Does the Bible predicts an end to the city of Damascus?

Willing-heart

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I've been thinking recently, with all the war and tension around Syria that there must be something quite prophetic about the area. So I did a bit of checking and found that Isaiah 17:1 says Damascus will one day become a heap of ruins... I wonder how that would happen... Nuclear attack? I'm interested to learn more about such apocalyptic prediction. May God raise up much army to save the lost in that city before the day of the Lord comes.
 

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Isaiah 17 King James Version (KJV)
17 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
Isaiah 17 New International Version (NIV)
A Prophecy Against Damascus
17 A prophecy against Damascus:

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
but will become a heap of ruins.

Right now Damascus is still a city. But the prophecy states that it will cease to be a city one day.
 
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Matt5

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Yes, Isaiah 17 refers to a nuclear attack on Damascus. Amos 1 refers to this attack too. It's in the 4th war - the next one.

What are the implications if Israel destroys Damascus with nuclear weapons?

According to the Russian nuclear doctrine, if a Russian ally (Syria) is nuked then Russia reserves the right to nuke back. Does it?

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Yekcidmij

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I've been thinking recently, with all the war and tension around Syria that there must be something quite prophetic about the area. So I did a bit of checking and found that Isaiah 17:1 says Damascus will one day become a heap of ruins... I wonder how that would happen... Nuclear attack? I'm interested to learn more about such apocalyptic prediction. May God raise up much army to save the lost in that city before the day of the Lord comes.

This is talking about events in Isaiah's time. It's probably talking about Syria's alliance with Israel (ie, the Northern Kingdom) metioned in Is 7 (2 Kn 15-16), and Israel and Syria's plan to attack Judah and King Ahaz, and the subsequent destruction and conquering of Syria by Assyria and king Tiglath-pileser.

Is 17:8 They will no longer trust in the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made.

Nobody in Syria is worshiping Asherah these days anyway.

Aram-Damascus - Wikipedia

.
 
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Handmaid for Jesus

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If we do a search on the history of the city of Damascus, we will find that it is the world's oldest city.
from Google:In 661 Muʿāwiyah, the first Umayyad caliph, established his court in the Syrian capital and founded a dār al-imārah (centre of government) there.
I did not find anything that said Damascus had/would cease/d being a city except Isa.17:1. The prophecy states that Damascus will literally stop existing.That has never happened folks. Damascus has existed as a city since it's founding. Even now we see it is becoming a heap of ruins it is still a city and is still the Capital of Syria. Something will happen, and I dare not speculate as to what, to wipe Damascus off of the map. That is not according to me, but according to scripture. Personally, I do not believe scripture lies.
Here is a clip showing the current destruction occurring there, but Damascus remains a city and the prophecy is not yet fulfilled.
 
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Yekcidmij

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I did not find anything that said Damascus had/would cease/d being a city except Isa.17:1. The prophecy states that Damascus will literally stop existing.That has never happened folks.

The city as Isaiah and Ahaz knew it ceased to exist. It was conquered and destroyed by Tiglath-Pileser III. The population was deported, as Assyrian's did when they conquered a place, and it's king executed. The Syria of that time indeed doesn't exist any longer. It's government, customs and religion are gone and exist only in archeological digs. As I said, nobody there is worshiping Ashera these days (and Asherah is mentioned by name in Is 17).

Something will happen, and I dare not speculate as to what, to wipe Damascus off of the map.

There's no reason to see that in Isaiah 17. You have to assume that there is some metaphysical continuity between the physical structures in that location now and the physical structures on that location in Isaiah's day. You assume some sort of metaphysical continuity between the people living there now and the people living there in Isaiah's day. You have to discount that the people, government, customs, and religion, are all different now from what they were in Isaiah's day. Of all things in Isaiah 17, these assumptions certainly aren't present and so aren't warranted based on the text. The Syria of today is not identical to the Syria ruled by king Rezin in 740 BC, and you must assume that they are. But this is not an assumption found in the text or warranted when considering the historical context of Isaiah 17.

If geographical residence determines metaphysical continuity, then I must be a Native American.

That is not according to me, but according to scripture.

...well, your interpretation of it at least.

Personally, I do not believe scripture lies.

Nobody here does, and it's a blatant mischaracterization if you suggest otherwise.
 
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Handmaid for Jesus

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The city as Isaiah and Ahaz knew it ceased to exist.
Damascus remains a city. You can slice it or dice it. It remains the world's oldest continually inhabited city. Yes it has been conquered and it's people displaced. But Damascus remains a city to this day. It has not ceased to be Damascus.
 
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Yekcidmij

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Damascus remains a city. You can slice it or dice it. It remains the world's oldest continually inhabited city. Yes it has been conquered and it's people displaced. But Damascus remains a city to this day. It has not ceased to be Damascus.

So you aren't going to address the points I raised. I'll just refer back to my previous post rather than repeat it.
 
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