For those of us watching the Middle East with biblical lenses, the unfolding events are not simply political maneuvers but prophetic signposts. The Bible repeatedly warns that in the last days nations will rage against Israel and turmoil will swirl around Damascus.
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Today, reports from Jerusalem confirm that what the prophets spoke of is lining up before our very eyes.
Turkey’s Rising Influence in Syria
Middle East analyst Jonathan Spire highlighted the troubling role Turkey is playing in shaping the future of Damascus on a special edition of The Watchman Newscast with Erick Stakelbeck. “The victory of Hayatam and Ahmed Ashara in Damascus back in December of last year was, of course, their victory, but it was also the victory of Turkey,” Spire said. He explained that the new regime “owes everything to Turkey,” and with Ankara now pledging to build an airport, military, and police structure, “what you will have is a fully fledged client state of Turkey, a Sunni Islamist client state of the Islamist regime in Ankara down there in Damascus.”
For Israel, the implications are chilling. As Stakelbeck noted, this means “a dangerous thing at Israel’s doorstep. A regime in Turkey that is hostile to the Jewish state for sure.”
Damascus and the Prophetic Pattern
The city of Damascus has always carried spiritual weight in biblical prophecy. The prophet Isaiah declared, “Damascus will cease from being a city” (Isa. 17:1). With Turkey entrenching itself, the specter of Damascus becoming a launching point for hostile Islamist forces against Israel brings that prophecy into sharper focus. Spire warned that despite Western optimism, “this is not the first time that we have had the experience of Sunni Islamists in government … and up until now, we have a 100% rate of complete catastrophe as a result of that.”
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From Egypt’s brief Muslim Brotherhood rule to Hamas in Gaza and ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the pattern has always ended in destruction and violence. Yet, as Spire added, “some people in the West think, ‘No, no, this time it’s all going to be different.’ Well, I have news for them. It generally isn’t going to be all that different.”
Israel’s Vigilance and Iran’s Weakness
Israel, aware of what is taking shape across its northern border, has already mobilized. Stakelbeck explained that Israel “has acted militarily recently, just as recently as July, to prevent Shah’s new Syrian army from coming down there into Suwayda province.” These moves show a determination to keep hostile forces from pressing too close.
At the same time, Iran, long the patron of chaos in the region, has been weakened. “The Iranian regime is in a very low point domestically,” Spire said, citing widespread shortages in water and electricity. Still, he warned that “Iran is determined to begin the long process of rebuilding both its own military capacities and indeed the capacities of its proxies. It wants to get back in the game.”
A Global Spiritual Picture
Chris Mitchell of CBN News added a sobering reminder about the spiritual battle at the heart of all this. “After Oct. 7th when the world is turning against the Jewish people, the world is turning against Israel, when lies are being told, when deception is really spreading globally … anti-Semitism has just exploded globally. So totally irrational.”
What Scripture prophesied is unfolding, nations aligning, Israel standing alone and the city of Damascus becoming a flashpoint once again.
A Call to Prayer and Readiness
As Christians look at these events, the call is not to fear but to discern and act. Jesus said when these things begin to happen, “look up, for your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). Now is the time to pray for Jerusalem, stand with Israel and prepare our hearts.
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May believers everywhere commit themselves to prayer, discernment and action—becoming true watchmen on the wall, preparing the way of the Lord as the days of fulfillment draw ever closer.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
