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Chemical Weapons massacre in Ghouta Syria, August 21, 2013 (محمد السعيد)

COGwriter

Chemical weapons are still being deployed in Syria:

April 4, 2017

The death toll in a suspected gas attack in northern Syria now stands at 58 civilians, according to a group dedicated to monitoring that country’s civil war.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 11 children were among the dead after air strikes on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in the northern province of Idlib.

The Observatory says many of the victims were left choking, suffocating, vomiting and foaming at the mouth after the bombing.

The British-based group says it is unclear whether Russian or Syrian warplanes carried out the attack. http://www.voanews.com/a/deadly-air-strikes-idlib/3795264.html

April 4, 2017

(CNN) Dozens of people, including at least ten children, have been killed and more than 200 injured in a suspected chemical attack in northern Syria, multiple activist groups claim.

Airstrikes hit the city of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, giving off a “poisonous gas,” according to Anas al-Diab, an activist with the Aleppo Media Center.

The casualties reportedly came as a result of asphyxiation caused by exposure to an unknown gas or chemical agent.

Activist al-Diab said the death toll was at least 67, while activist group Idlib Media Center reported that dozens were killed. Elsewhere the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 58 were dead, including ten children.

The Syrian Coalition, an umbrella opposition group, referred to the attack in a Twitter post as a “crime similar to that in Eastern Ghouta in 2013 that the international community allowed to pass without accountability or punishment.”

The tweet was referring a 2013 chemical attack on a Damascus suburb blamed on the Syrian regime.

This prompted former US President Barack Obama to ask Congress to authorize military action against Syria.

Shortly after, Syria agreed to a Russian proposal to give up control of its chemical weapons, leading Obama to quietly retreat from threats of military action against the regime.

The US says more than 1,400 civilians may have been killed in the 2013 gas attack. http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/04/middleeast/idlib-syria-attack/

Back in 2012, the US government claimed that the use of chemical weapons by Syria would be a ‘red line’ it had better not cross or else (see Syria’s Assad Cornered and Considering Using Chemical Weapons?).

The threat by the USA was not considered to have been effective as chemical weapons where used several times in 2013:

The U.N. mission found likely use of the nerve agent Sarin in the case of Khan Al-Asal (19 March 2013), Saraqib (29 April 2013), Ghouta (21 August 2013), Jobar (24 August 2013) and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (25 August 2013). The UNHRC commission later confirmed the use of Sarin in the Khan al-Asal, Saraqib and Ghouta attacks, but did not mention the Jobar and the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya attacks.That Sarin was used in Khan al-Asal was also the conclusion of the Russian investigation of the attack.

The UNHRC commission also found that the Sarin used in the Khan al-Asal attack bore “the same unique hallmarks” as the Sarin used in the Ghouta attack and indicated that the perpetrators likely had access to chemicals from the Syrian Army’s stockpile. (Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war. Wikipedia, accessed 04/14/2015)

Furthermore, 837 people were believed to have been killed by chemical weapons in Syria during August 2015 (ibid).

Although the media reported that the USA was seriously considering an attack near then (see NBC: U.S. ‘Military action is coming’ to Syria and Reuters: West may strike Syria within days), this did not happen. Opposition forces to the Assad regime in Syria were disappointed (see John Kerry claims Syria used Sarin gas; Assad opposition disappointed in Barack Obama).

In early September 2013, Pope Francis prayed for ‘Mary’s’ intervention (see Pope Francis’ ‘solution’ to Syrian crisis will not work). The USA, Russia, and Syria made a deal (see Russia, Syria, and Kerry suggest relinquishment of Syrian chemical weapons: Will the Vatican claim credit?).

The Assad regime claimed it was victorious because of the deal (see Assad’s government claims victory because of Russian deal). By November 2013, this basically led to the rise of certain Islamic rebels in Syria (see Islamic rebels form confederation and are rising in Syria).

