Volume 44 Issue One January 2025
Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
New World Disorder
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
II Thessalonians 2:1-4
When people think of September 11th, the events of 2001 usually come to mind. Yet, another significant historical event occurred eleven years before the World Trade Center fell. On September 11, 1990, former President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, mentioned a “new world order” for the very first time. Speaking to a joint session of Congress, President Bush said, “We stand today at a unique and extraordinary moment. The crisis in the Persian Gulf, as grave as it is, also offers a rare opportunity to move toward a historic period of cooperation. Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective — a new world order — can emerge: a new era — freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, East and West, North and South, can prosper and live in harmony.” (1) His speech came at a time when the world was changing in profound ways. The Berlin Wall had recently fallen, and the Soviet Union would soon collapse. Months later, President Bush again mentioned a “new world order” when he gave his State of the Union Address on January 21, 1991. (2) Nearly three and a half decades later, the promise of global peace and prosperity remains unrealized. Yet, the world again finds itself at a crossroads and on the cusp of another “new world order.”
What exactly is a “new world order” though? For some, it merely refers to the rebalancing of global powers wherein new countries emerge as leaders and others recede into the background. But what if that rebalancing of power ultimately results in a consolidation of power in the form of a global government? Would this global government be led by one man? The Holy Scriptures indicate that a day is coming when a powerful imposter would rise up purporting himself to be god. II Thessalonians 2:1-4 declares, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” People often refer to this forthcoming “man of sin” as the Antichrist. However, I find it interesting that he is called the “son of perdition.” In John 17:12, Jesus Christ also referred to his betrayer, Judas Iscariot, as the “son of perdition.” This verse declares, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” We also learn in John, chapter 13, that when Judas received the sop at the Last Supper, Satan entered into him. Thus, the man of sin is also called the son of perdition because Satan himself will dwell inside him. Although we do not yet know who this man of sin will be, the Scriptures tell us that he is revealed. Thus, when the time comes, God’s people will be guided by God’s Spirit and will not be deceived even as the rest of the world is. Nevertheless, every effort to establish a new world order indicates that we are growing closer and closer to that moment of revelation. Yet, when we consider the chaos of our time, it might be more accurate to say that a new world disorder is unfolding before our eyes.
China’s New World Order
As we enter the year 2025, global powers are continuously maneuvering for position and influence. Interestingly enough, a spate of media reports indicate that world leaders are again talking about a “new world order.” In October 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying, “Russia advocates the broadest possible international discussion on the parameters of interaction in the emerging multi-polar world, and is open to discussing issues of building a new world order with all our friends, partners and like-minded people, including within the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.” (3) BRICS is an acronym that refers to the economic alliance established between Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group is clearly eager to add new members. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have accepted invitations to join BRICS. (4) According to officials in South Africa, dozens of other countries are interested in joining the alliance. (5)
Like his Russian counterpart, Chinese President Xi Jinping also sees the BRICS alliance as a means to establish a new world order. This fact was established in a piece published by the Washington Post on August 10, 2024, with the headline “China courts developing nations in its push to build a new world order.” (6) Although BRICS is an alliance of multiple nations, China is clearly the leader of the group, and the main agenda of BRICS is the displacement of the United States as a global superpower. “In a lot of the capitals around the world, they’re now thinking first of Beijing, and then of Washington,” said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a center fellow at Stanford University. (7) Thus, China is focused on expanding its influence throughout the world while weakening the influence of the United States at the same time.
