Damascus will be destroyed

There is a prophecy in the bible that I have always found fascinating. It is in Isaiah 17:1:
"The burden against Damascus.
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,
And it will be a ruinous heap."

Since Damascus, Syria is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, this prophecy has never been fulfilled. In the past, the city has been devastated, partly abandoned, sure, but never has it been a ruinous heap and has never been completely wiped away from being a city. So this is a prophecy that is in front of us. The way things are progressing in the Middle East and with Israel/Jerusalem, it looks to be in front of us in a short period of time, in my opinion. And here is more information to back up my opinion...

First, notice the language in the prophecy. It is the passive tense. The prophecy doesn't say "Israel will destroy Damascus." It doesn't say "God will destroy Damascus." The only thing we know is that Damascus in Syria is destroyed, and that's it. We don't know who, or how, and certainly not when. It could be destroyed by disease, though that is not likely because though the population would be killed but the city would still be standing. It could be destroyed by Israel but that may not be likely either because Israel's strikes tend to be surgical rather than of the obliterating kind. Perhaps someone throws a nuke, that is one kind of war matériel that would obliterate a city and reduce it to a ruinous heap, for sure.

I've been watching the events in Syria. Since last spring when the Middle Eastern countries erupted in violence (now known as the Arab Spring) finally Syria erupted too. Though many of the nations that had revolted, for example, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Algeria, etc, have calmed down, Syria never stopped revolting. And its dictatorship is strong and has had no compunction in oppressing its people in order to quell the violence. I've seen references to Youtube video of rivers of blood and bodies being dumped. I didn't look at the videos to check them myself, but I believe that Syria is doing those things. I believe it because Syria's only friend in the neighborhood, Turkey, is now extremely impatient and making diplomatic moves to press Syria to stop it and stop it now. A fifteen day deadline was actually delivered by Turkey to Syria.

Russia joined Turkey in the pile-on, pressing Assad of Syria to stop the violence and introduce reforms. 'Or else prepare for a sad fate.' "In his toughest comments on Syria to date, Mr Medvedev said that time was running out for Mr Assad to halt a crackdown against his people, hinting that the Kremlin, a traditional ally, may support tough action against Damascus in the United Nations if bloodshed continues."

With what is happening within Syria, we must also keep in mind several other prophecies that add into the mix. Turkey will abandon all vestiges of wanting to align with the West and eventually ally with Russia, Iran, Armenia, and the northern tier of the African nations in the Gog-Magog war. This alliance will surprise attack Israel in the last days. (Ezekiel 38-39).

With that background explained, here's some interesting news out of the Middle East today that involves Syria, Turkey, and Russia.

Iran's state media, 'PressTV' reports today "'NATO planning military attack on Iran.'" Now, this may be true and it may not be true. But at this point time, far along as we are, a reaction can be fomented just as easily from the perception of truth as it can from the fact. The article states:

"Russia's envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin says the NATO is planning a military strike against the Islamic Republic to overthrow the Iranian government. Rogozin said in an interview with Russia's Izvestia daily newspaper published on Friday that the NATO was pursuing a long-reaching goal of preparing an attack on Iran, adding that the alliance intends to change governments whose views do not coincide with those of the West. "The noose around Iran is tightening. Military planning against Iran is underway. And we are certainly concerned about an escalation of a large-scale war in this huge region," Rogozin added."

I think we can agree that the noose is tightening and that a large-scale war in that region does loom. You notice, I hope, that it is the Russian envoy taking up for Iran... The UK's Sovereign Independent picked up on the story,

"Twelve hours after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Assad he faced a “sad fate” if he failed to introduce reforms, Moscow’s envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin accused the Western alliance of planning a military campaign against Syria to help overthrow the Assad regime “with the long-reaching goal of preparing a beachhead for an attack on Iran.”"

Meanwhile, Yahoo news reports, "Turkey's friendship with Syria nears breaking point"
"Turkey's friendship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stood near breaking point as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu prepared to visit Damascus on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to persuade Assad to stop his security forces attacking civilians. On Sunday, one of Assad's advisers warned Davutoglu would be given short shrift after Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said his minister would deliver a "decisive message," having seen past entreaties to halt the violence ignored. A Turkish official said Davutoglu would repeat the earlier calls. But the official did not want to venture into what Turkey will do if its words continue to fall on deaf ears in neighboring Syria."

It can be stated that the incestuous, dysfunctional family of the Arab-Gog/Magog allied nations are getting even more shrill, dysfunctional, and violent. It is pretty extraordinary that Turkey said "We can't be held responsible for what we do if you ignore our warnings, Assad!"

Turkey is someone to be reckoned with. In 2008, the Turkish Army had around 402,000 active personnel and is the second largest army of NATO (after the United States). (source). When they tell Syria's Assad, 'stop or we can't say what we're gonna do!' it must be taken seriously. Would Turkey get mad enough to raze Damascus? Who knows these days, what any person or nation will do.

I'm back to the first part of this essay now. Damascus will be destroyed. By whom, we do not know. But it is wise to watch Syria closely these days, and pray.
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