The West Talks to Syria - Graham Bacon

During most of 2008 attempts have been made to establish better relationships with Syria, firstly by Israel using Turkey as intermediary, and then by France through a state visit to France by Syria’s president and his wife. Israel is interested in preventing a Syrian takeover of Lebanon and restricting Hizb’Allah activities in southwest Syria which threaten Israel. Syria hopes to regain the Golan Heights.

France is interested in bringing some influence to bear on Iran and its nuclear developments through Syria’s close connections with Iran. Syria is a popular diplomatic destination that the west is hoping to make a halfway house.

Syria’s orientation has always been Islamic by religion, pro-Russian militarily, anti-Israel and anti-western in world affairs. The Bible shows that this will only change, as it will, by catastrophic events after the return of Jesus Christ. The present diplomatic niceties are only in pursuit of short term self-interested aims by the west, by Syria and by Israel.

Examination of Bible prophecies discloses end time destinies for well over a dozen nations and Syria is one of those. Syria, unlike many other Islamic nations, will escape a fatal relationship with Russia - it will not join the Russian-led Gogian group that will perish on the mountains of Israel, described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Instead Syria [and Iraq], under the ancient prophetic name of Assyria in Micah 5, will mount her own separate invasion of Israel, will be driven back north and east, suffering devastation in its home territory but learning from its mistakes and will survive into the Kingdom Age. “When the Assyrian comes into our land and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men. They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria and the land of Nimrod” Micah 5:5-6.

This is a solo Syria/Iraqi event, unlike other Armageddon events featuring big groups [eg the Gogian invasion, and European ten kings v. Jesus Christ of Revelation 17 and 18]. Syria/Iraq will escape the fatal clutches of Russia and in Isaiah 19:23-25 are depicted as member nations of the Kingdom.

But from today’s perspective, Syria remains opposed to God’s cause, even to the point of invading Israel, after which a national devastation will befall it and it will learn from its mistakes.

For now, we can expect nothing beneficial from the current international efforts to ease tensions.

Syria is will be a rogue state for well into the future.