Damascus (Syria) Will Be Destroyed

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http://www.alphanewsdaily.com/Nations%20Syria.html



Bible Prophecy

Damascus (Syria)

Will Be Destroyed


Damascus will one day be completely destroyed and left uninhabitable . . .

Syria is almost a 'city-state' with much of its population living in and around the city of Damascus. Some historians and archaeologists believe Damascus may be the oldest continually inhabited city in the world and there is no record in ancient history of it ever being fully destroyed. Syria is also the home of many Islamic terrorist groups and its army invaded and has occupied Lebanon for almost 30 years. Currently, Syria (with Iran) is supporting the Hizbollah in southern Lebanon against Israel. Syria, like the rest of Israel's Islamic neighbors hate Israel, have invaded and attacked Israel on several occasions, and have publicly called for the destruction of Israel. It is interesting to note that recently an Israeli general, on commenting on the growing threat of Syria, said the easiest thing to do to protect Israel from Syria would be to drop a nuclear bomb on Damascus . . .


Damascus, Syria will someday be completely destroyed and become a 'ruinous heap' . . .

"The burden of Damascus.
Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city,
and it shall be a ruinous heap" (This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled ... but it will be fulfilled)
(Isaiah 17:1)


The Bible warns it will also be a time of trouble for Israel . . .

"And in that day (usually refers to the coming 'Apocalypse')
it shall come to pass, (when God says 'it shall come to pass' it always happens.)
the glory of Jacob (Israel) shall be made thin,
and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean."
(Isaiah 17:4)

There will be a coming time of trouble unlike anything in the history of the nation coming to the land of Israel ... Jeremiah calls it 'the Time of Jacob's (Israel's) Trouble ... and it is hard to tell if this happens after Damascus is destroyed, or at the same time. We do know from Bible prophecies there will be a coming 3 1/2 year period of false peace in Israel brought in by a strong, powerful, and very popular world leader (also called the "Antichrist") who will someday enforce a 'peace plan' upon nation Israel just before the coming 'Apocalypse' and Armageddon ...


We are told here (and in other prophetic passages) that a faithful few in Israel will turn back to God and His Word ... and may discover, from Scripture, that Jesus-Yeshua, is the Eternal One (see Micah 5:2) and Holy One of Israel . . .

"At that day shall a man look to his Maker,
and his eyes shall have respect
to the Holy One (Messiah) of Israel." (Jesus-Yeshua, the promised Messiah)
(Isaiah 17:7)


God tells us why Jacob's (Israel's) 'trouble' will come . . .

"Because thou hast forgotten
the God of thy Salvation,
and hast not been mindful
of the Rock of thy strength (the "Rock" is Messiah)
(Isaiah 17:10)



God says none of His prophecies shall fail . . .

"For I am God, and there is no other.
for I am God, and there is none like me . . .
Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times
things that are not yet done."
(Isaiah 46:9-10)


"Search from the book of the LORD, and read:
not one of these (prophecies) shall fail;
not one shall lack her mate.
For My mouth has commanded it,
and His Spirit has gathered them."
(Isaiah 34:16)


"Indeed I (God) have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted,
who are far from righteousness . . ."
(Isaiah 46:11-12)


"Before the decree is issued, before day passes like chaff,
before the LORD'S fierce anger comes upon you,
before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you!
Seek the LORD,
all you meek of the Earth, who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
in the day of the LORD'S anger."
(Zephaniah 2:2-3)


Have a hard time believing in God? Just watch the news. We are living in dangerous times. The above verses are clear.

Why? God is warning us. God says He is doing these things both as a warning sign to the world and as verifiable evidence the Bible is true . . .


Please remember . . .

The Kingdom of Heaven is available to every man, woman, boy, and girl in this world, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they have done. It is freely offered to any and all who will receive it. Simply learn of Jesus (Yeshua), the promised Messiah, invite Him into your life as Lord, believe He died on the Cross for all of your sins and rose from the grave (proving there is a Kingdom of Heaven ... and a Hell). Learn of Him and believe in Him . . . for He was the only one who has ever loved you enough to substitute Himself for you on the Cross. He shed His blood, suffered, and died on the Cross to save youfrom your sins and from the utter darkness and torment of Hell, if you will accept it, believe it, and trust in it. That is why Jesus is called Savior. He now lovingly and graciously offers you life in Heaven (and we are warned it is a "take it or leave it" proposition.) We have to consciously receive it and accept it in faith. If you sincerely admit you have sinned (which means you will need a Savior to get into Heaven) and ask Jesus to come into your life and honestly try to stop doing (and saying) those things God says are wrong, you will go to Heaven ... and with open arms and tears of joy He will receive all who will come to Him in faith and in love ... It's God's Promise!!!

The only unpardonable sin is to reject or ignore or treat as a common thing God's love and His free offer of life in the Kingdom of Heaven by rejecting Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew) who stepped forth from Eternity ("from of old, from everlasting"... see Micah 5:2) ... not to condemn the sinner, but to save the sinner (from the torment of Hell) and who willingly and lovingly shed His blood on the Cross so we can be washed clean of all our sins. The Bible warns there will be no peace in our lives until we make peace with God through His Son, Jesus (Yeshua), the promised Messiah. The Bible also says there will be no peace in Israel or on Earth until Jesus (Yeshua), the Messiah returns . .

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http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/7.123.1288802025%21/image/2358286532.gif_gen/derivatives/default/2358286532.gif (http://www.haaretz.com/)

Tue, October 04, 2011 Tishrei 6, 5772

Syria will strike Israel and "set fire" to the Middle East if foreign forces choose to launch a military strike on the protest-ridden country, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday.



During a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Assad was quoted by the Iranian semi-official news agency Fars as saying that Syria would not hesitate to strike major Israeli cities if it was attacked.



http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.376326.1312165445%21/image/68209416.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_295/68209416.jpg Syrian President Bashar Assad delivering a speech in Damascus, Syria, on June 20, 2011.
Photo by: AP

"If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than 6 hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv," Assad said.

(http://www.facebook.com/haaretzcom)
Are these just empty threats? Visit Haaretz.com on Facebook and share your views. (http://www.facebook.com/haaretzcom)


In addition, Fars reported that the Syrian president told the Turkish FM that he would also call on Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch a rocket attack on Israel, adding: "All these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack the U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf and the U.S. and European interests will be targeted simultaneously."


Assad's comments to the Turkish FM came after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier Tuesday he would set out his country's plans for sanctions against Syria after he visits a Syrian refugee camp near the border in the coming days.
The move heralds a further deterioration in previously friendly relations between Ankara and Damascus since the start of Assad's crackdown on protesters.
"Regarding sanctions, we will make an assessment and announce our road map after the visit to Hatay in southern Turkey, setting out the steps," Erdogan told reporters, adding he expected to visit the region at the weekend or the start of next week.
Some 7,000 Syrians have taken refuge in camps established in Hatay, in flight from President Assad's security forces.

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October 14th, 2011
This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'


You would think after a half-century of studying Bible prophecy, teaching it, writing about it, and producing a weekly television program on the subject for the last 15 years, nothing would surprise me. Not so. I am continually amazed by how precisely the predictions of the ancient prophets are unfolding in the news.

How's this for prophetic precision? Last week, Iran's Fars news service reported that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad threatened to unleash a missile attack on Tel Aviv if NATO or Turkey dared interfere in Syria's affairs.

This wasn't an off-the-cuff, rash remark made in a fit of anger. He's issued this threat before. On August 9th, Assad told the Turkish Foreign Minister that "it would take only six hours for Syria to devastate Tel Aviv and ignite the Middle East."

Now, as ominous as that sounds, it's not the part of the story that raises the red flag for prophecy watchers. Middle Eastern hotheads have been threatening to wipe out Israel for decades.

Here's the critical part. Debkafile.com reports that after the first threat, Israel sent Syria a warning. In part, the message said, "If a single missile explodes in Tel Aviv, Damascus will be the first to pay the price.."

That raises the goosebumps, doesn't it?

This is the exact scenario foretold by the prophet Isaiah thousands of years ago. He said that a showdown would take place between Syria and Israel, like two gunfighters facing off in the dusty street of an old western town, complete with the townspeople clearing out to hide in the saloon and the stores. According to Isaiah, the rest of the world "will flee far away, and be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind, or like the whirling dust before a gale."

Then Syria will draw, but before it can clear leather, Israel will strike and Damascus will cease to exist. Here's how Isaiah described it: "And at evening time, behold, there is terror! Before morning they are no more."

Isaiah predicted that Damascus, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world - which has never been destroyed - will disappear in one night. Before today, that would not have been even technically possible. With nuclear weapons, it won't take an evening.

And now the threat has been publicly made and the counter-threat has been delivered. I'm not saying when this will happen, but once an embattled dictator publicly suggests the possibility, I believe the chances of someone choosing that option increase considerably. And the possibility has to be considered that one of Syria's allies (Iran? Hezbollah? Hamas?) may actually be the one to pull the trigger.

Need I say it again? Get ready! Christ's coming cannot be far away.

Were you a Tea Partier? I know that many of you were and still are. If you recall, for several weeks, I drank tea on the set of "The Hal Lindsey Report" in honor of the Tea Party's efforts.

Well, according to the Left, there's a new movement in town that they're describing at the 'tea party of the Progressives.' I think that description of the "Occupy Wall Street" protests is stretching it a bit and on this week's show I'll tell you why.

I suppose there are similarities: they are protests and the protesters are people. I guess that about does it. To paraphrase former vice-presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen, "I knew the Tea Party and you're no Tea Party!"

Another thing that continually amazes me is how you never know what bit of news is going to capture the spotlight at any given moment. With, among other things, the dismal American economy, the imminent collapse of the eurozone, the baseball playoffs, the undoing of Attorney General Eric Holder, and myriad other hot news stories being ignored by the Mainstream Media, who would have thought that a comment made by a Southern Baptist pastor would grab the spotlight.

At last week's Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of The First Baptist Church of Dallas, introduced Texas governor Rick Perry. In his remarks, Dr. Jeffress noted that Governor Perry was a born-again evangelical Christian. He called him a "genuine follower of Jesus Christ."

Though he named neither of them, the press considered the remark an obvious reference to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., both Mormons. When questioned about it later, Dr. Jeffress told reporters that the Mormon Church is a "cult" and that Romney is "not a Christian."

