A New
Look at Esau
Where Is ESAU in
Biblical Prophecy?
Who
is modern day "Esau" or "
Biblical
prophecy? Where are the descendants of
the
brother
of Jacob located today? Is there a
connection
between
Esau and the peoples of
and
the Germans of
to
the descendants of the brother of Jacob?
Here is
the
astonishing story of the titanic struggle and rivalry
between
Esau and Jacob down through the ages, and
what
is prophesied for them in the “End of Days”!
William F. Dankenbring
A little understood but vitally important
rivalry, down through the corridors of time, is briefly highlighted in the
pages of Scripture. This intense and
fundamental conflict and sibling rivalry began even before the birth of the two
brothers, Esau and Jacob! Notice!
"And Isaac
entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the
LORD
was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children
struggled
together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she
went
to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD
said unto her, Two nations are
in
thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;
and
the
one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve
the
younger" (Gen.25:21-23).
Esau came out of the womb first,
"red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau
("hairy").
"And after that
came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and
his
name was called Jacob ["Supplanter"]. . . . And the boys grew: and Esau was
a
cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling
in tents"
(see
Gen.25:24-27).
Esau was a man of powerful lusts and
drives, and there was great competition between him and Jacob. Isaac loved Esau and favored him, because he
did eat of his venison: but Rebekah
loved Jacob" (v.28). Esau was
firstborn, but when he was hungry, he sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of
lentil or bean soup (vs.29-34); "thus Esau despised his birthright"
(v.34).
Nevertheless,
when Isaac grew old, and the time came for him to bless his sons, he intended
to bless Esau with the choicest blessings (Gen.27:1-4). However, Rebekah overheard him, and Rebekah
plotted with Jacob for him to impersonate Esau, and gain the blessing Isaac was
about to bestow. Thus by subterfuge and
clever deception Jacob gained the blessing (Gen.27:5-38). The only "blessing" Isaac had left
to give Esau was that his dwelling would be far from the fatness of the
earth. Notice the account:
"Then his father
Isaac answered him: 'See, away from the
fatness of the earth
shall
your home be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword
you
shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you break loose,
you
shall break his yoke from your neck'" (Gen.27:39-40).
The Moffatt translation has this:
'Far from rich soil on
earth shall you live, far from the dew of heaven on high;
you
shall live by the sword and serve your brother; but when you grow restive,
his
yoke you shall break."
Because Jacob got
the blessing from Isaac, Esau hated Jacob with a murderous fury, and plotted to
kill him. He muttered, "It soon
will be time to mourn for my father, and then I will murder my brother
Jacob" (v.41, Moffatt). He had an
attitude just like that of rebellious CAIN!
As a result of this bitter hatred and threat, Jacob had to flee for his
life.
Origin of an Ancient Sibling
Rivalry
The book of
Jasher contains a very interesting and detailed account of the strange birth of
Esau and Jacob. In this ancient rabbinic
Hebrew text we read that Rebecca was barren, even after nineteen years of
marriage. Deeply concerned, she asked
her husband to intreat the Lord for her, even as Abraham had done for Sarah,
who also had been barren for many years.
Isaac did so, and the Lord heard his prayer, and Rebeccah his wife
conceived. We read;
"And in about seven
months after the children struggled together within her,
`and
it pained her greatly that she was wearied on account of them, and she said
to
all the women who were then in the land, Did such a thing happen to you as it
has
to me? and they said unto her, No.
"And
she said unto them, Why am I alone in this amongst all the women that were
upon
earth? and she went to the land of
Moriah to seek the Lord on account of this;
and
she went to Shem and Eber his son to make inquiries of them in this matter,
and
that they should seek the Lord in this thing respecting her.
"And
she also asked Abraham to seek and inquire of the Lord about all that had
befallen
her. And they all inquired of the Lord concerning
this matter, and hey brought her word
from
the Lord and told her, Two children are in thy womb, and two nations shall rise
from
them;
and one nation shall be stronger than the other, and the greater shall serve
the younger"
(Jasher
26:9-12).
The book of Jasher also tells us that
"Esau was a designing and deceitful man, and an expert hunter in the
field, and Jacob was a man perfect and wise, dwelling in tents, feeding flocks
and learning the instruction of the Lord and the commands of his father and
mother" (v.17). But Esau had no
time for godly instruction. He was a
self-filled man of vehement action and notoriety.
