What will happen to Damascus in the end times? Will it be destroyed? If so, why?

Damascus, Syria is an amazing city. It is the oldest continually-occupied city in the world, being over 4,000 years old. Even in Biblical contexts, it is ancient, first being mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 14:15, when Abram was rescuing his nephew Lot. Abram had a man-servant named Eliezer; he was from Damascus, and was set to inherit Abram’s estate in the event he had no heirs. It was controlled by David during his and Solomon’s reign, but broke away following the split between Israel and Judah. Damascus became the chief city-state of the nation of Aram, who were consistent enemies of Israel during this time; it later became their capitol. This period of conflict between the Arameans and the Israelites is highlighted in I Kings 15-20. The Arameans and their capitol city were crushed by the Assyrian Empire in 732 BC, and their population deported; this is mentioned in II Kings: Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz (king of Judah), but they could not overpower him. At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the men of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day. Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death—II Kings 16:5-9. It was a major commercial center during the time of Christ and, of course, Saul of Tarsus had his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, meeting Jesus outside of the city (Acts 9:1-31).
The prophetic words spoken concerning Damascus appear by most commentaries to already have been fulfilled. Isaiah wrote of Damascus and said, An oracle concerning Damascus: “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 like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the Lord Almighty—Isaiah 17:1-3. The prophet Jeremiah also wrote of Damascus; he said, Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad”—Jeremiah 49:23-27. Considering that Jeremiah wrote approximately 100 years later than Isaiah, his references to Damascus are to her still-remaining state of destruction and desolation, vindicating God’s words as spoken previously about what would happen to her, despite the strength she possessed when God’s initial warnings through Isaiah were spoken. And finally, the prophet Amos also addressed Damascus; he wrote, This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord—Amos 1:3-5. Interestingly, Amos’ words were composed 10-20 years before the prophetic ministry of Isaiah. These are all judgments that have already in the past taken place. There seems to be no relevant transference of these pictures of judgment into the end times. Of course, Damascus, being the capitol city of an immediate northern neighbor of Israel (Syria), could be in the path of what many expect is an attempted invasion of Israel led by a nation from the north—many evangelical commentators consider this to be Russia. That would place Syria pretty much directly in the path of such an invasion, putting Damascus at risk of the collateral damage that is going to be done to that invading force.