The pastor later clarified his remarks by explaining that, theologically speaking, Mormonism is not Christianity. Mainstream Christianity has long considered the Mormon church to be a "theological cult," as opposed to a sociological cult.

I suppose you can guess that Governor Romney considered the remark a personal attack and condemned it as "poisonous language."

Governor Perry is caught in a tough spot. I was disappointed that he later tried to distance himself from Dr. Jeffress' comment and, to a degree, repudiated the idea that Mormonism is a cult. But I was pleased that, when later pressed to go further, Governor Perry refused to equate Mormonism with Christianity.

On this week's program, I'll explain why, no matter what you call Mormonism, it is not Christian. I'll explain why mainstream Christianity has always regarded it as a "cult." I'll also tell you why this incident represents a dangerous new development regarding our rights as Christians and American citizens.

I believe that it is NOT hate speech or intolerance to declare what Jesus Christ Himself declared. It is NOT bigotry to say that a religion that denies the most basic of all Christian doctrines is not Christian. Refusing to change one's own basic beliefs in order to be "politically correct" is not bigotry, either. But this is nothing less than what is being demanded of us now. And daily we see the Left, the media, and anti-Christian forces very effectively using charges of 'hate speech', intolerance, and bigotry to silence Christian voices.

And it will not get better or easier. So my advice is to begin now to prepare for that day. Search your heart to see what you really believe and begin to define what you're willing to lose your friends, your freedom, and maybe your life for.

That day is coming and probably sooner than we think.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ddlip8bab&et=1108127233000&s=37076&e=001j88hZGfztYQeHUAm3gIPCcrzZkGB2k_dJa7GRfmiwYWik 8ThvZTNv1D_M8y_v0Y-cVpS8v-VdVdVimwyAAb6NgbxnVwoE5WeJevsNiTTAWDFjlIIHM9d-Q==) or www.hischannel.com (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ddlip8bab&et=1108127233000&s=37076&e=001j88hZGfztYQY4BK2jvhp41wrL0RYRgVB1H5NVuVI1gFpp-A5yehY_1Lyrtr-3QHeSCZqWhIl3z8AAWp3D9J8WsOkEgU8Sfzvlr-7vu_DzVZ1heLEGxNZlg==). Check your local listings.

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey

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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Gaddafi’s Death Sends Strong Signal to Syria! (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2011/10/gaddafis-death-sends-strong-signal-to.html)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_mmyoHPEE4Yc/TY4TA5kI_oI/AAAAAAAAHzw/JTxk-3LSZUQ/s800/bs.jpgBy Bill Salus
ProphecyDepot.com (http://prophecydepot.com/)

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The Arab Spring has yielded a bumper crop of dethroned leaders. The latest bad apple to fall from the tree is Muammar Gaddafi. Libya’s autocratic leader came into power forty-two years ago in 1969. Graphic blood-stained and scantily-clad images displaying the longstanding leader dead with a bullet to the head evidenced that according to NATO and his Libyan countrymen, he had long since overstayed his welcome.

Interestingly, a headline from World Watch Daily on the same day of Gaddafi’s death read: “Flashback: Gaddafi tells Palestinians: Revolt against Israel, Feb. 14, 2011; Libyan protests began on February 15, 2011. (http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-4028114,00.html)”

Libyan protests began in February the day after Gaddafi vocalized his anti-Israel sentiment and eight months later the dictator winds up dead. Is this a coincidence or is there a Biblical lesson to be gleaned by those bent on cursing Israel? Genesis 12:3 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Genesis%2012.3) warns those that curse the Jews invoke divine judgment upon themselves.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqRl1C1on-M/TqLVLfjN3xI/AAAAAAAAJgY/fDRCJomSl_Q/s200/118.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqRl1C1on-M/TqLVLfjN3xI/AAAAAAAAJgY/fDRCJomSl_Q/s1600/118.jpg)The graphic Gaddafi images presently circulating around the globe should send a strong signal across the Mediterranean pond to Syria’s president Bashar Assad to beware of a similar fate. Assad has been undergoing a comparable crisis of his own since protests began on January 16, 2011 and uprisings commenced on March 15, 2011. On October 4, 2011 the Syrian leader threatened that if NATO intervened in his country similar to Libya, then Tel Aviv would be struck by Syrian and Hezbollah missiles within six-hours. [1 (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/#e1)] This threat pales Gaddafi’s February remarks in comparison.

Threats between Syria and Israel are commonplace, so there is a general tendency in the mainstream media to chalk such rhetoric off as mere rumors of war. However, with the instability created by the Arab Spring and the deaths or departures of those listed below, it appears to be time for the liberal pundits to come to grips with the stage-setting in the Middle East for a potentially imminent war.



Tunisian President – Zine al Abedine Ben Ali was ousted January 14, 2011.
Egyptian President – Hosni Mubarak resigned February 11, 2011. Who can forget the images of him on trial with his two sons caged in a Cairo courtroom lying on a gurney with an I.V. in his arm? Certainly these images didn’t set well in the Syrian capital of Damascus to a regime struggling to maintain power.
Al-Qaeda – Osama Bin Laden was killed on May 1, 2011.
Al-Qaeda – Terrorist leader Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in a drone attack on September 30, 2011 in Yemen.
Yemen – President Ali Abdullah Saleh tendered his resignation in April of 2011, but is still negotiating the terms of his departure.
Libya – Muammar Gaddafi takes a bullet above the brow on October 20, 2011.


The Billion-Dollar Man

Gaddafi had become the billion-dollar man to the Obama administration. With the war in Iraq costing approximately $1-trillion, and the Afghanistan war nearing the $500-billion mark, the U.S. war with Libya had surpassed the $1-billion price-tag for U.S. taxpayers. [2 (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/#e2)] The NATO led war commencing on March 19, 2011 that President Obama said would only last a short while, was threatening to become an embarrassment if it was prolonged much longer.

President Obama stated in a press conference Gaddafi’s death evidenced the “Strength of American leadership across the world,” and declared to the Libyan rebels “You have won your revolution!” Similarly, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jokingly stated to a television news reporter shortly afterward, “We came, we saw, he died.” [3 (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/#e3)]

These bold statements coupled with Obama’s approval of Mubarak’s resignation and the death of the Al-Qaeda leaders, signals that Mideast regime changes and wanted dead-or-alive posters are the order of the day in Washington. In light of Gaddafi’s death in Libya, President Assad has to be concerned that he may be the next billion-dollar Arab leader.

Syrian President Assad’s recent intimidations toward Israel were not idol threats but were prompted by his genuine concern that NATO, at the encouragement of the member state of Turkey, might intervene in Syria like it did in Libya. The Syrian revolts have led to a deluge of refugees crossing the border between Syria into Turkey. From Turkey’s perspective, something, perhaps a regime change, must happen soon to squelch the oppression of the Syrian revolutionaries by the Assad regime.


What Does the Bible Predict Will Happen Next?

What happens next in Libya and Syria? Can the future of these two countries be known? CNN host Piers Morgan interviewed the esteemed news broadcaster Dan Rather on the day of Gaddafi’s death and asked him what the future holds for Libya in light of the pending regime change. Dan Rather quoted that living life around a crystal ball causes people to step on broken glass. In essence he avoided answering the question and insinuated that the future cannot be known.

I disagree with Dan Rather; there are some future events that can be known according to Isaiah 46:9-10 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2046.9-10) and elsewhere. In fact under the banner of ancient “Put,” Libya is listed in a Bible prophecy inscribed in Ezekiel 38. [4 (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/#e4)] The Ezekiel prophecy, commonly called the Gog of Magog invasion, involves a Russian-Iranian led coalition consisting of nine populations that attempt to destroy Israel in pursuit of great plunder. Many eschatologists believe this invasion could happen soon.

Due to Gaddafi’s death, he will obviously not participate in the pending prophecy; however, his countrymen will, which begs the question, “If Libya enters into a coalition with Russia, Iran, Turkey and several other countries to invade Israel according to Ezekiel; then what does that say about the character of the next Libyan government?”

If the eschatologists are right and Ezekiel’s prophecy is about to be fulfilled, will the next regime also be Anti-Semitic? The fact that a new regime will require some time to form in the vacuum created by Gaddafi’s death makes it doubtful that the Ezekiel 38 invasion is the next prophecy to be watching for.

Perhaps prophecies like Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 involving Syria may be more imminent. Isaiah predicts the destruction of Damascus and Psalm 83 lists Syria as a member of an Arab confederacy predicted to attack the Jewish state in order to capture the land of Israel.

If NATO decides to intervene in Syria, Bashar Assad may make good on his recent threats to attack Tel Aviv swiftly to stave off a pending NATO invasion. Certainly Syria’s president is not interested in taking a bullet to the head like Gaddafi did only a few months after the NATO led charge into Libya. However, unlike Libya, Syria has a military ally in Iran that appears willing to fight alongside Syria and has threatened to wipe Israel off of the map.

It is all getting very dangerous in the Holy Land. The Gaddafi regime may not be the last Arab government toppled and he may not be the final Muslim leader assassinated. If Bashar Assad attacks Tel Aviv, he may lose his head like his former ally Saddam Hussein of Iraq did several years ago. Or, even worse for him and many of his countrymen, Israel may discharge a nuclear device in Damascus and incinerate a multitude of Syrians in retaliation.

Perhaps eschatologists should be looking at the prophecies in Isaiah 17 more closely in light of all the above. My new book Revelation Road – Once Upon an End Time, presents an exhaustive verse-by-verse study of Isaiah 17 and is due out by December, 2011. It will be available for presales soon at www.prophecydepot.com (http://www.prophecydepot.net/). Hopefully the Damascus study included in the book will be regarded with pending prophecy rather than a history lesson. Keep your eye on Mideast events meanwhile, as Mideast war may be looming on the horizon.

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Potential Threats To Israel: Syria


http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/images/golanme.gif
by Mitchell Bard

(Updated May 25, 2011)

Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) remains Israel’s (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/israel.html) principal immediate military threat. In the past three years, Syria has spent more than $3 billion on weapons, up from less than $100 million in 2002. Even as reports disclosed that Syrian and Israeli officials were engaged in peace talks mediated by Turkey, the Syrian Defense Minister was in Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Irantoc.html) discussing strengthening military ties. “Iran and Syria share the same viewpoint regarding regional issues and efforts will be made to strengthen our shared interests and bilateral relations," said Hassan Turkmani, who was dispatched to Tehran after Iranian officials condemned the resumption of negotiations with Israel.


