The Future Destruction of Damascus & the PLO

THE DEMISE OF DAMASCUS
Isaiah 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
Humor: Southerners can be so polite!
Atlanta Airport Aviation tower - ATC: "Tower to Saudi Air 511 -- You are cleared to land eastbound on runway 9R.
Saudi Air: "Thank you Atlanta ATC. Acknowledge cleared to land on infidel's runway 9R - Allah be Praised."

Atlanta ATC: "Tower to Iran Air 711 --You are cleared to land westbound on runway 9 R."
Iran Air: "Thank you Atlanta ATC. We are cleared to land on infidel's runway 9R. - Allah is Great."
Pause...

Saudi Air: " ATLANTA ATC - ATLANTA ATC"
Atlanta ATC: "Go ahead Saudi Air 511."
Saudi Air: "YOU HAVE CLEARED BOTH OUR AIRCRAFTS FOR THE SAME RUNWAY GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. WE ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE. INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE."

Atlanta ATC: "Well bless your little hearts. And praise Jesus.
Y'all be careful now and tell Allah "hey" for us -- "

THE MUSLIM NATIONS ARE ON A COLLISIONS COURSE
WITH GOD
The message this morning on March 09, 2008 reveals God’s prophecy yet to fall upon the city of Damascus and others in the Middle East.
Damascus has always played a major role in Bible history and as you will see today plays a vital role in what is happening in the Middle East even today.

I –The Prophecy of Damascus’s Destruction - 1-3
a. Damascus, Syria claims to be the oldest city in the world still in existence today.
b. The first reference to the city is in Genesis 14, in the days of Lot and Abraham. If you remember, Eliezer of Damascus was to inherit all the wealth and blessings of Abraham before God gave Abraham a son.
That tells you something very significant. Abraham was a witness to Eliezer who was a witness to the residents of Damacus.
c. We next find the Syrians in 2 Samuel 8. King David conquered the Syrians and made them his servants. And David was a kind king. Again we see the witness of David. In Bible days, if one king conquered another, they thought it true that their god was greater. Thus, David was witness to Syria during his reign as king of Israel
d. Solomon could have been a great witness but made alliance against God’s will, with many nations and In First Kings 11 the Syrians became a grievous enemy of Israel.
e. Even when wicked Ahab was king of Israel, God gave Israel two great victories over the Syrians. (I Kings 20). Thus, witnessing to and proving to Syria again that the God of Israel was the true God.
F. Elisha was a great witness to the kings of Syria, but they never turned to the true God.
With Abraham, David, Elisha and I am sure many others as witnesses to Damascus and other nations, why did they not come to accept the God of Israel and later accept Jesus Christ as Savior?
f. Later, Israel yoked up with Syria to fight against Judah. An unequal alliance that brought God’s hand of judgment on Israel.

I –The Prophecy of Damascus’s Destruction - 1-3
17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
This prophecy is very clear that when God finally fulfills the passage Damascus, Syria will cease to be as a city forever.
They will be a ruinous heap.
Some ask, “Has it already happened?
--In 732 BC the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III conquered the Syrians. (2 Kings 2:9). Just 10 years before God brought judgment on Israel, but the city of Damascus was not destroyed.
--127 years later, the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar conquer the city in 605 BC, about the same time they first invaded Judah, but there is no record of Damascus ever being destroyed.
--275 years later, Alexander the Great of Greece, overran Damascus in 332 BC, but without bloodshed or destruction.
Thus, the city is yet to be destroyed and this prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.

