Isaiah 17

"The burden against Damascus.

“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,
And it will be a ruinous heap...It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain,

And reaps the heads with his arm;
It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain
In the Valley of Rephaim.
6 Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it,
Like the shaking of an olive tree,
Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough,
Four or five in its most fruitful branches,”
Says the Lord God of Israel." vv.1,5-6

Read chapter 17

The city of Damascus, what was first brought to my mind when I read that word was Christ walking on the Damascus road after He had risen.  This chapter speaks of it's destruction so it was obviously rebuilt or not totally destroyed as we see in verse 5-6 about a remnant.   Damascus is also one of the oldest continuous inhabited cities in the world.  The remnant in verses 5-6 is referring to the Israelites as the "glory of Jacob" in verse 4.  The tie here is the relation of Damascus and Israel when Syria (Damascus is its capitol) made an alliance with Ephraim (tribe of Israel).  Damascus, like Moab from the previous chapters, was invaded by the Assyrian empire both being the surround neighbors and alliances with Israel.  Today Damascus, or Syria, is facing war against Israel and many see it as the end times of its final destruction and return of Christ being near.  How do you view the news about what's happening today in the Middle East and scripture?   It can be confusing and not always linked or fulfilled in part, so we must study and ask for understanding of all prophesies.