Syria has reportedly received $1 billion from Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Irantoc.html) in 2007-8 to buy surface-to-surface missiles, rockets, anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft systems. According to Haaretz (March 21, 2008), “Israel has learned that Syria is buying more missiles than tanks, on the assumption that attacking the Israeli home front would deter Israel on the one hand, and help to determine the war on the other.”


A Syrian delegation visiting Moscow in May 2008 was reportedly seeking a variety of new weapons systems that Israel views as threatening. Israel is particularly concerned with a Syrian request for long-range S-300 surface-to-air missiles that could threaten IAF jets flying on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. Syria also reportedly wants MiG 29 fighter jets and the Iskander surface-to-surface missile system, which is a longer range and more accurate missile than the ballistic missiles currently in Syria's arsenal. The Syrian navy, which currently has no submarines, is apparently also looking to purchase two Amur-1650 submarines from Russia. The dramatic increase in military spending and effort to significantly upgrade its military capability is one more reason Israelis are skeptical about Syrian intentions.
Weapons of Mass Destruction

On September 6, 2007, Israel bombed a site in northern Syria. Initial news reports suggested the raid was designed to either interdict a weapons shipment intended for Hezbollah (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hiztoc.html) in Lebanon (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/lebtoc.html) or to destroy a site suspected of containing materials for a nuclear weapons program set up in collaboration with North Korea. The CIA subsequently said it was a plutonium reactor being built with the help of North Korea (NPR (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90115722), April 24, 2008). The possibility that the site was related to a nuclear program is also supported by a U.S. intelligence report issued in May 2006 that said Pakistani investigators confirmed reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the covert Pakistani supplier group headed by A.Q. Khan “offered nuclear technology and hardware to Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html).” The IAEA also reported in February 2009 that samples taken from the site revealed traces of processed uranium.


Syria denied the site was for a nuclear facility. The IAEA sent investigators to Dair Alzour, but they were given restricted access to the area. Nevertheless, a report was issued on November 19, 2008, which said the team found a “significant number” of uranium particles and concluded, “While it cannot be excluded that the building in question was intended for non-nuclear use, the features of the building...are similar to what may be found in connection with a reactor site.”


In February 2011, commercial satellite photos published by Washington's Institute for Science and International Security identified another suspect nuclear installation in Syria. The photos provided evidence that Damascus may have been pursing atomic weapons prior to the 2007 Israeli strike and increased pressure for demands for a new round of expansive inspections of suspect Syrian facilities. Another IAEA report issued in May 2011, which cited both physical and photograhic evidence, confirmed that the Syrian project destroyed in the the Israeli air raid was a nuclear reactor intended for making material for nuclear bombs.


Syria was already known to conduct nuclear research at three facilities located at Dayr, Al Hajar and Dubaya. “In 2004, Syria continued to develop civilian nuclear capabilities, including uranium extraction technology and hot cell facilities, which may also be potentially applicable to a weapons program,” the report said. As a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Syria is required to submit to IAEA safeguards and inspections. In January 2007, the United States froze the assets (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Threats_to_Israel/SyriaWMD.html) of three Syrian entities involved in the development of nonconventional weapons.
According to Gregory Schulte, former U.S. envoy to the IAEA, Syria may be operating more nuclear sites.


Israel's attack raised tensions along the Golan Heights (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/golantoc.html) where Syrian actions had already provoked concern about the possibility of conflict. In March 2007, it was reported that Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) has positioned along the border with Israel thousands of medium and long-range rockets capable of striking major towns across northern Israel, including Haifa (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/Haifatoc.html). A division was added to the Syrian army’s forward deployment on the Heights and the production of Scud missiles has been accelerated. Many of the rockets are hidden in underground chambers and in camouflaged silos. This deployment, coupled with other reports of Syrian troop mobilization and television broadcasts during May 2007 dedicated to “Golan Month,” may be an indication that Damascus is preparing for a future war.

(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html)
Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) also continues to expand its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. The Syrians can now manufacture several hundred tons of chemical warfare agents (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/chemterror.html) per year at four separate production facilities. In late 2005, Jane's Defence Weekly reported that Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Irantoc.html) is providing technical assistance to help Syria develop the means to produce VX and Sarin nerve agents and mustard blister agent. According to a February 2009 report by Jane's,

Syria has been constructing a new chemical weapons facility in Al-Safir, the home of an existing chemical weapons production facility and a missile base with long-range Scud D ballistic missiles.
Syria and Iran

Under a mutual defense pact signed between Syria and Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Irantoc.html) in 2005, Syria agreed to allow the deployment of Iranian weapons on its territory. On June 15, 2006, Syria’s defense minister, Hassan Turkmani, signed an agreement with his Iranian counterpart for military cooperation against what they called the “common threats” presented by Israel and the United States. “Our cooperation is based on a strategic pact and unity against common threats,” said Turkmani. “We can have a common front against Israel’s threats.” In December 2009, Syria and Iran signed an additional defense agreement aimed to face “common enemies and challenges.” In praising the agreement, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said, “it is natural for a country like Syria - which has an inhumane and menacing predator like Israel in its neighborhood - to be always prepared [against possible foreign aggression].”

(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/untoc.html)
UN (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/untoc.html) officials said in June 2007 the Iranians were preparing to transfer medium-range Shahab-3, Russian-made Scud-C missiles and Scud-B missiles in preparation for military action if it is attacked over its nuclear program. Many of these missiles can be fired from mobile launchers and are capable of hitting targets throughout Israel. Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) has already received, via Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Irantoc.html), hundreds of extended-range North Korean (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Threats_to_Israel/Korea.html) Scud-C missiles, and is reportedly building its own ballistic missiles from imported technology. North Korea has supplied complete Scuds and production equipment to Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html). In 2003, Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) was said to have a new Scud-D missile, developed with Korean assistance, which has a range of 300 miles (sufficient to cover all of Israel (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/israel.html)). The missile is also capable of carrying chemical weapons. The May 2006 U.S. intelligence report said Syria continues to seek help in building solid-propellant rocket motors, and that North Korea supplied equipment and assistance to the missile program. Syria is building its own liquid-fueled Scud missiles and is developing a 500-mile-range Scud D and other variants with help from North Korea and Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Irantoc.html), the report said.


“Syria test-fired three Scud missiles on May 27, 2005, including one that broke up over Turkey,” the New York Times reported. “These were the first such Syrian missile tests since 2001, and were part of a Syrian missile development project using North Korean technology and designed to deliver air-burst chemical weapons. The missiles included one Scud B with a range of 185 miles, and two Scud Ds with a range of 435 miles.” Months later, Western experts who examined the remains of the missile that fell in Turkey concluded Syria had introduced significant changes in the advanced model of the Scud D missile that gives it greater guidance capability and accuracy.

Over the objections of Israel and the United States, Russia (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/russiatoc.html) announced plans in early 2005 to sell Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) advanced SA-18 anti-aircraft missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/sharon.html) that the weapons were not shoulder-missiles favored by the terror organizations, but rather they would be mounted on vehicles, and therefore they would not endanger Israel. Putin also said Syria's placement of the missiles would be designed to avoid a change in the balance of power in the area, but would prevent Israeli war planes from being able to fly over Syrian President Bashar Assad's (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Bassad.html) presidential palace in Damascus. Israeli defense officials still expressed concern that the mounted version could be modified into a shoulder-held version in a relatively simple process. From that point, the officials said, the missiles could easily reach insurgents in Iran (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/Iraqtoc.html) or Hezbollah (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hiztoc.html) operatives in Lebanon (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/lebtoc.html).

(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html)
Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) now has more troops and tanks, and nearly as many aircraft as Israel. The Assad regime fields armed forces totaling more than 380,000 men, with another 130,000 troops in reserve. Syria's arsenal includes approximately 3,700 tanks and some 510 combat aircraft.


Though the quality of Syrian forces is regarded as inferior to that of Israel, the deployment of these forces facing the Golan (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/golantoc.html) indicates Assad (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Bassad.html) is keeping his military options open.


http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/images/golansecurity.gif
The Terror Connection

Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) harbors in Damascus representatives of ten Palestinian terrorist organizations (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/paltertoc.html) including Hamas (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hamastoc.html), Islamic Jihad (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/pijtoc.html), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/dflp.html), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/pflptoc.html) all of which are opposed to advances in the peace process (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/palstoc.html) between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/patoc.html). These groups have launched terrible attacks against innocent Israeli citizens, which have resulted in hundreds of deaths. Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html) also supports the Iranian-funded Hezbollah (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hiztoc.html).
For more than 30 years, Lebanon (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/lebanon.html) was essentially controlled by Syria (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syriatoc.html). With Syrian acquiescence, Lebanon (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/lebanon.html) became the home to a number of the most radical and violent Islamic organizations. Hezbollah (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hiztoc.html) (Party of God), in particular, has been used by the Syrians as a proxy to fight Israel.
On October 19, 2004, the UN Security Council (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/sctoc.html)released a demand that Syria should abide by a resolution (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/unres1559.html) calling on Damascus to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon, dismantle the Hezbollah (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hiztoc.html) organization and respect Lebanon’s independence. Buoyed by the UN (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/untoc.html) intervention, the opposition in Lebanon grew more vocal demanding an end to Syrian hegemony. After former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/lebpm.html) on February 14, 2005, the pressure on Syria intensified and its troops were finally withdrawn in April.

Nevertheless, Syria continues to exercise great influence in Lebanon (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/lebanon.html). Syria and its allies are believed responsible for a series of assassinations to undermine Lebanese democracy that have eliminated anti-Syrian members of the Lebanese parliament, the most recent attack coming in September 2007. Syria supplied Hezbollah (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/hiztoc.html) with weapons used in the war (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/hizwartoc.html) fought with Israel in July 2006 and has been resupplying the organization in defiance of the UN (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/untoc.html) since the war ended. Those rockets used in 2006 had ranges of 20 to 60 miles. In April 2010, the U.S. and Israel accused Syria of delivering shipments of long-range Scud missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Scuds have a range of more than 435 miles - placing Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's nuclear installations at risk.