According to the
book of Jasher, when Esau was 16 years of age, and already a powerful hunter,
he performed a stunning feat. We read
how as a young virile man, he found the old king Nimrod, ruler of Babylon at
that time, in the field hunting, set a trap for him, ambushed him, and killed
him, stealing the "holy garments" he had received from his father
Cush -- the very garments Ham had secretly stolen from Noah on the Ark -- the
animal skins which God Himself had rendered into clothing for Adam and Eve,
after their sin! Says Jasher:
"And
Esau at that time, after the death of Abraham, frequently went into the field
to
hunt. And Nimrod king of Babel, the
same was Amraphel, also frequently
went with his mighty men to hunt
in the field, and to walk
about in the cool of
the
day. And Nimrod was observing Esau all
the days, for a jealousy was
formed
in the heart of Nimrod against Esau all the days.
"And
on a certain day Esau went into the field to hunt, and he found Nimrod
walking
in the wilderness with his two men. And
all his mighty men and his
people
were with him in the wilderness, but they removed at a distance from
him,
and they went from him in different directions to hunt, and Esau concealed
himself
for Nimrod, and he lurked for him in the wilderness. . . .
"And
Nimrod and two of his men that were with him came to the place where
they
were when Esau started suddenly from his
lurking place, and drew his sword,
and
hastened, and ran to Nimrod and cut off his head.
"And
Esau fought a desperate fight with the two men that were with Nimrod, and
when
they called out to him, Esau turned to them and smote them to death with
his
sword. . . . And when Esau saw the mighty men of Nimrod coming at a distance,
he
fled, and thereby escaped; and Esau took the valuable garments of Nimrod, which
Nimrod's
father had bequeathed to Nimrod, and with which Nimrod prevailed over
the
whole land, and he ran and concealed them in his house.
"And
Esau took those garments and ran into the city on account of Nimrod's men,
and
he came into his father's house weary and exhausted from fight, and he was
ready
to die through grief when he approached his brother Jacob and sat before him.
And
he said to his brother Jacob, Behold I shall die this day, and wherefore then
do
I
want the birthright? And Jacob acted
wisely with Esau in this matter, and Esau
sold
his birthright to Jacob, for it was so brought about by the Lord" (Jasher
27:1-15).
Obviously, Esau had aspirations of greatness
at a very early age. But he sought to
attain greatness by his own merits -- by acts of violence, heroism, and might
deeds of trickery, cunning, and warfare.
The Mystery of Esau or Edom
The book of
Jubilees contains this same account of Isaac's words to Esau, after Jacob had
fraudulently stolen his blessing. It
contains this remarkable prophecy:
"Behold, apart from
the dew of the land shall be your dwelling, and apart from
the
dew of heaven from above. And by your
sword you shall live, and you will
serve
your brother. And it will happen WHEN
YOU BECOME GREAT [at the
End
Time!], and you will remove his yoke from your neck, that THEN you will
SURELY
SIN COMPLETELY UNTO DEATH, AND YOUR SEED WILL BE
ROOTED
OUT FROM UNDER HEAVEN" (Jubilees 26:34).
This hatred of
Esau, in the process of time, became an undying and unmitigated hatred, a
hatred which was infused into his children and descendants from generation to
generation. This rivalry between
these two peoples has continued down through history, and was to be a major
factor in end-time prophecy!
Says Peloubet's Bible Dictionary:
"Esau's bitter
hatred of his brother Jacob for fraudulently obtaining his blessing
appears
to have been inherited by his latest posterity.
The Edomites preemptorily
refused
to permit the Israelites to pass through their land (Num.20:18-21). For a
long
period we hear no more of the Edomites.
They were then attacked and
defeated
by Saul (I Sam.14:47), and some forty years later by David (II Sam.8:
13,
14). . . . They joined Nebuchadnezzar when that king besieged
Jerusalem. For
their
cruelty this time they were fearfully denounced by the later prophets (Isa.
34:5-8;
63:1-4; Jer.49:17)" ("Edom," p.161).
Because of the coloration of his skin at
birth, Esau obtained a second name, and was called "Edom," meaning
"Red" (Gen.25:25; 36:1, 8).
