Damascus Inventory

Let’s compare recent events in Syria with Bible Prophecy

By Craig C. White

DEC 10, 2024: Wow, Turkish supported Al-Qaeda forces have swiftly taken several of Syria’s largest cities including its capital city Damascus.

Two Bible passages reference the destruction of Damascus. First Isaiah 17:1 says that Damascus will be 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.

Isaiah 17 mostly describes the Assyrian conquest of Damascus in 732 BC. The Assyrians besiged Damascus and burned many of its outlying suburbs. However Damascus remained an important city. Damascus would be conquered several times again. So Isaiah 17:1 leads us to believe that one day Damascus will be thoroughly destroyed.

The Bible doesn’t say who will destroy Damascus. However in the past Damascus was conquered by Assyria and again by Babylon. The Antichrist is compared to the Assyrian kings. The Assyrians conquered Damascus and then invaded northern Israel. Since Turkish President Erdogan is the Antichrist I suspect that Turkey will conquer or perhaps destroy Damascus and then invade northern Israel.

Isaiah 17 predicts the Assyrian conquest of Damascus.

Isa 17:2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

The Assyrians burned the outskirts of Damascus. Today the outskirts of Damascus lay in ruin.

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.

The kingdom has been removed from Damascus. Syrian President Assad has been removed. Damascus is in the same condition today as it was after the Assyrian conquest. So perhaps Bible prophecy has already been fulfilled.

Jeremiah also predicts the destruction of Damascus. Jeremiah’s prophecy was written one hundred years after the Assyrian conquest of Damascus. Jeremiah may be predicting the Babylonian conquest of Damascus in 604 BC. However many of its details mirror the Assyrian seige. For instance, the Assyrians began their attack in northwestern Syria. The Assyrians first marched from Aleppo then southward to Hamah and Homs and then to Damascus. Consequently this is the same path that the Turkish commanded Al-Qaeda forces just took on their way to take Damascus. This is actually particularly interesting because the Antichrist is compared to the Assyrian kings because he will do the same things that the Assyrian kings did. The Assyrian kings first conquered Damascus and then invaded northern Israel. According to 2Thessalonians 2:4 President Erdogan was officially revealed as the Antichrist when he sat on the floor of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul exalting himself above all that is worshipped.

In Jeremiah 49:23 two northwestern Syria towns are mentioned. Both Hamath and Arpad were quickly taken by the recent Al-Qaeda advance. Today Arpad is called Tell Rifaat. Tell Rifaat was the last remaining Kurdish held town west of the Euphrates River. The Al-Qaeda rebels drove the Kurds eastwards out of Tell Rifaat.

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.

Jeremiah 49:24 seems to say that the residents of Damascus will flee. While some people did flee during the recent assault, it doesn’t seem to match the large-scale exodus indicated in this verse. My guess is that there is more drama coming to Damascus.

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.

The following verses sound like Damascus will be wiped out and that the Syrian Army will die in the streets. So far that hasn’t happened. This interpretation may come about yet but let me caution you; this passage may contain a different meaning.

Jer 49:25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy! 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.

The word “left” in the passage above can mean relinquish or forsake. This accurately portrays the actions of the Syrian President Assad.

Next the word “fall” can mean “to die a violent death” but it can also mean to desert or to fall away. The Syrian Army certainly deserted Damascus. Perhaps the Syrian Army will still fight in Damascus. We will have to wait and see.

Finally the term “cut off” can mean “to be killed” but it can also mean “to be astonished”.

I think that Jeremiah 49:25 identifies the neighborhood of Old Damascus. Old Damascus is where the capital of Syria sits. Old Damascus may yet be destroyed before Jesus returns but I don’t think that it absolutely must be destroyed in order to fulfill Bible prophecy.

I expected the Syrian Army to die defending Damascus but they were nowhere to be found. Perhaps that is what Jeremiah is saying? Let’s see what develops in the next days.

In the next verse to “kindle a fire” means that God will send an army against Damascus. “The palaces of Benhadad” refers to the palaces of the ruler of Syria. The HTS rebels immediately burned and ransacked Syrian President Assad’s palace.

Jer 49:27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

Al-Qaeda rebels just overthrew Damascus. They consist of two major groups. Arab supported Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and the Turkey supported Syrian National Army. Both groups want to create an Islamic Caliphate in their own image. HTS wants an Al-Qaeda ruled Islamic empire with deference going to the Arab States such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. The Syrian National Army backs a renewed Turkish ruled Ottoman Empire.

HTS has claimed dominion over Damascus for now but I am here to tell you that Turkish President Erdogan will not tolerate it if HTS presses their position as head of a new Islamic Caliphate. As a matter of fact I doubt that Erdogan will tolerate HTS’s newfound claim as rulers of Damascus. That’s just my analysis.

At any rate these groups do not coexist without conflict. My point being that the Turkish Army is likely to step in and pry power away from the Arabian associated rebels. (HTS).

Honorable mention: Israel may not figure directly into Jeremiah’s prophecy but it may draw Turkey down to Israel’s northern border. Just moments after Damascus fell to the Al-Qaeda rebels, Israel began entering the demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights. I expect another major prophecy to happen after the dust settles on Damascus. According to Ezekiel chapter 38, Turkey will lead Iran, Libya, and Sudan against northern Israel. All of these nations make up the forces that are now fighting in Syria.

Watch “Syria Inventory” on YouTube

For a verse by verse study read Isaiah 17 predicts the destruction of Damascus

Read my book The complete guide to Syria in end time Bible Prophecy

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