NOTES ON THE NEXT MIDDLE EAST WAR: THE DESTRUCTION OF DAMASCUS

SCRIPTURE. “Look, Damascus is gone! It is no longer a city—it has become a heap of ruins! The cities of Aroer are deserted. Sheep pasture there, lying quiet and unafraid, with no one to chase them away.The strength of Israel and the power of Damascus will end, and the remnant of Syria shall be destroyed. For as Israel’s glory departed, so theirs, too, will disappear, declares the Lord Almighty.” ― ISAIAH 17:1-3, TLB

QUOTATION. “We shall remember … Damascus, the ‘Pearl of the East’ – the pride of Syria, the fabled Garden of Eden, the home of princes and genii of the Arabian Nights, the oldest metropolis on Earth, the one city in all the world that has kept its name and held its place and looked serenely on while the Kingdoms and Empires of four thousand years have risen to life, enjoyed their little season of pride and pomp, and then vanished and been forgotten” ― MARK TWAIN, The Innocents Abroad, 1869; edited

FIRST THOUGHTS

I remember the last time I thought the world was about to be pitched into a World War some sixty years ago. I had just turned 18 years of age, a few weeks into my freshman year at Long Beach State College majoring at the time in political science.

THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER. Then this occurred under the watch of the second youngest president to ever hold that then-august office, JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY, in his second year of leading the Nation and the Western powers in alliance against what was then known as the Iron Curtain. That metaphorical name given by WINSTON CHURCHIILL to the post-World War II dividing line separating the democratic European West from the Communist Eastern dictatorship led by the then Soviet Union.

Here is a brief but chilling Summary of The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, published by the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Historian (ret. Nov. 25, 2023; edited).

“In October 1962, the Kennedy Administration faced its most serious foreign policy crisis. Soviet Premier NIKITA KRUSHCHEV saw an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Soviet Union and FIDEL CASTRO’S Cuba and make good its promise to defend Cuba from the United States. In May 1960, Khrushchev began to ship ballistic missiles to Cuba and technicians to operate them. He believed that President Kennedy was weak and would not react to the Soviet move.

After extensive consultation with his foreign policy and military advisers, Kennedy blockaded Cuba on October 22, 1962. The two sides stood on the brink of nuclear war, but Khrushchev capitulated six days later and the missiles were dismantled. In return, Kennedy disbanded its own missile sites in Turkey. The most confrontational period in US-Soviet relations since World War II was at an end.

The Storyline of this Global Super-Drama involved TWO LETTERS exchanged between the American and Soviet leader as they wrestled with their generals about what to do. The First Letter from Krushchev was somewhat conciliatory, the Second Letter much more belligerent. It was Kennedy’s younger brother, ROBERT KENNEDY, then serving as his Attorney General, who suggested they just ignore the second missive and respond only the first.

It worked. Thus, a nuclear Armageddon was averted by mere hours on the gritty courage and political acumen of two men named Kennedy.

THE OCTOBER GAZA WAR. With that as context, now consider the following Synopsis of the more recent, potentially equally threatening conflict when the Islamic terrorist group HAMAS launched its savage attack on unsuspecting Israeli citizens on the early morning of October 7, 2023, across the southern border of the Jewish State.

The following is taken from an ABC News report dated November 22 (the anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 in Dallas, Texas), “Israel-Hamas War Timeline,” by BILL HUTCHINSON.

“The conflict was touched off a month ago by the sneak attack, which included thousands of armed Hamas terrorists breaching a border security fence separating Gaza from Israel, and indiscriminately torturing and gunning down Israeli civilians in their homes, also attacking soldiers, caught off guard, on military bases. Other militants stormed beaches in Israel on motorboats. And some brought death from the sky, paragliding into Israel, to launch a barbaric attack at an open-air music festival that had been billed as a celebration of ‘Unity and Love.’

In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which also included thousands of missiles launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip, the IDF began its campaign of retaliation, bombarding Gaza with airstrikes. Israel soon vowed to eradicate Hamas, the terrorist organization that runs Gaza and is believed to operate with the backing of Iran …

More than a month after [the attack], the region stands on high alert amid fears of a wider conflict and thousands dead on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border. According to the Israeli prime minister’s office, more than 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, with 6,900 others injured. Israeli officials say 383 Israel Defense Forces soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7, including 68 since the ground campaign began.”

