Edom, Esau and Idumea 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Esau, Jacob s older twin brother, Gen. 25:24-26, left the land of Canaan from the face of his brother Jacob, and moved to the land of Seir. Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. Gen. 36:6-8. Seir, a man, is a Horite, who inhabited the land (Gen. 36:20). Apparently he was named after the land or the mount, the land to which Esau moved to, Gen. 14:6. Seir is father of Anah (Gen. 36:20), Anah is father of Aholibamah (Gen. 36:25), and Aholibamah is a wife of Esau (Gen. 36:16). Thus Mr. Seir is the grandfatherin-law to Esau through Aholibamah by marriage. Mount Seir is a mountain in the land of Idumea (Gen. 36:8 and Strong s H8165). Idumea (H123- red) is the same Hebrew word for Edom, and since Esau is Edom (Gen. 36:8), Idumea is the region of land occupied by Esau. (See Strong s H123 definition). Thus Edom and Idumea are synonymous terms. Bozrah is a city, or perhaps a small area, within Edom as is evidenced by Gen. 36:31-33. Who does Esau represent? Going back to Gen. 27 where the account of Isaac s blessing of his sons occurs, we see that Jacob had the right to the firstborn blessing, having bought it from Esau earlier. When Isaac gave the blessing to his firstborn son, now Jacob by right of purchase, the blessing reads as follows: See, the smell of my son as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curses thee, and blessed be he that blesses thee. Quite literally, everything in this blessing is of an earthly nature, and how well it describes the position that the nation of Israel will occupy during the Millennial Kingdom as the chief nation to which all peoples, tongues and nations shall come for their blessing. However, God had more in mind for Jacob. In Chapter 28, after Jacob left to go to Laban, God appeared to Jacob in a dream and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and I will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (Verses 13-15.) Jacob now receives a spiritual blessing, one from heaven, one from God. Because of this blessing, Jacob no longer represents the nation of Israel after the flesh, but Israel after the spirit, a spiritual class, even the anointed ones. Now let us look again at Jacob s first blessing from a spiritual perspective.
50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 We read, See, the smell of my son as the smell of a field (of wheat, the Church, Matt 13:24-30) which the LORD hath blessed: therefore God give thee of the dew (water, truth) of heaven (understanding spiritual things, 1 Cor. 2:14), and the fatness of the earth (the bounty of God s provision for His children, 1 Cor. 3:21,22), and plenty of corn (food from the Scriptures for the growth of the New Creation) and wine (doctrine): let people serve thee (when glorified, the peoples of earth will serve the Church), and nations bow down to thee (every knee shall bow to Jesus, and as His Bride, thus every knee bows to them also); be lord (ruler) over thy brethren, and let thy mother s sons (the nation of fleshly Israel and others) bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curses thee, and blessed be he that blesses thee. What a blessing that becomes! After Jacob left from getting his blessing, Esau came to get what he thought would be the chief blessing. Instead, he received a minor blessing. It reads, Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother: and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. Gen. 27:39,40. Though this blessing had measures of it fulfilled then, the fulness was in the future. Why? Heb. 11:20 reads, By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Esau here represents Israel after the flesh, earthly. Though Esau was truly the firstborn of Isaac, he sold his birthright to another, foreshadowing the nation of fleshly Israel selling out on the chief blessing of becoming the Bride of Christ, even the entire number (portrayed in Rev. 7:5-8), to the Gentiles who took the place that fleshly Israel vacated, shown by the illustration of wild branches being grafted into the stock because the natural branches were cut off because of unbelief, Rom. 11:11-24. Looking at Esau s blessing, we see that natural Israel s dwelling will be the fatness of the earth, and when the curse that God placed upon it is lifted, what abundance the earth will then yield! Natural Israel will dwell under the dew of heaven, or the truth of God s word in its entirety as it descends from the glorified Christ. By the sword of truth that was given to Israel, when the oracles of God were committed unto them (Rom. 3:2), they shall live, even as Jesus said when quoting from Deut 8:3, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, Matt 4:4. Natural Israel shall indeed serve his (Spiritual) brother (The Christ), and in process of time, after natural Israel obtains the dominion of earth as fellow kings with all the rest of humanity that have reached perfection of heart, mind and body, they will break (as it were) the yoke of spiritual Israel from off their neck because they will no longer need that oversight, having come into full harmony and communion with God as Adam originally possessed. This too will be quite a blessing! So now Esau represents natural Israel, but during the Gospel age they, natural Israel, have been sidelined nationally while the Gentiles fill up the full number of the Body of Christ. Therefore, Esau, who represents something more than himself, cannot represent natural Israel during the Gospel Age, but a class
