A few days ago I suggested that the Bible indicates that Israel will attack the Moabites, Edomites, the Ammonties, and Philistines after the Battle of Armageddon. I also wrote that I believe the details of Israel’s attack on Moab, Edom, and Ammon is described in Jeremiah 48 and 49. If each of these claims are factually correct then we may be able to identify the specific time when another major future event takes place: the destruction of Damascus.
The destruction of Damascus is prophesized first in Isaiah 17:1-3. Isaiah 17 prophesizes that Damascus is going to become a “ruinous heap”:
- Isa 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
- Isa 17:2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
- Isa 17:3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.
There is a lot of speculation about how Damascus is going to become a ruinous heap, including who is going to turn the city into that and when it is going to happen.
I believe we may be able to identify the aggressor who destroys Damascus and when Damascus gets destroyed by looking at a few passages that are related with Isaiah 11:14. Immediately after the prophecy of Israel’s future attack on Edom, Jeremiah 49 covers the defeat of Damascus. The prophecy says the following:
- Jer 49:23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
- Jer 49:24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
- Jer 49:25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
- Jer 49:26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Jer 49:27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.
I know that labeling chapters and verses is a human creation, but the destruction of Damascus fits within the context of Edom, Moab, and Ammon getting destroyed.
Similarly, the Book of Amos describes the destruction of Damascus within the context of a large-scale judgment of the region, including Philistia (1:6-8), Edom (1:11-12), Ammon (1:13-15), Moab (2:1-3), etc:
- Amo 1:3 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:
- Amo 1:4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.
- Amo 1:5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.
The close link between prophecies that describe the destruction of Damascus and prophecies that describe the destruction of Ammon, Edom, Moab, and Philistia, suggest that all these areas are likely going to be judged at the same time.
- If my theory on Isaiah 11:14 is correct, the aggressor that’ll annihilate each location, including Damascus, is Israel and the annihilation shall take place following the Battle of Armageddon.
The burden of Damascus (also mentioned in Isaiah 17:1) is again mentioned in Zechariah 9:1 as part of a prophecy that speaks of the defeat of several cities, including cities located in Philistia.
- Zec 9:1 The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.
- Zec 9:2 And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.
- Zec 9:3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
- Zec 9:4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
- Zec 9:5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
- Zec 9:6 And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
- Zec 9:7 And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.
Some people believe that Zechariah 9:1-7 refers to the conquest of Alexander the Great. I tend to disagree with that assessment because verse one has a statement that I feel indicates when the passage shall reach its fulfillment. Verse one suggests that Zechariah 9:1-7 will be fulfilled “when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord”:
- Zec 9:1 The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.
The quoted phrase is important because if we can find a time period when the eyes of mankind shall be towards the Lord then we’ll likely have found when the prophecies of Zechariah 9:1-7 and Isaiah 17:1-3 will both be fulfilled. Fortunately, Isaiah 17:4-8 provides us with an idea of when mankind’s eyes shall look towards the Lord.
- Isa 17:4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.
- Isa 17:5 And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.
- Isa 17:6 Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.
- Isa 17:7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
- Isa 17:8 And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.
The passage suggests that mankind’s eyes shall turn towards the Lord at a time when they no longer worship/respect ungodly creations (verse 8) and when Israel has been reduced to a small remnant after surviving a great purge (verse 5-6). Both of these characteristics are prevalent in the time period immediately after the Battle of Armageddon, especially the development where mankind will no longer worship ungodly creations.
In sum, the verses I’ve presented over the past several days appear to suggest that the destruction of Damascus is likely going to occur after the Battle of Armageddon when Israel annihilates its neighbors. However, like with my first four blog posts on Isaiah 11, what I’ve presented is just preliminary stuff. My thinking on Isaiah 11:14 and on when Damascus gets destroyed can change if someone finds a way to disprove the scenario I’ve laid out or if I find a way to disprove it. Feel free to disprove it if you can.
