“The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.” Isaiah 17:1-2 NKJV
Many biblical scholars are of the opinion that the prophecy above is a response by the nation of Israel to an attack using chemical or nuclear weapons against them. This recent report has opened the eyes of more than a few governments and in response, many prophecy teachers have begun to speculate that this may lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy we find in Isaiah 17 concerning the destruction of Damascus. While this may well be the beginning of the process which brings these things about, one question many have asked over the years is just what occurs that provokes Israel to do what it does.
That too, was a question I considered at length when I first began my studies of the Isaiah prophecy and the conclusion I came to was the result of searching for the location of the “cities of Aroer” mentioned in the passage above. Although some might disagree, I believe it is a very strong possibility that, as you can see from the two maps above, what Isaiah may be telling us is that Israel responds to an attack by Syria on the nuclear research facility at Dimona. While this is certainly speculation on my part, considering the events that have occurred recently, I personally find it hard to believe it is coincidence that the location of Aroer and Dimona appear to be one in the same.
The area mentioned in the Isaiah 17 prophecy is described as "the cities of Aroer". Unlike Damascus, Aroer no longer exists, so we are left to try to identify its location by studying past references, and looking for archeological evidence that might support a conclusion as to its whereabouts. Aroer is mentioned three times in the Bible, and all occur in the Old Testament. Unfortunately for us, however, each describes a different location, so we are left to examine what the Bible says about each and see if we can decide which location Isaiah is attempting to describe. The first mention of Aroer is found in the book of Deuteronomy where it says;
“From Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and from the city that is in the ravine, as far as Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the LORD our God delivered all to us.” Deuteronomy 2:36 NKJV
This site has been identified as being on the northern bank of the Arnon ravine located in the modern country of Jordan, just east of the Dead Sea. The second mention of Aroer we find is in the book of Joshua, where Moses is allotting land to the twelve tribes and describing their boundaries. In this verse he describes;
“Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah,” Joshua 13:25 NKJV
Joshua describes Aroer as being "before Rabbah". This city or any ruins of it have never been located, but by the description we know it would need to be situated be some twenty miles or so north of Jerusalem. The final time Aroer is mentioned before Isaiah’s prophecy is in the book of Samuel, where we find it listed among a group of cities that David is sharing spoil with from his defeat of the Amalekites. We find when we read that;
“those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa,” 1 Samuel 30:28 NKJV
This location has been identified as being in the Negev, twelve miles southeast of Beer-sheba. We also see from reading this passage that it was one of many cities located in the same area which helped and supported David in his battle with the Amalekites. Ruins of this city have been found, and you can even locate it on a map if your Bible has maps in the back. Simply look for a map of Israel in the time of David, and you should be able to see Aroer located in the south of Israel, southwest of Beer-sheba. So we have three different locations to choose from, and no help from the Isaiah passage to identify which one he is referring to. Is it possible to find a way to know for sure exactly which one of these locations is the one that Isaiah describes as being "forsaken"?
First of all, I think it may be logical to assume that Isaiah is referring to the location southeast of Beer-sheba for several reasons. The first is that if you compare the dates that these three books were written, you find that the Samuel passage was written closest to the time of Isaiah, as opposed to the others which were written much earlier in Israel’s history. Also, if you look closely at these three locations, you see one of them is in Jordan, not Israel. Since Isaiah is describing a conflict between Syria and Israel, I think we can dismiss the Jordan location as a possibility.
So we are left to choose between two locations, one which has never been positively located, and one which not only has been located, but may have some military significance as well. If we look at a map of Israel during the time of the twelve tribes, we can easily see where Aroer is located. Now compare that map with a map of Israel today and you may be surprised to find that a very significant complex has been constructed in the same approximate location of ancient Aroer, and that is the nuclear research facility known as Dimona. Since Isaiah is describing a future conflict between Israel and Syria, obviously there must be a good reason that Israel chooses to completely destroy Damascus. Is it possible that it is in response to an attack of some sort on Dimona?
“The cities of Aroer are forsaken;”
The word "forsaken" in the Hebrew is "azab" which means "to depart, abandon, loose, relinquish, leave." The first thing that crossed my mind when I read this was not what it does say, but what it doesn't say. It doesn't say that Aroer is destroyed; only abandoned. It also says “cities” which gives the impression of a very large area being affected. This scenario seems best explained by either the use of chemical weapons, or an attack that somehow damages the reactor and allows radiation to escape. Obviously the Syrian regime has no problem using chemical weapons on its own people, and Iran is more than happy to provide them with advanced missiles, so the question seems to be, which will they choose to use and will they be willing to use them against Israel?
casus belli: an event or action that justifies or allegedly justifies a war or conflict
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/casus%20belli
The fact that the nation of Israel is surrounded by enemies who desire nothing more than to see their destruction is certainly not news to anyone even slightly informed about the world we live in today. This situation, obviously, then begs the question; “what are they waiting for”? It can be fairly said that Israel has made the attempt to live in peace with its enemies since the birth of the nation in 1948, fighting wars only to defend itself rather than being the aggressor. Yet, since God in His foreknowledge has told us that there are wars yet to be fought, it is logical to wonder what exactly is going to occur that provokes Israel’s enemies to attack once again. Now while some might argue that the nation of Syria has too many problems of its own to attempt to respond to Israel’s actions, I would say we need to consider another term from history which would seem, in light of recent events, to be extremely relevant, and that is “proxy war”.
proxy war: A war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved.
https://www.lexico.com/definition/proxy_war
The relationship between Iran and Syria is complicated, but the one thing that remains clear is that Iran has invested a lot of money, materiel, and personnel to develop and upgrade Syria’s military capabilities. Much of Syria’s missile technology and armament has been provided by Iran, and at present it is reported as fact by many intelligence sources that members of the Iranian Republican Guard are in Syria helping develop and train Syrian troops. Iran has spent much of its time in the past few years attempting to establish bases of operation within the borders of Syria, while Israel has made a habit of blowing them up. Most of all, Iran has so far committed itself to support the president of Syria, Bashar Assad, in power. So the question must be asked, just what does Iran want from Syria in exchange for all of this help?
The fact that the Isaiah 17 prophecy tells us that the city of Damascus is destroyed, rather than Tehran, obviously supports the conclusion that Israel is attacked either from Syria, or by weapons transported through Damascus to Israel’s enemies. While that is the case, one has to wonder, considering the situation there, who is really behind the attack on Israel? While the attack could easily be staged by Hezbollah, most at this point in time would agree that Iran is the country behind all that is going on in that region, and their hatred for Israel is well known. I believe, and many agree, that at this point in time Iran is simply waiting for a justifiable excuse to attack Israel and attempt to make good on the myriad of threats it has made in the past. Only time will tell if this is what Isaiah is telling us, but what we do know is that God has prophesied that Damascus “will cease from being a city.”
When examining current events, most if not all prophecy scholars agree that the obvious conclusion is while the possibility of the events of Isaiah 17 as well as Ezekiel 38,39 seem to be clearly on the immediate horizon, so too is the rapture of the Church. The coming weeks and months appear to hold the potential to be very exciting times indeed for those who study prophecy.
If you are reading this today and have never made the choice to accept the free gift of salvation made possible by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you to do it today. Simply pray a prayer like this;
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."
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