This is an ongoing study into the critical chapters EZEKIEL chapters 33-39. You can find the audio on podbean, spotify, apple podcasts, all the usual suspects. This particular week addresses God’s judgment on Esau/Edom/Mt. Seir. It is representative of the great jeopardy virtually all the nations of the world who continue to rage against God, and against Israel – both the Land and His people, will face.
OK – EZEKIEL 35 – we delved into that chapter a few verses and prior to that we looked BACK to the
BACKGROUND RE SEIR AND EDOM AND ESAU. Esau was Abraham’s grandson and was about 15 years old when Abraham died. Abraham, Isaac, Esau.
Genesis 36:6-9 (NKJV)
6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob.
7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock.
8 So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.
9 And this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.
Then we looked at Obadiah – which was written roughly around the same time as Ezekiel:
Obadiah (NKJV) – I do think SOME OF THIS has been fulfilled, historically, but the remaining details (jots and tittles of the Law/Teaching have yet to be fully-filled, so HHY ‘hasn’t happened yet’ correctly positions this in the future, at the Lord’s return – Matt 5:18 – ‘every jot and tittle of the law will be fulfilled’).
ALSO CONSIDER:
Jeremiah 23:18-20 (NKJV)
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD,
And has perceived and heard His word?
Who has marked His word and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury—
A violent whirlwind!
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart.
In the latter days (acharit yom) you will understand it perfectly.
I find myself, over and over again – speaking into the biblical revelation that the word of God is ‘ECHAD’ – whole, complete, with lots of controversy, but without contradiction.
I sat for an hour with a wise young man hearing from him what I often say – the deeper you commit yourself to get into the entire word of God – it is like a cave that you have discovered that displays and reveals its gold, and the deeper you choose to explore that cave, the more gold you discover – both UNDERSTANDING the word of God deeper and also realizing how UNSEARCHABLE are the depths of the riches. It makes more sense as you press in. Like the Dos XX’s man: ‘STAY THIRSTY, MY FRIEND’.
Revelation 22:12-17 (NKJV) – this is NEW TESTAMENT – written 2,000 years ago, and looking forward:
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
WE LOOKED AT the one-chapter prophecy of OBADIAH – but we will look to only a few verses, again – re EDOM and its STILL-NOT-YET-FULFILLED judgment:
1 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”):
QUES: Who is sovereign? Who would be sending this messenger to an evil people, because the timing for their judgment would be at hand?
Ezekiel 38:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.
9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan:
The sovereignty of our God – who confounds the wisdom of the wise, and our politics and military understanding, and where the oil is, and which country controls the Straits of Hormuz, and who is in office in any country on the earth – ALL OF THAT BOWS to the sovereignty of God – and THAT is what will keep us steady, with our eyes on Jesus – during these challenging times. AND THAT WILL BE OUR PEACE.
OBADIAH, RE EDOM:
2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You shall be greatly despised.
8 “Will I not in that day,” says the LORD,
“Even destroy the wise men from Edom,
And understanding from the mountains of Esau?
10 “For violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And you shall be cut off forever.
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.
(BELOW: To fulfill this, it has to be HHY – which pushes this forward into the conclusion of the Age)
17 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance,
And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
21 Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the LORD’s. HHY
Ezekiel 35 (NKJV) – we got to verse 5 last time we met
Remember my theory – the prophetic-progression of these critical chapters in the book of Ezekiel, and also remember the INVITATION AND THE TEST upon the people of God to – as much as possible – stand upon these truths and speak into EVEN OUR BRETHREN who often don’t understand what God is doing, and will be doing, going forward:
Isaiah 14:24-27 (NKJV)
24 The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying,
“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed, so it shall stand:
25 That I will break the Assyrian in My land,
And on My mountains tread him underfoot.
Then his yoke shall be removed from them,
And his burden removed from their shoulders.
26 This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27 For the LORD of hosts has purposed,
And who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
And who will turn it back?”