Update: “Israeli officials obtained Hamas’ battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack more than a year before it happened, documents, emails and interviews show. But Israeli military and intelligence officials dismissed the plan as aspirational, considering it too difficult for Hamas to carry out.” – NY Times, Nov. 30, 2023

AT THE BRINK. For the second time in my long life of nearly 80 years, the entire World viz. Israel and its closest ally, the United States of America, teeter on the edge of a potentially All-Mideast War that could pull such larger powers into a larger conflagration as Iran, Russia, Turkey, and possibly even China, according to recent reports.

II. THE PSALM 83 WAR

AUTHOR NOTE: Much of the next two sections will borrow heavily from my new book due out December 2023, The Sixth Seal II: A Pre-Wrath Commentary Redux on the Rise of Donald Trump and the Decline of the American Order (pp. 149-151; edited).

In Section III of the Second Edition of my first book on The Sixth Seal (2017), I have a substantially revised and update of “The Second Seal: War.” This chapter describes in detail what I conceive of the FIVE LAST WARS of human history: (1) Civil War; (2) The Psalm 83 War; (3) The Isaiah 17 War; (4) The Ezekiel 38-39 War; and (5) Armageddon.

THE WAR. After some preliminary application of the Bible’s description of this War, I am increasingly persuaded that we are seeing the beginning of the fulfillment of this Israel-Arab Conflict. Here is what I wrote earlier this year before The Gaza War commenced on October 7.

“O God, don’t sit idly by, silent and inactive when we pray. Answer us! Deliver us! Don’t you hear the tumult and commotion of your enemies? Don’t you see what they are doing, these proud men who hate the Lord? They are full of craftiness and plot against your people, laying plans to slay your precious ones.‘Come,’ they say, ‘and let us wipe out Israel as a nation—we will destroy the very memory of her existence.’” – (vv. 1-4).

Here is described a Confederation of Arab-Islamic states reconstructed by those who have been conspiring for many years to launch a Fourth War of Annihilation against the State of Israel. Why? For her alleged years of persecution and displacement of the Arab Palestinians, who continued to reject Israel’s Divine claim to the land (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; 15:18-21; Isa. 14:1; Ezek. 37:11-14). More bluntly, also as a manifestation of Millennia of Arabic hatred for Jews since the days of Muhammed in the seventh century.

It thus follows on the heels of the War of Independence in 1948, the Six Day War of 1967, and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 – in which Israel was the unmistakable victor over the Arabs. It is not difficult to conceive of still another effort to avenge losses in each of those previous wars. Ironically, each of those wars were launched by the Arabs!

While this war is disputed among scholars as to whether or not it is separate from the others listed here, it indeed is connected in the sense that one war triggers another. But consider also that the nations enumerated are very different than the others which follow in Israel’s later battles: Edom (Esau’s descendants); Moab, Gebel, and Ammon (Jordan); Ishmaelites and Hagrites (Saudi Arabia); Amalek (Egypt); Philistia (Gaza, Palestine); Tyre (Lebanon); Assyria (Syria, Iraq); the Children of Lot (scattered throughout the Middle East).”

CAVEAT. While not all the Arab nations listed above are yet fully or directly engaged in the current Gaza War, they are all in support of the Gaza-based Hamas terror group and are increasingly likely to join in if Israel continues her relentless pursuit of the Hamas military emplacements and brigades. Of this real risk of widening of the War, Martin J. Gross Senior Fellow of The Washington Institute on Middle East Policy ANDREW J. TABLER has recently warned of the following possibility (“Gaza War Shows Heightened Risk of Escalation in the Region,” Nov. 17, 2023).

“Although Washington and its partners have kept the war from spreading so far, the lack of clear rules on some fronts—particularly Syria—has created a dangerous environment in which any actor might inadvertently cross someone’s Red Lines …

[Following a detailed review of several current flashpoints, he continues] Arguably the most worrisome trend for Washington involves Iranian militia attacks against US bases in Iraq and Syria. Detailed tracking of Iranian attacks and US counter strikes by my Washington Institute colleagues shows that since October 18—again immediately after the Al-Ahli Hospital explosion—Iranian-backed militia have launched approximately 77 separate attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria. This has involved 43 strikes on US bases in Syria and 34 in neighboring Iraq, with rockets, missiles, and increasingly more accurate drones.”

