The following is an article from the Christian Post, based on an interview I did this week with one of their reporters. One correction should be noted. The article says I refer to the death of “King Ahab.” What I actually said was “King Ahaz.”

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Syria and End Times Concerns a ‘Legitimate Question,’ says Mideast and Prophecy Expert

By Michael Gryboski, Christian Post, September 12, 2013

The question of whether or not the current events taking place in Syria are connected to the End Times is a “legitimate question,” says an author and expert on the Middle East and End Times prophecy.

Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author of books such as The Last Days and Epicenter, and founder of the pro-Israel The Joshua Fund, told The Christian Post that such speculations should be taken with caution, but are legitimate ponderings.  “I think we have to be very careful not to overreach or to sensationalize a terrible situation that’s happening to real people right now and to draw a conclusion too quickly,” said Rosenberg.  “That being said, the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 are very important. They speak to the utter destruction and judgment of the city of Damascus at some point in the End Times future.”

Rosenberg, whose bestselling novels often feature end times themes, also told CP that “these prophecies have never been fulfilled in history so far.”

“Damascus has certainly been attacked and conquered in history, but it has never been removed from being a city. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet,” said Rosenberg, who has worked for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Is it possible that these events could set into motion the fulfillment of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 in our lifetime or even soon? And that’s a legitimate question and the answer right now is we don’t know if it will happen but it could.”

Regarding biblical prophecy and the Syria conflict, many have specifically pointed to Isaiah 17, which states in the first verse that “Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap.”

In response to the curiosity about Isaiah 17, many Christian theologians have expressed skepticism about the passage applying to modern events.

Dr. Robert Mulholland, who is a recently retired professor of New Testament of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., told The Christian Post in an earlier interview that he did not believe there was a connection.

“In this case, Isaiah was predicting the demise of Damascus at the hands of Assyria in the eighth century [Before Christ],” said Mulholland. “If one wanted to try to make the case for Isaiah 17 predicting the end times, then Iran (the present day successor to Assyria) would be responsible for Damascus’ demise and not its primary ally.”

Regarding the words of scholars, Rosenberg responded to CP that there were a couple of issues with saying that Isaiah 17 was fulfilled millennia ago.

“We know for certain that this prophecy of Isaiah 17 has not been fulfilled for several reasons. First Damascus had never been removed from being a city,” argued Rosenberg. “The text doesn’t say it will be conquered, the text says it will [cease] to be a city. Of course it still is a city so it could not have been fulfilled.”

Rosenberg also argued that the set of prophecies Isaiah makes that includes chapter 17 were made in the year King Ahab [NOTE: this should read “King Ahaz”] died, which was sometime after Assyria had conquered Damascus.

“So Isaiah had not even had the prophecy of the complete destruction of Damascus that he writes about in Isaiah 17,” said Rosenberg.

“Isaiah did prophesy about the conquering of Damascus by the king of Assyria in 732 BC and we find those prophecies in chapters seven and eight.”

‘An Absolute Tragedy’

Rosenberg’s remarks came the day after President Barack Obama made a speech to the American public about U.S. intervention in the Syrian Civil War.  Obama had temporarily backed down on the idea of the U.S. striking Syria, asking for Congress to delay voting on an attack as Washington seriously considers Russia’s proposal of Syria turning over its chemical weapons to the international community.   

The Syrian Civil War has produced tens of thousands of casualties and an even greater number of refugees who have fled to neighboring Middle Eastern nations for sanctuary.

Regarding these happenings, Rosenberg told CP that “we’re watching an absolute tragedy unfold in Syria and in Damascus,” and that prayer is needed for both the United States and Syria.

“We need to be praying for him [President Obama] and for his advisors and that’s what I am encouraging people to do. We also need to be praying for the people of Syria because Christians shouldn’t simply study Bible prophecy and say ‘oh good, judgment [is] coming to some city or country’,” said Rosenberg.

“We need to have a heart of compassion for the people of Damascus who are going through a terrible time now and could be going through something much worse if this were to happen in our lifetime.”

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>> 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.

