By Todd Baker, ZLM staff theologian
Iranian troops are now in Syria assisting Russia! They are mentioned as “Persia,” along with the Russian Gog leader, in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 concerning the end-time invasion of Israel.
Wow, wow–this could be the fulfillment of that ancient prophecy! Time will tell.
Libya and Turkey must eventually join the present alliance (see Ezekiel 38:1-6) and, then, if they attack Israel from the north (the Golan Heights), we will be watching the ancient prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 historically fulfilled.
God said that this battle will specifically take place in the Latter Days within the context of the regathering of the Jewish people into the land of Israel (Ezekiel 38:8). Hold your breath, you eager and watchful students of Bible prophecy, This could be it.
And we know how this battle ends, Beloved: God will supernaturally rain hail, fire, and brimstone out of Heaven to destroy these wicked, anti-Jewish armies so that the unbelieving secular world may finally wake up know that He is the true God, the God of Israel (see Ezekiel 39:6-8).
Iranian troops arrive in Syria ahead of major ground offensive
By Reuters
Photo: AP
Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in the last 10 days and will soon join government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes, two Lebanese sources told Reuters.
“The (Russian) air strikes will in the near future be accompanied by ground advances by the Syrian army and its allies,” said one of the sources familiar with political and military developments in the conflict.
“It is possible that the coming land operations will be focused in the Idlib and Hama countryside,” the source added.
The two sources said the operation would be aimed at recapturing territory lost by President Bashar al-Assad’s government to rebels.
It points to an emerging military alliance between Russia and Assad’s other main allies – Iran and Hezbollah – focused on recapturing areas of northwestern Syria that were seized by insurgents in rapid advances earlier this year.
“The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria: soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle. They are not advisors … we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more,” the second source said. Iraqis would also take part in the operation, the source said.
Thus far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisors. Iran has also mobilized Shi’ite militia fighters, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has been fighting alongside the Syrian army since early in the conflict.
The Russian air force began air strikes in Syria on Wednesday, targeting areas near the cities of Homs and Hama in the west of the country, where Assad’s forces are fighting an array of insurgent groups, though not Islamic State, which is based mostly in the north and east.
An alliance of insurgent groups including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and powerful Ahrar al-Sham made rapid gains in Idlib province earlier this year, completely expelling the government from the area bordering Turkey.