Names are significant in the Scriptures.
"Red" of course is the color of blood, and bespeaks a bloody
type of man, and character. The
"Red horse" of Revelation bespeaks war, and Esau was a warrior and
crafty hunter who "lived by the sword." "Red" is also the color of the
Beast of Revelation, identifying Esau therefore with the final
"BEAST" power (Rev.17:3-5).
He married two
wives, both Canaanites, when he was 40 years old, and because they displeased
his parents greatly, he later married an Ishmaelite woman, a descendant of
Abraham (Gen.26:34-35; 36:1-2). Esau, it
appears, has always been a great proponent of intermixing the populations and
racial intermarriage. His family line is
also noted for incest, adulterous liaisons, and "confusion" in
morality, as the Jewish Chumash, Art Scroll edition, shows:
"In the literal
sense of the verses and from the parallel genealogies in Chronicles,
it
becomes clear that many of Esau's descendants were products of incest and
illegitimacy
. . . . Esau's family was permeated with illegitimacy. . . The verse
[Gen.26:2]
implies that Oholibamah was the daughter of two fathers, Anah and
Zibeon,
an obvious impossibility. Furthermore,
verse 24 describes Anah as
Zibeon's
son. Consequently, our verse implies
that Zibeon cohabited with his own
daughter-in-law,
Anah's wife, and Oholibamah was the product of their adultery.
Thus,
she and all her offspring were illegitimate" (p.192-193).
We are told that "Esau took his
wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his household,
and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, and went into the
country from the face of his brother Jacob" (Gen.36:6). He moved out, lock, stock and barrel. Eventually, his descendants settled in Mount
Seir, to the direct south of Israel.
Is this an Esau
identified in ancient history? Did the
ancients write about him, his deeds, and acts of renown?
Esau -- A Mighty Man of War
Esau became not
only a powerful hunter, like Nimrod, but also a mighty warrior and ruler. It seems obvious that he considered himself
the equal or superior of any man. Having
killed Nimrod, the great king who had defied God at the Tower of Babel, Esau felt he should become king over the
earth. Therefore he was particularly
galled that Jacob had received the birthright promises and blessings. His hatred drove them apart and made them the
quintessential rivals all their days, and this rivalry for world dominion
passed down through the generations between their descendants.
Such a man could
hardly be ignored in the annals of ancient times. And he was not.
In his fascinating book entitled Compendium
of World History, Prof. Herman L. Hoeh provides us an incredible glimpse
into the historical writings dealing with this man. To the ancients, he was known as
"Hercules."
Says Herman L. Hoeh, in volume I of
the Compendium, a very powerful ancient people were known as the
"Hericlidae." Dr. Hoeh says,
"Witness the incursions of the Hyksos and the Edomite Heraclidae -- a
branch of the Hebrews" -- into the land of early Greece (p.394). Who were these people? Hoeh writes, in a section entitled "Who
Were the Heraclidae?" that --
"The
Heraclidae are said to have returned 80 years after the first Trojan War. Then
they
must have been in Greece and Asia Minor before.
The most famous people who
possessed
this region before were the Hyksos rulers -- Apophis and Khyan. The Hyksos
were
Amalekites and other tribes descended of Edom . . . As the Greeks called
these
people
Heraclidae, is it possible that Hercules -- the father of the Heraclidae --
was
Edom or Esau, the father of the Edomites and Amalekites?" (page 402).
Herman Hoeh goes on, on page 403, to
say,
"Who then was the original Hercules?
. . . .
"That
there were several Hercules is admitted by all writers, ancient
and
modern. Nimrod was called Hercules,
as also was Osorkon much
later. Neither of them was the famous Hercules
who fathered the
Heraclidae. This Hercules -- declare the Greeks -- LOST
HIS RIGHT
OF
BIRTH, AS DID ESAU, the famous hunter" (p.403).
Herman Hoeh then quotes from
Josephus, the Jewish historian, who himself quotes Alexander Polyhistor, who
quotes the prophet Cleodemus, also called Malchus, who wrote a history of the
Jews in agreement with the history of Moses.