Sources: American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) (http://www.aipac.org/); Haaretz, (February 16, (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/540777.html) October 26 (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637727.html), December 5 (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/653195.html), 2005; March 21 (http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/966833.html), 2008 ); Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1113963509285), (April 20, 2005; May 21 (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3549575,00.html), 2008; February 17 (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304811448&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull), 19 (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304830761&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull), September 10 (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804538946&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull), December 12 (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260447419513&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull), 2009); New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/international/middleeast/03syria.html?), (June 3, 2005); Ynet News, (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3159255,00.html) (October 25, 2005); Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060512-111553-7237r.htm), (May 13, 2006); Defensenews.com (http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1872085&C=mideast), (June 15, 2006); Jerusalem Report, (May 28, 2007) ; AP, (June 19, 2007); Daily Telegraph (http://www.nysun.com/article/57236), (June 25, 2007); Washington Post, (September 21, 2007; May 29, 2008); Ynet, (May 27, 2008 (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3548483,00.html)); Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iaea20-2008nov20,0,2599676.story), (November 20, 2008); Wall Street Journal, (April 14, 2010 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304604204575182290135333282.html?m od=WSJ_WSJ_US_World))(February 24, 2011 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703842004576163082774601552.html?m od=rss_middle_east_news)); JTA, (May 25, 2011 (http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/05/25/3087867/iran-working-on-trigger-for-nukes-un-agency-reports)). Maps courtesy of The Jewish Connection (http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Loge/7748/)


http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Threats_to_Israel/Syria.html

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd7n_XhcFUs

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoqyxpiTDAw&feature=player_embedded#!

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http://www.raptureready.com/featured/gillette/Isaiah_17.html

Isaiah 17: Destruction of Damascus

In the last days, the Bible tells us of a horrible series of events that will take place in the lands of Israel and Syria. One of these events is the disappearance of Damascus as one of the premiere cities in the world. The oldest continuously inhabited city on the planet, Damascus has witnessed at least 5,000 years of human history, and some historians believe the city actually dates back to the seventh millennium BC. In fact, Paul was on the road to Damascus when Christ first appeared to Him, an event that transformed not only his life, but the course of human history.

In the very near future, Damascus will once again play a major role in human events. The prophet Isaiah provides us with God’s commentary on a future conflict between Damascus and Israel, and in so doing, he reveals certain prophecies which have been partially fulfilled in the past. However, the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah 17 remains in the future. The current existence of Damascus, which will one day cease to be a city, as well as the historical absence of the coalition of nations prophesied to attack Israel and be destroyed by God, is proof that Isaiah 17 prophesies events yet future.

This is what God revealed to the prophet Isaiah:


“This message came to me concerning Damascus: ‘Look, Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted. Sheep will graze in the streets and lie down unafraid. There will be no one to chase them away. The fortified cities of Israel will also be destroyed, and the power of Damascus will end. The few left in Aram will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 17:1-3 (NLT)

These opening verses paint a bleak picture. The city of Damascus will become a heap of ruins, utterly destroyed. Few, if any, buildings will be left standing. The once great city will be devoid of human life and will become home to all manner of wildlife in the absence of humans to chase them away.

According to these verses, the cities of Aroer, which are located on the northern bank of the Arnon River just east of the Dead Sea, will also be deserted. However, the passage doesn’t say they will be destroyed in the same manner as Damascus, just that they will be deserted. It may be that people simply flee these cities out of fear.

In addition, many of the fortified cities in northern Israel will also be destroyed. Those few who remain in Aram, 38 miles south southeast of Damascus, will share the fate of these northern Israeli cities.

“‘In that day the glory of Israel will be very dim, for poverty will stalk the land. Israel will be abandoned like the grain fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest. Only a few of its people will be left, like the stray olives left on the tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five out on the tips of the limbs. Yes, Israel will be stripped bare of people,’ says the Lord, the God of Israel.” Isaiah 17:4-6 (NLT)

The breadth and scope of destruction is clearly illustrated as God describes the Israeli landscape as stripped bare of people. Only a small fraction of people either choose to stay in the land or else survive what is a massive holocaust, leaving only a few inhabitants who struggle in poverty.

“Then at last the people will think of their Creator and have respect for the Holy One of Israel. They will no longer ask their idols for help or worship what their own hands have made. They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles or burn incense on the altars they built.” Isaiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

As a result of this event, the people of Israel will once again turn to God Almighty. Currently, the nation of Israel is predominantly secular in nature. Other biblical passages infer that this will change as the prophesied rebuilding of the Temple in the last days indicates a spiritual resurgence among the Jews of Israel. Nevertheless, this passage clearly indicates the people of Israel will turn away from all false idols and gods.

Knowing that this will happen, we must ask: why does it happen? The answer is found in the verses that follow:

“Their largest cities will be as deserted as overgrown thickets. They will become like the cities the Amorites abandoned when the Israelites came here so long ago. Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you – the Rock who can hide you. You may plant the finest imported grapevines, and they may grow so well that they blossom on the very morning you plant them, but you will never pick any grapes from them. Your only harvest will be a load of grief and incurable pain.” Isaiah 17:9-11 (NLT)

The devastation that overshadows Israel will come about because Israel has “turned from the God who can save them.” All the hard work performed prior to this event will be lost. Those who have been distracted by the things of this world will be disappointed, for they have forgotten God, and by putting faith in the things of this world, they will ultimately be disappointed. Their only harvest will be “a load of grief and incurable pain.” This grief will be brought to a climax when, in the midst of their suffering, the nation of Israel faces an imminent invasion:

“Look! The armies rush forward like waves thundering toward the shore. But though they roar like breakers on a beach, God will silence them. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind or like dust whirling before a storm. In the evening Israel waits in terror, but by dawn its enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder and destroy the people of God.” Isaiah 17:12-14 (NLT)

While Syria and Israel lie in ruin, the enemies of Israel will view her suffering as an opportunity to invade, their ultimate goal to destroy her forever. However, God has a different plan in mind, and He will destroy these invaders Himself. A more in depth illustration of this attack is foreseen in Psalm 83:

“O God, don’t sit idly by, silent and inactive! Don’t you hear the tumult of your enemies? Don’t you see what your arrogant enemies are doing? They devise crafty schemes against your people, laying plans against your precious ones. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.’ This was their unanimous decision. They signed a treaty as allies against you – these Edomites and Ishmaelites, Moabites and Hagrites, Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites, and people from Philistia and Tyre. Assyria has joined them, too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Do to them as you did to the Midianites or as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. They were destroyed at Endor, and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil. Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did. Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna, for they said, ‘Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!’ O my God, blow them away like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind! As a fire roars through a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, chase them with your fierce storms; terrify them with your tempests. Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Make them failures in everything they do, until they learn that you alone are called the Lord, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.” Psalm 83 (NLT)

So how do we know that Psalm 83 describes the same scene envisioned in Isaiah 17? Let’s compare the two. Here’s how the intentions of Israel’s enemies are described:

Plunder & Destruction

“This is the just reward of those who plunder and destroy the people of God.” Isaiah 17:14 (NLT)

Destruction
“They devise crafty schemes against your people, laying plans against your precious ones. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.’ This was their unanimous decision.” Psalm 83:3-5 (NLT)

Plunder
“for they said, ‘Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!” Psalm 83:12 (NLT)


Here’s how the fate of Israel’s enemies are described:
“They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind or like dust whirling before a storm.”

Isaiah 17:13 (NLT)

“O my God, blow them away like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind!” Psalm 83:13 (NLT)

From the description of their fate alone, it is reasonable to conclude that the armies of Isaiah 17:12 are the same nations who sign a treaty against the Lord in Psalm 83:5-8. Below is a list of those nations and their modern geographical equivalents:

Edomites = Jordan / Parts of the West Bank

Ishmaelites = The Arab people

Moabites = Jordan / Parts of the West Bank

Hagrites = Jordan / The Arab people

Gebalites = Lebanon

Ammonites = Jordan

Amalekites = Southern Israel / Gaza

Philistia = Gaza

Tyre = Lebanon

Assyria = Syria / Parts of Turkey and Iraq

The Descendants of Lot = Jordan

By studying the geographical history of these ancient people and places, we can uncover which nations they currently compose. According to Psalm 83, in the aftermath of the destruction of northern Israel and Damascus, Israel will be invaded by armies from Jordan, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. All of these locations are heavily populated by the enemies of Israel today.

An Expanding War?

But are the nations cited in Psalm 83 the only nations involved in this attack? It’s quite possible that additional conspirators are named in the Book of Ezekiel. Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 might well foreshadow the war of Gog and Magog.

In Ezekiel 38-39, an enormous coalition of nations, “a vast and awesome horde” – will roll down on Israel “like a storm and cover the land like a cloud” Ezekiel 38:9 (NLT). This prophesied future war in Ezekiel has many similarities to Isaiah 17:12-14. Both prophets foresee a time when enemy armies rush toward Israel while she awaits unprepared. Both prophets foresee God’s instantaneous destruction of Israel’s enemies. And in both scenarios, the marching armies intend to plunder and destroy the people of Israel:

Destruction

“You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!” Ezekiel 38:11 (NLT)

Plunder
“But Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish will ask, ‘Who are you to rob them of silver and gold? Who are you to drive away their cattle and seize their goods and make them poor?’” Ezekiel 38:13 (NLT)

Plunder & Destruction
“This is the just reward of those who plunder and destroy the people of God.” Isaiah 17:14 (NLT)


Could the events predicted in Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 be a catalyst for the war of Gog and Magog prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39? Although it is not a certainty, the possibility can not be completely ruled out.

Today’s Headlines


Looking at today’s geopolitical landscape, it’s not difficult to envision the scenario outlined in Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83. Syria has been adamant in its demand that Israel surrender the Golan Heights, threatening war if Israel fails to comply. Meanwhile, the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah has apparently convinced leaders in Damascus that Syria can be victorious in a conflict with Israel by simply overwhelming the tiny nation with rocket attacks. From a greater perspective, it has convinced the entire Islamic world that Israel isn’t the militarily invincible nation they once thought.


Syria’s rocket technology is far more advanced than that deployed by Hezbollah, and Syria is known to possess chemical weapons, including the highly lethal VX and Sarin gases. If Syria miscalculates and attacks Israel with these weapons, the Israeli response will be swift and devastating. Israel is armed with nuclear weapons, and if its survival is put in question, it will not hesitate to use them.


If this happens, a mortally wounded Israel will become an irresistible target for her enemies. The surrounding Muslim nations will see an opportunity to destroy her, while Russia will see an opportunity to seize the upper hand in the oil rich Middle East.


Today, the most virulent enemies of Israel reside in the very places named in Psalm 83 – Hamas in Gaza, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Jordan, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Syria leadership and its Axis of Evil partners in the city of Damascus.