So, what is it that Damascus will do that will bring about their final destruction and how close are they to that time? That we will see.
Learn some facts about Damascus today:
*Damascus is a central hub of terrorism today. Several of the most prominent terrorist organizations have their headquarters there, and coordinate their operations from there.
Organizations like Hezbollah and the baathist regime. Understand that these terrorist groups are Muslim.
--In the Greensboro paper Sat, March 8, 2008, on one page there were four terrorist attacks around the world. All were carried out by Muslims.
--A Jerusalem paper wrote: (CNSNews.com. Feb 13, 2008 ) - A Hezbollah terrorist believed to be involved in the murders of hundreds of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s was killed overnight in a car bombing in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Although his name is not as familiar as that of Osama bin Laden, Imad Fayez Mugniyah was wanted in more than 40 countries, including the United States and Israel.
--With the United States and Israel aligning themselves against Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the Baathist regime and all terrorist groups it is not hard to see today how circumstances could quickly fall into place for a war that will be the beginning of all wars.
--Mugnijay was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for his role in planning and carrying out the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847, which resulted in the death of U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem.
--The U.S. also blames Mugniyah for the bombings of the U.S. Embassy and the Marine Corps compound in Beirut in 1983, when more than 200 U.S. troops died in their barracks.
1- Spiritual Application: You don’t give a haven of safety to murderers and thuds and those who hate God and God’s people.
2 – Spiritual Application: You don’t run around with and socialize with the worldly crowd, or your children will become like them.
Today, Damascus is the capital of Syria. According to Isaiah’s prophecy it will one day cease to exist.

--Damascus is a large city with 5 million residents and according to history it was never destroyed before.
This prophecy in verse one where the city will be a heap or ruins can only take place now through a nuclear bomb.

--Israel tried to make a far-reaching peace treaty with Syria and Egypt right after the 1973 Yom Kippur war.
Egypt indeed made peace treaty with Israel which stands until today. 2
However, Syria made the treaty and then denied such a treaty and continues to deny it until today.
In other words, they broke their word, their vow.
3 - Spiritual application: God said, it is better to never make a vow than to make one and not keep it. Lost people and people like many in the Middle East build their lives deception and lies, but so does their father, the devil.
4 – Spiritual application: Don’t live a lie. Don’t be like these people who live a life of deceit. They tell nations one thing and do another. That is hypocrisy. That is the sin of a Pharisee or Sadducee.

--In addition to that, Syria is arming itself with the most contemporary weapon systems obtained from Russia, its main ally.
-They have Russian rockets, airplanes, biological weapons of mass destruction, like the VX nerve gas which is deadly and can get inside the body through the pores of the skin. 3

--WASHINGTON, Feb 28, 2008— The Bush administration says it is imposing economic sanctions on four individuals (Americans) the administration accuses of helping with the flow of money, weapons, terrorists and other resources from Syria into Iraq. 5
--Syria has been performing various military exercises behind the Golan Heights an it is believed that it is ready for a surprise attack against Israel.
Its goal is not just the capture of the Golan Heights but like many nations in the Middle East, the annihilation of Israel. 4
Spiritual application: God says, “I’ll bless them that bless my people and I will curse them that curse my people.” Wake up Damascus! Wake up America! Wake up Christians. Walk with God and He will walk with you.

The cities of Aroer which is mentioned in Isaiah 17:2 is located inside Jordan close to the capital city of Jordan the city Amman.
-For this reason Jordan, in spite of the peace treaty which it made with Israel (1994), they will support Syria in the case of war.
--Thus, they will be defeated along with Syria as Isaiah 17:2 states "The cities of Aroer are forsaken... ."

Now look at verse 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.
This is an interesting statement. You might ask, “Isn’t Ephraim one of the major tribes of Israel?” And the answer is “yes.” So are they going to face a terrible destruction here? The answer is no.
If you notice the verse says, “Fortress that is in Ephraim.” That fortress is the Palestine state where the West Bank is. That is where the Palestine liberation organization exist which are terrorist to Israel.
Listen to this report this week:
JERUSALEM — March 7, 2008 Hamas militants cheered over the deadly shooting at a Jewish religious academy in Jerusalem as thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza to celebrate Thursday amid recent armed conflicts in the Hamas-controlled strip.
Earlier, a gunman entered the library of a rabbinical seminary and opened fire on a crowded nighttime study session Thursday, killing eight people and wounding nine before he was slain.

