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Turkey, Another Son Of Esau

Last February I gave a sermon entitled The "Palestinians." In it we described that they are descendants of Esau or Edom. We described where they came from, what their attitudes are toward Israel, and what their future will be. It is on our website for those of you who are interested in reading it or hearing it by audio recording.

But Esau (Edom) has other descendants beside the so-called Palestinians. One of them is frequently and currently in the news. These other descendants include some of the people of Turkey.

Today I want to talk about Turkey; how we know that many of the Turks are descended from Esau, son of Isaac, and what prophesy and today's news tells us about them. First of all let's prove that Esau and Edom are the same person. Let's turn to Gen. 36 for that; then Gen 27 to read Isaac's prophetic blessing upon Esau:.

Gen 36:8 (NKJV) So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau <is> Edom.
(Gen 27:39-41 NKJV) Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: "Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth [fatness, H4924, can include oil], And of the dew of heaven from above. {40} By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck." {41} So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

Genesis also describes the wives and the early descendants of Esau.

(Gen 26:34-35 NKJV) When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. {35} And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
(Gen 36:2-3 NKJV) Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hi-vite; {3} and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth [Neb-a'-joth].

(Verse 4) Now Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel.

(Verse 15) These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,

Esau had six wives and many sons and grandsons, none of them reflecting the spiritual values of Abraham's family. They belonged to a family far gone in transgression and apostasy from God. As Gen 26:35 says, his choice of wives were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. The choice manifested Esau's tolerance of carnality, and his indifference to the spiritual values of his family.

But Esau's tolerance for carnality didn't stop with his wives. It intensified through his wives to his descendants. We can see God's warnings regarding his descendants from God's statements to the Israelites hundreds of years later as they approached their promised homeland.

(Exo 23:28 NKJV) "And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you.
(Deu 20:17-18 NKJV) "but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, {18} "lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.

But these instructions were not followed, especially after the death of Joshua. As a result of the Israelite's disobedience of God's instructions, He placed a curse on them.

(Judg 2:2-3 NKJV) 'And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? {3} "Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.'"

Some translations use the word "adversaries" instead of "thorns." "They shall be adversaries to you.."

Isn't that what we see happening in Israel today? Aren't the Canaanites and their affiliates adversaries, constantly attacking Israelites with bombs, missiles, false accusations, threats to remove all Israelis from God's covenant land? Aren't Israel's neighbors, where the Hittites and Edomites also live today, threatening to destroy Israel?

Aren't all Moslem nations, especially those where the descendants of the Hittites and Edomites live, using the commonality of their Moslem god to unify their peoples against Israel? The word "snare" is very accurate. We see the heathen god's snares in use even in our own country, where the Judeo-Christian basis of our constitution is being legally challenged; and in Europe where Muslims are greatly increasing in number.

Some of Esau's descendants became the Idumaeans who remained in the area of Petra and Mount Seir (Gen 32:3) in the land of Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea. But others moved out of that area. Our purpose here is to trace Esau's lineage through his son Eliphaz and then to his grandson Teman. The Bible is not specific about the hundreds of years of movement of the migrating descendants of Teman but eventually we read of a people called Temani in Persia and Turkestan. The Edomites named the Persian and Turkestan plateaus "land of Temani." From this point historians can trace these Turkic Temani peoples. In the eleventh century many of these Turks left Central Asia and Turkestan and moved to Asia Minor or Turkey. It is well known that Hittites, the same stock as some of Esau's wives, were part of the founding people of Turkey. Let's look at a Biblical reference to the Temani people.

(Oba 9 NKJV) Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

Notice the words "O Teman." It may seem to be a stretch to establish the word "Ottoman" from "O Teman," because "Ottoman"is an English derivation of the word "Osman." "Osman" comes from the Turkish word "as'-man," which is derived from the Turkish name "Othman.," Othman was the founder of the Ottoman dynasty. But Turks and Hittites established the Ottoman Empire.

Obadiah also indicated in verse 14 that they would control the Dardanelles, one of the two straits between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea which separates Asiatic Turkey from European Turkey, the land bridge between Europe and the middle east nations. Let's look at verse 14.

(Oba 14 NKJV) You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress.

We'll visit this verse again later but notice how this verse also predicts how these descendants of Esau would treat the Israeli descendants when they fled the holocaust.

