As the United States debates what, if anything, should be done in response to allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people, there’s a theological debate brewing, too.

Bible experts aren’t just sparring over whether the U.S. military should attack; they’re also going back-and-forth over theories surrounding the End Times (events surrounding Jesus Christ’s return).

Earlier this summer, TheBlaze began dissecting the subject, speaking with experts about what role, if any, they believe Syria will play in this theoretical occurrence. Numerous outlets have jumped into the fray, noting that many faithful are wondering just how important Damascus and Syria might be in this debate.

For starters, there’s one particular Bible passage that’s rekindling the entire discussion of how Syria fits into End Times theology: Isaiah 17:1-3.

The verse reads, “’See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid^. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be ike the glory of the Israelites,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

The first portion about a “heap of ruins” has some wondering if the present Syria crisis was prophesied in the Bible. But as The Huffington Post recently noted, some scholars believe that Damascus was already destroyed and that this particular Scripture refers to an attack by the Assyrians that unfolded in 732 B.C.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/08/why-some-believe-these-end-times-bible-verses-could-hold-the-key-to-the-syrian-crisis/