Gog-Magog and The Destruction of Damascus

by Michael G. Mickey

(12-23-06)

Reminiscent of many, many commentaries I've written in recent years relating to evidence that is rapidly amassing indicating that the prophesied battle of Ezekiel 38 & 39 may be on the verge of fulfillment, author Joel Rosenberg recently pointed out that a north African alliance with Russia and Iran is emerging, laying more groundwork for fulfillment of the prophesied Gog-Magog battle to occur, which will involve the following nations:

• Magog - Most agree this is a reference to Russia.
• Meshech - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia, but some say it refers to the Moscow area.
• Tubal - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia.
• Persia - modern Iran
• Ethiopia
• Libya
• Gomer - eastern Europe or Turkey
• Togarmah - southeastern Europe or Turkey

Not only is a north African alliance with Russia and Iran emerging, I've highlighted in the past that Turkey and Russia have grown closer as well in recent years. Now, as we see in a Middle East Newsline article, Iran (Persia) is bettering its relations with Turkey, specifically in relation to "security cooperation agreements." The picture grows more clear by the day, doesn't it?

Adding fuel to the growing fire against the nation of Israel represented by all the nations above drawing closer to one another, the United Nations, as seen in a Jerusalem Newswire commentary, recently opened an office in Vienna where "any Arab who believes Israel’s security barrier has infringed on his/her rights will now be able to register for compensation." This, of course, places added pressure on Israel to remove its separation barrier which, despite hatred of it by the international community, has had a major impact on terrorism in the region, limiting Israel's enemies from successfully conducting bombings inside the Jewish state.

Interestingly, as we look at Bible prophecy and the international community's dislike of Israel's separation barrier, a possible picture of what is going to occur comes into view. In Bible prophecy it appears that Israel's separation barrier is going to be removed prior to the Gog-Magog attack taking place. This new U.N. / anti-Israel office may play into that coming to pass! Personally, I suspect that the prophesied Antichrist, upon his entrance into the diplomatic negotiations that will bring his seven-year covenant of peace into existence between Israel and her enemies, will make dismantling of the separation barrier a condition of peace that the following passages of Scripture be fulfilled (precisely as written) in the early Tribulation Period to come, as a direct result of Israel's enemies listed above seeing and seizing an opportunity to strike Israel at a moment when its guard is down:

Ezekiel 38:10-11: Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, [that] at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

Is Gog-Magog coming into view? There seems to be less resistance to it taking place as prophesied all the time so I have to believe we are getting very close to Ezekiel 38 & 39's prophecies being literally fulfilled! And then there's the prophesied destruction of Damascus described in Isaiah 17:1.

Isaiah 17:1: The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

Recently, Bill Wilson of Koenig's International News noted that Syrian president Bashar Assad is in Moscow seeking arms to bolster his army and Hezbollah, adding that Assad reportedly has half a billion dollars of Iranian money to buy weapons from Russian president Vladimir Putin. This Wilson believes may play into fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 & 39, as well as Isaiah 17:1 and I wholeheartedly concur.

Sooner or later, something incredible is going to occur that will shake the entire world! There is little reason to suspect fulfillment of the prophecies mentioned within this commentary is scheduled to occur in the distant future as we look at the BIG picture of the times we're living in. All evidence, from my perspective, seems to indicate we're nearing a defining moment in God's plan for mankind.

One defining moment I believe is potentially very near is Damascus' destruction, perhaps even more so than the Gog-Magog battle to come. Why do I say that? Because Syria isn't referred to as a nation that will strike at Israel in the prophesied Gog-Magog attack to come, which is far more than odd to me, especially at this time when Syria "wants a strategic air defense system that would present a major threat to Israeli warplanes", as seen in a Middle East Newsline story. I think Syria is seriously considering war with Israel, even as I type this commentary. Why else would they be obtaining such a system at this time when so much hype has been raised concerning Israel's possession of the Golan Heights, a long-standing bone of contention between the two?

As we see in an Israel National News article, Israeli Mossad Chief Meir Dagan believes "Syria is more prepared to enter into a conflict with Israel since the Jewish State’s failure to win a decisive victory against Hizbullah terrorists in the second Lebanon War this summer." The battle and the international community's subsequent willingness to allow Hezbollah to survive and even rearm itself has emboldened Damascus greatly, in my opinion, perhaps too much for its own good!

Quoting Israeli media, Stan Goodenough of Jerusalem Newswire is reporting that "Syria has taken a leaf out of the Hizb’allah war manual and is laying the groundwork to draw Israel into a war of attrition."

"Up to now", Goodenough writes, "the Israel-Syria frontier has been the quietest of all Israel’s borders since the 1973 Yom Kippur War."

Conditions on the Israel-Syria frontier, however, may well be about to change. When it does change, are things going to quickly get out of hand, ultimately resulting in the destruction of Damascus, the tourism capital of international terrorism? We'll have to wait and see, but there seems to be little reason to suspect that Gog-Magog and the destruction of Damascus isn't going to happen in our lifetime, especially at this time when one of Gog-Magog's ringleaders, Iran, is openly - and repeatedly - predicting that the hour of Israel's destruction is at hand.

Keep looking up, Christians! Jesus Christ is coming soon!