• NYT best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown
• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Answering those who dismiss Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of Damascus.
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

Secretary John Kerry has struck a deal on Syrian chemical weapons. Will it work? Is it enough?

(Dallas, Texas) — The U.S. and Russia have announced that their diplomats have struck a deal to identify all chemical weapons in Syria by November, and destroy them all by mid-2014. It will take some time to learn all the details and assess the deal. Here are some of the questions that will need to be answered:

• Will Assad really disclose all the chemical weapons the Syrian regime possesses?
• How will we know for certain?
• Is it really possible to destroy an estimated 1,000 tons of chemical weapons in the middle of a raging civil war?
• What countries will provide the weapons inspectors?
• How many will be needed?
• How will they be protected?
• What happens if they are ambushed, kidnapped, or killed?
• What happens of Assad reneges on the deal?
• Will the U.S. use force then?
• Would a U.N. Security Council vote be required first?
• Wouldn’t Russia veto such a resolution?
• Will Russia be able to continue selling — or giving — conventional arms to Assad’s regime?

The larger question is this: Even if all of Syria’s chemical weapons could be identified and destroyed (that would be a good thing), this deal does nothing to stop the mass murder and savage brutality still underway in the country, right?

Let’s keep in mind:

• Sheer evil has been unleashed in Syria.
• Both sides are guilty of war crimes.
• We are witnessing the implosion of a modern Arab state.
• More than 110,000 Syrians have been killed in the last 30 months — only a tiny percentage by chemical weapons; most by conventional methods.
• An estimated 7 million Syrians — nearly 1 in 3 citizens of the country — are fleeing for their lives (2 million have fled the country as refugees; another 5 million are “internally displaced”).

Here is the text of the agreement.

• Text of the Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons (State Department)
• U.S., Russia reach agreement on seizure of Syrian chemical weapons arsenal (Washington Post)

Thousands of Jewish people gather for prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City the night before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. (photo credit: Dror Garti/Flash90/Times of Israel.)

(Dallas, Texas) — Today is Yom Kippur, or the “Day of Atonement.” It is a Biblical holiday, the day when God called the children of Israel to repent of their national and individual sins and sacrifice animals to receive atonement, or forgiveness, of their sins. It is the highest holiday in Judaism.

Yom Kippur also marks the day when the modern state of Israel was nearly “wiped off the map” by her enemies. Forty years ago today, the Russian-trained and equipped air forces and armies of Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on the Jewish State, a move that nearly succeeded in destroying Israel.

Today, therefore, many Israelis are fasting and praying and reflecting on their lives and going to synagogue — some because of tradition, and some to follow Old Testament customs (albeit complicated by the lack of a Temple in Jerusalem).

Many Israelis are also taking time to reflect on how the reluctance of their Prime Minister in 1973 to launch a preemptive strike nearly led to a second Holocaust.

The Israeli society shuts down completely on Yom Kippur (see below). But the Friday edition of most Israeli newspapers (published before the temporary but complete shutdown) featured articles looking back at the ’73 war and the flawed leadership and failed intelligence that led to such a grave moment for the Jewish people after the stunning success of the ’67 war.

What follows are some excerpts concerning the religious aspect of this day, and links to some intriguing articles about the October war of 1973.

“Israelis prepared for the holiest day of the Jewish calendar on Friday when the entire country grinds almost to a halt for Yom Kippur, Judaism’s day of atonement,” notes an article in the Friday edition of the Times of Israel. “Jews traditionally spend the solemn day fasting and asking God for forgiveness at intense prayer services in synagogues. It caps a 10-day period of soul-searching that began with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year holiday.”

“In Israel, the country virtually shuts down for Yom Kippur,” notes the Times. “Businesses, restaurants and offices close, and TV and radio stations go silent. Airports close and buses and trains stop running. Highways and roads become eerily quiet, devoid of vehicles. Yom Kippur is unique in Israel because it touches almost the entire country. A high portion of the secular population observes the fast — and even those who don’t fast tend to refrain from eating in public, and quietly watch movies or rest at home. Many secular, mostly younger, Israelis ride bicycles and skateboards through the empty roads in some areas.”

