How does Syria Fit into End-Time Prophecy?

As I was writing last week about the prophetic significance of Egypt, I wondered the same about Syria, and here's what I found after some research.  Syria is a city-state since most of its population lives in Damascus.  And there  is an unfulfilled prophecy about the destruction of Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap" (Is. 17:1). But Damascus, the world's oldest perpetually inhabited city, has never been destroyed.

As recently as June 29, Secretary of State Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov met to discuss US-Russian differences on the Syrian crisis. Any chance of resolution failed when the Russians refused to accept any solution that included President Assad’s removal. The military tension has increased far beyond what our news media are telling us: Russia, Iran, and China are supplying weapons to Syria; and Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are amassing troops on their borders.

And most notably, threats of intervention by the international community have evoked a counter-threat of retaliation against Israel, prompting a stern warning from Israel that, if attacked, they will destroy Damascus. Wow!  We could soon be witnessessing the fulfillment of Isaiah’s end-time prophecy.  One more sign of the times!