One of the goals of the BRICS alliance is to replace the United States dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Speaking at a summit in October 2024, Russia’s President Putin told his audience, “The dollar is being used as a weapon. We really see that this is so. I think that this is a big mistake by those who do this." (8) The status of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency has long propped up the American economy. The dollar is the preferred currency for global trade transactions involving various commodities, including oil and precious metals. In fact, U.S. dollars are sometimes referred to as “petrodollars” because they are so dominant in oil transactions. As a result, many countries hold vast amounts of U.S. dollars to facilitate trade and stabilize their currencies. It would be a huge blow to lose this advantage, a fact that President-elect Donald Trump has acknowledged. “We have to continue to have that be the world currency. I think it's important. I think it would be losing a war, if we lost the dollar as the world currency,” he said while speaking at the Economic Club in September 2024.(9)
Collapsing Governments
While people often talk about the strained political climate in the United States, it should be noted that other countries around the world are facing political turmoil of their own. For example, France has a long history of political upheaval. Between 2018 and 2020, thousands of people took to the streets in France to participate in the famous Yellow Vest Protests. These massive protests were sparked by rising fuel costs and perceived income inequality. In 2023, more than a million French people protested against their government’s plan to raise the standard retirement age from 62 to 64. (10) Recent months have seen France again rocked by turmoil. In December, French lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier from his position. He only held the office for three months. (11) After the vote of no confidence ushered Barnier out of office, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Francois Bayrou as the new Prime Minister. Remarkably, this was the fourth time France had a new government in the past year. (12) The new government must now contend with a spiraling national debt that exceeds 112% of France’s gross domestic product. “The political situation is difficult. The international situation is dangerous, and the economic context is fragile,” said France’s new finance minister, Eric Lombard. He later noted, “The more we are indebted, the more the debt costs, and the more it suffocates the country." (13)
France is not alone in facing political upheaval. Across the Rhine River, Germany is contending with its own set of challenges. In December 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote held by Parliament, which set the stage for a snap election in February 2025. This development sent shockwaves throughout Europe. Germany is Europe’s largest economy and has a reputation for a stable government. In fact, Germany has only held three previous early elections in the last seventy-five years. (14) Germany is contending with an assortment of issues right now, including a faltering economy, a rising cost of living, a shortage of skilled workers, and a migrant crisis. (15) There’s also considerable anxiety regarding the war in Ukraine. A war so close to home has infused a sense of urgency to rebuild the German army. (16)
Across the Atlantic, Canada, too, is mired in controversy. In recent months, public opinion regarding Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has plummeted. With a growing consensus that Trudeau has become an ineffectual leader, many are now calling on him to resign, including members of his own Liberal Party. Catherine McKenna, who served in Trudeau’s Cabinet from 2015 to 2019, did not mince words. “Every Liberal MP should be calling on the Prime Minister to resign,” she said. (17) Liberal member of Parliament Wayne Long also believes that Trudeau should step aside and noted, “We all have a political shelf life.” (18) According to reports, a group of more than fifty Liberal lawmakers gathered in a virtual meeting on December 21. They concluded that Trudeau must go. (19) Jagmeet Singh, who is the leader of the New Democratic Party, announced that is he planning to call for a vote of no confidence when the House of Commons returns from a winter break on January 27, 2025. “No matter who is leading the Liberal Party, this government's time is up. We will put forward a clear motion of non-confidence in the next sitting of the House of Commons,” he said. (20) According to a recent poll from Ipsos, a whopping 73 percent of Canadians believe Trudeau should resign. (21)
Why the ruckus? Canada has suffered from many of the same problems we have faced in the United States. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation spiked by 8 percent in Canada. While inflation has leveled off since then, many goods and services are still much more expensive than they used to be. Housing has become increasingly expensive, too, especially in large cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. (22) There also seems to be growing concern that Trudeau does not have the fortitude to stand up to incoming American President Donald Trump. This point was highlighted in a resignation letter from Trudeau’s former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Freeland, who resigned on December 16, 2024, wrote in her resignation letter, “Our country today faces a grave challenge. The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 percent tariffs. We need to take that threat extremely seriously.” (23)
The political upheaval in Canada, Germany, and France is a clear indicator that there is great restlessness among the global population. As we head into 2025, it is obvious that the world stands on the brink of significant transformation. Will more governments fall in the coming months? Only God knows, but given the turmoil we've witnessed thus far, it would hardly come as a surprise.