95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 instead who are really earth born, earth begotten, but who consider themselves as the Church of the living God. These are the vine of the earth, the false Church, the tare class of Matt. 24, those who Jesus never knew as His Body members, though they thought they were, Matt 7:21-23. This same class has appropriated, more or less, the blessings of natural Israel to themselves, thus declaring Israel as out of the picture. Additionally, natural Babylon represents Spiritual Babylon, that great whore, during the Gospel Age. Therefore, Edom, or Esau will not represent that entity, but another, one who came out of the Mother system: yes, the daughters, who are also harlots, Rev. 17:5. No woman becomes a mother without having offspring. No woman has offspring before the marriage to her espoused husband without committing fornication. As we look at the following texts, several things should become apparent: 1) a sequence is often (though not always) established in Scripture (Revelation is a prime example of the exception), which means that an order of fulfillment should often be expected from the prophecy; however, when two events occur at the same time, then one, of necessity, has to be first in sequence on the written page; 2) words and phrases, though they may have a literal application in the past, for a future prophetic application, are symbolic, which means- that which is literally stated is not that which is literally meant. Thus these texts present to us a picture that we must interpret; 3) more than one prophet wrote about these events, using similar and sometimes different portrayals. Lastly, although we give Scripture citations, we have not necessarily given all the context that relates to the subject. We have endeavored to not lift anything out of context, but space and time require that we abbreviate. Isa. 34: Verses 1-3- Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. Jer. 25:15-17- For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the winecup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the LORD s hand, and made all the nations to drink. Jer. 25:32,33- Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from
140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Verse 4- And all the host (laity) of heaven (religion) shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host (laity) shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling from the fig tree. Although it is not evident here, heaven and heavens above are not inclusive of Babylon, the Great, Mother of Harlots, for as is evident from other parts of this overall treatise, she has already been destroyed prior to the full destruction of the nations as governmental powers. Therefore, heaven must refer to the remaining religious system which is predominantly Protestantism. Heavens means more than one entity, thus, the two are the federation of Protestant churches, and the Church of England and of Ireland ( another beast of Rev. 13:11.) A scroll is one document and as such has a continuity or oneness, even though it has two parts to it when rolled together. The two scroll parts are still joined together. Thus, the Protestant side has a unity or commonness with the Church of England side. Even though they are two separate organizations, they are still joined together by common doctrines of theology. They both had origins in the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Babylon. Additionally, we want to note that the host shall be dissolved, and the host shall fall down. The disillusionment of the congregation over what they have been taught when compared with what is going on around them on the world scene, will cause most to leave. Because their hopes and expectations of being raptured into heaven have not been realized before the trouble slammed them to the floor (metaphorically speaking), they will realize that they have not been told the truth, and many will realize that they are not what they were told they were (Christians) and thus their professions of being a Christian will have been burned. They as tares, imitation wheat, will be destroyed, Matt 13:30,41,42. Additionally, scrolls never roll themselves together, but are rolled together by outside influences or forces, and only then so as to put them aside or away. A scroll in use is unrolled, but when their present usefulness is over, the scroll is rolled up. How fitting then that these two heavens, religious entities, are rolled up for their future destruction. The two were useful to God during their open periods for the testing of God s saints, but now, under God s direction that usefulness is over and they are to be closed and put away forever, ultimately destroyed. Verse 5- For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea (same as Edom, Esau, the Protestants), and upon the people (the other half of the scroll) of my curse, to judgment.
185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 Verse 6- The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea (Edom, Esau). Lambs, goats and rams likely represent persons of different development in the church system. Verse 7- And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. The word unicorn means a wild bull (from its conspicuousness), and wild have been some of the doctrines that the leaders have distributed to the congregation. Bullocks (young bulls) and bulls would likely represent the balance of the clergy in the denomination. Jer. 25:34-37- Howl, ye shepherds (Pastors, Elders), and cry; and wallow yourselves, ye principal (Synods) of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and a howling of the principal of the flock; for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture (congregation). And the peaceable habitations (church buildings) are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Isa 63:1-6- Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel (our Lord Jesus), traveling in the greatness of his strength ( All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matt 28:18)? I that speak I in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore red in thine apparel (because of his ransom sacrifice, 1 Tim. 2:5,6; Rev. 19:13), and thy garments like him that treads in the winevat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people (who profess to be Christians) none with me: for I will trample them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I (Lord Jesus) looked (inspected), and there was none to help; and I wondered (in amazement) that there was none to uphold (prop. How could they, when the system was crumbling around them.): therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld (sustained) me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. See also Gen. 49:10,11. Verse 8- For it is the day of the LORD s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And what a controversy Zion has been, not only as regards the issue of who has right to the land of Palestine, but also of whether or not Israel has any future role in God s plan.