This led to the rise of the Islamic State by January 2014 (see Nearly 500 reportedly killed between rebels and Al-Qaeda; Obama policies satirically portrayed in Syrian graphics), which declared itself a caliphate in June 2014 (see ISIL declares itself ‘Islamic State’ and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as caliph).

In February 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted failure dealing with Syria (see Syria still has 96% of its chemical weapons; John Kerry indicates US policy on Syria is failing). This failure also seemed to result in the refugee situation as millions have left Syria.

Although by April 2014 most of the Assad chemical weapons claimed to be destroyed, twice in April 2014, chemical weapons were reportedly used (see Although most Syrian chemical weapons are claimed to be gone, allegedly some were used again today! and Chemical weapons again used in Syria).

And despite USA efforts, chemical weapons are allegedly being used by the Assad regime or its opposition. Unlike Barack Obama, US President Trump has not stated what he might do in the event of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Here is some of what Bible prophecies teaches will one day happen to Syria’s capital Damascus:

7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus (Isaiah 7:7-8).

3 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. (Amos 1:3)

1 The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. (Isaiah 17:1)

23 Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet. 24 Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. 25 Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? 26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts. 27 “I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.” (Jeremiah 49:23-27)

Damascus has been claimed to be the “oldest continuously inhabited city” in the world. And while some have questioned that claim, the reality is that Damascus has not been destroyed to the point of becoming the “ruinous heap” since God inspired Isaiah to record that.

Notice something from Islamic prophecy:

black standards will advance from Khurasan; al-Yamani will come out in revolt; al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria; the Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will occupy Ramla; the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light; then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet; a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons; a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days; the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority; the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria)…

The Abbasids will dispute; a voice will call from the sky; one of the villages of Syria called al-Jabiyya will be swallowed up; the Turks will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will attack al-Ramla; at that time there will be much conflict throughout the land until Syria is destroyed. (Kitab al Irshad Chapter: The Twelfth Imam (Peace be on him) Page (s): 541 – 548 Published by Tehrike Tersile Qura’n. Contributed by Br. Ali Abbas, abbas@seas.gwu.edu http://www.al-islam.org/masoom/bios/12thimam.html viewed 7/22/12)

The tradition reports Muhammad said that the advent of the Mahdi would be signaled by “Black Standards” proceeding from Khorasan. …

A black flag with the shahada inscribed in white was spotted on Jihadist websites from at least 2001. Even though the historical black banner did not have any inscription, this variant is commonly known as al-rāya “the banner” or rayat al-`uqab “banner of the eagle” after the hadith tradition, and has been dubbed the black flag of jihad by western observers.Islamic extremist organizations that used such a black flag include al‑Qaeda, al‑Shabaab, the Islamic Courts Union, the ISIS and Hizbul Islam (2009). Some variant designs depict the second phrase of the shahada in the form of the historical seal of Muhammad (Wikipedia, Black Standard, viewed July 5, 2014)

The Islamic State uses the ‘black standard’ as its flag and seems to hope that it will fulfill some of the Islamic prophecy.

Destruction is coming to Syria’s capital Damascus according to to biblical prophecy and some associated with Islam hope to bring this about.

This destruction could come as the result of the current war with the Islamic State. It is possible that attacks against the Islamic State will encourage it to attack Damascus. Also if the Assad regime more broadly uses chemical weapons and/or becomes engaged in a conflict with Israel and/or the West (called ‘Byzantines’ in some Islamic prophecy), that could also fulfill the above.

The most recent use of chemical weapons is outrageous.

The situation for Arab world will have ups and downs. The Bible tells of a time of a peace deal that will affect the region, but that deal will not last (Daniel 9:27). The Bible teaches that more war will later come and will include a coalition of peoples such as the Sunni nations involved in the current attacks against the Islamic State in Syria (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8).

While few wish to believe it, it will take the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God to truly solve the conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. Those in Syria are in my prayers.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 4th, 2017 at 7:42 am and is filed under Prophecy.

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