As of this writing, the conditions are ripe for the fulfillment of Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83, paving the way for the rapture of the church and the beginning of the tribulation. In light of such developments, we should zealously preach the Gospel of Christ to all who will listen. For the hour is late, and the return of Christ is near.


Britt Gillette is founder of BrittGillette.Com, a website examining the relationship between bible prophecy and emerging trends in technology. For more information or to sign up for his email alerts, please visit http://www.brittgillette.com (http://www.brittgillette.com/)


http://www.raptureready.com/featured/gillette/Isaiah_17.html

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Buzz of Israel Prepping for Iran Attack Just a Smoke Screen? (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2011/11/buzz-of-israel-prepping-for-iran-attack.html)


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Klein Online (http://kleinonline.com/)

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The media buzz claiming Israel is preparing an attack on Iran's suspected nuclear installations has reached a fevered pitch. My information, however, indicates the Jewish state is prepping for a different war, an international effort that could potentially escalate into a direct confrontation with Iran.

If Israel were indeed on the brink of launching air raids on the mullahs, it would not first hold such a public discussion on the matter or leak to the news media the debate about the subject from within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.

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The visible Israeli military preparations, including this week's missile tests, most likely are related to the strong possibility of a U.S.-NATO-led campaign against Israel's Syrian neighbor to the north. The regime of Syria's Bashar al-Assad - a key partner to Iran - has been accused of major human rights violations, including "crimes against humanity," in clamping down on a violent insurgency targeting Assad's rule. That uprising is in large part led by Muslim Brotherhood-oriented militants, some reportedly armed by Turkey.

The same "Responsibility to Protect" global doctrine used to justify the U.S.-NATO airstrikes in Libya could be applied to Assad. Responsibility to Protect, or Responsibility to Act, as cited by President Obama, is a set of principles, now backed by the United Nations, based on the idea that sovereignty is not a privilege but a responsibility that can be revoked if a country is accused of "war crimes," "genocide," "crimes against humanity" or "ethnic cleansing."

Mass demonstrations were held last week in Syrian insurgent strongholds calling for the international coalition in Libya to deploy in Syria. Damascus officials claimed to me that NATO troops are currently training in Turkey for a Turkish-led NATO invasion of Syria. Separately, informed Middle East security officials said Iran has been inspecting Syrian forces and has been advising Syria about possible Syrian military responses should NATO attack Assad's regime.

The same officials also said Russia recently sold Syria a large quantity of Iskander ballistic missiles and that, in light of the NATO threat, the Russian government renewed its pledge to sell Syria the advanced S-300 anti-missile system.

A Turkish-U.S.-NATO strike would have immediate implications for Israel. The Syrian president has publicly warned foreign intervention in Syria would cause an "earthquake" across the region and create another Afghanistan, while directly threatening the Jewish state.

Assad reportedly made similar comments in a meeting in early October with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu. He was quoted stating, "If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv."

Assad also reportedly warned that "all these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack the U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf and the U.S. and European interests will be targeted simultaneously."

The Syrian president's threats are not empty. His military possesses tens of thousands of rockets and missiles capable of striking every zone within the Jewish state. The Syrian and Iranian-backed Hezbollah is similarly armed and can rain rockets and other projectiles in a combined onslaught with Iran's proxies in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Syria's military is not entirely capable of standing up to NATO. Its strategy, therefore, is to immediately target Israel to create a wider regional offensive that would greatly complicate an international effort to dispel the Assad regime.

Iran could become directly involved in any war. Its Shiite fundamentalist influence in the region is now challenged by the Sunni-led Turkey, which is on the march, attempting to become the Islamic superpower in the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Turkey is being aided in its pursuit by the Obama administration.

Iran rightly views the possibility of a Turkish-NATO effort in Syria as a thinly veiled attempt to check its own power by changing the Iranian-backed leadership in Damascus to a Muslim Brotherhood-oriented Turkish partner. If Tehran feels Syria is losing the war effort, Iran could escalate the conflict by attacking U.S. or Israeli interests. In turn, Israel or the U.S. could retaliate by striking Iran.

A "Responsibility to Protect" war in Syria likely would translate into a larger regional war, a clash of Shiite and Sunni superpowers, backed by larger international players, all seeking to remake the Middle East in their interests.

Israel is wise to prepare for the possible coming storm.

[admin]

Monday, November 14, 2011

Leaping Closer to the Damascus Prophecy (http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2011/11/leaping-closer-to-damascus-prophecy.html)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NGWyGSK7GVg/TfpeCxiJRkI/AAAAAAAAIs8/1BWUym6Heuw/s800/bw.jpgBy Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry (http://www.dailyjot.com/dailyjot/Home.html)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_mmyoHPEE4Yc/TY6I1Tugk6I/AAAAAAAAH2s/HgMDFZNJSM8/s800/email_feed-icon16x16_green.png (bill@dailyjot.com)

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the United Nations report on Iran's nuclear program only documents what can be proven, but in reality the terrorist sponsoring nation is far closer to having a nuclear bomb than the report confirms. Reuters reports that Netanyahu said,

"Iran is closer to getting an (atomic) bomb than is thought. Only things that could be proven were written (in the report), but in reality there are many other things that we see."The UN report has went further than any other in the past decade to confirm that Iran is indeed weaponizing its nuclear program. These are facts that the US and Israel have known for years, but have only been revealed by the UN since a change in leadership.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4NR9IIZpsoo/TsE78QM7ekI/AAAAAAAAJr8/3y1G3xM_vyA/s200/amano020709_300x200_240.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4NR9IIZpsoo/TsE78QM7ekI/AAAAAAAAJr8/3y1G3xM_vyA/s1600/amano020709_300x200_240.jpg)In 2009, Japan's Yukiya Amano was elected to serve as the head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. He replaced Islamist Mohamed El Baradei, who was considered soft on Iran's nuclear development, often emphatically denying that Iran was developing a weapons system, despite intelligence contrary to his position. Amano won the IAEA position over another Islamist, Abdul Samad Minty from South Africa. Minty was positioned to challenge the US and other nuclear powers to disarm. Minty was supported by Arab states. The Jerusalem Post reported in July 2009 that Israel was relieved that Minty did not win the position.

The Post said that Israeli officials thought Minty's relationship with Iran was too cozy. South Africa, where Minty is from, supported Iran because of historical and business relationships, which included Iran providing cheap oil. Under Minty's guidance, South Africa abstained from confirming the 2006 IAEA report on Iran, siding with Islamic nations and Iran by withholding its vote. MSNBC reported in March 2009 that "Support for Amano from the US, Canada, the European Union and others was to an extent less because he was the ideal candidate and more 'because of fears that Minty would become a second El Baradei.'"

It is no coincidence that the recent report on Iranian nukes by the UN's nuclear watchdog had more of the truth in it than El Baradei would have allowed. But according to the Israeli Prime Minister, it still doesn't disclose all that Israeli intelligence knows.

An Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could have Biblical impact. On one hand, it could devastate Iran's nuclear intentions. On the other hand it could invite counter strikes from Iran or Iran's vassal state, Syria, just North of Israel. A very important end time prophecy is found in Isaiah 17:1 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2017.1), which says,
"Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap."Given the state of circumstances, the world is far closer to this prophetic fulfillment than it was before the UN report on Iran.

[admin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiHQOgk7K8&feature=channel_video_title

[admin]

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=245984


No progress in Syria nuclear talks, IAEA chief says

By REUTERS
11/17/2011 18:41

Syria failed to provided UN nuclear watchdog with access to Deir al-Zor site - which Israel bombed in 2007 - or other locations which may have been functionally related, Amano says.

Talkbacks (1)

VIENNA - UN nuclear inspectors made no headway in talks in Syria last month to try and kick-start a long-stalled investigation into its atomic activity, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said on Thursday.

In an attempt to advance its investigation into possible military nuclear activities in the Arab state, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took part in two days of discussions in the Syrian capital in October.

RELATED:
Tanks enter Deir al-Zor in east Syria, residents say (http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=232802&R=R3)
'Syria's nuclear plant linked to 3 other facilities' (http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=224624)

The IAEA has been seeking access to a desert site at Deir al-Zor, which US intelligence reports say was a nascent, North Korean-designed reactor intended to produce plutonium for atomic weaponry before Israel bombed it to rubble in 2007.

The Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog has also been seeking information about other sites that may have been linked to Deir al-Zor.

Syria says Deir al-Zor was a non-nuclear military facility, but the IAEA concluded in May that it was "very likely" to have been a reactor that should have been declared to inspectors.

"Unfortunately, no progress was made in meetings with the Syrian authorities on obtaining the full access which we have requested to other locations which the agency believes are functionally related to the Deir al-Zor site," Amano said.

"I urge Syria to cooperate fully with the agency in connection with unresolved issues related to the Deir al-Zor site and other locations," he said in an address to the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors.

In June, the board voted to report Syria to the UN Security Council, rebuking it for failing to cooperate with the agency's efforts to get concrete information on Deir al-Zor and other sites. Russia and China opposed the referral, highlighting divisions among the major powers.

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=245984


(http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jpost-com/id434818437?mt=8)

[admin]

December 2nd, 2011
This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'


The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. Last week, the Arab League voted to suspend Syria's membership until Bashar al-Assad either steps down or stops his government's crackdown on protesters. The United Nations estimates that more than 3,500 have died in the continuing violence.

The economic sanctions imposed by the League will be a blow to Syria's economy, which is already weakened. But the suspension is an even bigger blow to Syria's pride. It has long considered itself a bulwark of Arab nationalism.

Syria's belligerent response -- not to mention Iran's and Hezbollah's moves to strengthen their ally's position -- has caused seven of Syria's neighbors to place their armed forces on high alert.

To further heighten the tension in the region, Russia has dispatched three warships to its naval maintenance base at Tartus, Syria. Its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is headed for Syrian waters, too. Although Russia denies it, its naval presence in the region is widely considered a response to the fact that the United States has moved its carrier USS George H.W. Bush and part of the Sixth Fleet to lie off the Syrian coast.

Russia has already let it be known that it will not allow to happen to Bashar al-Assad what happened to Muammar Gadaffi in Libya. This, however, is not necessarily a stand Russia is taking on principle. Libya was one of Russia's prime customers for a variety of goods and services, arms included. Syria is also a major client state of the Russians. They've lost one good customer, they don't intend to lose another.

This will be the first military standoff between the two superpowers since the end of the Cold War two decades ago.