The Fall Of The Assad Regime
The final days of 2024 have brought many surprises. Even as we’ve seen governments crumble in Europe, the latest developments in Syria promise to alter the state of affairs in the Middle East dramatically. Since 2011, Syria has been caught up in a brutal civil war. The war in Syria has involved rebel groups, extremist organizations, and foreign powers such as Russia, Iran, and Turkey. These factions have, at times, not only fought against the regime of Syria’s former dictator, Bashar al-Assad, but also against each other. (24) Assad, until recent days, had enjoyed support from Russia and Iran, which enabled him to cling to power throughout the war despite his unpopularity. According to an August 2023 report from the Saudi news outlet known as Al Majalla, Russia maintains 105 military sites in Syria. The report further indicates that Iran has 570 military sites in Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey was reported to have 125 military sites in Syria, while a U.S.-led coalition was reported to maintain 30 military installations in the Middle Eastern country. (25)
If the civil war in Syria sounds complex and complicated to you, that’s because it is. There are so many different players involved in the conflict that even the brightest minds would struggle to comprehend who is doing what and why. Yet, how it all began is much simpler to comprehend. The Arab Spring movement that began in 2010, swept much of the Arab world and led to the fall of regimes in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. On a fateful day in February 2011, fifteen boys in Deraa, Syria, who were inspired by the movement, spray painted a message on a school wall that read, “The people want the fall of the regime.” The boys were quickly arrested and tortured, which sparked violent protests that eventually descended into a long and bloody civil war. (26)
An estimated 620,000 people have died in Syria since the war began. (27) More than 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and 7.2 million people remain internally displaced in Syria while millions more have moved to other countries. An estimated 5.5 million Syrians live in neighboring countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. A significant number have also relocated to Europe, too. For example, about 850,000 Syrians are presently living in Germany. (28) As such, the civil war in Syria has not only impacted the Middle East, but has contributed to instability in Europe. Housing refugees is expensive, and many Europeans dislike the cultural changes that have taken hold in their countries due to an influx of migrants.
How is it that the Assad regime fell so suddenly after surviving a civil war for nearly fourteen years? Syria’s key allies, Iran and Russia, have both had their hands full with other conflicts in recent days. Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is known to be a proxy militant group for Iran, has been decimated by attacks from Israel, which culminated in the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Although Russia remains a staunch ally of Bashar al-Assad, the Russians have been preoccupied with the costly war in Ukraine.
So it came to be that rebel forces took the capital city of Damascus in Syria on December 8, 2024. “After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement… we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria,” the rebels said in a statement. (29) In the aftermath of Assad’s fall, the Syrian people took to the streets to celebrate. (30) As for Assad, he flew to Russia and was granted asylum by the Russian government. (31)
With Assad out and a new government forming, are the troubles over? Is all well in Syria? These are questions that are yet to be answered. The rebel forces that assumed power in Syria are primarily led by a group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS for short. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government because of ties to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Joseph Daher, who is a professor at the European University Institute, said in a recent interview that HTS has become known for its brutal tactics. “Its policies are often enforced through intimidation, [the] assassination of its rivals, and the murder of civil society activists. Many Syrians in areas under the group's control express relief at the relative stability there but resentment at the group's iron-fisted practices." (32) Will the new boss be the same as the old boss?
What’s Going On With Bird Flu?
If you’ve purchased eggs at a supermarket lately, you might be wondering why they are so expensive. Is it just more inflation? While inflation certainly plays a role in the cost of eggs, the biggest factor driving up the price is the unrelenting spread of the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu. Although bird flu has been widely impacting both wild and domestic birds since 2022, the outbreak has taken some concerning new twists in recent months.
Bird flu is no longer just for the birds. In March 2024, the tenacious virus began infecting dairy cows all over the United States. H5N1 has been detected in dairy herds in sixteen American states, and it has been detected in other animals, including raccoons and cats. (33) More concerning, the virus has also impacted the human population. At least sixty-five people have tested positive for bird flu since April 2024, and in December 2024, a patient in Louisiana became the first human infected with the virus to require hospitalization in the United States. (34) Concern is beginning to mount among experts. “The more people infected, the more possibility mutations could occur. I don’t like giving the virus a runway to a pandemic,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology at Brown University. In some of the cases, people were infected with the virus despite having no known contact with farm or wild animals. “That suggests this virus may be far more out there, and more people might be exposed to it than we previously thought,” Nuzzo warned. (35) Due to the widespread outbreak in the state of California, Governor Gavin Newsome has declared a state of emergency in his state. “The traffic light is changing from green to amber. So many signs are going in the wrong direction,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies infectious diseases. (36)
With the Covid-19 crisis still fresh in our memories, it is safe to say that no one wants another pandemic. Let’s hope and pray the situation doesn’t grow worse. However, a recent report from NBC News suggests that health officials and the pharmaceutical industry already have a plan. The report notes that the federal government has stockpiles of two different bird flu vaccines ready to go, though they still need approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Scientists are also hard at work developing new mRNA vaccines to fight H5N1. (37) It is times like these that we should remember the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who said in Luke 18:1, “That men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. It has been an honor to serve you throughout 2024, and we hope that we will continue to have that opportunity throughout 2025. If you have any prayer needs, great or small, we invite you to send them our way. Each request is always given individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online at http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.
