Posted on 03/02/2009 1:13:14 AM PST by Squidpup
On Monday night, something remarkable is going to take place in the capital of Syria. More than 1,100 senior Syrian government officials, journalists, business leaders and religious leaders — Muslim, Catholic and evangelical Christian — will attend the gala premiere of a major motion picture entitled Damascus, written, produced and directed by entirely Arab Christians. The film, part documentary and part narrative drama, tells the story of how Saul of Tarsus — one of the first prominent persecutors of Christ-followers in the Holy Land — himself became a follower of Jesus during a miraculous encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and eventually became known as the Apostle Paul, going on to write much of the New Testament.
It is unheard of in the Middle East to have a major Christian film about the events of the New Testament debut in a Muslim-majority country run by the secular Ba’ath Party, much less have the premiere supported and attended by senior government officials. That’s what makes the Damascus docu-drama project so extraordinary. What’s more, the film is hosted and narrated by one of the most well-known Syrian TV newscasters who explains the historic events of the life of Paul in the very places where those events occurred. Numerous events in Paul’s life are then dramatized using famous Syrian Muslim actors playing the part of Jews and Jewish followers of Jesus.
After the premiere, the film is expected to be launched throughout Syria and the rest of the Muslim world. Sources indicate senior Catholic leaders in the Vatican recently reviewed the film and were favorable.
The remarkable film debut comes at a sensitive time for Syrian officials who are feeling quite isolated from the West. U.S. and European leaders have been sharply critical of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on a number of fronts, for supporting Hezbollah’s war against Israel, supporting Hamas’ war against Israel, forming a strategic alliance with Iran, buying billions of dollars worth of advanced weapons systems from Russia, and building a nuclear facility with the help of North Korea (a facility that was bombed and destroyed by an Israel airstrike several years ago). Syria’s government has never been controlled by Radical Islamic jihadists. Still, it has long stifled activities by Arab Christians to teach about their faith. It is not clear what the Assad government’s motives are for both allowing and supporting the release of the Damascus film. But it is an encouraging development indeed.
It is especially noteworthy given two Bible prophecies — one in Isaiah 17 and the other in Jeremiah 49 — that suggest the city of Damascus will be obliterated in what the Bible calls “the last days.” The Scriptures do not say exactly when or how the Syrian capital will be destroyed. But let us pray that the powerful message of Paul’s life and Jesus Christ’s love and forgiveness for all people is clearly communicated to every Syrian, particularly those in the capital.
It is especially noteworthy given two Bible prophecies — one in Isaiah 17 and the other in Jeremiah 49 — that suggest the city of Damascus will be obliterated in what the Bible calls “the last days.”
When did people start thinking Isaiah's oracle of Damascus was not about an an ancient Assyrian siege?
When Scofield published his notes:
burden of DamascusThe futurists started propagating the idea of “dual fulfillment” to invigorate their views and make (futurist) sense of all those OT prophecies that plainly pointed to events leading up to the first coming of Christ. In reality, they must spiritualize phrases like “the palaces of Ben-hadad” (Jer. 49:27; Amos 1:4) to give it a futurist look.As in the burden of Moab, there was doubtless a near fulfilment in Sennacherib's approaching invasion, but 17:12-14 as evidently look forward to the final invasion and battle. ("Armageddon," Revelation 16:14 (See Scofield "Revelation 19:17") ) Cf. Isaiah 10:26-34.
I’m thinking strictly short term here but I really hope the event doesn’t turn into a Jew-bashing occasion.
Absolutely no one's neck is being broken. Strained perhaps, but only among those compelled by their agent to get another book published to explain to the unwashed masses what allegedly is going on in the middle east.
Besides, this description does not fit at all with what Jesus taught about the Second Coming.
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matt. 24)How can this pop prophecy preacher talk about “Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled in our day at breakneck speed” when Jesus denied any such knowledge would be possible?But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)
Notice also that the “day of the Lord” (aka the Second Coming) marks the end of this earth as we know it and the eschatological beginning of the new earth. There is no room in that passage (or any other) for the futurist millennium. When Christ returns He introduces the new heavens and new earth.
Do we believe the Prince of Peace or another futurist bookseller hawking his wares?
It is for the futurist doom-and-gloomers. Imagine if the gospel had a real impact in Syria (and surrounding nations) and a significant portion of the population was converted to biblical Christianity.
[Speculation alert!] Even if the futurist rapture occurred, there would be no one left to wage war against Israel in the futurist tribulation.
That would put a real damper on the party.
“It's all hypothesis, of course, but fun to play around with.” (Prof. Groeteschele in Fail Safe)
“Imagine if the gospel had a real impact in Syria (and surrounding nations)....”
It already has, tc. Antioch is where the followers of Christ were first called Christians. +Peter was its first bishop. Even after the Mohammedan conquest, Christianity has continued to be a major force within Greater Syria. The only real oppression of The Church there took place under the later Ottomans. Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy are growing in Syria. Monasteries are reopening and expanding. Some have become pilgrimage sites even for Mohammedans.
Syria's population is approximately 88% Muslim and was 12% Christian, though due to the high stream of refugees from Iraq the percentage of Christians has risen to 20% (Wikipedia)Clearly the impact of the gospel in Syria has been reduced significantly over the centuries. But that can change, and we should pray that it does. Pray that the 80/20 number gets reversed!!
The rulers of Syria and indeed the controllers of the Baath party in Syria are Allawis —> considered heretical by mainstain Sunni and Shia muslims. Their beliefs tend more towards the Gnostic. In addition, Syria has 10% Christian population (mostly maronites, but also others), Druze, Shia (twelvers and fivers), Ismailies, some Ibadis and Sunnis.
Ah, Tiglath-Pileser. one of my favorite characters from history, along with Sargon of Akkad, Hammurabi, Cyrus the Great and Darius the Mede
This isn’t as surprising as it seems.
I think what they were trying to get across to you was there is a Christian minority in Syria and the head of the Antiochian Orthodox Church is located in Damascus.
They may not need crucifixes, after all, Jesus is risen and is no longer on the Cross, but they have Bibles and churches, even if the churches consist of small, quiet meetings in someone's home.
That is the (non PC) truth.
Syria is a much more open society than we are led to believe. Not that they have our best interests at heart or anything, but they are not like say, Saudi Arabia.
well said
FYI, Squidpup has posted some Rosenberg articles.
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