By Callie Mitchell, SAVED News International Correspondent, Jerusalem, Israel
During the last week of December, we were shocked in Israel to learn that President Trump was pulling US troops out of Syria.  It was a campaign promise and even perhaps a month behind Trump’s targeted date, but it all seemed quite sudden, and quite prophetic!

This move was not received by Israelis as an act of support for our nation. As the United States’ presence in Syria has been holding a line that prevented Iran from having greater access to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and both Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.  The conflicts we have faced with these organizations are actually proxy wars with Iran, as all three are funded by Iran, and two of the three (Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad) actually Iranian in origin.  What Israel faces with the Palestinians is simply the tip of a giant iceberg of surrounding nations who are intent on seeing Israeli annihilated.

In the practical sense, this is why any “peace agreement” Israel makes with the Palestinians comes at loss.  Any land given away to form a Palestinian state makes Israel vulnerable to attacks from the larger scope of enemies present, and as of now, it seems that the stage is actively being set for the war of all wars, described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 as Gog and MaGog.  The US pull out of Syria was a disappointing but critical move in the direction history is headed.
The Gog and Magog passage prophecies a time after the Jewish people have returned that Israel will face a war between an alliance of nations that it has never happened simultaneously.  The people groups mentioned that form a coalition are Magog, (Russia), Persia (Iran), Cush (Sudan/Ethiopia, Put (Lybia), Gomer (Central Turkey),  and Togarmah (Eastern Turkey).  The US leaving makes way for 4 of the 6, who are 3 nations today—Russia, Iran and Turkey—to easily come in an alliance.  Interestingly, Sudan is already allied with Turkey and in a military cooperation with Russia. Likewise, Russian has a strong military presence in Lybia consisting of both troops and missiles, as Putin views this North African location as strategic for his purposes with Western Nations.  This is the first time in history that all 6 of the nations named in Ezekiel 38 are in this type of political relationship with one another, and its happened only within the last few years.
It’s debatable as to where this war will be on eschatological timelines.  I can say though that my Jewish neighbors are highly aware of the Gog and Magog prophecy, so please pray for their hearts to soften to Messiah Yeshua as they see these events play out in the media.  Pray also for the US administration to remain supportive of Israel, even after this move.  This war, as it is described in scripture will be horrific, but the good news is that the bible tells us the Lord pulls these nations into war so that He can show them great defeat!  In the end, He has the victory!