References
01. The Dallas Morning News, September 8, 2017, By George H.W. Bush, dallasnews.com.
02. George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, January 29, 1991, By George H.W. Bush, bush41library.tamu.edu.
03. EFE, October 11, 2024, By EFE, efe.com.
04. The Council on Foreign Relations, December 12, 2024, By Mariel Ferragamo, cfr.org.
05. The Washington Post, August 10, 2024, By Rebecca Tan and Vic Chiang, washingtonpost.com.
06. Ibid.
07. Ibid.
08. Fox News, October 23, 2024, By Morgan Phillips, foxnews.com.
09. Ibid.
10. Associated Press, January 19, 2023, By Sylvie Corbet and Jade Le Deley, apnews.com.
11. Business Standard, December 5, 2024, By Vasudha Mukherjee, business-standard.com.
12. Voices of America News, December 24, 2024, By Associated Press, voanews.com.
13. Ibid.
14. The New York Times, December 16, 2024, By Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley, nytimes.com.
15. DW, December 29, 2024, By Jens Thurau, dw.com.
16. The New York Times, December 16, 2024, By Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley, nytimes.com.
17. Politico, December 24, 2024, By Sue Allan and Mickey Djuric, politico.com.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Reuters, December 20, 2024, By David Ljunggren, reuters.com.
21. The New York Times, December 20, 2024, By Ephrat Livni and Ian Austen, nytimes.com.
22. Ibid.
23. Reuters, December 16, 2024, By Reuters, reuters.com.
24. Shelterbox, shelterbox.org.
25. Al Majalla, August 19, 2024, Bt Al Majalla - London, en.majalla.com.
26. National Public Radio, March 16, 2012, By Kelly McEvers, npr.org.
27. The New York Times, December 11, 2024, By Aryn Baker, nytimes.com.
28. UNHCR, December 23, 2024, By UNHCR, unrefugees.org.
29. The Times of Israel, December 8, 2024, By Agencies and TOI Staff, timesofisrael.com.
30. NBC News, December 9, 2024, By Richard Engel and Corky Siemaszko, nbcnews.com.
31. Reuters, December 8, 2024, By Maya Gebeily and Timour Azhari, reuters.com.
32. DW, December 12, 2024, By Cathrin Schaer, dw.com.
33. NBC News, December 22, 2024, By Evan Bush, nbcnews.com.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
37. Ibid.
As we enter the year 2025, global powers are continuously maneuvering for position and influence. Interestingly enough, a spate of media reports indicate that world leaders are again talking about a “new world order.” In October 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying, “Russia advocates the broadest possible international discussion on the parameters of interaction in the emerging multi-polar world, and is open to discussing issues of building a new world order with all our friends, partners and like-minded people, including within the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.” (3) BRICS is an acronym that refers to the economic alliance established between Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group is clearly eager to add new members. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have accepted invitations to join BRICS. (4) According to officials in South Africa, dozens of other countries are interested in joining the alliance. (5)
Like his Russian counterpart, Chinese President Xi Jinping also sees the BRICS alliance as a means to establish a new world order. This fact was established in a piece published by the Washington Post on August 10, 2024, with the headline “China courts developing nations in its push to build a new world order.” (6) Although BRICS is an alliance of multiple nations, China is clearly the leader of the group, and the main agenda of BRICS is the displacement of the United States as a global superpower. “In a lot of the capitals around the world, they’re now thinking first of Beijing, and then of Washington,” said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a center fellow at Stanford University. (7) Thus, China is focused on expanding its influence throughout the world while weakening the influence of the United States at the same time.