WASHINGTON, March 2008 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on a rescue mission this week, trying to keep Palestinians and Israelis talking despite open warfare between the two sides that engulfed the Gaza Strip. 6

Thus it seems very clear that when this judgment falls, yea when this war takes place Israel is going to take out all of Damascus, the capital city of Syria.
They are going to take out Ammon, the capital city of Jordan and they will take out the Palestine’s fortress state inside of Israel today, the PLO. To that I say, “Amen.”
Personally, I believe, Israel will do this on their own I don’t believe America will be involved.
The question is “When will this happen?”
Answer: In God’s timing and that could be very soon.
How will Israel do it? Evidently to wipe out Damascus with a population of 5 million it may very well be with a nuclear bomb. Why?
Damascus has been importing nuclear weaponry from Russia and China for years though they deny doing so.
--An article, Oct 17, 2007 given by Fox News said this about Damascus, Syria, “A high-ranking Syrian official confirmed that Israel's air-strike last month in northern Syria hit a nuclear facility, according to a document obtained Wednesday by FOX News.” 7
Syria has always denied having nuclear capability and yet they like every other nation in the Middle East will lie until they are found out.

5 - Spiritual application: The devil will tell you every thing is OK, he will never tell you the truth.
God says separate from the worldly crowd. Satan says, have fun, they won’t hurt you.

Satan has most of the democratic in America believing in a man with strong Muslims ties; Barack Hussine Obama.
You would be wise to bury your life in God’s word and learn truth.

I –The Prophecy of Damascus’s destruction - 1-3
II – The Prophecy of Israel’s desolation - 4-6
Isaiah gives three illustrations of the effect this war will have on Israel.
1 - Verse four describes Israel difficulty after the war.
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.
Israel is known as one of the four greatest military powers in the world today.
But, this war will leave them vulnerable to all nations that hate them, which is every nation but America today.
-However the next election could change that. If the wrong person becomes President of the United States, our country will sadly turn against them as well.
2 -Verse five describes Israel’s deprivation:
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
It was in the valley of Rephaim that David fought some deadly battles with the Philistines. It was a valley of dearth and deprivation.
Thus, Isaiah is telling Israel that after this battle your land shall suffer greatly. Many of your major cities will lay desolate and the smell of death will be everywhere.
3 - Verse six describes Israel’s desolation.
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.
A great number of the men will die in Israel. The suffering will be great.

I – The Prophecy of Damascus’ Destruction 1-3
II – The Prophecy of Damascus’ Desolation 5-6
III – The Prophecy of Israel’s Deliverance 7-14
1 – They will come to know their God.
7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
God shall bring victory to Israel over their war with Damascus, the PLO and Jordan.
But that war will have a devastating affect on the people and their nation.
Israel will realize their vulnerability and weakness.
Their pride will be broken and they will turn to their Maker and their eyes will be open.
-They will realize that God became man and dwell among them.
-They will realize that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah and Savior.
-They will then fall on their face and receive Jesus as the Christ the Son of God.
This passage is not in chronological order of events.
But, Isaiah is excited to see that this will be a war that will bring humility and bring Israel a step closer in receiving Christ as their Savior.
So, this passage seems to refer to this war taking place near the last days if not during the Tribulation period.

2 – They will come to worship the Lord their God.
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.
Today the Jews still worship the shadows, the types, the symbols of Christ. They don’t believe that he has come.
They worship at the Wailing Wall and at their synagogues. One day they will realize their altars are the works of their hands, and repent.
Many worship images even today. How? An image is not only a piece of jewelry or stone, but a false idea of who God is and a false idea of true worship.
Do you realize the Jewish worship today is as idolatrous as Catholicism?
They go through rituals which do not bring God glory; nor does it bring them grace.
----Their worship today is no different that what Cain offered God.
God wanted both Cain and Able to bring a blood sacrifice.
But Cain gave what he wanted.
Today God worship is through Spirit and Truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” You can’t worship God without going through Jesus Christ. All other worship is idolatry.
Sadly, Israel still worships the shadows and types, yea images.
But, one day their eyes will be open that Jesus is the Christ.
They will one day wake up and realize how false their religion is.