He relates that
". . .
there were many sons born to Abraham by Keturah; nay, he names three
of
them, Apher, and Surim, and Japhran [from Apher "Africa" took its
name] . . .
these
men were auxillaries to Hercules, when he fought against Libya and Antaeus;
and
that Hercules married Aphra's (that is, Apher's) daughter, and of her he begat
a
son, Diodorus . . . ." (p.403-404).
Says Hoeh,
"Apher
was a son of Midian, and a grandson of Abraham.
Esau was a much
younger
grandson of Abraham through Isaac.
Josephus thus establishes that
this
Hercules was not Nimrod who was over two centuries earlier [Hoeh's
dating,
based on Ussher]. He further proved that
this Hercules lived at the time
which
the Bible proves that Esau lived. Both
lost their right of birth. Esau was
therefore
the Hercules of Greek history and the father of the Heraclidae" (p.404).
Hoeh says: "As Celtes had no son he gave his
daughter in marriage to Hercules (who has been proven to be ESAU from Josephus
and Greek history. From her Hercules had
a son named Galathes . . ." (p.451-452).
Esau/Hercules obviously "got
around." All his life, it would
appear, he struggled to regain his "birth right." He performed mighty works, and incredible deeds,
and the "labors of Hercules" -- but he could never regain that which
he had so foolishly sold to Jacob his brother for a bowl of bean soup!
Modern Day Descendants of Jacob and
Esau
All through
history there would be conflict between the sons of Jacob, or
"Israel," and the sons of Esau, his wicked older brother. The Bible tells us that Esau was a violent
man, a famous hunter, who "despised his birthright" (Gen.25:34). Esau was a very capable man, and had great
abilities, but Isaac gave the birthright promises of national greatness and
power to Jacob instead (Gen.27:20-30).
Ever since that time, the descendants of Esau have hated and despised
the descendants of Jacob, or "Israel."
As we know,
Jacob's descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel, and most of them
migrated out of the Middle East and settled in Northwestern Europe,
Scandinavia, France, the British Isles, Ireland, Denmark, and North America.
But what about
the descendants of "Esau"?
History has proved that some of them settled in the region of Turkey,
and became the "Ottoman Empire" -- a cruel, brutal historical empire
that was finally conquered by the descendants of Jacob -- the British and
Americans -- in 1917, when the Turks fought beside the Germans and Austrians,
on the losing side.
However, other
sons of Esau, like the Israelites, migrated farther west, and settle in Spain,
once again to the south of the Israelite nations! The ancient hatred and "blood-feud"
and religious animosity between the descendants of Esau and Jacob appears to
have been carried down through the ages, and manifested itself in the Middle
Ages in the religious wars between Catholicism and Protestantism!
Interestingly,
today the tribes of Israel which were carried into captivity by the Assyrians
in 718-721 B.C. have settled in Northwestern Europe, from Scandinavia to
France, from Belgium to Switzerland, with the tribe of Joseph in the British
Isles and America. Many of the children
of Esau also most likely moved out of the Middle East when the Assyrians
invaded.
Today, if history
repeats itself, as in ancient times, to the south of Israel we would
expect to find the descendants of "Esau." To the south of Israel in Europe, lies the
country of "Spain." Also, the
Spanish colonized the regions to the south of the United States, in the
Western hemisphere. Mexico is largely
Spanish mixed with the Indian population -- a mixture of peoples, as Esau
married the indigenous populations, once again.
Could the ancient rivalry between
Jacob and Esau be a modern drama playing itself out in the rivalry between
Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations and the English-speaking
nations of modern Joseph, the "birthright" tribe of ancient Israel?
This ancient
hostility is still evident in the conflict between Spain and England over the
rock of Gibraltar, and in the historic rivalry and conflict between Mexico and
the United States! These modern
antagonisms have a root that traces all the way back to the rivalry and feud
between Esau and Jacob in the book of Genesis.
The remaining Edomites
who stayed in Palestine were a thorn in the sides of the Jewish peoples. They sided with Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar
attacked the Jewish state. Finally, in the days of the Maccabees, and John
Hyrcanus, that king of Judah conquered many Edomites and compelled them to be
circumcised, and adopt the Jewish religion.
Thus some of the remnants of Edom became incorporated with the Jewish
people, and are represented today amongst the peoples known as "Jews." However, overall they compose a very small
proportion of the Jewish people.
