1 in 3 Americans Link Syrian Conflict to Bible's End-Time Prophecy, Survey Finds

A recent survey has shown that nearly one in three Americans believe that Syria's ongoing civil war is part of the Bible's plan for the end times. One in four believe that a possible U.S. attack on Syria could lead to the Battle of Armageddon. And one in five believe the world will end in their lifetime.

Amid an increasing number of stories in the media on the linking of the Syrian crisis to biblical prophecy, Nashville-based LifeWay Research asked three questions about Syria and the end of the world as part of a telephone survey of 1,001 Americans between Sept. 6 and 10.The survey found that 32 percent of those polled agree with the statement, "I believe the battles in Syria are all part of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation." Forty-nine percent disagree.

The study also found that 26 percent agree with the statement, "I believe that U.S. military intervention in Syria might lead to the Battle of Armageddon that's spoken about in the Book of Revelation." And 18 percent agreed to the statement, "I believe the world will end in my lifetimeI think we have to be very careful not to overreach or to sensationalize a terrible situation that's happening to real people right now and to draw a conclusion too quickly," Rosenberg, who often includes end times themes in his books, said. "That being said, the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 are very important. They speak to the utter destruction and judgment of the city of Damascus at some point in the End Times future."

In Syria, a civil war between President Bashar al-Assad's supporters and rebel forces seeking to overthrow him has taken the lives of more than 100,000 people over the last two years. On Aug. 21, the Syrian regime allegedly used chemical weapons in an attack in a Damascus suburb, killing 1,429 people, including at least 426 children, which led to Obama's proposal to bomb Syria as punishment.Elmore also said how events like Syria could be used as "stage props" when showcasing a possible end of days. "'Stage props' that would make a very good End Times scenario, but since we're supposed to be expecting the Lord to come at any time, I think there have been very good stage props in every generation," he noted.

Dr. Charlie Dyer, professor at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, recently told Chicago Sun-Times that Damascus was destroyed in the 7th and 8th centuries. "Isaiah 17 predicted the destruction of the city, along with the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel…Damascus was captured by Assyrians in 732 BC and the northern kingdom of Israel fell when the capital city of Samarai was captured by the Assyrians in 722 BC."

And 100 years later, the prophet Jeremiah also predicted the fall of Damascus, which had been rebuilt, Dyer added. "His message was fulfilled when the city was captured by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.