Will uncontrollable consequences come in the Middle East?

by Michael G. Mickey

(7-14-06)

Early this morning, I was stirred from a dream-filled sleep that involved a wide variety of imagery and emotions. My time in bed last night had a little bit of everything it seemed. Images of war and the Rapture of the Church, along with emotions of sorrow, fear, and even uncontainable joy. Being unable to sleep, I came downstairs and typed out the day's first commentary, "Playing With Fire." I wrote, in part:

Hour-by-hour, I wonder what is going to take place next. The one thing I'm becoming certain of is Damascus, at the very least, is majorly playing with fire. The question in my mind is just how much fire Damascus may be playing with, if you follow my thinking. Are they playing with enough to get themselves singed or incinerated? Time will tell.

Having completed a long day at work, I returned home to find the usual awaiting me - a mountain of e-mail. Within that daily mountain of assorted items, it seems I always find a few things that just leap out at me. Tonight one of those items was the following headline: EU worries Mideast conflict could spread to Syria. Isn't it interesting, even surreal, that this issue, which is on the mind of so many of us holding a biblical worldview, is also on the collective mind of the European Union's highly secular leadership? Amazing, in my opinion!

In the Reuters story bearing the headline above, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland is quoted as saying, "We consider the situation to be very bad and there is still the possibility that it could get worse and that the conflict could spread, especially to Syria. This is in no way desirable. The consequences could be really uncontrollable."

Will uncontrollable consequences come in the latest Middle East skirmish? Time will tell, but one thing is certain. Even the secular world knows the situation could spiral out of control at the drop of a hat - all the more reason why the Church needs to hide itself behind the cross, lifting Israel up in prayer before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Truly, we may be on the verge of a momentous event of earth-shaking proportions!

The Reuters story additionally speaks of the EU's Javier Solana heading to the troubled region, as well as representatives of the United States, Russia, and the United Nations. Added to the mix, in the midst of potential calamity, the world's most storied peacemaking team in recent history - the Quartet - may meet in an attempt to prevent a catastrophe in the region, bringing to mind Daniel 9:26-27 which foretells the advent of the Antichrist.

If, upon reading all of this, the hair on the neck of every Bible prophecy-believing Christian isn't standing on end, it certainly ought to be as this moment holds a great deal of potential to shape future events. In fact, some are suggesting it already is, Bill Wilson of Koenig's International News for one.

In a commentary dated 7-13-06, Wilson wrote, in part:

• The United States has publicly pointed the finger of blame for the terrorist attacks against Israel squarely at Iran and Syria, but ultimately there is a powerful source of unrest that is responsible for the financial, technological and military sustenance of Syria, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah that has yet been unnamed—Russia.
• Russia has successfully avoided public blame for the situation in the Middle East, but its ability to control and hide finances and intellectual property transfer has resulted in a steady supply of weapons, finances and technology to Syria and Iran, which in turn, empower Hezbollah and Hamas. These are the foreshadows of the invasion of Israel led by Russia and Iran as prophesied in Ezekiel 38. The United States should give no ground to Russia, but rather should expose and condemn its clandestine support of terrorism and international chaos. 2 John 1:7 says, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Christ.”

An item in today's news is especially supportive of Wilson's thought process on Russia's involvement in all this. A Russian News and Information Agency article states "Russia is not intending to propose initiatives on resolving the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, but will use its authority in the Arab world to stop the violence."

Here we have Russia, the ringleader of the future Gog-Magog invasion, admitting for all to see that it has the authority to resolve the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, which raises the following question in my mind: If Russia has the authority to resolve the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, why didn't Russia, particularly as a member of the Quartet, prevent the conflict from coming to this point in the first place? Could it be that Russia has a clandestine plan which, like its future Gog-Magog allies, envisions a map of the Middle East without Israel on it? Could be! If so, its role as a member of the Quartet is to impede peace, rather than lead the region closer to it.

Russia is up to its eyeballs in involvement with Iran, as well as Syria, as I've documented on numerous occasions using information readily available in the news headlines of our world today. So have many others. Because this is true, none of this should be overly surprising to hear and yet it is. Why? Because I find myself in absolute awe of the accuracy of the Word of God as we see Russia asserting that its voice in the region is so powerful and effective that its authority over these rogue entities can still the inferno we see the region heading toward!

If Russia indeed has the authority to resolve the present conflict in the Middle East, which many world leaders fear is eventually going to see Syria enter into the fray, Putin and company better get on the telephone and call Assad, Mashaal, Ahmadinejad and all the other kooks engaged in the dangerous game they're playing with Israel. If Russia doesn't use its mighty authority quickly, it may soon find itself minus a good friend in the region - Damascus.

I say that because Damascus is nowhere to be found when the presently-plotting Russians and its horde of Arab brothers make one of the boldest military moves in human history in the prophetic future - the future Gog-Magog invasion attempt described in Ezekiel 38 & 39.

If Damascus is to be around in the prophetic future when Ezekiel's prophecy is fulfilled, why, oh why, do we not see Damascus jumping on the Islamic bandwagon, seeking to destroy the nation of Israel from the face of the earth?

Perhaps, just perhaps, it's because uncontrollable consequences are part of God's plan to judge the #2 resort spot of terrorist dirtbags from around the globe - Damascus, Syria.

If tomorrow Damascus should make a fatal mistake and be left a ruinous heap, I wonder how quickly the Muslim world would find itself ready to discuss a long-term covenant of peace with Israel which the international community, under the leadership of a certain prophesied prince (or leader) of Roman descent, would be more than willing to confirm?

Piece by piece, the prophetic jigsaw puzzle is coming together. While it's difficult to impossible to know what's going to take place next, what we're seeing take place on many fronts is extreme prophetic posturing, precisely why I tell my readers to keep looking up!

Who, after all, knows what tomorrow will bring? Only God.