Farewell Damascus

 Two books of the bible both directly prophesy the complete destruction of Damascus. Some say that the prophesy was foretelling the destruction of Damascus by the Assyrians in 732 BC other say not. Joel C. Rosenberg says:

“These prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. It has been attacked, besieged, and conquered. But Damascus has never been completely destroyed and left uninhabited." (Source) Which is true, in 732 BC Damascus was conquered by the Assyrians, but it wasn't left in an uninhabitable smoldering heap as prophesyed in Isaiah 17: 

1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin. 2 “The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks to lie down in, And there will be no one to frighten them. 3 “The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,” Declares the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 17:1-3)

Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth. It has been attacked, besieged, and conquered but Damascus has never been destroyed and left uninhabited. Isaiah prophesyed this during his ministry which ran from 740 BC to 701 BC, so it's entirely possible that he was talking about the Assyrian sack of Damascus, but if this is what Isaiah was talking about, why did Jeremiah prophesy the exact same thing a century later?

23 Concerning Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot be calmed. 24 “Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have taken hold of her Like a woman in childbirth. 25 “How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy! 26 “Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord of hosts. 27 “I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified towers of Ben-hadad.” (Jeremiah 49:23-17)

Isaiah 17:1-2 tells us that Damascus is going to be destroyed and that flocks of domestic animals will be grazing on the city site and be able to lay down without fear of someone disturbing them. This is a perfect description of a city that has been completely flattened and abandoned. At no point in Damascus' history has such a situation ever arisen, regardless of how short a period of time.

Damascus is mentioned 60 times in the bible, from Genesis 14:15 to Acts 22:10 references to Damascus are liberally sprinkled though the Bible. If the destruction of Damascus happened in 732 BC, why was Paul walking there when he got his wake up call from Jesus? Then, as now, Damascus had been beaten, but not broken, that shall come to pass however. 

“These prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. It has been attacked, besieged, and conquered. But Damascus has never been completely destroyed and left uninhabited.
Read more at http://godfatherpolitics.com/12385/damascus-destroyed-nuclear-holocaust/#KbWcPqbhj6J60tTM.99