HEADLINES REFLECTING ON THE “YOM KIPPUR” WAR OF 1973

• Golda Meir: ‘My heart was drawn to a preemptive strike, but I was scared’
• Three years too late, Golda Meir understood how war could have been avoided
• 40 years on, the IDF finally emerges from its bunker

Awareness of the prophecies of Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 concerning the future of Damascus continues to grow. So does interest in whether these prophecies have already come true, or whether they are yet to come to pass. (For examples, see here, and here, and here.) Meanwhile, there are certainly plenty of skeptics and critics, and this is understandable.

My goal in writing Damascus Countdown and publishing my study notes on these prophecies is not to try to persuade people to believe that these prophecies are true. They are true. The Scriptures are inspired by God. Of the thousand or so prophecies in the Bible, more than half have already come true. Most of the rest will come to pass between now and the Second Coming of Christ. I hope people will take them seriously. But I’m not worried about that. The Lord God is sovereign. He will accomplish His purposes in His own time. People can believe or not believe. That is their choice.

That said, my goal is to help make people aware of what the Bible says about the future of various countries and cities, help them understand Bible prophecy, answer their questions, and encourage them to seriously consider whether they want to follow Christ or not. And for Christians, I want to encourage them to know the power of God’s Word, and encourage them to obey Jesus when He commanded us to love our neighbors and love our enemies.

To be clear: We don’t know when the prophecies regarding Damascus will come to pass. But we can — and should — demonstrate real love and compassion towards the people of Syria generally, and the people of Damascus, in particular, right now, given all the trauma they are going through.

In this context, I agreed to an interview this week to help answer some of the questions that are arising. I hope you find it helpful.

‘End Times’ Bible Expert Delivers 3 Reasons Why Those Dismissing Syria-Related Prophecies May Be Dead Wrong

By Billy Hallowell, The Blaze, September 12, 2013

Is the beginning of the end of the world upon us? Well, that depends upon who you ask.

In case you haven’t noticed, End Times theology has become a hot topic in media this summer. From discussions surrounding Syria and its alleged role in Biblical prophesy to grander curiosities about Jesus Christ’s supposed Second Coming, the debate over these themes has been a spirited one, as TheBlaze recently noted. And as supporters continuously speak out, critics of End Times theology are vocal of late, highlighting their contention that applying Old Testament Bible verses to future unforeseen events and happenings is haphazard (we highlighted some of the main arguments against this prophetic inclination in past coverage of the issue).

Considering these critiques, TheBlaze once again interviewed author and Bible expert Joel Rosenberg to see what he has to say in response to those who disagree with his interpretation of scripture.

Rosenberg, who believes that Isaiah 17:1-3, among other verses, highlight what’s to come, attempted to poke holes in counterarguments, charging that those who dismiss the view that the Bible holds many keys to the End Times fail to see the full picture.

As a refresher, Isaiah 17:1-3 reads, “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid^. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Considering the current international conflict, this is obviously capturing attention.

Some critics dismiss the application of these verses to future prophecy and note that Damascus has been attacked numerous times throughout its history. Thus, they believe prophecy has already been fulfilled. Some hold that there’s no remaining foresight at any level and simply believe that what is described already unfolded in 732 B.C.

1. Damascus has been attacked before, but….

TheBlaze asked Rosenberg to respond to this latter claim and he noted, first and foremost, that Damascus certainly has been attacked in the past – but the Bible expert added an important caveat: Damascus has never ceased to be a city, something that Rosenberg believes is clearly prophesied in Isaiah 17.

“There’s no question that Damascus has been attacked and conquered numerous times through history. Nobody is debating that,” said the author. “The question is whether the actual text has come to fulfillment.”

Rosenberg pointed out a unique fact about Damascus, the capital of Syria: It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the earth. It is first mentioned in Genesis and yet it still appears in modern-day headlines.