Modern Turkey is comprised of a European section, which is part of the ancient dominion of Thrace, now mostly in Bulgaria, and an Asian section known as Anatolia. Tribes from Mongolia and Central Asia, speaking a Turkish language, conquered the present region of Turkey and imposed their language and cultural features on the inhabitants.

I recently asked a friend in Japan if it was true that the Japanese language originated in Turkey. He confirmed that it was true.

This gave rise to the Turkish people, most of whom descend from the previous inhabitants of Anatolia.

The original inhabitants comprised descendants of Hittites, Togarmah (from Gomer), Lydia (from Shem), Ionian Greeks, Phrygians (Meshech), and Tamannu. The Isaurians were in southern Anatolia, close to the Tamannu.

Both the Isaurians and Tammanu were probably descended from Esau who, as we read in Gen. 36:8, is also known as Edom.

In addition, the Turkish-speaking tribes who conquered the country may have also included Edomite elements.

In the tenth century the Ottoman Turks came into contact with Islam. About this time, Islam became the principal religion among all their central Asian relatives as well.

The Khazars called the Byzantium Emperor in Constantinople, the "King of Edom." The Byzantine Empire controlled the straits between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. The close linkage between the Turks of Turkey and their ancestors in Central Asia still exists. Will the descendants of Edom come together someday to help form an army of 200 million; a strong alliance or confederacy constituting the prophesied Meshech, Tubal and Magog? We examined that possibility in light of their common Islamic religion in our sermon "Where Are We in God's Master Plan?".

Ezek 32:26 (KJV) There <is> Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves <are> round about him: all of them uncircumcised [gentiles], slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

This describes a destroyed Meshech and Tubal who had terrorized Israel. Meshech and Tubal are generally associated with the peoples residing near Moscow and southeast toward Kazakhstan, Iran, Iraq, eastern Turkey and various small nations of the Caucasus Mountains. But just as Kazakhstan extends well to the east, so does Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. The region is nearly all Muslim and might very well be responding to an attempt by Israel to rid herself of the so-called Palestinians by deporting them out of Israel and probably into Jordan. Or, perhaps the warnings from an arrogant Russia to the U.S. and Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities is an indication of the imminence of the massive invasion from the north described by Ezekiel.

Ezek 38:2-6 (KJV) Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, {3} And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I <am> against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: {4} And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts <of armor>, <even> a great company <with> bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: {5} Persia [Iran], Ethiopia [called Nubia or Cush in the Tanakh], and Libya [Put or Phut in the Tanakh] with them; all of them with shield and helmet: {6} Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: <and> many people with thee.

Cush includes people of central Asia such as India according to some researchers. Hodu, an Aramaic translation in Josephus' Antiquities 1, means India. See Isa 11:11. Magog means "from the land of Gog" which some feel is northern China, Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. This would fly in the face of how we just identified Meshech except that both scriptures seem to describe peoples living along the southern border of Russia.

Let's turn now to current events involving Turkey.

In the last few years, we have experienced a major turn in the relations between Turkey and the United States. We have been very close friends and allies since the end of World War 1. But in 2007 the Turkish government informed the American government that we could no longer plan to use Turkish soil to invade northern Iraq. Currently their decision is being reconsidered because of the potential loss of the huge monetary payment being asked of the American forces, but why did the Turks turn their backs on America? There may be several reasons.

A U.S. House of Representatives committee passed a joint resolution condemning Turkey for committing genocide against the Armenians in 1915. Turkey immediately recalled her Ambassador to Washington for consultations and warned that serious repercussions would result if Congress passed the resolution. Deteriorating relations between two longtime friends seems to have begun with a highly incensed Turkish government and an American military desperate to avoid an arbitrary cut-off of supplies. The American-Turkish friendship had received a major boost when the two NATO allies fought together in the Korean war of the early 1950s.

The purpose of the Congressional resolution may have been political to force the President out of Iraq but the consequences may be very adverse to American, European, and Iraqi interests. About 70% of western war material, as well as about 35% of the petroleum for the military is taken through Turkish ports, air-space, and airfields to avoid land mines and other hazards in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not hard to see why both foreign relations and the military were made a function of the President, not Congress.

Turkey has been attacked for years by Turkish Kurd rebels in Iraq, known as the PKK, and has threatened invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan, including the oil-rich area of Kirkuk to capture these internationally denounced terrorists. News reports indicated Turkey and Iran planned a joint invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan. The U.S. objects to Turkish invasion of Kurdistan because the Kurds are otherwise the most stable and peaceful group in Iraq.