The Forgotten History of Edom
Esau, like his brother Jacob, was a
wanderer and explorer. They had many
attributes in common. The main
difference between them was in character:
Esau was a hunter and plunderer, whereas Jacob was a skilled worker and
industrious husbandman or farmer and rancher.
In his Compendium
of World History, Dr. Herman L. Hoeh pointed out that Esau, the famous
"hunter," became known as "Hercules" among the
Gentiles. Writes Hoeh, "Hercules . .
. has been proved to be Esau from Josephus and Greek history" (vol. 1,
p.451). A line of kings was descended
from him, including Galathes (1739-1690 B.C.), father of the tribe of the Galli
(who gave their name to the region of Galatia in Asia Minor); Narbon (1690-1672
B.C.), who ruled western Europe from Gaul; Lugdus (1672-1621 B.C.), the founder
of London; Beligius (1621-1601 B.C.), who gave his name to those called the
Belgae; Jasius (1601-1551 B.C.), a prince of the line of Esau, who was made
king of Italy; Allobrox (1551-1483 B.C.), who ruled all Celtica, the land of
Western Europe, and then a series of kings down to the fall of Troy.
The family of
Esau had settled in the land of Seir, the Horite. We read in Genesis: "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in
mount Seir" (Gen.36:8-9).
Undoubtedly, Esau and his children intermarried with the descendants of
Seir the Horite (Gen.36:20-21) who also dwelt there. In volume 2 of his Compendium of World
History, Herman Hoeh mistakenly identifies Hercules with Seir, the
Horite. However, he was Esau the brother
of Jacob. As such, he travelled widely,
conquering and despatching foes. He was
known in Africa as Hercules Libycus, renowned for having subdued Libya, and the
vast territories that lie west of Egypt (vol. 2, p.116).
The early history
of Spain is given in volume two of the Compendium. Dr. Hoeh points out that 520 years after
the Flood, or in 1849 B.C., a great battle was fought in Spain in which many of
the prehistoric "giants" were expelled. An Egyptian army led by Osyris Denis
(Dionysius) fought and conquered the giants, and one giant was given his sister
as wife, settled in Sardinia, and built the city of Norca. The site is famous for traditionally having
been inhabited by giants, who left megalithic remains and giant tombs.
After the death
of Osyris, Hercules -- Esau -- arrived on the scene. "He challenged the three sons of Gerion
[the giant] to personal combat -- three against one -- and slew them all. Hercules [Esau] then turned the government of
southern Spain over to Hispal, his son and one of his generals, and departed
with the bulk of his army to Italy" (p.115).
Thus the Biblical
Esau began a dynasty of kings that ruled in Spain, beginning with Hispal
(1807-1790 B.C.), who built what is now known as Seville. He was followed by Hercules' grandson,
Hispanus(1790-1758 B.C.), who gave his name to Hispania [Spain!]. He extended his rule throughout Spain, including
the central and northern regions previously inhabited by wild tribes.
Hoeh points out
that the time setting of this event corresponds to the latter half of Dynasty
II in Egypt. "It is the period of
the patriarch Jacob. The Hercules of
these traditions has already been proved to be Seir the Horite [that is, Esau,
the ruler of Seir and the Horites]. In
Spanish history Hercules is often referred to as 'Oron,' meaning the Horite. He was a king of Egypt . . ." (ibid.).
Hoeh seems to
confuse the accounts of Hercules, in one place calling him Esau, brother of
Jacob, and in another Seir, the Horite.
However, the misunderstanding is resolved when we realize that Esau
became the dominant person in Mount Seir, and took the title of Seir the original
Horite. It is Esau of Mount Seir that
had the on-going "blood-feud" with the line of Jacob down through
history -- not the original Seir the Horite!
Thus we see that
the descendants of Esau established themselves as the rulers of Spain at an
early period of Spanish history. There
is no doubt, therefore, that the line and heritage of Jacob's brother Esau
became the genesis for succeeding generations of the peoples of Spain, and the
Spanish dominions and territories scattered around the world, principally in
Central and South America! The
Spanish-speaking world is descended, in large part, from Esau, the brother of
Jacob!
Is Spain Part of Modern
"Esau"?
Spain is the most
Catholic country in Europe. Spain is
more Catholic than Italy itself! During
the Middle Ages, Spain was famous for being the most brutal and tyrannical
Catholic monarchy on the face of the earth.