The Obvious Point: The Middle East and the Western world are sitting on an historic Tinder Box that has been smoldering for decades. Indeed, some would argue as do I, for centuries. This sets the stage for the meat of our study today in the next section dealing, quite likely, with The Next War.

III. THE TEACHING

KEY TERM: “RUINOUS HEAP.” ‘Mappalah’ [מַפָּלָה]; and ‘Mei’ [מְעִי]: “Something fallen, collapsed or contorted into a lifeless pile of rubbish; complete ruin; utter destruction; fall; overthrow; defeat; that change of anything which destroys it, or entirely defeats its object, or unfits it for use; the remains of a decayed or demolished city, house, fortress.”

COMMENTARY. “As Civil War rages in Syria and other nations ponder potential involvement, some Bible teachers believe we can see Biblical End-Times Prophecy unfolding right before our eyes. The Middle East is a religious-political Powder Keg and has been for years, but the Syrian Crisis seems to be making the situation that much more explosive. Because of Syria’s proximity to Israel, Egypt’s troubles, Iran’s threats, and the United States’ ultimatums, there is talk of the End Times, Armageddon, and World War III.

It is true that, with every passing day, we draw closer to the Second Coming of Christ (James 5:8). And the Prophecy of Isaiah 17:1 has yet to be fulfilled: ‘A Prophecy Against Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.’” Damascus, the Capital of Syria, has a longstanding reputation for being the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. ‘It has never been without citizens or totally destroyed.’ But Isaiah’s Prophecy still stands; there is coming a day when Damascus will be nothing but a ‘heap of ruins.’ The current War in Syria [and now the Gaza] could indeed be one of the events leading up to the Capital’s destruction.

There are other verses in the Bible tethered to Isaiah 17:1, but the idea of a ruinous heap suggests that ‘not one building is left standing in Damascus.’ The City will no longer be a city. Some students of prophecy believe a nuclear bomb could be the means of fulfilling this prophecy; others suggest the possibility of an earthquake. Regardless of exactly how or when it happens, two things we know for sure: God is sovereign and His Word will stand (Isaiah 40:8).” ― EDITORS, “Does the Bible Predict the Destruction of Damascus?” Got Questions, ret. Nov. 21, 2023; edited

DK. Here is part of what I wrote of this soon coming War, or what I see as a ‘probable expansion’ of the present Israel-Hamas War, in the same Chapter cited earlier.

“This describes the Prophecy of Isaiah that has not been, to date, fulfilled. It will involve Iran-backed Syria in general, and Damascus in particular (vv. 1-3). The Conventional View is that Israel decimates the Capital with nuclear warheads in response to the constant drumbeat of border incursions, endless missile launches, and saber rattling by the Arab superpower sponsor, Russia. …

This brutal attack on the ancient City has catastrophic impact on the balance of power in the Middle East as well as among the Western world’s leading powers at that time, likely commandeered by the [then] Antichrist’s Coalition of Nations. Worldwide hatred of Israel is reaching its peak, in spite of (or because of) God’s last-minute rescue of His people (vv. 13-14). Thus it very probably sets up or even again ‘triggers’ the next war as still another attempt to annihilate Israel by the nations remaining capable of a major, late-in-history assault on the Land of Promise [The Ezekiel 38 War].”

Needless to say, these words are literally on fire today in December 2023, as Israel promises to press its admittedly severe Counterattack against Hamas in The Gaza following the present temporary Cease Fire. This is why I believe that once again, the entire world is at The Precipice of several Last Days Wars described in the Scriptures that will culminate at the very End of History with Armageddon.

Just In: “Israel’s intelligence services are preparing to kill Hamas leaders around the world when the nation’s war in the Gaza Strip winds down, setting the stage for a yearslong campaign to hunt down militants responsible for the Oct. 7 massacres, Israeli officials said.” – Wall Street Journal, Dec. 1, 2023

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

As mentioned in my open, Bible scholars continue to debate about whether or not this Prophecy has already been fulfilled or is yet future. The majority of Establishment seminarians and theologians argue for the Historicist View, that indeed this occurred in 732 BC when the Neo-Assyrian warrior-king TIGLATH-PILESER conquered it. However, I will offer strong evidence to refute that view in the section that follows.

THE ROSENBERG VIEW. With some reluctance here, I turn to the otherwise cogent analysis by Messianic Jewish Trump apologist JOEL C. ROSENBERG for that evidence in a thorough and scholarly paper on the Isaiah 17 Damascus Prophecy, penned well before his capitulation to the MAGA Narrative.