One of the goals of the BRICS alliance is to replace the United States dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Speaking at a summit in October 2024, Russia’s President Putin told his audience, “The dollar is being used as a weapon. We really see that this is so. I think that this is a big mistake by those who do this." (8) The status of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency has long propped up the American economy. The dollar is the preferred currency for global trade transactions involving various commodities, including oil and precious metals. In fact, U.S. dollars are sometimes referred to as “petrodollars” because they are so dominant in oil transactions. As a result, many countries hold vast amounts of U.S. dollars to facilitate trade and stabilize their currencies. It would be a huge blow to lose this advantage, a fact that President-elect Donald Trump has acknowledged. “We have to continue to have that be the world currency. I think it's important. I think it would be losing a war, if we lost the dollar as the world currency,” he said while speaking at the Economic Club in September 2024.(9)
Collapsing Governments
While people often talk about the strained political climate in the United States, it should be noted that other countries around the world are facing political turmoil of their own. For example, France has a long history of political upheaval. Between 2018 and 2020, thousands of people took to the streets in France to participate in the famous Yellow Vest Protests. These massive protests were sparked by rising fuel costs and perceived income inequality. In 2023, more than a million French people protested against their government’s plan to raise the standard retirement age from 62 to 64. (10) Recent months have seen France again rocked by turmoil. In December, French lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier from his position. He only held the office for three months. (11) After the vote of no confidence ushered Barnier out of office, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Francois Bayrou as the new Prime Minister. Remarkably, this was the fourth time France had a new government in the past year. (12) The new government must now contend with a spiraling national debt that exceeds 112% of France’s gross domestic product. “The political situation is difficult. The international situation is dangerous, and the economic context is fragile,” said France’s new finance minister, Eric Lombard. He later noted, “The more we are indebted, the more the debt costs, and the more it suffocates the country." (13)
France is not alone in facing political upheaval. Across the Rhine River, Germany is contending with its own set of challenges. In December 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote held by Parliament, which set the stage for a snap election in February 2025. This development sent shockwaves throughout Europe. Germany is Europe’s largest economy and has a reputation for a stable government. In fact, Germany has only held three previous early elections in the last seventy-five years. (14) Germany is contending with an assortment of issues right now, including a faltering economy, a rising cost of living, a shortage of skilled workers, and a migrant crisis. (15) There’s also considerable anxiety regarding the war in Ukraine. A war so close to home has infused a sense of urgency to rebuild the German army. (16)
Across the Atlantic, Canada, too, is mired in controversy. In recent months, public opinion regarding Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has plummeted. With a growing consensus that Trudeau has become an ineffectual leader, many are now calling on him to resign, including members of his own Liberal Party. Catherine McKenna, who served in Trudeau’s Cabinet from 2015 to 2019, did not mince words. “Every Liberal MP should be calling on the Prime Minister to resign,” she said. (17) Liberal member of Parliament Wayne Long also believes that Trudeau should step aside and noted, “We all have a political shelf life.” (18) According to reports, a group of more than fifty Liberal lawmakers gathered in a virtual meeting on December 21. They concluded that Trudeau must go. (19) Jagmeet Singh, who is the leader of the New Democratic Party, announced that is he planning to call for a vote of no confidence when the House of Commons returns from a winter break on January 27, 2025. “No matter who is leading the Liberal Party, this government's time is up. We will put forward a clear motion of non-confidence in the next sitting of the House of Commons,” he said. (20) According to a recent poll from Ipsos, a whopping 73 percent of Canadians believe Trudeau should resign. (21)
Why the ruckus? Canada has suffered from many of the same problems we have faced in the United States. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation spiked by 8 percent in Canada. While inflation has leveled off since then, many goods and services are still much more expensive than they used to be. Housing has become increasingly expensive, too, especially in large cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. (22) There also seems to be growing concern that Trudeau does not have the fortitude to stand up to incoming American President Donald Trump. This point was highlighted in a resignation letter from Trudeau’s former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Freeland, who resigned on December 16, 2024, wrote in her resignation letter, “Our country today faces a grave challenge. The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 percent tariffs. We need to take that threat extremely seriously.” (23)
The political upheaval in Canada, Germany, and France is a clear indicator that there is great restlessness among the global population. As we head into 2025, it is obvious that the world stands on the brink of significant transformation. Will more governments fall in the coming months? Only God knows, but given the turmoil we've witnessed thus far, it would hardly come as a surprise.