Iraqi and Turkish government officials met immediately and agreed to many but not all of Turkey's threats to capture the terrorists.

The pro-military Turkish government has now been replaced by an Islamic government per the will of the majority of the Turkish voters. The emphasis is now more on satisfying their Moslem beliefs than the military, though the military is always a threat due to their history of overturning civilian governments and their zeal for military actions.

There might be other explanations for their attitudinal change of support of America:

Were they also influenced by the successful Muslim destruction of the Twin Towers in New York? The Turks, like Esau, are a strong, forceful, warrior people. I personally observed that when I was in Korea. They have huge respect for military successes. Their dead warriors are even guaranteed a direct path to Allah. The United States undoubtedly lost a lot of Turkish respect by the Moslem successes on 9/11 and since.

Were they concerned about the Kurdish people gaining their own country? If so, could that be an indication that the Kurds might have come from other peoples, perhaps descendants of the ten tribes of Israel at some time? If so, perhaps their concern would be born out even without Turkish participation in an occupation of Iraq by non-Muslim Americans using their ports, air-space, and airfields.

Were they unduly influenced by the Germans and French in the United Nations opposing the American invasion of Muslim Iraq? There's been a long-standing alliance between the Germans and Turks. It didn't end with their defeat at the end of World War 1. The Turks are determined to be a part of the European Union even though many in the European Union really don't want a Moslem nation in the Union. The EU is predominately Catholic but becoming more Muslim.

But the Turks and Germans have more than a long friendship to hold them together. Esau's line intermarried with Hittites and others. The Hittites lived in pockets in the land of Israel, in Syria, and in Turkey. Turkey is a mixture of peoples. German scholars in the time of the Kaiser (and the Kaiser himself) believed Germany descended from the ancient Hittites. Why? Because they share similar traditions, ancestral names, an insatiable war-lust, a desire to rule other people, and inherent "superior" qualities that make him think he is better than other nations.

Having touched on the subject already, let's now look at prophesies regarding Turkey. As we have already found, the book of Obadiah is all about Esau/Israeli conflicts. But let's start at the beginning of Esau's history. Please return to Genesis 27.

(Gen 27:39-40 NKJV) Then Isaac his father answered and said to him [i.e. Esau]: "Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. {40} By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother [i.e. Jacob]; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck."

Fulfilling this prophesy, the Ottoman Empire (Ottoman Turks) reigned in south-eastern Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East for over six hundred years. In fact, they fought at the gates of Vienna for over two hundred years - a lesson for those who want the U.S. to quit before complete victory after fighting a few successful years. And they ruled mercilessly by the sword, which is a prophesied characteristic of Esau as we just read. But it is even more characteristic of the German mind..

Now, let's turn to Ezekiel 25.

(Ezek 25:12-14 NASB) 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them," {13} therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. {14} "And I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. [Not just Judah, the Jews] Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance," declares the Lord GOD.

These scriptures also probably describe God's vengeance on the Edomites in modern day Jordan. As I have pointed out in other sermons such as "The Palestinians," I believe these Edomites to be the so-called Palestinians of today. But interestingly, Dedan [De-dan'] is also the name of an island in the Persian Gulf, possibly indicating that the migrating descendants of Esau passed by there too.

But by addressing the words Teman [Te'-man] and Dedan, these verses can also describe the defeat of Turkish Ottoman troops in Jerusalem at the close of World War 1 by British General Allenby. This defeat of the Turks ended the Ottoman Empire. To truly understand these scriptures one must understand that "Judah" refers to the Jews. "Israel" can refer to all the tribes of Israel including those in America, the countries of Britain, and other western nations. The identification of who is Israel is another subject altogether and we won't go into it in this sermon. However, if you are interested in this subject, you might want to read some of the books on this subject written by the Jewish author, Yair Davidi.

Let's return to the book of Obadiah which is all about Edom and talks about him as a major world power, not a tiny people. It's also about how he destroys Jerusalem, but, as we will read later in verse 15, he comes to his end.

(Oba 7-9 NASB) "All the men allied with you will send you forth to the border, and the men at peace with you will deceive you and overpower you. They who eat your bread will set an ambush for you. (There is no understanding in him.) [In other words, no one is aware of the ambush] {8} "Will I not on that day," declares the LORD, "Destroy wise men from Edom and understanding from the mountain of Esau? {9} "Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman, In order that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.