CHAPTERS (these do flow progressively into one another):
33 – Watchmen speaking to the nations – purpose and accountability. Disobedience of Israel.
34 – Accountability of both shepherds (leaders on all levels) and also followers (our own interpersonal relationships – ‘sheep butting sheep’)
NOW THAT GOD HAS ADDRESSED HIS PEOPLE – He speaks to the raging (Psalm 2) world – EDOM as the poster child for rage against God and rage against God’s people.
35 – The SOVEREIGN-FAITHFULNESS OF GOD to His people, His land, His covenant – playing into current times and conflicts.
36 – Blessing on the PHYSICAL LAND OF ISRAEL – playing into current times and conflicts. The renewal of the actual Jewish people, as well as the Land.
37 – Presenting to THE WORLD and TO US – the ones who tremble at His word (Isa 66) – presenting to us the sheer illogical and seeming IMPOSSIBLE dead condition of the Israel – the people and the Land – and also the part the Spirit-filled church is called to be playing in these days – speaking forth the truths of God’s plans.
38 – The attack and battle and destruction of the nations and its demonic battle-leadership, and God’s sovereignty.
39 – The restoration and also the revelation to the world of WHY certain things happened
NOW TO Ezekiel 35 – following a comforting declaration by God to His people – which defies Replacement Theology, yet again – ‘you are my people and I am your God’ THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 34 – EZEKIEL 35 speaks to God addressing the enemies of Israel –SPECIFICALLY EDOM (southern Jordan, Gulf of Arabia, the Dead Sea area) – but also modeling how God will deal with the entire world raging as things will become more and more global. Malachi – ‘I do not change….’ Speaks to HIS MERCY, but is quoted several times throughout scripture as a personality of God in all things..
GOD’S JUDGMENT-PROMISE in Ezekiel 34 is centered around His love of righteousness and His hatred for wickedness. He will eventually judge ALL EVIL – at the appropriate time when it reaches its fullness.
GOD’S REFERENCE TO EARLIER ‘FULLNESS OF EVILS’ and Him comparing that to the DAYS OF THE LORD’S RETURN:
Luke 17:26-30 (NKJV)
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
EZEKIEL 35 – we finished verses 1-5 last time but will touch on them again for continuity.
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it,
3 and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
I will stretch out My hand against you,
And make you most desolate;
4 I shall lay your cities waste, And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
5 “Because you have had an ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end,
NKJV AND KJV appear to misrepresent the hebrew text. It’s about THE END, as opposed to something coming TO ITS end.
NASB and Jewish TANAKH seem to align with the Travis Snow PASSOVER KING position:
Ezekiel 35:5
5 Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end, (FAIR QUES: Masoretic inspired? Or Septuagint inspired?)
TANAKH
Ezekiel 35:5
5 Because thou hast had a hatred of old, and hast hurled the children of Israel unto the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end;
(WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME) The post and pre positioning of biblical interpretation comes into play later in this study when ‘GOG’ gets replaced by ‘Agag’ in God’s declaration of judgment against the leader of the final invasion of Israel at the upcoming conclusion of OUR AGE. Numbers 24:7 is the origin-verse that appears to be the ONE AND ONLY verse to satisfy this EZEK 38 statement by God:
Ezekiel 38:17 (NKJV) Thus says the Lord GOD: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?
THIS IS CRITICAL because if accurate, then the final prophetic script-of-God clearly aligns with violence and judgment and radical things happening on earth, and places some tough prophecies into the HHY (Hasn’t Happened Yet) category as opposed to being checked off as FIRST CENTURY TROUBLES that we needn’t be concerned with, nor prepared for. “HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND” – Paul, Ephesians 5 and 6)
Ezekiel 35 – ongoing
6 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you.
7 Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns.
8 And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall.
9 I will make you perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; then you shall know that I am the LORD.
10 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them,’ although the LORD was there,
11 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12 Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’
13 Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me and multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them.”
14 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate.
15 As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom—all of it! Then they shall know that I am the LORD.“‘
shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the Lord GOD.’”
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