Some have asked if this might be the lead-up to the Bible's Psalm 83 war or the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. At this point, it doesn't appear to be developing as such. However, Isaiah's unfulfilled chapter 17 prophecy of the total and almost instantaneous destruction of Damascus makes any movement toward armed conflict with Syria worth watching. Especially since Syria has threatened Israel with attacks utilizing weapons of mass destruction. Israel has already made clear that if that happens, it will respond quickly and with overwhelming force. And Israel has the capability to make good on its threats. The only weapon that could cause the sudden and total destruction of Damascus -- as Isaiah predicted -- would be nuclear.

Folks, it's time to get ready for Christ's return. The utter destruction of Damascus is an important benchmark in God's "last days" scenario.

As we near the end of 2010, lots of viewers are also writing in to ask about the various and sundry 2012 doomsday predictions. Many want to know about the Mayan calendar, Planet X or Planet Nibiru, Comet Elenin, Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus, and so forth. I've addressed this subject a few times before on the program.

Opinion about the Mayan calendar is split. Some experts believe the fact that it abruptly ends in what translates to 2012 indicates that there will be a positive physical or spiritual transformation of the earth next year. Others -- especially Hollywood and the popular culture -- prefer the other theory: the world will literally, physically, and, apparently, very violently end on December 21, 2012.

The Planet X believers also promote a traumatic physical-destruction-of-the-earth theory. Planet X, or Nibiru, is supposedly four times larger than the earth and is headed on a collision or near-miss course with our globe next year. Obviously, if it collides with us, we're goners. If it passes near us, its size and gravitational pull on the earth will make us wish we were goners. Neither is a pretty picture.

(Just a marginal note for those who have never heard of Planet X. We "know" about it because a woman started a website in 1995 to reveal its existence. She "knew" about it because some alien visitors to earth had implanted a communications device in her brain so they could keep her posted about its arrival. Oddly, no reputable astronomers have been able to locate it in the universe. The ones who claim to have found it say that it's "hidden" behind other planets and will become visible as it gets closer to earth. Unbelievably, Planet X has gathered quite a following here on this planet!)

Obviously, I believe that neither will happen. That's because I believe the Bible's version of what's to come on the earth. And it does not entail the imminent destruction of the universe or the disappearance of our planet. And why do I believe the Bible's version? Because EVERYTHING predicted by God's prophets in the past has come true with amazing precision. If they've been 100% right so far, why should I believe they'll be wrong now? (See how that works? That's why I keep insisting that knowing and understanding Bible prophecy is important for the Christian -- and for the non-believer, too!)

Finally, since it's the beginning of the Christmas season, I'm going to take a few minutes for a meditation on the advent of Jesus Christ. I want to discuss an aspect of His coming into this world that many preachers often overlook or fail to emphasize. Some simply don't understand this important point. It has to do with the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice and the promise it holds for everyone who believes and receives that gift of pardon.

Fully understanding the implications of the totality and finality of His sacrifice for us may revolutionize your approach to Christmas this year.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ddlip8bab&et=1108917301804&s=37076&e=001JzUBO7uwRBMswxFtuCy7_IfEdLeO4AOe2cBVm6bYWPc-zJ7OM_mV7D5DuJZGtFv1J3xKktYssdbNSPm-y_qngmJ0dc3awHGBB3JS9haTIub1bt_hpfu3Qw==)or www.hischannel.com (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ddlip8bab&et=1108917301804&s=37076&e=001JzUBO7uwRBPjU94zOxPeR4uDFdR7cssJ_1NiqCKpOlYNO MuKLIwwvBJdii5SLpYgN3m_rBmvDAMHDZLn0_ImtP4v6gKP1PV Y_PQZTTc7UmVSDEQhTXJi2w==). Please check your local listings.
God Bless,

Hal Lindsey

mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
email: comments@hallindsey.com (comments@hallindsey.com)
web: http://www.hallindsey.com (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ddlip8bab&et=1108917301804&s=37076&e=001JzUBO7uwRBMswxFtuCy7_IfEdLeO4AOe2cBVm6bYWPc-zJ7OM_mV7D5DuJZGtFv1J3xKktYssdbNSPm-y_qngmJ0dc3awHGBB3JS9haTIub1bt_hpfu3Qw==)

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on Thursday, December 8, 2011 by Bill Salus (http://www.prophecydepot.net/author/bill-salus/)

“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. (Isaiah 17:1, nkjv)


http://www.prophecydepot.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/burden-of-damascus.jpgThis edition of Prophecy Update Radio, host Bill Salus teaches from the commentary section of his soon to be released book, Revelation Road, Hope Beyond the Horizon.


This special radio program features a verse-by-verse study of the entire chapter of Isaiah 17 regarding the destruction of Damascus.


In light of ongoing revolts inside Syria, many end time experts are predicting that the Bible prophecies contained in Isaiah 17 could be about to find final fulfillment. To enrich your listening experience the verses of Isaiah 17 are provided below. Read along with co-host pastor Dave Hart, who reads the verses and then turns the microphone over to Bill for his commentary. Some of the verses below have parenthesized emphasis, which applies to Bill’s teaching.
[/URL]
Listen Now (http://www.kwbb.org/Bill_and_Dave_Isa17_Panic_in_Damascus_12-09-2011.MP3) to this Isaiah 17 study.

Isaiah 17:1 – The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. (v2)The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.

Isaiah 17:3 – The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, The kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Syria; They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” Says the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 17:4 - “In that day it shall come to pass That the glory of Jacob will wane, And the fatness of his flesh grow lean. (v5) It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain, And reaps the heads with his arm; It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain In the Valley of Rephaim. (v6) Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it, Like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, Four or five in its most fruitful branches,” Says the LORD God of Israel.

Isaiah 17:7 – In that day a man will look to his Maker, And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel. (v8) He will not look to the altars, The work of his hands; He will not respect what his fingers have made, Nor the wooden images (Asherim) nor the incense altars.

Isaiah 17:9 – In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; (IDF) And there will be desolation.

Isaiah 17:10 – Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, Therefore you will plant pleasant plants And set out foreign seedlings; (v11 ) In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow. (v12) Woe to the multitude of many people Who make a noise like the roar of the seas, And to the rushing of nations That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! (v13) The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. (The commonalities between Psalm 83 13:15 & Isaiah 17:13 are below.)

Isaiah 17:14 – Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, And the lot of those who rob us.
HEBREW WORD COMPARISON
Psalm 83:13-15 and Isaiah 17:13 use the same six Hebrew words of galgal, paniym, ruach, har, radaph, and suphah as comparatively parenthesized below. This suggests a connection between the prophecies of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17.

(Psalm 83:13-15)O my God, make them like the whirling dust, (galgal) Like the chaff before (paniym) the wind! (ruach) As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains (har) on fire, So pursue (radaph) them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. (suphah)

(Isaiah 17:13) The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased (radaph) like the chaff of the mountains (har) before (paniym) the wind, (ruach) Like a rolling (galgal) thing before (paniym) the whirlwind. (suphah) (NKJV)




[url]http://www.prophecydepot.net/2011/the-burden-against-damascus/

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Damascus will become a "heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks". (Isaiah 17:1-2 (http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Isaiah&verse=17:1-2&src=31))

The prophecy may date from 735 BC when Damascus and Israel were allied against Judah.[28] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_prophecy#cite_note-New_Jerusalem_Bible_1985-27) Tiglath-Pileser took Damascus in 732,[28] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_prophecy#cite_note-New_Jerusalem_Bible_1985-27) which some apologists point to as a fulfillment of this prophecy, but this campaign never reduced the city to rubble.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)] Rather, the campaign temporarily forced the inhabitants to flee for a few days before returning.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)] The city remained intact.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)] Damascus has never become a heap of ruins and is the oldest standing city in the world.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]

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http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/end-times-forum/scripture-studies-re-%27babylon%27-parts-1-2-3-%28more-to-follow%29/?action=printpage


Isaiah 17 : 1 - 4 : An oracle concerning Damascus . Behold Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins . Her cities will be deserted for ever; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid . The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, says the Lord of hosts . And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean. First, please understand that the prophecy refers to the entire country of Aram-Syria during this time, and not just Damascus. Otherwise "her cities will be deserted forever" makes no sense. This happened when the Assyrians took over the region in the late 8th century BC. They also went on to destroy Samaria, "the fortress from Ephraim," and the rest of the Northern Kingdom "Jacob."

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http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach/isaiah-17-an-oracle-against-damascus/





Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus (http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach/isaiah-17-an-oracle-against-damascus/)

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley


In the past couple of years it has become even clearer that Isaiah’s prophecy of the destruction of Damascus will soon come to fulfillment, perhaps being part of the Psalm 83 scenario I’ve written about.



If so, it would explain why Syria is not included among the coalition of Moslem nations who will gather against Israel in the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Let’s review what God had Isaiah say about this.


An Oracle Concerning Damascus:
“See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. (Isaiah 17:1-2)


Because of the language of these verses, many scholars believe that this prophecy was only partially fulfilled when the Assyrians defeated the Arameans and overran their capital, Damascus, in 732 BC. To this day Damascus is thought to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city with a 5000-year history and a population close to 2 million, yet Isaiah 17:1 indicates that it will one day cease to exist.


Some believe the phrase “cities of Aroer” refers to Aramean territory east of the Jordan River around the Arnon River, which flows into the Dead Sea in southern Jordan.



However, the Jewish Encyclopedia claims that this phrase in Isaiah 17:2 is probably translated incorrectly because the geographical distance from Damascus is too great.



While they say it’s possible that there may have been another Aroer near Damascus, it is more likely that the passage should be rendered “the cities thereof shall be forsaken.” If that’s the correct translation, it would include the Hezbollah stronghold in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, which was part of Aramean territory in Isaiah’s time, and is in a direct line between Beirut and Damascus.

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty. “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm- as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:3-5)


This segment speaks of the defeat of Damascus in 732BC and the destruction of Samaria 10 years later (722 BC). Damascus continued to exist as part of the Assyrian Empire and is still here today, but the ruins of Samaria are just now being excavated out of the sandy soil of Israel. The systematic relocation of the ruling classes to the far reaches of the Assyrian Empire is also in view here, symbolized by the fat of Jacob’s body wasting away.



This was standard Assyrian policy to reduce the likelihood of subsequent rebellion among their conquered peoples. Jacob and Ephraim are alternate names for the Northern Kingdom, and Samaria was its capital.

Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel. (Isaiah 17:6)


Not all the people were dispersed. Farmers were left behind to tend the crops and protect the harvest for their new rulers. They were joined by refugees from other parts of Assyria and their combined descendants were known as the Samaritans in the time of Jesus. (A quick reading of 2 Chronicles 11:16 shows that all the faithful from the 10 northern tribes moved south at the time of the civil war that divided the nation after King Solomon’s death 150 years earlier. From then on, all 12 tribes were represented in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, so the 10 tribes from the North weren’t totally lost.



The Lord has always preserved a believing remnant from all the Tribes of Israel.)
In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. (Isaiah 17:7-9)


This is another passage that’s problematic for those who try to consign the whole passage to history. There is simply no reason to believe that the Assyrians turned to God following their conquest of Aram and Israel. And far from abandoning their cities because of the Israelites, it was the Israelites who were defeated and dispersed. The yet future Jewish attack on Damascus causing the destruction and abandonment of Syrian cities, and the eventual return of the survivors to their God is a much more likely fulfillment. And it could happen soon.

You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain. (Isaiah 17:10-11)


Asshur, father of the Assyrians, and Aram, father of the Arameans were both sons of Shem. Aram’s son Uz is the traditional founder of Damascus. (The setting for Job, the Bible’s oldest book, is the Land of Uz.) The knowledge of God in the memories of these patriarchs cannot be questioned. It wasn’t that they never knew Him, but that they had forgotten Him, abandoned Him in favor of the Canaanite gods of the region, Baal and his consort Ashtoreth (aka Asherah, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus.) Currently Syria is almost totally Moslem. Until they return to their Maker and Savior none of their plans and schemes will prosper in the long run, no matter how promising they seem at the beginning.

Oh, the raging of many nations- they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples- they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. (Isaiah 17:12-14)


Having conquered most of the Middle East including the Arameans and the Northern Kingdom, the Assyrians set their sights on the Southern Kingdom, Judah. Assyria’s King Sennacherib brought his armies almost literally to the gates of Jerusalem, so close his commanders were within speaking distance of the Jewish defenders. On the night before they were to attack, the Lord sent His angel into the Assyrian camp on Mt. Scopus to slaughter 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Before dawn they had packed up and fled, ending 44 years of conquest. (Isaiah 37:36-38) This time in Israel’s history so parallels the Jewish view of the End Times that Sennacherib is seen by them as a type of the anti-Christ, while Judah’s King Hezekiah models the Messiah.


But notice that Isaiah speaks of many nations raging against God’s people, not just Assyria, leading us once again to consider Sennacherib’s defeat to be a partial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.


The phrase “rushing of many waters” is often used to describe the sound of loud voices and today many nations are stirred up. The cry of anti-Israeli sentiment can be heard around the globe. The various Mid-East “peace” conferences combined with the Gaza war and the recent boarding of the Turkish/Terrorist flotilla have left Israel standing alone against all but irresistible pressure to negotiate away its very existence. Syria and Iran are dead certain that Israel will attack soon, and are preparing accordingly. Israel’s other next-door neighbors are also preparing for war, and indeed many nations are taking sides.

Israel is not blind to these mounting threats, but until lately seems to have been ignoring them. That’s about to stop. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has told the world he will not apologize for defending his country and will continue to do so even if it results in more confrontations. We can easily envision a scenario that escalates into the final fulfillment of Isaiah 17, the destruction of Damascus. Once again there will be sudden terror in the evening, and before morning they will be gone. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

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Assad may start regional war if UN tells him to step down – Gulf sources

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 31, 2012, 7:23 PM (GMT+02:00)
Tags: Bashar Assad (http://www.debka.com/search/tag/Bashar%20Assad/) http://www.debka.com/static/images/tag_arrow.gif UN Security Council (http://www.debka.com/search/tag/UN%20Security%20Council/) http://www.debka.com/static/images/tag_arrow.gif US (http://www.debka.com/search/tag/US/) http://www.debka.com/static/images/tag_arrow.gif Russia (http://www.debka.com/search/tag/Russia/) http://www.debka.com/static/images/tag_arrow.gif Israel (http://www.debka.com/search/tag/Israel/) http://www.debka.com/static/images/tag_arrow.gif
http://www.debka.com/dynmedia/photos/2012/01/31/big/Tartus_Syrian-Russian_officers_on_carrier1.12.jpg
Syrian officers visit Russian aircraft carrier in Tartus port



In confidential conversations with his advisers, Syrian President Bashar Assad is reported by Persian Gulf sources Tuesday, Jan. 31 to have threatened to start up armed hostilities in the region if the UN Security Council Tuesday night endorses the Arab League proposal for him to step down and hand power to his deputy.


Those sources told debkafile that the heads of the Syrian armed forces and intelligence have been given their orders and some units are on the ready. Other Middle East sources reported that the Lebanese Hizballah has also shown signs of military preparations in the last few hours. And the Russian flotilla berthed at the Syrian port of Tartus, led by the Admiral Kutznetsov aircraft carrier, also appears to be on the alert for ructions in the wake of the Security Council Syria session.
During the day, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov warned that pushing the Arab League's UN resolution was "the path to civil war." Our Moscow sources report that top-level discussions are still going back and forth in the Kremlin over a final decision on a veto.



debkafile reports that the military flurry in advance of the critical Security Council session included US naval movements. Sunday, Jan. 29, the nuclear submarine USS Annapolis, escorted by the guided missile destroyer USS Momsen sailed through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea. This looked like a Washington warning for Tehran to keep its military fingers out of Syria if the confrontation there escalates.


It was not the first time Assad has threatened Syria's neighbors. On Aug. 9, 2011, four months into his savage crackdown against protesters, he warned Turkey that, six hours after the first shot was fired against Syria, he would "destroy Tel Aviv and set the entire Middle East on fire."


That was his answer to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu when he came to Damascus with a demand from his and other NATO governments that the Syrian ruler stop the slaughter. .


Davutoglu urged Assad to take a look at Libya and try to understand that if he carried on, he might be in for the same fate as Muammar Qaddafi – a strong hint at military intervention by NATO, including Turkey.



Earlier still on May 10, one of Assad's close kinsmen, the international tycoon Rami Makhlouf, warned: "If there is no stability in Syria, there will be none in Israel. No one can be sure what will happens after that. God help us if anything befalls this regime."

[admin]

Dear G.A.

I have a question for you. I am not sure if you have been following the events in Syria.. But if Damascus was found to be destroyed in this conflict would your end time view change in anyway. I can't see that the city was ever destroyed in history.. I can't seem to find a Preterist who will answer this question... I am referring to (Isaiah 17:1)

G.A.:

Isa 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. "Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin.

It always comes down to the phraseology around the word "about", in this case "is about to be removed".

Strong's H5493 - cuwr

1) to turn aside, depart
a) (Qal)
1) to turn aside, turn in unto
2) to depart, depart from way, avoid
3) to be removed
4) to come to an end
b) (Polel) to turn aside
c) (Hiphil)
1) to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose
2) to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish
d) (Hophal) to be taken away, be removed

So put in historical perspective of the coming Assyrian invasion, as is the prophesy in Isa 13 and Isa 15 it would seem that THe words of God's prophets rang true.

"By the 8th century BC, Damascus was practically engulfed by the Assyrians and entered a dark age.

Nonetheless, it remained the economic and cultural center of the Near East as well as the Arameaen resistance. In 727, a revolt took place in the city, but was put down by Assyrian forces.

After Assyria went on a wide-scale campaign of quelling revolts throughout Syria, Damascus became totally subjugated by their rule."

If more "christians" would also study history they would see that God's word is true and faithful, and will start looking to God and living a victorious life, and stop looking to the headlines and living in fear.

And No, modern headlines do not add to the word of God for me like it does futurist. No more than me showing you historical events that support the prophecies of God coming true do for you.

If Historical events don't do it for you. How about the words of Jesus Christ Himself...

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

BEFORE the GREAT and DREADFUL Day of the Lord.

Mat 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
Mat 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
Mat 11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
Mat 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
Mat 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Mat 11:6 And blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Mat 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Mat 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft [clothing] are in kings' houses.
Mat 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
Mat 11:10 For this is [he], of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Mat 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Mat 11:14 And if ye will receive , this is Elias, which was for to come.
Mat 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
Mat 11:17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

The question you have to ask yourself is the same one Christ asked His disciples "if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for to come.... He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

[I]
Ok but is says "a pile of dust and rubble" the entire city..?? How has that been fulfilled.. and would it make you have a second look if it was destroyed as a result of the current conflict.. I never gave you headlines.. so I guess you didn't look.


Do you think you are the ONLY futurist to have this guess about Damascus? Google Destruction of Damascus. There are like 4 pages of your type of stuff.

You do realize that Damascus was referenced in Chapter 17 only because it supports what God was about to do to the house of Israel (Ephraim).

"The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel," Declares the LORD of hosts."

And this remnant were the ones that later Jesus would refer to when he said " Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.". Israel was not the state, but the people. Israel is God's people, not a piece of ground.

If you want to do a verse by verse Bible study I might agree.

But do you realize that you only ask questions, and never answer them. That is the "silly game" I was referring to.

So back to my last question. Do you believe that John the Baptist was Elijah as promised in Malachi?

I think I have answered your question. But since it might be veiled from you in all of the biblical and historical facts.

No even if the anti-Christ nation of Israel blows Damascus from the face of the earth it will not change my view.

So coincidence then correct ??

G.A:

Yes

[admin]

Syria Under Siege; Concerns Bible Prophecy Experts! (http://www.prophecydepot.net/2012/syria-under-siege-concerns-bible-prophecy-experts/)

on Friday, February 10, 2012 by Bill Salus (http://www.prophecydepot.net/author/bill-salus/) A biblical commentary of Isaiah 17. INCLUDES AUDIO VERSION (http://www.prophecydepot.net/2011/the-burden-against-damascus/)
http://www.prophecydepot.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/damascus-syria.jpgOnce upon a long time ago, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah predicted that the Syrian capital city of Damascus would someday cease to exist. Isaiah, whose prophetic ministry spanned between 740 – 701 BC declared that it would be reduced to rubble. Some scholars believe this prophecy found fulfillment around 732 BC, shortly after Isaiah presaged it, when the Assyrians conquered Aram. Aram was the ancient name for much of modern day Syria.

