Over the past several years, I have been repeatedly asked whether the Bible speaks to the future of Syria. Pastors and other Christian leaders have asked. So have a number of U.S. leaders and those from other countries.
In 2012, for example, a prominent Member of Congress asked to meet with me in Washington, D.C. I thought the topic was going to be the possible coming war between Israel and Iran. Instead, the Representative asked, “What are your thoughts on Isaiah 17 and the possible destruction of Damascus?” A few months ago, a Member of the Canadian Parliament asked me the same question.
As the implosion of Syria accelerates, the question of what Bible prophecy says about the future of Syria is being asked more frequently. During the horrific civil war that is underway there, more than 110,000 Syrians have been killed thus far, including, reportedly, through the use of chemical weapons in Damascus. More than two million Syrians have fled their country. Another five million more Syrians have been “internally displaced” — they have fled their homes and villages because of the brutal violence, but have not yet actually left their country. The country is steadily falling apart and there is a real question how in the world Syria would ever be put back together.
The larger question is whether the situation will actually go from bad to worse. Does the Bible predict the catastrophic destruction of Damascus? If so, why, and how will it happen? What are the implications of such a thing happening? How should Christians live in light of such coming events, if they are legitimate?
These are questions I have been studying for some time. In March of 2013, my most recent novel, Damascus Countdown, was published. It considers this very subject, the coming judgment of the Syrian capital, and how this scenario could possibly unfold in the not-too-distant future in relation to other Bible prophecies and current geopolitical trends in the Middle East.
Given how often I’m being asked to discuss this, I am preaching on these Old Testament passages at Topeka Bible Church in Kansas. I have also decided to post 23 pages of my personal study notes on this subject. I hope they are helpful.
>> To read my study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49, please click here.