By Douglas V. Gibbs
Syria is raging with violence, and even the Arab League is washing its hands of the situation. The Syrian government's continued crackdown against protesting civilians has led the United Nations to denounce the actions, but the U.N. has taken no action (not that I am recommending that they should). What has happened is that the Syrian government has now launched an all out assault to crush any dissent, and regain control over the populace.
Fears that the rebellion against President Assad's government may plunge Syria into a civil war are real, and the use of torture by Syrian security forces is widespread in interrogation and detention facilities. The crimes include sexual violence, particularly the rape of men and boys in places of detention.
The ongoing assault on the central city of Homs has reportedly resulted in the death of 300 people in the last 10 days.
More than 5,400 people were killed last year, including military personnel who refused to shoot civilians.
Syrian security forces and government-backed militias have been using a "shoot-to-kill" policy to crush peaceful protests.
The breadth and patterns of attacks by military and security forces on civilians, and the widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure indicate approval or complicity by authorities at the highest level.
For some biblical scholars this is no surprise.
The Hebrew prophet Isaiah predicted that the Syrian capital city of Damascus would someday cease to exist.
The relevant passages concerning the future of Damascus are located in Isaiah 17:1-14 and Jeremiah 49:23-27.
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be for flocks which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.” (Isaiah 17:1-2, nkjv)
These first two verses of Isaiah 17 inform us that Damascus is destined for destruction, causing it to cease from being a city. Additionally other cities “of Aroer” are adversely affected, causing them to be “forsaken.” The Hebrew word used for forsaken is azab, and means abandoned, withdrawn, left behind, released, or neglected.
Since these cities eventually become agriculturally zoned “for flocks,” the best understanding is probably that the destruction of Damascus necessitates the withdrawal of the surrounding city populations, which ultimately leads to their release and rezoning. Whichever government is sovereign over this area at that time, will reevaluate the highest and best use of the territory to be agricultural.
Jeremiah 49:1-2 says, “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD.” (nkjv)
The sequence of events could be as follows. Damascus and Rabbah, (Amman) are destroyed, probably in the same war effort. In the aftermath, Israel takes possession of northern Jordan including ancient Aroer, and rezones much it for agricultural purposes. Ammon is a participant in the Psalm 83:6-8 Arab confederacy. Thus, “the alarm of war” in question could possibly be the Psalm 83 war.
If this is so, then the destruction of Isaiah’s Damascus and Jeremiah’s Rabbah are probably closely related Psalm 83 events. Assyria, which comprised part of modern day northern Syria when Psalm 83 was written, is also part of the Arab confederacy.
More on this is available at Syria Under Siege; Concerns Bible Prophecy Experts! - Prophecy Depot
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
UN rights chief deplores Syria crackdown - Associated Press/Yahoo News
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