While he agrees that the 732 B.C. attack undeniably unfolded (Isaiah 7 and 8 predict this event, Rosenberg believes), he also holds that the prophesy in Isaiah 17:1-3 hasn’t yet been fulfilled, because Damascus continued to be a city following the attack by the Assyrians — and it remains an active and inhabited locality even today.

2. Rosenberg says Isaiah didn’t receive the prophecy until after 732 B.C.

Rosenberg’s second argument is that Isaiah, in the expert’s estimation, didn’t receive the contents of Isaiah 17 until after 732 B.C. If this is true, it would mean that the Assyrian attack on Damascus was not what was being referenced in the text.

“It’s true that Isaiah prophesied about the conquering of Damascus — that happens in chapter 7 and 8 — and that is exactly what came to fulfillment in 732 B.C., but in chapter 14, in verse 28, Isaiah says something that’s fascinating and relevant,” argued the author.

Isaiah 14:28 reads, “This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died.” Rosenberg believes this line is key to the debate.

Since King Ahaz (king of Judah) died around 710 B.C., Rosenberg (who said the year of death was closer to 715 B.C.) runs through some logic that would, at the least, force his critics to respond with their own timeline of events. Perhaps only the text in Isaiah 14 and not 17 came in 710, but regardless the language does create some questions.

“This means that the prophesies of Isaiah 17 were not given to the prophet until 715 B.C., which is nearly two decades after the conquering of Damascus [in 732], so this helps us have assurance that Isaiah 17 wasn’t fulfilled in 732,” he continued.

Rosenberg said that it’s easy to overlook the verse referencing the king – one that seemingly provides context to Isaiah 17. The 732 B.C. prophesy, Rosenberg argues, gives Isaiah credibility, however what he promises in chapter 17 has yet to, in the Bible expert’s view, come to fruition.

“When he gives us end times prophesies, we can be assured that those will happen one day because the other things he had said had already come true,” Rosenberg told TheBlaze.

2. Isaiah 17 isn’t the only alleged prophecy to come.

The “Damascus Countdown” author also notes that it’s not only Isaiah 17 that makes apparent End Times references. You have to look at Jeremiah, too.

While the Syria conflict has shed light on the first three verses of that chapter, Rosenberg made it clear that Isaiah 11 through 24 is filled with “big picture” prophesies that he believes are set to take place in the future. These even include timestamps, Rosenberg claims.

“It’s really sad what the Bible says will happen to Damascus one day and I’m not saying that I know when it will happen,” he added. “I don’t know when these prophesies will come to pass. Will they happen in our lifetime? Well, they could.”……

 [To read the rest of this article, please click here.]

Over the past several years, I have been repeatedly asked whether the Bible speaks to the future of Syria. Pastors and other Christian leaders have asked. So have a number of U.S. leaders and those from other countries.

As the implosion of Syria accelerates, the question of what Bible prophecy says about the future of Syria is being asked more frequently. More and more media outlets are examining this question. During the horrific civil war that is underway there, more than 110,000 Syrians have been killed thus far, including, reportedly, through the use of chemical weapons in Damascus. More than two million Syrians have fled their country. Another five million more Syrians have been “internally displaced” — they have fled their homes and villages because of the brutal violence, but have not yet actually left their country. The country is steadily falling apart and there is a real question how in the world Syria would ever be put back together.

The larger question is whether the situation will actually go from bad to worse. Does the Bible predict the catastrophic destruction of Damascus? If so, did those prophecies already come to pass, or will they happen in the future? If so, why will Damascus be destroyed, and how will it happen? What are the implications of such a thing happening? And how should Christians live in light of such coming events, if they are legitimate?

Short version:

1. Yes, the Bible says Damascus will be “cease to be a city” in the future.
2. No, these prophecies have never been fulfilled.
3. No, we don’t know that these prophecies will come to pass soon, or even in our lifetime.
4. But yes, it is possible that Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 could come to pass in our lifetime.
5. No, we should not overreach, or sensationalize the text.
6. Yes, we should encourage people to study these texts carefully.
7. Yes, Christians need to be praying for the people of Syria now. We also need to show compassion to the people — and the Church — in Syria now, regardless of whether the prophecies will come to pass soon. After all, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies.