The term "allied with you" implies a confederacy. Let's look at Psalms 83 to see the probable meaning.

(Psa 83:5-8 NKJV) For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: {6} The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; {7} Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; {8} Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah

Prophesy is often at least dual. Current evidence could be the recent Turkish statements requiring Russia's blessing before intervening in Syria. If these verses are referring to the days of David, Assyria is Assyria. If these verses refer to today's so-called Palestinians, "Assyria" probably refers to the Iraqis or Iran. If these verses refer to the Turks, these verses might include the Germans. How can Germany possibly be Assyria? Part of the reason is because ancient Assyria included much of the present-day land of Turkey. On page 802 of the Companion Bible, the statement is made that Psalm 83:5-8 connects the past confederacy of enemies with the future ones, the ten kingdoms of the beast power described in Revelation 17. The Holman Bible Handbook writes: "The psalm is not a mere cry for vengeance. Rather, it is a plea for the righteous God to demonstrate His sovereignty by defending His chosen people."

Psalm 83:5-8 lists ten nations that will confederate together against Israel. Assyria (Germany) and Edom (Turkey) is among them. The question arises: Is "Germany" just Germany or might "Germany" represent a European group of nations strongly influenced by Germany? My suspicion is the latter. Daniel 2 also describes a ten nation Roman confederacy. Notice that the ten nations, the toes, are part of the feet. Similarly, I believe the European Union will not only include Germany, but also that through Germany, the group will be allied with Turkey, perhaps not as a member of the European group but as an ally to them.

(Dan 2:41-43 NKJV) "Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. {42} "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. {43} "As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

The most familiar scriptures regarding the European Beast power's end time assault on Israel and adjacent countries is in Daniel 11. Let's look at them.

(Dan 11:40-42 NKJV) "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. {41} "He shall also enter the Glorious Land [I might pause to say that apparently he will entirely subdue Judea and as we read in Obadiah 14, many Jews will try to pass through Turkey when the house of Judah is threatened], and many [countries] shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. [These are all parts of the present country of Jordan, the country originally assigned by Britain to be the home of the so-called Palestinians] {42} "He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

These scriptures describe a major war. It is generally understood that the king of the North will be the European group of nations. One clue as to the identity of this king is in the statement in verse 40 that he shall have many ships. At this time the major navies are possessed by, in descending order, the United States, Britain, Germany, and Japan. Might this indicate American association with the Beast power? We know from Revelation 17 that an influential religious leader will head the Beast power. As we read, only the European group of nations, including Germany with its larger navy, has an influential religious leader. Does Daniel 11:40 indicate there will be a major war between Islam and Catholicism such as currently exists in the Philippines?

But then where does that leave Turkey? They are Islamic but want to be associated with the European Union. To answer that question, let's return to the book of Obadiah

(Oba 11 NKJV) In the day that you stood on the other side [when you stood aloof]; in the day that strangers carried captive his forces, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem; even you were as one of them.

It looks like Esau, both Palestinian and Turk, will be allied with the Beast power of Europe against the House of Israel and will be involved in the sacking of Jerusalem. That might indicate that there will be a return from a religious government to a military government in Turkey before long.

Let's read the preceding verse:

(Oba 10 NKJV) "For violence against your brother Jacob [all of the tribes of Israel], Shame shall cover you, And you shall be cut off forever.

Again, verses 10 and 11 could be interpreted as applying to both the so-called Palestinians and to Turkey. We see that alliance even today with the attempt to break Israel's ban of weaponry going to the so-called Palestinians in Gaza on Turkish ships.

Now that we've identified Turkey and Edom, let's go up to the beginning of the book of Obadiah. At the beginning of this book, God expresses why and how He will judge Edom:

(Oba 1-6 NKJV) The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, "Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle"): {2} "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be greatly despised. {3} The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?' {4} Though you ascend as high as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," says the LORD. {5} "If thieves had come to you, if robbers by night; oh, how you will be cut off!; would they not have stolen till they had enough? If grape-gatherers had come to you, would they not have left some gleanings? {6} "Oh, how Esau shall be searched out! How his hidden treasures shall be sought after!

