“It wants to burn Syria": Desperate dictator's regime 'prepares for a chemical strike'

[Littlejoe]

Three top generals fled Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad overnight, saying he was about to unleash chemical weapons.

The generals escaped into Turkey as Assad’s men desperately battled rebels pushing deep into the capital Damascus.

The latest defections mean 24 generals have fled Assad since the 16-month uprising began.

One of the fugitives, General Mustafa Sheikh, said chemical weapons were being moved across Syria in readiness to be fired in revenge for a bomb blast that killed Assad’s powerful brother-in-law and three more top regime officials this week.

"The regime has started moving its chemical stockpile from warehouses and distributing it to prepare for use,” said the general.

“It wants to burn Syria. The regime cannot fall without perpetrating a sea of blood.”

But other reports said that generals once in charge of the weapons had defected and were helping to locate the chemical stockpiles for the rebels.

“We have a group just to deal with chemical weapons,” said rebel General Adnan Silou.

President Assad was nowhere to be seen today, raising hope that his family’s 41-year grip on Syria was coming to an end.

Syrian uprising: Desperate dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime 'prepares for a chemical strike' - Mirror Online

[dave-o]

Will Assad use the chemical weapons on his own people? Personally, I doubt it. Will he use them at all? Possibly on Israel but again I have a feeling he won't. He must realize by now that he's finished no matter what. As it stands he could probably find asylum in Russia or maybe Iran but not if he uses those weapons.

No, IMHO someone else is going to possess them shortly and that someone is likely to be more dangerous than Assad ever dreamed of being.

[Chris]

Will Assad use the chemical weapons on his own people? Personally, I doubt it. Will he use them at all? Possibly on Israel but again I have a feeling he won't. He must realize by now that he's finished no matter what. As it stands he could probably find asylum in Russia or maybe Iran but not if he uses those weapons.

No, IMHO someone else is going to possess them shortly and that someone is likely to be more dangerous than Assad ever dreamed of being.

He could give them to Hezbollah to use on Israel. Whether he does or not remains to be seen. I think Syria has the world's largest chemical and biological weapons program. They don't have nukes so they stocked up on the stuff that they could. Something serious has got to happen in order for Damascus to meets it's fate. I'm just trying to figure out what it is. We might not have to wait long to find out.

[mikhen7]

I think that these weapons will soon be unleashed. I still believe that Jeremiah 4:11-12 speak of a dry Hot burning searing wind the scripture says is not used for cleansing but rather for judgment. The Hebrew word being "ruah" which can mean "breath; air; strength; wind; breeze; spirit; courage; temper; Spirit." Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words..

Most will say it is the hot burning Sirocco wind Jeremiah refers symbolically to and it could be. But if there is any literal prophetic fulfillment in the last days it could also refer to burning Chemical gases. I know that is conjecture but if the shoe fits... Babylon would have been the first wind from the North and this could be the second. I spoke to Hal Lindsey about this by phone years ago and all he would say is "it could be." time will tell.

Although Henry refers to it as from Babylon, he describes it as such: To a drying blasting wind (Jer_4:11), a parching scorching wind, which spoils the fruits of the earth and withers them, not a wind which brings rain, but such as comes out of the north, which drives away rain (Pro_25:23), but brings something worse instead of it; such shall this evil out of the north be to this people, a black freezing wind, which they can neither fence against nor flee from, but, wherever they go, it shall surround and pursue them; and they cannot see it before it comes, but, when it comes, they shall feel it. It is a wind of the high places in the wilderness, or plain, that beats upon the tops of the hills or that carries all before it in the plain, where there is no shelter, but the ground is all champaign. It shall come in its full force towards the daughters of my people, that have been brought up so tenderly and delicately that they could not endure to have the wind blow upon them. Now this fierce wind shall come against them, not to fan, nor cleanse them, not such a gentle wind as is used in winnowing corn, but a full wind (Jer_4:12), a strong and violent wind, blowing full upon them. This shall come to me, or rather for me; it shall come with commission from God and shall accomplish that for which he sends it; for this, as other stormy winds, fulfills his word.

God bless

[dave-o]

He could give them to Hezbollah to use on Israel. Whether he does or not remains to be seen. I think Syria has the world's largest chemical and biological weapons program. They don't have nukes so they stocked up on the stuff that they could. Something serious has got to happen in order for Damascus to meets it's fate. I'm just trying to figure out what it is. We might not have to wait long to find out.

Who knows? If Assad decides to give up and run some of his generals might do something irrational. The whole situation has become extremely volatile.

[mikhen7]

In post #4 I mentioned Jeremiah 4:11 which states:
Jeremiah 4:11 (ESV)
¹¹ At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse,

Jeremiah 4:11 (NKJV)
¹¹ At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, "A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people-- Not to fan or to cleanse--

Jeremiah 4:11 (HCSB)
¹¹ “At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, ‘A searing wind ⌊blows⌋ from the barren heights in the wilderness on the way to My dear people. ⌊It comes⌋ not to winnow or to sift;
I have been studying this for years but I failed to make any connection to the possible use of "Ruah or Ruach" in Hebrew to the word Odor or Smell or even Scent. Strong's def. 7307 finds its root in 7306 which means smell:

7307 Hebrew Word: ‏רוּחַ‎ Transliteration: rûaḥ Phonetic Pronunciation: roo'-akh Important!!! Root: from <H7306>	7306 Hebrew Word: ‏רוּחַ‎ Transliteration: rûaḥ Phonetic Pronunciation:roo'-akh Root: a primitive root
Usage Notes: English Words used in KJV: Spirit or spirit 232 wind 92 breath 27 side 6 mind 5 blast 4 vain 2 air 1 anger 1 cool 1 courage 1 miscellaneous translations 6 [Total Count: 378]	Usage Notes: English Words used in KJV: smell 8 touch 1 quick understanding 1 accept 1 [Total Count: 11]

I find this fascinating considering that the root of the word "Wind" in Jer. 4:11 also means Smell. Theoretically the verse could be translated a Hot, Dry, Searing, Odor or Smell comes from the desolate heights toward the daughter of my people not to winnow or cleanse. If that were so then it is easy to see that via dual fulfillment, Jer. 4:11, 12 could be speaking of Chemical weapons.

Another interesting point is how the LXX translators saw the word. There is a spirit (pneuma)of addiction to a delusion (Fraudulence - error - false - wrong) in the wilderness; In this case they see the Spirit, breath, wind, smell or odor, to be a wrongful one as opposed to a correct one. The LXX interpreters could have possibly viewed it correctly as a "Ruach" in Hebrew but an unnormal or unnatural smell, odor, wind, or spirit. It could mean that what is in the air is opposite of what air or wind or spirit or odors upon it are supposed to be.

The choices we have are whether to interpret the verses as literal or symbolic of armies charging in and stirring up dust storms like the eastern sirocco wind.

Feel free to refute this.
Thanks

More after my meeting.....

[Carl]

One of the fugitives, General Mustafa Sheikh, said chemical weapons were being moved across Syria in readiness to be fired in revenge for a bomb blast that killed Assad’s powerful brother-in-law and three more top regime officials this week.

What the general said make sense. Assad could very well be into revenge. Loosing the chemical and biological weapons on Damascus would also explain the Bible version of Damascus being uninhabitable.

[mikhen7]

That is true Carl, he could be. Or he could even see that there is no hope, so he let's all cannons loose.

Now I have focused on vs 11 mainly, but wanted to mention that the chapter (4) which really concludes in Chapter 6 also uses the following common apocalyptic language:

Jer 4:15 For a voice declares from Dan And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim:
Jer 4:16 "Make mention to the nations, Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem, That watchers come from a far country And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
Jer 4:17 Like keepers of a field they are against her all around, Because she has been rebellious against Me," says the LORD.
Jer 4:18 "Your ways and your doings Have procured these things for you. This is your wickedness, Because it is bitter, Because it reaches to your heart."
Jer 4:19 O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.
Jer 4:20 Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment.
Jer 4:21 How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?
Jer 4:22 "For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge."
Jer 4:23 I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
Jer 4:24 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.
Jer 4:25 I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
Jer 4:26 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger.
Jer 4:27 For thus says the LORD: "The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.
Jer 4:28 For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.




Extra:
I came across a commentary by another Pre-Mil- Pre-trib guy, Dr. E. W. Bullinger. He wrote a Commentary on Revelation which has high reviews. In it he sees Jeremiah's prophecy of chapter four as having a fulfillment in the Tribulation. He writes concerning Rev. 7:5 and the missing tribes of Dan and Ephraim: (Bold type but read the passage and then commentary for context) Good teaching as well.

In this enumeration we have to note the omission of the Tribes of Dan and Ephraim: Levi and Joseph being inserted to take their place. The reason for this seems to be quite clear. In Deut 29:18-21, we read that the "man or woman or family or tribe" who should introduce idolatry into Israel, "all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this law." And when it should be asked, "Wherefore hath the Lord done this?... then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers... for they went and served other gods and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not" (verses 24-26). Now it was one of the tribe of Dan who first came under this curse. See Lev 24:10-16.


It is remarkable that these two tribes, Dan and Ephraim, participated in introducing idolatry later on (Judges 18:2, 30, 31). And afterward it was Jeroboam devised of the golden calves and set them up in the tribe of Dan (1 Kings 11:26; xii. 28-30. See also Hos 4:17).


True, we find Dan and Ephraim restored in the future distribution of the Land (Ezek 48 ), for "the gifts and calling of God, are without repentance (or change of mind)" (Rom 11:29). But that is a different matter, and has to do with earthly inheritance. Here it has to do with heavenly preservation. The omission in Rev 7 is to show that these two tribes remain unprotected by the pledge of security given by this sealing. There will, of course, be thousands, besides these, of each of the other tribes on earth; the difference will be in their not being sealed, and in their not being protected against the onslaught of the Beast. That they are on the earth is clear from Jer 4:5-31 (see verse 15); viii. 13-17 (see verse 16). Amos 8:11-14.


We have a remarkable illustration of this in Num 31 , when in order to execute judgment on the Midianites 1,000 from each tribe were taken. And as the 144,000 here survive through all the great Tribulation, so it was with the 12,000 sent against the Midianites; for when their number was taken at the close, the officers came to Moses and said "Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us" (verses 48, 49).


Even so will it be true of these 144,000, when they stand afterwards on Mount Zion (xiv. 1-5).

[Carl]

I read these studies of the Bible and I realize that I'm not even in kindergarten yet!

[anath]

I read these studies of the Bible and I realize that I'm not even in kindergarten yet!

You n me both...sure is fun to learn tho