Given how often I’m being asked to discuss this, I preached on these Old Testament passages at Topeka Bible Church in Kansas. I have also decided to post 24 pages of my personal study notes on this subject. I hope they are helpful.

>> 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.

• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

UPDATED: (Washington, D.C.) — Where were you on that fateful Tuesday morning? What lessons have we learned? What’s happening now?

A few thoughts:

* To misunderstand the existence and nature of evil is to be risk being blindsided by it.

* We were blindsided by the evil of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s. We were blindsided by the evil of Imperial Japan on December 7th, 1941. We were blindsided by the evil of Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait in 1990. We were blindsided by the evil of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda on September 11th, 2001. Will we be so foolish as to be blindsided again?

* On September 11th, 2001, I was home in our the townhouse near Dulles Airport where we lived at that time. I didn’t have radio on. I didn’t have TV on. Instead, I was finishing the next to last chapters of my first novel, The Last Jihad, which begins with Radical Islamic terrorists flying a jet plane on a suicide mission into an American city. My wife, Lynn,had just dropped off one of our sons at pre-school and had heard on the radio about the attacks. She burst into the house and said, “You will not believe what’s happening right now.” We turned on TV and began watching the coverage and were horrified by what was unfolding. And it turns out that at that moment, Flight 77 — which had just taken off from Dulles — was being hijacked, turned around, flown over our house, and into the Pentagon. It was eerie and surreal. We spent the day gathered with friends, praying for our country and wondering what would happen next.

* How is your spiritual life today? Did 9/11 change you, did it draw you closer to Christ? Are you — and your family — spiritually better off than you were 12 years ago?

* On this day last year, terrorists attacked the American consulate in Benghazi.

* Today, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turns 48. He was born on September 11th, 1965. Please pray that Christ would open the eyes of this man and save him and his family. After all, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies.

* Last night, President Obama addressed the nation on the Syrian crisis.  Here is the full text of his remarks. Many commentators found his remarks — and his entire approach towards Syria — confusing, muddled and vacillating, myself included. Noted former AP chief political writer Ron Fournier: “The good news is we’re not at war. The bad news is … almost everything else about President Obama’s handling of Syria – the fumbling and flip-flopping and marble-mouthing – undercut his credibility, and possibly with it his ability to lead the nation and world.”

* Bible prophecy warns us about some specific disasters that are coming to certain cities and certain countries in the last days of history — will we be so foolish as to ignore such advance warnings?

* I’m flying today — heading to speaking engagements out West. I will not live in fear, but rather trust the Lord my Shepherd. (Psalm 23)

* Throughout the day, I will be Tweeting other thoughts, reflections and observations.

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• To watch the video of the interview, please click here.
• To watch the video of the interview Joel did on Neil Cavuto’s show on Monday, please click here.
• To watch the sermon Joel delivered on Sunday on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49, please click here.
• To read Joel’s study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, please click here.
• If you would like to comment on this sermon, please visit the “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook.
• To listen to Joel’s podcasts — including the latest interview on Hannity re: Syria — please click here
• >> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.
• Christians shouldn’t sit on the sidelines in the Syria crisis. Here are 4 things we can do.
• To learn more about the New York Times best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown, please click here.
• To learn more about The Joshua Fund — and/or make a tax deductible contribution to bless Israel and her neighbors with food, clothing, medical supplies, and other humanitarian relief, including war preparations; to provide humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing Syria and encouragement and support for Arab Christians assisting the Syrian people; and to educate Christians around the world about how to be a blessing to the people of the epicenter — please visit our website, www.joshuafund.net.

(Washington, D.C.) — “How about this to think about today — the crisis in Syria may be more than just a current foreign policy problem,” noted Fox News Channel anchor Martha MacCallum during a Tuesday afternoon segment. “With some seeing signs of Biblical prophecies of the apocalypse in the events that are unfolding overseas, passages in the Old Testament to Damascus falling into ruins, sparking worldwide conflict that some say leads to the coming of the Messiah.”

