Idlib is the
last major stronghold of rebel and jihadist groups trying to overthrow Assad in
a civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions.
For Russia and Iran, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete the military victory
they crave in Syria's civil war after almost 8 years of fighting. As the war
winds down, these three powers will decide the future of Syria.
At
first glance, Russia, Turkey, and Iran make unlikely allies. For instance,
Turkey is a Sunni Muslim nation, while Iran is a Shiite Muslim nation. Also,
Turkey is a member of NATO, an alliance formed specifically to counter Russian
military aggression. These three nations have many differences and a number of
competing interests. Yet, with each passing day, they become closer and closer.
Why? Syria. The ongoing Syrian civil war highlights a number of overlapping
interests for these nations. Understanding those interests is the key to
understanding why these nations are coming together. So let's look at what each
nation seeks to gain.
Russia
Why
does Russia care so much about Syria? Several reasons. First, Russia maintains
an important naval facility in Tartus, Syria. It's the Russian Navy's only
overseas base, vital for repair and refueling of the Russian Navy. As we've
seen, Russia will fight to keep its naval installation in Tartus. Second, Syria
has long been an ally of Russia and the Soviet Union. Dating back to the Cold
War, Syria's ruling Assad family has been aligned with Russia against western
influence in the region. Russia wants to keep Assad in power and maintain its
regional presence. Syria has also been a lucrative market for the sale of
Russian weapons and commodities, and Russia doesn't want to lose that market.
Third, Russia wants to do more than maintain its presence in the Middle East.
It wants to expand it. Russia's military entry into the Syrian civil war in
2015 turned the tide of the war. It clinched eventual victory for Assad. This
means Russia will maintain enormous influence over Assad and Syria. Finally, Russia's
alliance with Turkey and Iran serves to strengthen its influence in the Middle
East, but it also serves another purpose. The warming relationship between
Turkey and Russia (and Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan) divides NATO. It
strains the relationship between Turkey and its western NATO allies. So it's
easy to see why Russia has such a vested interest in Turkey as well as Syria.
Turkey
What
does Syria mean to Turkey? A lot. A massive attack on rebels in Idlib (home to
around 3 million people) could spark a humanitarian crisis on its border. It
could unleash a nightmare scenario where hundreds of thousands of refugees,
including militants, flee toward Turkey's border, destabilizing towns and
cities under its control. Turkey already hosts 3 million Syrian refugees, and
it's sealed its borders to new entrants. Turkey wants a stable border. It wants
to take advantage of Syria's civil war and gain influence and control over
Syrian territory (by backing Sunni rebel groups). Most of all, Turkey wants to
suppress Kurdish militants on its border. Turkey already has Kurdish-controlled
areas on its border in northern Iraq. It wants to avoid the rise of new ones.
This puts it in direct conflict with the United States, which is backing
Kurdish rebels in Syria. This has driven Turkey closer to Russia and led it to
play Russia and the NATO powers against each other to its own benefit.
Iran
Why
is Syria so important to Iran? Iran has decades of close ties to Syria going
back to the 1979 Islamic revolution, and both champion the Shiite Muslim branch
of Islam. Iran already has regional footholds in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, and
it wants to keep and expand its influence in a nation neighboring Israel and
Lebanon. A presence in Syria gives Iran land access to the Mediterranean Sea, a
staging ground for Hezbollah and other proxies to attack Israel, and access to
Israel's border for Iranian armed forces to launch a future invasion of Israel.
Iran wants to keep Syria allied against Israel, and since Hezbollah and advisors
from Iran's Revolutionary Guard have helped Assad throughout the civil war,
they're well positioned to take advantage if he retains power.
What
the Future Holds
After
almost 8 years of conflict, the Syrian civil war is coming to a close. The
aftermath will see Syria carved into spheres of influence. Russia, Turkey, and
Iran will dominate those spheres, and all three countries will remain in Syria.
This makes it likely they'll continue to work together to avoid conflict and
pursue their shared interests. So why should you care? Because the new Syria
might be foreshadowing the soon fulfillment of bible prophecy. The shared
interests of Russia, Turkey, and Iran could lead them to launch an invasion
prophesied 2,600 years ago.
The
Ezekiel 38-39 War
Six
centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus, the prophet Ezekiel foretold a
future invasion of Israel. He said it will occur in the last days (Ezekiel
38:16). He said it will come from north of Israel (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel
39:2), and he said it will involve a coalition of nations led by Russia
(Ezekiel 38:2) that includes Iran and Turkey (Ezekiel 38:5-6). Never before
have these three nations been in alliance. But today, all three sit on Israel's
northern border. Coincidence? I don't think so. Who knows why they'll
ultimately attack, but rest assured, they will. The stage is now set for the
fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will win the
battle (Ezekiel 39:3-6), and the whole world will know He is the One behind the
victory (Ezekiel 39:21).
If
you have never made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ I urge you to do it today. Simply tell God you accept His Son Jesus
Christ as your Lord and Savior and turn your life over to His control.
Father, I know I am a
sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the
cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive
your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and
follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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