Prophesying the Highly Unlikely

Today I read Isaiah 19 where Isaiah talks about how the Lord will smite Egypt but afterwards Egypt will be healed and will become allies with Assyria.  This made me think about how things must have been in the old days, when there wasn't almost unrestricted passage between countries.  What must a prophecy have sounded like to the people of the day?  To have it prophesied that such great nations would be allies?  Probably about as absurd as it would have sounded in 1988 that the Berlin wall would fall in a year!  I was old enough to be shocked when my mother told me that the wall had come down.  I'm sure my parents thought they would never see the day.  This strikes me as the norm for prophecies.  I think they are purposefully miraculous sounding so the Lord can show His great works to His people and reward their faith.  I could be wrong however.  Maybe I'll ask Him one day, when I meet Him.  Until tomorrow.