Now the rest of the European nations and their associates will turn on Edom and seek its oil:

(Oba 7-8 NKJV) All the men in your confederacy shall force you to the border [to the frontier]; the men at peace with you shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it. {8} "Will I not in that day," says the LORD, "Even destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountains of Esau?

So even their friends in Europe will forsake them completely. The Lord will destroy the wise out of Edom so even the wise among them will not be able to help them. And, as we read in verse 10, God judges Esau because of the "violence against your brother Jacob." Remember that Jacob's name was changed to Israel, so verse 10 is referring to all of Israel, not just Judah — the Jews.

(Oba 12-16 NKJV) But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity; nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress. {13} You should not have entered the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. {14} You should not have stood at the crossroads [e.g. the Dardanelles] to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress. {15} "For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. {16} For as you drank on my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been.

"The day of the LORD upon all nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head." These words were written to Esau but "all nations" applies to every nation. Yes, even to America whose President and Secretary of State now publicly plan to pressure the Israelis to give parts of Jerusalem to Edom. What did Zechariah have to say about that?

(Zec 12:3 NKJV) "And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

Are the huge economic and natural disasters the U.S. has suffered recently only a prelude to even larger disasters the U.S. will soon suffer for its anti-Judah, pro-Moslem policies? Former President Bush claims that all gods are the true God. The present president, Obama, is very chummy with fellow Muslim leaders and seems to support the further transfer of God-given Israeli land to Muslims. He is even reported to have walked out of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu when Netanyahu insisted on retaining Israeli land. Belief in other gods is a snare to the President, whoever he is. These beliefs are leading his nation to disaster.

(Deu 12:29-32 NKJV) "When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, {30} "take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' {31} "You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. {32} "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

(Mark 7:7-9 NKJV) And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' {8} "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men; the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." {9} He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

(Deu 7:16 NKJV) "And you shall destroy all the peoples whom the LORD your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
(Deu 6:14-15 NKJV) "You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you {15} '(for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

Back to Obadiah: They drank the cup of wrath against the House of Judah when they attacked and occupied Jerusalem and God's "holy mountain", which holds the Temple Mount. But Judah's calamity shall be temporary. The foes of Judah shall never regain their former position.

(Oba 17 NKJV) "But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

God will allow Israel, both Judah and the house of Joseph (the British nations and America) to punish Esau because of the innocent blood that they spilled against Israel and all the other crimes against Israel that Obadiah lists in his prophesy.

(Oba 18 NKJV) The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau," for the LORD has spoken.
(Joel 3:19-20 NKJV) "Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of violence against the people of Judah, for they have shed innocent blood in their land. {20} But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
(Jer 49:17-18 NKJV) "Edom also shall be an astonishment; everyone who goes by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues. {18} As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors," says the LORD, "No one shall remain there, nor shall a son of man dwell in it...
(Oba 19 NKJV) The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, and the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

Regarding Obadiah 19, The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary explains these areas near Israel as:

In Hebrew, the word 'South' represents 'they of the Negeb.'

The words 'Shall possess the mountains of Esau' means:
The Jews, who in the coming time are to occupy the south of Judea, shall possess, in addition to their own territory, the adjoining mountainous region of Edom. Might these mountains include the Golan Heights, described in the Bible as Bashan?
The sentence 'And they of the lowland [or plain] shall possess Philistia' means
The Jews who shall occupy the low country (Hebrew: 'they of the Shepheelah') along the Mediterranean, south and southwest of Palestine, shall possess, in addition to their own territory, the land of "the Philistines," which runs as a long strip between the hills and the sea. [It is known today as the Gaza Strip.]
The term 'And they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria':
- i.e., the rightful owners shall be restored, the Ephraimites, to the fields of Ephraim.... The context seems to point to the literal restoration of the ten tribes, as well as that of Benjamin and Judah, as foretold by the other prophets.
The sentence 'Benjamin shall possess Gilead':
- i.e., the region east of the Jordan River, formerly occupied by Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. Benjamin shall possess, besides its own territory, the adjoining territory eastward, while the two and a half tribes shall, in the re-distribution, occupy the adjoining territory of Moab and Ammon.

And finally, the conclusion:

(Oba 21 NKJV) Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.

The Saviors will be God's chosen people; the Saints; the elect. God's Kingdom will rule not only the sons of Esau but under Christ, all the earth.

Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell
15 June 2013
Copyright 2013, Wayne Bedwell

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