The Fall Of The Assad Regime
The final days of 2024 have brought many surprises. Even as we’ve seen governments crumble in Europe, the latest developments in Syria promise to alter the state of affairs in the Middle East dramatically. Since 2011, Syria has been caught up in a brutal civil war. The war in Syria has involved rebel groups, extremist organizations, and foreign powers such as Russia, Iran, and Turkey. These factions have, at times, not only fought against the regime of Syria’s former dictator, Bashar al-Assad, but also against each other. (24) Assad, until recent days, had enjoyed support from Russia and Iran, which enabled him to cling to power throughout the war despite his unpopularity. According to an August 2023 report from the Saudi news outlet known as Al Majalla, Russia maintains 105 military sites in Syria. The report further indicates that Iran has 570 military sites in Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey was reported to have 125 military sites in Syria, while a U.S.-led coalition was reported to maintain 30 military installations in the Middle Eastern country. (25)
If the civil war in Syria sounds complex and complicated to you, that’s because it is. There are so many different players involved in the conflict that even the brightest minds would struggle to comprehend who is doing what and why. Yet, how it all began is much simpler to comprehend. The Arab Spring movement that began in 2010, swept much of the Arab world and led to the fall of regimes in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. On a fateful day in February 2011, fifteen boys in Deraa, Syria, who were inspired by the movement, spray painted a message on a school wall that read, “The people want the fall of the regime.” The boys were quickly arrested and tortured, which sparked violent protests that eventually descended into a long and bloody civil war. (26)
An estimated 620,000 people have died in Syria since the war began. (27) More than 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and 7.2 million people remain internally displaced in Syria while millions more have moved to other countries. An estimated 5.5 million Syrians live in neighboring countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. A significant number have also relocated to Europe, too. For example, about 850,000 Syrians are presently living in Germany. (28) As such, the civil war in Syria has not only impacted the Middle East, but has contributed to instability in Europe. Housing refugees is expensive, and many Europeans dislike the cultural changes that have taken hold in their countries due to an influx of migrants.
How is it that the Assad regime fell so suddenly after surviving a civil war for nearly fourteen years? Syria’s key allies, Iran and Russia, have both had their hands full with other conflicts in recent days. Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is known to be a proxy militant group for Iran, has been decimated by attacks from Israel, which culminated in the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Although Russia remains a staunch ally of Bashar al-Assad, the Russians have been preoccupied with the costly war in Ukraine.
So it came to be that rebel forces took the capital city of Damascus in Syria on December 8, 2024. “After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement… we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria,” the rebels said in a statement. (29) In the aftermath of Assad’s fall, the Syrian people took to the streets to celebrate. (30) As for Assad, he flew to Russia and was granted asylum by the Russian government. (31)
With Assad out and a new government forming, are the troubles over? Is all well in Syria? These are questions that are yet to be answered. The rebel forces that assumed power in Syria are primarily led by a group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS for short. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government because of ties to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Joseph Daher, who is a professor at the European University Institute, said in a recent interview that HTS has become known for its brutal tactics. “Its policies are often enforced through intimidation, [the] assassination of its rivals, and the murder of civil society activists. Many Syrians in areas under the group's control express relief at the relative stability there but resentment at the group's iron-fisted practices." (32) Will the new boss be the same as the old boss?
What’s Going On With Bird Flu?
If you’ve purchased eggs at a supermarket lately, you might be wondering why they are so expensive. Is it just more inflation? While inflation certainly plays a role in the cost of eggs, the biggest factor driving up the price is the unrelenting spread of the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu. Although bird flu has been widely impacting both wild and domestic birds since 2022, the outbreak has taken some concerning new twists in recent months.