“Joel Rosenberg is a former aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and he is a Middle East analyst who has written several books on this issues,” said MacCallum. “Welcome, Joel. Good to have you with us today….You know, I think it’s very interesting to look at this from that historic, Biblical perspective….Explain to us — take us through Isaiah and what’s your thinking is on what the Bible says about this.”

We then discussed the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 concerning the future of Damascus, and whether the Bible really says that historic capital will be judged and obliterated in the last days. 

I noted several times the importance of not jumping to conclusions, since we don’t know whether these prophecies will come true in our lifetime. That said, I noted that they could come true soon, and that it’s important to understand what the prophecies say and what they mean, examining them in their “historical-grammatical” context. I also mentioned how these prophecies are factored into my novel, Damascus Countdown. The segment runs about five minutes.

>> To watch the video of the interview, please click here.

>> To watch the video of the interview Joel did on Neil Cavuto’s show on Monday, please click here.

UPDATE: There continues to be much skepticism and criticism of those who are encouraging people to study these prophecies. Here are a few new examples:

• Daily Kos: Fox News ponders whether Syria is sign of the End Times
• Mother Jones: Fox News Discusses Possibility That Syria War Fulfills Biblical Prophecy
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

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• To watch the sermon Joel delivered on Sunday on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49, please click here.
• To read 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, please click here.
• If you would like to comment on this sermon, please visit the “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook.
• To listen to Joel’s podcasts — including the latest interview on Hannity re: Syria — please click here
• >> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

(Washington, D.C.) — Vladimir Putin smells blood in the water.

Sensing a political vacuum on the global stage — one created by the weakness, dithering and vacillation of President Obama and Secretary Kerry — the Russian leader is seizing the moment to become the dominant world leader.

Consider the moves Putin has made in recent days. He has:

• hosted the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia
• insisted Obama and U.S. has no evidence of chemical weapons being used by the Assad regime
• called Kerry a liar
• moved Russian warships into the Med
• promised to resupply Assad in case of war with the U.S.
• granted former-NSA contractor Edward Snowden asylum in Russia and refused to extradite him to the U.S.

Now Putin has seized on what may have been an off-the-cuff stumble by Secretary Kerry to throw a monkey wrench into the Obama war plans. Rather than leading, the White House and State Department find themselves responding to the Kremlin.

Obama looks like a war-monger. Putin is playing the hero, offering a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis.

Obama wanted a Congressional vote to use military force in Syria. Now Putin has turned the tables and has Obama and his team on defense, changing their plays, not quite sure how to proceed, and looking even weaker, vacillating all the more.

“In what looks like an off-the-cuff blunder, Secretary of State John Kerry might have accidentally given Russian President Vladmir Putin the opportunity to muddy the international diplomatic waters and buy his friends in Syria some time,” notes one news analysis. “During a press briefing on Monday, Kerry said that Assad could avoid American air strikes by giving up all his chemical weapons within a week. Within hours, the State Department was forced to walk Kerry’s new red line back with the claim that he was making a “rhetorical argument about the impossibility and unlikelihood of Assad turning over chemical weapons he has denied he used.”

“It seems, then, reasonable to conclude that Kerry spoke out of turn,” notes the story. “Kerry was not authorized to offer Syria an ‘out’ or a new ultimatum. But Kerry’s hypothetical hyperbole appears to have already backfired. In an obvious desire to make Kerry pay for his flub and throw a wrench in Obama’s determination to go to war with Syria, Putin has seized upon Kerry’s hypothetical and called on Syria to accept Kerry’s offer and turn over all of its chemical weapons. No one believes Assad would ever willingly give up his chemical weapons, but should he agree to an offer the Obama administration did not mean to make, it could stall American action for weeks and even months. Syria is already warming to the idea. This complication could be a major blow to all of the Obama administration’s prepared plans to punish Assad for using the weapons and to change the balance of power in the ongoing Syrian civil war.  Public opposition to Obama’s war is already surging. Weeks or months from now, after the torturous international diplomatic process that no one believes would end with Assad giving up the chemical weapons that keep him in power winds down, it is doubtful Congress or the American public would be ready to stomach a renewed push for war.”

