My eyes popped out of their sockets, my jaw dropped to the floor, and my heart stopped beating.

It was the evening of Dec. 7, 2024, when my father read to me this breaking headline from the Jerusalem Post: “End of an Era: Rebels, Syrian Army Declare Fall of Assad Regime.”

For my entire life, the small Middle Eastern country of Syria had been led by brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad, who had close ties to both Iran and Russia. The Assad regime, fighting rebel groups since 2011, had been responsible for the deaths of over 200,000 innocent Syrian civilians, many of whom died horribly from chemical weapons. And now—after 13 years of grueling, gridlocked war—the debacle with Assad, Russia and Iran was all gone in the blink of an eye.

For as long as I can remember, I had been waiting for this moment.

Why? It goes back to an article Gerald Flurry wrote titled “How the Syrian Crisis Will End.” In it, he said: “Biblical prophecy reveals that, very soon, Syria will no longer align with Iran” (emphasis his).

Its publishing date? 2012. At the time, I was in seventh grade. Now I was teaching seventh graders who were as old as this article.

Mr. Flurry could make such a prediction only because of a prophecy in Psalm 83 saying that Assyria (Assur) would be allied with a group called the Hagarenes. “Assyria” refers to Germany (see Chapter 2 of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire), and the “Hagarenes” (named after Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, the father of the Arabs) anciently dwelled in the geographic region where Syria is today. This prophecy shows that, in the end time, Syria will ally with Germany.

However, there was just one problem: Syria had a leader who was clearly pro-Iran and pro-Russia, and Germany is prophesied in Daniel 11 to oppose them both. Clearly, for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, something had to change: How could a pro-Iran, pro-Russia leader also ally with Germany?

Of all the countries listed in Psalm 83, Syria was, arguably, the least Psalm 83-like. In fact, during the Syrian civil war, Syria’s government was actually opposed by other countries in the Psalm 83 alliance. In 2012, saying “Syria will leave Iran and ally with Germany” would have sounded about as crazy as “Barack Obama will become a far-right Republican conservative.”

No news organization would have said anything like that. That is, until May 2024.

That month, Mr. Flurry recorded a Key of David program titled “Iran Is Losing Syria to Germany.” A week after that recording and two days before it aired, Geopolitical Futurespublished an article titled “The Rift Between Iran and Syria.” The article didn’t highlight Germany, but just one week later, the European Union held a conference about Syria where Germany pledged over a billion euros to the conflict. Quietly, Germany had been involved with Syria from the beginning—sending in money, troops and aid.

Then, out of nowhere, on December 7, Syria’s rebels took the capital, Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, and just like that, Germany was left standing clear at Syria’s front door. It offered to help rebuild the country and was one of the first to reach out to the new government to establish diplomatic ties.

Suddenly, the world is starting to see that, just as the Bible prophesied, Germany is one of the most enthusiastic countries involved in Syria.

This raises the question: If the Bible was right about Syria, what else might it be right about?

The same Bible that foretold that Syria would break with Iran and turn to Germany also tells us that if we obey our parents, we will be blessed with long life. It tells us that if we tithe properly, God will bless us more than we can handle. It tells us that if we are diligent in our business, we will stand before kings. It tells us that if we give to others, we will be more blessed than if we receive. It tells us that if we seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first, our physical needs will be taken care of. It tells us that if we submit to God and resist Satan, he will flee from us. It tells us that if we delight ourselves in God, He will give us the desires of our heart. It tells us that if we believe God’s prophets, we will prosper. It tells us that if we properly love God, all things will work together for good for us. And it tells us that God cannot lie.

At Herbert W. Armstrong College, I was taught that, in many ways, God’s law is prophecy. It tells us what is going to happen in our lives depending on the actions we take. If we obey, we are “prophesied” to receive certain blessings, and if we disobey, we are “prophesied” to receive certain curses. Seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled in Syria proves that these personal “prophecies” about us will come true too!

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul said: “And though I have the gift of prophecy … and have not charity, I am nothing” (verse 2). “Charity” refers to God’s love, which is defined as obeying God’s commandments (1 John 5:3). What good does understanding prophecy do us if we aren’t motivated to keep God’s commandments and live our lives differently when we see it fulfilled?

Do you believe obeying God will result in blessings in your life, even when it doesn’t seem likely? If I obey my parents, I’ll miss out on having fun. If I keep the Sabbath, I won’t get a good job. If I tithe and give to others, I won’t have as much money. However, God’s promises will always come true, even against all odds.

In Syria, the “odds” were stacked against the Bible—yet God’s promises ended up winning the day. And if the Bible was right about Syria, you can be sure it will be right about you too.