Bird flu is no longer just for the birds. In March 2024, the tenacious virus began infecting dairy cows all over the United States. H5N1 has been detected in dairy herds in sixteen American states, and it has been detected in other animals, including raccoons and cats. (33) More concerning, the virus has also impacted the human population. At least sixty-five people have tested positive for bird flu since April 2024, and in December 2024, a patient in Louisiana became the first human infected with the virus to require hospitalization in the United States. (34) Concern is beginning to mount among experts. “The more people infected, the more possibility mutations could occur. I don’t like giving the virus a runway to a pandemic,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology at Brown University. In some of the cases, people were infected with the virus despite having no known contact with farm or wild animals. “That suggests this virus may be far more out there, and more people might be exposed to it than we previously thought,” Nuzzo warned. (35) Due to the widespread outbreak in the state of California, Governor Gavin Newsome has declared a state of emergency in his state. “The traffic light is changing from green to amber. So many signs are going in the wrong direction,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies infectious diseases. (36)
With the Covid-19 crisis still fresh in our memories, it is safe to say that no one wants another pandemic. Let’s hope and pray the situation doesn’t grow worse. However, a recent report from NBC News suggests that health officials and the pharmaceutical industry already have a plan. The report notes that the federal government has stockpiles of two different bird flu vaccines ready to go, though they still need approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Scientists are also hard at work developing new mRNA vaccines to fight H5N1. (37) It is times like these that we should remember the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who said in Luke 18:1, “That men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. It has been an honor to serve you throughout 2024, and we hope that we will continue to have that opportunity throughout 2025. If you have any prayer needs, great or small, we invite you to send them our way. Each request is always given individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
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References
01. The Dallas Morning News, September 8, 2017, By George H.W. Bush, dallasnews.com.
02. George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, January 29, 1991, By George H.W. Bush, bush41library.tamu.edu.
03. EFE, October 11, 2024, By EFE, efe.com.
04. The Council on Foreign Relations, December 12, 2024, By Mariel Ferragamo, cfr.org.
05. The Washington Post, August 10, 2024, By Rebecca Tan and Vic Chiang, washingtonpost.com.
06. Ibid.
07. Ibid.
08. Fox News, October 23, 2024, By Morgan Phillips, foxnews.com.
09. Ibid.
10. Associated Press, January 19, 2023, By Sylvie Corbet and Jade Le Deley, apnews.com.
11. Business Standard, December 5, 2024, By Vasudha Mukherjee, business-standard.com.
12. Voices of America News, December 24, 2024, By Associated Press, voanews.com.
13. Ibid.
14. The New York Times, December 16, 2024, By Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley, nytimes.com.
15. DW, December 29, 2024, By Jens Thurau, dw.com.
16. The New York Times, December 16, 2024, By Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley, nytimes.com.
17. Politico, December 24, 2024, By Sue Allan and Mickey Djuric, politico.com.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Reuters, December 20, 2024, By David Ljunggren, reuters.com.
21. The New York Times, December 20, 2024, By Ephrat Livni and Ian Austen, nytimes.com.
22. Ibid.
23. Reuters, December 16, 2024, By Reuters, reuters.com.
24. Shelterbox, shelterbox.org.
25. Al Majalla, August 19, 2024, Bt Al Majalla - London, en.majalla.com.
26. National Public Radio, March 16, 2012, By Kelly McEvers, npr.org.
27. The New York Times, December 11, 2024, By Aryn Baker, nytimes.com.
28. UNHCR, December 23, 2024, By UNHCR, unrefugees.org.
29. The Times of Israel, December 8, 2024, By Agencies and TOI Staff, timesofisrael.com.
30. NBC News, December 9, 2024, By Richard Engel and Corky Siemaszko, nbcnews.com.
31. Reuters, December 8, 2024, By Maya Gebeily and Timour Azhari, reuters.com.
32. DW, December 12, 2024, By Cathrin Schaer, dw.com.
33. NBC News, December 22, 2024, By Evan Bush, nbcnews.com.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
37. Ibid.
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