The very nations that are predicted in the Bible to fight within the Middle East at the Time of the End now battle for military advantage in Syria.  Throughout 2018, Iranian forces have been setting up bases in Syria, and several times they have prompted Israel to respond militarily. On May 10th, during the early morning overnight hours, the Syrian Quds Force dramatically increased tensions as they fired 20 rockets at Israeli military positions within the Golan Heights region in northeast Israel. Israel’s response was immediate and forceful. The IDF launched fighters and missiles to strike over 70 Iranian targets within Syria. The counter-attacks hit Iranian intelligence sites, military headquarters, munition stores, and air defense systems. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahyu afterward said that Iran had transferred advanced weapons systems into Syria, including missiles that can target Israeli air and ground forces.

Later, on September 18, 2018, a major incident occurred, which was not surprising seeing so many different military forces were operating in Syria. The Syrian air defense forces mistakenly shot down a Russian IL-20 aircraft due to the simultaneous attacks by Israeli F-16 fighters and by a French frigate in the Mediterranean Sea, which both launched missiles upon targets in the coastal Latakia region. The Syrian forces said that they were responding to the Israeli and French attacks by launching Russian made C-200 missiles from batteries within northwestern Syria. Since the Russian IL-20 aircraft was also in the area at the same time, the C-200 missiles locked onto the larger Russian plane rather than the smaller Israeli fighters or the French missiles. The result was downing the Russian plane and killing all 14 military servicemen on board. Russia blamed Israel for the incident, saying that Israel deliberately caused the situation; however, this is all part of the prophesied battle for military advantage in Syria, which the Bible says would happen in the Last Days.

Suddenly, during the nighttime hours of Monday, October 1, 2018, Iran upped the ante by firing long-range ballistic missiles into Syria. This attack was said to be directed against militants in the eastern part of Syria, in the region of Ahvaz. Although the official statement from Iran said that the missiles were launched against “terrorists”, it was clear that the real reason for the attack was to send a message to Israel and the U.S. One missile shown on Iranian television had painted on its side the phrase “Death to America, Death to Israel, Death to Al Saud”. The Al Saud reference was directed at the Saudi government, which has sided with America and Israel against the Shiite regime in Iran. The launching of ballistic missiles was a demonstration of Iran’s new military reach, which could just as easily be used to target Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other American interests in the region.  The battle for military advantage in Syria is expanding throughout the Middle East.

Then, on October 4, 2018, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister (Sergei Vershinin) made what amounted to a diplomatic threat against Israel, strongly telling them that they had better “exercise good judgment in the region”. That warning came shortly after Russia upgraded their Syrian air defensive shield through the deployment of S-300 missile batteries. Although Israel asked Russia not to deploy the S-300 missiles for fear that the Syrian government forces would use them against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Russia did so anyway. Afterward, the Israeli Deputy Minister for Diplomacy, Michael Oren told The Voice of America that the new anti-aircraft systems “will pose a challenge, but not an insurmountable challenge”. Israel said that they will continue to attack the Iranian forces in Syria no matter where they were operating. Clearly, the tensions in Syria are continuing to grow as multiple nations vie for position and power within this region.

Finally, on October 10, 2018, Russia warned Israel not to change the status of the Golan Heights region. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, “changing the status of the Golan Heights without the approval of the UN Security Council would consist of a violation of existing agreements”. This was in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement the previous Monday (Oct. 8), that “as long as it is dependent on me, the Golan will remain under Israeli sovereignty”. He continued to say, “Otherwise, we will get Iran and Hezbollah on the banks of the Kinneret.” There have been a number of reports in recent months that have encouraged Israel to make the move to annex the Golan. Now, for the first time, Russia has entered the conversation, as Russian forces along with the Syrian and Iranian militaries are not too far from Israel’s northern border region in the Golan. Some have said that the current situation could explode into a major war at any time.  The battle for military advantage in Syria has got to the point where the entire world could now be threatened.

The battles between Syria, Russia, and Iran on one side and the nation of Israel on the other are setting the stage for the fulfillment of critical End Times prophecies. Ezekiel predicted that these very nations will attack the land of Israel in the Last Days (Ezek. 38 & 39). Ezekiel predicted that this attack will start a massive war that will quickly expand out of control into a nuclear exchange causing large-scale global destruction. In the Bible, World War III is predicted to begin in the Middle East and eventually lead to the Battle of Armageddon and the Return of Christ. The time remaining for this world is getting short. Now is the time to turn away from sin and ask Jesus for forgiveness, before it is too late!