I –The Prophecy of Damascus’s Destruction - 1-3
II – The Prophecy of Israel’s Desolation - 4-6
III – The Prophecy of Israel’s Deliverance - 7-8
IV – The Prophecy of Israel’s Dread - 9-14
How will all of this unfold
A - Look at the Stage in the Present: v 9-14
The world already hates the nation of Israel. Can you imagine the level of loathing that will be unleashed if Israel is forced to use nuclear weapons against Damascus?
No matter how justified is Israel's case, no matter how imperative their need to go nuclear, the world will go berserk.
And for the first time in history, we are on the brink of a setting where this prophecy could be fulfilled.
1- It is called the Tehran-Damascus-Hezbollah axis is a grave threat to Israel. 9
2 - Iran's persistent campaign to acquire nuclear weapons continues unabated.
3 - Our president has all but it seems, swept it under the carpet.
4 - Iran has vowed to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
Of course, Israel cannot allow that to happen, and has indicated it will take preemptive action against Syria.
-Iran will not sit back passively if Israel strikes Syria.
-Iran will use all its means to attack Israel, including its allies in Syria and Lebanon. Hezbollah, based in southern Lebanon.
-Hezbollah has a formidable arsenal of 13,000 missiles to use against Israel, some reportedly with chemical or biological capabilities.
Therefore, Israel holds Syria also responsible for Hezbollah's actions.
-Syria itself also has a substantial missile arsenal ready to use against Israel, also with WMD (weapons of mass destruction) capabilities.
That could happen any time. And if it did, one of two things would have to transpire:
One - The whole world would turn against Israel to annihilate them. If this happens it puts the prophecy towards the end of the Tribulation.
Two - Some superman would have to become a world dictator to bring peace to keep Israel from being wiped off the face of the earth. This puts the prophecy to take place any day.
*** Fox News, January, 2008 - Tens of thousands of Palestinians on foot and on donkey carts poured into Egypt from Gaza Wednesday after masked gunmen used land mines to blast down a seven-mile barrier dividing the border town of Rafah. Why?
Why are the Palestinians leaving Israel? Do they know of planned attacks we don’t know about?
Stop! Let me finish with two statements:
1 – We are living in the last days. It is time to let your life count!
2 – If you are going to get saved, come to Christ today.
****************

Now if the prophecy is future the last five verses will relate to the antichrist breathing down Israel’s neck after they destroy Damascus, Ammon Jordan and the PLO.
He is going to see their weakness and vulnerability. He is going to begin his plan to send forth the kings of the world to come and finally wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
Israel will flee to a place prepared for them, the Bible says. Many believe this place to be Petra. And for 3 ½ years multitudes of the nation of Israel will be in hiding.
The demons in the Euphrates River will come out at that time (Rev 16) and convince the kings of this world to come to the battle or Armageddon.
That is what Isaiah 17:9 says.
9 In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.
And why is God allowing this? Look at verse 10.
10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:
Israel will try to strengthen them selves. 11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
They will try to prepare for the onslaught that is coming. But the troops that are coming are unbelievably many.
Israel will probably less than a million troops left and if you know Israel’s army, everybody is a soldier till they are 54 years old, will be facing and army of at lease 200 million.
They will be outmanned 200 to 1. And the military power that Israel will have left compared to the great world rulers will be like a fire cracker against a nuclear bomb.
But, Isaiah throws out a warning, not to Israel but to the 200 million troops that will invade Israel.
He says that that great multitude (v 12) that sounds like the roaring of the sea and the rushing of a water falls suddenly be stopped. 12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Verse 14 simply says, before the morning comes, “he is not.” 14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.
That is a nice way of God saying I will wipe them off the face of the earth.
How will God do it?
He will return from heaven with 10,000 of His saints upon white stallions. As the armies of the world gather against Israel, the antichrist will meet his waterloo.
Jesus will speak and from his very mouth the armies of the world will be slaughtered and destroyed.













BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 – Fox News, March 7, 2008, www.foxnews.com
2 – Fox News, www.foxnews.com March 4, 2008
3 -Damascus Annihilated Sept 8, 2005
4–Ibid
5 – Fox News. www.foxnews, Feb 28, 2008
6 – Fox News. www.foxnews. March 3, 2008
7 –Fox News Oct 17, 2007 given by Fox News about Damascus
8 – Thru The Bible, J. Vernon McGee, Proverbs – Malachi p 239-240
9 - Isaiah - Chapter 17 - Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary,
www.searchgodsword.org/com/jfb/view.cgi
10 – Fox News Jan. 2008 – www.foxnews.com January 08