But if it was fulfilled then, why did Jeremiah predict a similar scenario over a century later? And, why did Isaiah mention Assyria 37 times throughout his 66 chapters, but never once mention it in Isaiah 17. For instance Isaiah 8:3-7 clearly identifies an Assyrian conquest of Damascus. This found fulfillment in Isaiah’s lifetime, but Damascus still exists today. Furthermore the article below points out that Israel seemingly downs Damascus and that it appears to be an overnight destruction.

The relevant passages concerning the future of Damascus are located in Isaiah 17:1-14 and Jeremiah 49:23-27. Below are a few excerpts covering the topic from my recently released book called Revelation Road, Hope Beyond the Horizon (http://www.revelationroad.net/). The book presents an exhaustive verse-by-verse commentary on Isaiah 17 and most of Jeremiah 49. Due to the extensive length of the commentary only portions are inserted in this article, and the endnotes can be ascertained within the book.

Since Damascus survives today as Syria’s second most populated city behind Aleppo, it demonstrates that Damascus never entirely ceased to exist. Therefore, if Isaiah intended his prophecy to be interpreted literally, it remains an unfulfilled prophecy.

ISAIAH 17 - THE BURDEN AGAINST DAMASCUS.

CLICK HERE (http://www.prophecydepot.net/2011/the-burden-against-damascus/) TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION OF THIS STUDY.
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be for flocks which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”

(Isaiah 17:1-2, nkjv)
These first two verses of Isaiah 17 inform us that Damascus is destined for destruction, causing it to cease from being a city. Additionally other cities “of Aroer” are adversely affected, causing them to be “forsaken.” The Hebrew word used for forsaken is azab, and means abandoned, withdrawn, left behind, released, or neglected.
Since these cities eventually become agriculturally zoned “for flocks,” the best understanding is probably that the destruction of Damascus necessitates the withdrawal of the surrounding city populations, which ultimately leads to their release and rezoning. Whichever government is sovereign over this area at that time, will reevaluate the highest and best use of the territory to be agricultural.
Parson’s Bible Atlas lists three possibilities for Aroer: Aroer Judah, Aroer Sihon, and Aroer Gad. Of the three Aroer Gad becomes the likely option, because it was located nearest to Damascus. Amman, Jordan is within the area of ancient Aroer Gad, and is where most Jordanians live today.

Damascus is located in southern Syria, and the Jordanian capital of Amman is in northern Jordan. Only 109 miles separates the two Arab capitals. Aroer Gad was part of the tribal territory of Gad. Numbers 32 informs us that the tribe of Gad was generally agriculturalists and as such, Gad requested this territory because it was suitable for his sizable flocks. Thus, the destruction of Damascus apparently spills over into northern Jordan, and probably finds a prophetic connection with Jeremiah 49:1-2. If it does, this may suggest that Israel is responsible for the destruction of Damascus.

Read Jeremiah 49:1-2 below.

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD.” (nkjv)
http://www.prophecydepot.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/revelation-road-final-cover.jpgThe sequence of events could be as follows. Damascus and Rabbah, (Amman) are destroyed, probably in the same war effort. In the aftermath, Israel takes possession of northern Jordan including ancient Aroer, and rezones much it for agricultural purposes. Ammon is a participant in the Psalm 83:6-8 Arab confederacy. Thus, “the alarm of war” in question could possibly be the Psalm 83 war.

If this is so, then the destruction of Isaiah’s Damascus and Jeremiah’s Rabbah are probably closely related Psalm 83 events. Assyria, which comprised part of modern day northern Syria when Psalm 83 was written, is also part of the Arab confederacy.

“The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, The kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Syria; They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” Says the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 17:3, nkjv)

As previously mention, Assyria conquered Damascus, around 732 BC and the “fortress” of Ephraim ceased to exist, when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. This could explain the first part of Isaiah 17:3, but fails to adequately address the latter part, which identifies the remnant of Syria with the glory of the children of Israel, or in some translations the “sons of Israel.” At the time of the Assyrian conquest of Damascus and Ephraim, there was no Syrian “remnant” under Israeli rule, “as the glory of the children of Israel.”

Therefore a dual fulfillment of the prophecy, which commonly occurs in Bible prophecy, may be forthcoming. What Isaiah could be warning about is that strongholds in northern Israel (Ephraim) will become war-torn at the time of Damascus’s destruction. The Syrian refugees (remnant) thereby, become captured by the IDF (children of Israel). Isaiah 17:9 discussed below suggests Israel is responsible for the downing of Damascus. Isaiah concludes verse 3 by informing us; even though Damascus will cease to exist, a remnant of Syrians still survive.

“In that day it shall come to pass That the glory of Jacob will wane, And the fatness of his flesh grow lean. It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain, And reaps the heads with his arm; It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain In the Valley of Rephaim. Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it, Like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, Four or five in its most fruitful branches, Says the LORD God of Israel.” (Isaiah 17:4-6, nkjv)

These three verses open with “In that day.” Isaiah uses this expression four times throughout the chapter. The fact that he first uses this in verse four suggests that the preceding three verses all serve as the antecedent to the phrase. In other words, “In that day”:

• Damascus ceases to be a city (v. 1),
• The cities of Aroer are forsaken (v. 2),
• The fortress of Ephraim, and kingdom of Damascus ceases (v. 3), and
• The Syrian remnant becomes subservient to the glory of the children of Israel (v. 3).

If so, then at the time all the above occurs, Isaiah 17:4-6 finds fulfillment. These verses picture Israel in an undesirable condition, suggesting the Jewish nation comes under attack at that time. Some believe these verses occur at the time of Armageddon, because Israel will suffer severely at that time. The problem with aligning the “in that day,” with Armageddon at the end of the tribulation period is that verse nine clues us otherwise. Isaiah 17:9 informs us that the cities that become forsaken are abandoned because of the Jews. Any cities abandoned during the campaign of Armageddon will be abandoned because of the Antichrist’s war related activities, not Israel’s.

In conjunction with Israel’s suffering, Isaiah 17:4-6 mentions terms, idioms, and locations, like heads of grain, Valley of Rephaim, gleaning grapes, olive tree, olives, uppermost bough, and fruitful branches. These usages suggest there will be casualties in Israel. The Valley of Rephaim, is located in Israel, and is now called el-Bukei’a. This valley was the site of two historic wars the Israelites successfully waged under King David against their arch enemy the Philistines.
Coincidentally, Philistia is listed in Psalm 83. Perhaps Isaiah is telling us that, like David defeated the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim, so will a lean and waning war-torn Israel bring about the destruction of Damascus before or during the Psalm 83 war episode. But, Jewish genocide will be averted as Jews will survive in northern Israel (uppermost bough), and even more will survive in the more populated cities (fruitful branches).

“In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; And there will be desolation.” (Isaiah 17:9, nkjv)

In this verse Damascus is personified by the pronoun “his.” In that day, that destruction of Damascus and “his” strong cities (of Aroer, v. 2) are forsaken; it will be a scene of “desolation.” At the time Damascus meets its doom, it is characterized by “strong cities” about it. It is not a picture of weakness, but of a militarily strong Syria.

The “children of Israel” are responsible for this desolation and these forsaken cities. This verse implies that the IDF may have something to do with the destruction of Damascus. The devastation appears to also extend into cities north of Damascus, identified as “an uppermost branch.”
“Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, Therefore you will plant pleasant plants And set out foreign seedlings; In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow. Woe to the multitude of many people Who make a noise like the roar of the seas, And to the rushing of nations That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.”

(Isaiah 17:10-13, nkjv)

These passages point to Syria assembled amongst a multitude of mighty waters that are rushing like roaring seas. This suggests that Syria, represented by Damascus, comes against Israel forcefully in a confederate effort with other nations. Seas typically represent the Gentile nations, and in this instance they are noisily roaring and rushing like mighty waters.

This pictures a massive military invasion. We can safely assume this invasion is targeted at Israel, because verse 9 implies that Israel retaliates. The fact that they come against Israel evidences they have forgotten the “God of their salvation.” The God of Israel is the God of salvation.

Isaiah says the war campaign results in a “heap of ruins,” and characterizes the whole episode as a “day of grief and desperate sorrow.” Isaiah 17:13 seems to connect with Psalm 83:13-15. In Psalm 83, Asaph petitions the Lord to do what Isaiah 17:13 says occurs to this confederacy. This implies that the destruction of Damascus and desolation of the surrounding cities could be related in some way to the Psalm 83 scenario.

These seemingly connecting portions of scripture both use the same six Hebrew words of galgal, paniym, ruach, har, radaph, and suphah, as comparatively highlighted below.
“O my God, make them like the whirling dust, [galgal] Like the chaff before [paniym] the wind! [ruach] As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains [har] on fire, So pursue [radaph] them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm [suphah].” (Psalm 83:13-15, nkjv)

Compared to Isaiah 17:13 below:
“The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased [radaph] like the chaff of the mountains [har] before [paniym] the wind, [ruach] Like a rolling [galgal] thing before [paniym] the whirlwind [suphah].”

If this is the case, then the nations that rush mightily like many waters are possibly the Psalm 83:6-8 Arab States. If the destruction of Damascus occurs in a related Psalm 83 event, this would help explain why Syria, under the banners of either Aram or Assyria, doesn’t appear listed in the Ezekiel 38:1-6 coalition of
Magog invaders.

For the above reasons, and several others pointed out in this section of Revelation Road commentary, it is reasonable to presume that the destruction of Damascus and the desolation of the surrounding strong cities, finds a correlation to the events prophesied in Psalm 83.

“Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, And the lot of those who rob us.” (Isaiah 17:14, nkjv)

Isaiah concludes his oracle against Damascus by describing the length of time it takes for the city to become reduced to rubble. Overnight, this historic city is destroyed. One evening Damascus flourishes, but by the next morning it’s obliterated. This apparently occurs as the penalty portion of Genesis 12:3. Syria’s capital city is reduced to ruins, because Syrians attempted to plunder Israel, probably in Psalm 83. It is a curse-for-curse-in-kind disciplinary duty, outlined in the Lord’s Gentile foreign policy of Genesis 12:3.

The bottom line of Isaiah 17 relevant to these present times, is that it could issue a stern modern day warning that Damascus can presently be destroyed overnight by the weapons technologies Israel presently possesses. Unless Syria changes its hateful disposition toward the nation of Israel soon, humanity could wake up one nearby morning to a flood of Syrian refugees exiting out of the Damascus rubble.

For more details about Bible prophecies predicting the future of the Middle East and America, read Revelation Road, available here (http://www.revelationroad.net/).