230 235 Verse 9- And the streams (doctrinal teachings) thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust (minutest part) thereof into brimstone, and the land (creeds) thereof shall become burning pitch. Verse 10- It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. The testimony of its destruction shall never cease. 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 Jeremiah 49: vs. 7- Concerning Edom... 1) vs. 13- For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. 2) vs. 16- Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD. 3) vs. 21- The earth is moved at the noise of their fall; at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red Sea. Compare with: Jeremiah 51: vs 1- Behold, I will raise up against Babylon... 1) vs. 29- And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. 2) vs. 53- Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come into her, saith the LORD. See also Rev. 18:7. 3) Rev. 18: 9,11,17,18- And the kings of the earth...shall bewail her... And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her... And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning... In the above comparison we note that Edom, the Protestant daughters of Babylon, Papacy, have similar attitudes as the Mother, and similar results will occur at their respective destruction. Ezekiel 25 Verses 12-14- Thus saith the LORD God; Because that Edom (Protestantism) hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended (by saying that the promises to Israel now belong to them), and revenged himself upon them (withholding their help during the Holocaust); therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man (laity) and beast (clergy) from it; and I will make it desolate
275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people (Spiritual) Israel (the true Church, glorified): and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they (Edom) shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 35 Verses 2-5- Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir (Esau s possession, Josh. 24:14), and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Because thou hast had a perpetual (lasting) hatred (H342- hostility), and hast shed (H5064- delivered over) the children of Israel by the force (H3027- hand) of the sword (H2719- drought, also a cutting instrument) in the time of their calamity (H343- oppression, in the time that their iniquity (H5771- punishment [of iniquity]) had an end:... The last sentence rewritten says, Because you have had a lasting hatred and have delivered over the children of Israel by the hand of the drought in the time of their oppression, in the time that their punishment of iniquity had an end. Comparatively few would know that Israel received blessing from God for 1845 years, beginning with Jacob s death in 1813 B.C. and ending in 33 A.D. when Jesus cast off the nation of Israel just prior to his crucifixion. The date when they were cast off, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate, is the pivotal point for the beginning of a like portion period of time when they would receive disfavor that ended 1845 years later in 1878 A.D. Matt 23:38; Jer. 16:17,18; Isa. 40:2; Zech. 9:12. In the time that their punishment of iniquity had an end, would be the period following it. Looking back in recent history, the Holocaust was indeed a time of oppression, and the professed church did nothing to stop Hitler s campaign of oppression, but rather looked the other way, thus delivering over the children of Israel, by the hand of drought, lack of truth, which produced the lack of love and concern. No wonder then, that God is against mount Seir, the professed church of God, Protestantism, part of the false church! Verses 6-8-...therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood(shed), and blood(shed) shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood(shed), even blood(shed) shall pursue thee. Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that goes out and him that returns (descriptive of missionaries). And I will fill his mountains with his slain in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers shall they fall that are slain with the sword. The Protestant mountains may well be their church buildings, and the hills their upper classrooms, the valleys their lower ones; the rivers, which are means of distribution of their version of truth, would be the channels they useradio, television, internet, etc. The slain are those who, because of the sword of truth, cease to exist as professed Christians.
320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 Verse 9- I will make thee perpetual (never ending) desolations, and thy cities shall not return (once God destroys the system of Protestantism, it will never exist again): and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Verse 10- Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there. From Ezekiel 37:15-23 we learn, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king (Prime Minister) shall be king (ruler) to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms (countries) any more at all. Verse 11-...therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy, which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them ( But I say unto you, Love your enemies...for if ye [only] love them which love you, what reward have ye?, Matt 5:43-46, wherefore then the hatred?); and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee. The above phrase in bold speaks volumes!!! Religious Israel knows who their God is, but they do not yet, as of today, March 6, 2018, as a whole (religious and secular), know who their God appointed Messiah is. Paul, in Romans 11:25, says,...blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness (full number) of the Gentiles be come in (to the Body of Christ). After the composite Body of Christ is sealed in their foreheads (Rev. 7:3), thus complete in number, then, and not before then, will Israel know collectively who their God appointed Messiah is. Thus, when we read, and I will make myself known among them, this relates to the time when Israel learns who their Messiah is, and it is at the time, the general period of time, when I have judged thee, the Protestant system. Verses 12,13- And thou shalt know that I, the LORD, I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume. Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard. Verse 14- Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoices, I will make thee desolate. This declaration only makes sense when the larger picture is viewed and not a small portion of it. During the small frame of time when the religious systems and earth s governments are destroyed, there will be no rejoicing, rather great wailing. However, when we understand that the day of rejoicing is the Millennial Day, the one thousand years of Christ s reign, and when we understand that the early hours of it are reserved for the destruction of this present evil order, then we see that when, in the larger sense, the earth rejoices, it is the same day, in the larger sense, that Protestantism is made desolate.
Verse 15- As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD. 370 375 380 385 390 Joel 3:18,19 Verse 18 speaks of the new arrangement that will exist in the Millennial Kingdom here on earth: And it shall come to pass in that day, the mountains (representing the leadership, the governance of the peoples) shall drop down new wine (new doctrines of truth), and the hills shall flow with milk (a land of milk and honey denotes abundance; milk alone denotes doctrinal truths that are easily digested and assimilated by babes, Heb. 5:12,13), and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters (various truths, perhaps secular as well as spiritual, Psa. 46:4), and a fountain (source) shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water (bless) the valley of Shittim (the earth). Because verse 18 speaks of the Kingdom of God, verse 19, which follows, has the same setting. We read, Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. Egypt frequently represents worldly wisdom and here would very aptly show that the former wisdom of this present order will be a desolation there, Isa. 30:3. Edom, consistent with the foregoing, represents Protestantism, and because of ( for ) the violence (Holocaust) against the children of Judah (peoples of Israel), because they (Protestantism) have shed innocent blood (directly by involvement or indirectly by looking the other way) in their (Protestant s) land. Copyright G. Kuehmichel, March 12, 26, 31, 2018