The Washington Post is now reporting that “President Obama on Monday called a Russian proposal for Syria to turn over control of its chemical weapons to international monitors in order to avoid a military strike a ‘potentially positive development,’ that could represent a ‘significant breakthrough,’ but he said he remains skeptical the Syrian government would follow through on its obligations based on its recent track record.”

“Between the statements that we saw from the Russians — the statement today from the Syrians — this represents a potentially positive development,” Obama said in an interview with NBC News, according to a transcript provided by the network. “We are going to run this to ground.  [Secretary of State] John Kerry will be talking to his Russian counterpart. We’re going to make sure that we see how serious these proposals are.”

The Post noted that “deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken told reporters Monday  that the United States ‘would welcome a decision and action by Syria to give up its chemical weapons.’ But he expressed skepticism that Syria would do so.  In response to the Russian proposal, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed a Senate test vote authorizing military force in Syria that was planned for Wednesday. Hours earlier, in London,  Secretary of State John F. Kerry sketched out a transfer-of-control scenario similar to the Russian proposal, then dismissed it, after being asked by a reporter whether there was anything that Assad could do to avoid an attack. ‘Sure, he could turn over every bit of his weapons to the international community within the next week, without delay,’ Kerry said. ‘But he isn’t about to.’ Kerry also sparked criticism by commenting that any U.S. strike would be “an unbelievably small, limited kind of effort.’”

LATEST HEADLINES:

• Syria says it accepted Russian weapons proposal
• Putin: Syria chemical arms handover will work only if US calls off strike
• NYT: Russian Proposal Could Offer Obama Escape From Bind
• CNN: A U.S. official called Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks in Britain on Monday a “major goof,” saying Kerry “clearly went off script here.”
• On Syria Goof, Kerry Claims He Meant to Do That
• Administration Changes Russian Proposal’s Origin Story
• Russian Parliament Gloats as Putin Checkmates Obama Over Syria
• Putin Didn’t Save Obama, He Beat Him — With the Russian proposal on Syrian chemical weapons, the United States is being escorted out of the Middle East.
• ‘Putin shipping Assad more weapons to crush rebels’

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* To learn more about the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 & 39 — what’s known as the “War of Gog & Magog,” involving a Russian-Iranian attack on Israel through Syrian and Lebanese territory — please click here.

* To read my study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, please click here.

* Christians shouldn’t sit on the sidelines in the Syria crisis. Here are 4 things we can do.

* Follow the latest news & analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg

* To learn more about the New York Times best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown, please click here.

* To learn more about The Joshua Fund — and/or make a tax deductible contribution to bless Israel and her neighbors with food, clothing, medical supplies, and other humanitarian relief, including war preparations; to provide humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing Syria and encouragement and support for Arab Christians assisting the Syrian people; and to educate Christians around the world about how to be a blessing to the people of the epicenter — please visit our website, www.joshuafund.net.

(Topeka, Kansas) — Here is the video of the sermon I delivered at Topeka Bible Church on Sunday.

We studied the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, concerning the “burden of Damascus.”

To watch the sermon, please click here.

>> To read my study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, please click here. [Link fixed]

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>> To listen to Joel’s podcasts — including the latest interview on Hannity re: Syria — please click here

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

(Washington, D.C.) — On his program, “Your World,” on Monday afternoon, Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto interviewed me about the current crisis in Syria and whether Bible prophecy sheds light on the future of that country.

Cavuto specifically asked me about the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, and whether these foretell the future destruction of Damascus, or whether these prophecies have already come true. We also discussed how these prophecies are factored into my novel, Damascus Countdown.

“Amazing,” he said at the end of our discussion of the biblical account of Damascus’ future judgment. “It’s in there [the Bible]. It’s worth a read.”

To watch the video of this interview, please click here.

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>> To read my study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, please click here. [Link fixed]

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.