His title: “Notes on the Future of Damascus According to Bible Prophecy” (Sep. 9, 2013).

There are two major passages in the Bible that deal with the future of Damascus. The first is found in ISAIAH 17, notably verses one through three, which foretells the destruction of Damascus in the Last Days, prior to the Day of the Lord. The second is found in JEREMIAH 49:23-27, which also foretells the destruction of Damascus prior to the Day of the Lord.

When viewed together, we can say the following about the Prophecies concerning Damascus found in Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49: The Prophecies refer to a Divine Judgment by God against the City of Damascus. Though neither text describes the specific sins, the context of the Prophecies in the range of chapters in Isaiah and Jeremiah suggest that that the Judgments are similar to that of other enemies of God and enemies of Israel. The Judgments are, therefore, due to the evil that has been done to the people of the City by the leaders, and the evil done by the people of the City, as well as the evil done to the nations around her, including Israel.

The Prophecies refer to the utter, catastrophic destruction of Damascus. Both are Eschatological passages, referring to End Times events that have yet to occur. Isaiah’s Prophecy was given to him in 715 BC, well after the conquering of Damascus in 732 by Tiglath-Pileser. Likewise, Jeremiah’s ministry occurred between 626 BC and 586.

Damascus has certainly been attacked, conquered, and burned at various points in history, including Biblical history – but it is clear that the Prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 have not yet been fulfilled. Damascus is, after all, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet.” DK: As of 2022, the City currently enjoyed a population of 2,503,000 people, hardly an unhabitable place as required by the Scriptures (Wikipedia, Nov. 26, 2023).

CODA. What all this means, beloved, is to for us to continue to be diligent Watchmen on the Wall for what is coming our way domestically here in the United States with the nearly imminent return to power of the MAGA Nationalists. And overseas as well, as we see our suffering brethren in foreign lands undergoing in their part of the world what Jews and Arabs alike are experiencing in the Gaza War.

Charles A. Schieren Professor of Church and Society at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, DR. KAREN DAY, takes us home in her superb piece on DIETRICH BONHOEFFER and his legacy to us on matters of War and Peace (“Bonhoeffer and the Way of Peace,” Living Lutheran, May 7, 2018; edited).

“Peace was at the core of Bonhoeffer’s theology and work. He never met a polarity he liked, instead always showing the relatedness of the Law and Gospel, Christ and the world, Church and State, etc. But this wasn’t about theological abstraction; Bonhoeffer was consumed with what it meant in ‘the concrete’ (a word he used frequently). He was never more concrete than when, as a 28-year-old, he spoke at an Ecumenical Conference in Fano, Denmark, in the summer of 1934.

Hitler had been in power for one year. While some in the German Church supported him politically, the majority were taking a ‘wait-and-see’ position [as in America to this day]. The Confessing Church was a small but growing Resistance Movement, and Bonhoeffer was emerging as one of its leaders. They were seeing ominous signs of war and violence in Hitler’s agenda of expansionism, Hyper-Nationalism and racial purity. The Church had just issued its ‘Theological Declaration at Barmen,’ which publicly asserted the independence of the Church of Jesus Christ over any other power that would demand absolute loyalty. Finding its voice, the Confessing Church declared that Christian identity transcended race and nationality …

[Bonhoeffer declared]: ‘There is no way to Peace along the way of Safety. ‘For peace must be dared.’ It is the Great Venture. It can never be made safe. Peace is the opposite of Security … Peace means to give oneself altogether to the Law of God. … Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won where the way leads to the Cross’ …

[Dr. Day concludes]: As we face our own ‘Wars and Rumors of Wars,’ Bonhoeffer’s words ring across history from Fano in 1934: ‘The Hour is late. The world is choked with weapons, and dreadful is the distrust … For what are we waiting? … We want to give the world a Whole Word, not a half word—a Courageous Word, ‘a Christian Word!’”

It is precisely here that I stand – with Bonhoeffer and Day, with the Law and the Prophets, with the Baptist and the Christ, with the Apostles and the Church Fathers, and the Reformers, TO DECLARE with them all:

The Whole Gospel, beloved! Not the partial, the lukewarm, nor the convenient nor the conventional. No Sir! The Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth – So help us God!

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/F9DUC4ADUus