The "Spanish Inquisition" has gone down in history as the
worst and most atrocious religious blood-bath and bestial religious persecution
of all time.
The Spanish were also vicious
persecutors of the Jewish people, and forced thousands of them into Catholic
conversions in the Middle Ages. In fact,
while Columbus was discovering America (he was very likely a Jew in the employ
of the Spanish king and queen), in 1492, the very same year the Spanish
launched an inquisition against the Jews and expelled all who would not convert
from the country.
The Spanish, like ancient Esau and
his children, have been noted for their extreme cruelty, ambition, and lust for
conquest. Like Esau the hunter, the
Spanish conquistadores pillaged, butchered, and "hunted" for the gold
and treasures of the Aztecs and Incas.
Spain historically has had a great
hatred for Protestants and all non-Catholics. This hatred manifested itself in
the notorious Spanish Inquisition, when hundreds of thousands of Protestants
were imprisoned, tortured, and killed without mercy. Historically, too, the Spanish also had a
great hatred for the Jews. Is not this
persistent hatred a manifestation of the ancient hatred of Esau for his brother
Jacob?
I have noted that modern Spain is south of the
nations of modern Israel which located in Europe. This parallels the fact that ancient Edom was
located south of ancient Israel.
Modern Spain has outlets to the sea -- ocean harbors; ancient
Edom also had an outlet to the sea -- an ocean harbor -- with a port at
Ezion-geber on the Red Sea. In the western hemisphere, Mexico, the
largest and most populous former Spanish dominion, also lies directly south
of modern Ephraim!
Jacob prophesied of Esau, that he
would dwell "far from" the rich agricultural land (Gen.27:39). Says the Worldbook Encyclopedia of the
country of Spain:
"Spain is poor in natural
resources. The country has little good
farmland, and it lacks
many
important industrial raw materials. . . . Most of Spain has poor soil and
limited
rainfall,
which make it difficult to raise crops. . . . But agricultural production in
most
regions
has always been low because of the poor soil, dry climate, and inferior Spanish
farming
methods" (article "Spain," p.579).
Thus even the topography and geography of Spain reveal that
it could well be a country populated by the modern day descendants of ancient
Esau! Much of Mexico, also, is rocky,
arid, and poor soil for agriculture.
The greatest evidence, however, that
the Spanish people are at least in large part related to Esau is in their
national characteristics -- their idolatrous religious fanaticism, which today
is Catholicism, and their brutal historical hatred and antipathy toward the
Israelitish nations of Europe, in particular the English, and their persecution
of Protestants and Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. These traits which bespeak an undying hatred
and deep-seated resentment and jealousy are just what one would expect from the
descendants of "Esau" toward the descendants of "Jacob"!
Esau
and the Latins and Romans
Louis Ginzberg in his Legends of
the Jews gives us additional information about Esau, connecting him and his
posterity to Rome. According to the
traditions Ginzberg relates, Rebekah suffered such severe pain during her
pregnancy that she went to Shem and pleaded with him to inquire of God
concerning the cause of her distress.
"And
Shem replied: "My daughter, I confide a secret to thee. See to it that none
finds it out. Two nations are in thy womb, and how should
thy body contain them,
seeing that the whole world will not be
large enough for them to exist in it together
peaceably?
Two nations they are, each owning a world of its own, the one the Torah,
the other sin. From the one will spring Solomon, the builder
of the Temple, from
the other Vespasian, the destroyer
thereof"' (Legends, 1968, vol. 1, page 314)
Spain has been staunchly and
violently Catholic, apostate in the extreme, and doubtlessly a part of the body
of Esau. However, the Mother and
Fountain of all persecution and relilgious apostasy has its source in Rome, and
Roman Catholicism. Rome, also, fulfills
the words of Edras that 'Esau is the end of this age, and Jacob is the
beginning of the one that follows.'
'They [Esau and Jacob] will never be in
the same estate. Esau will vaunt lords,
while
Jacob will have Kings. They, Israel and Rome, are the two nations
destined to be hated
by all the world. One will exceed the other in strength. First Esau will subjugate
whole world, but in the end Jacob will
rule over all' (Legends, vol. 1, page 314)
Ginzberg further relates that
'God will call out to the Messiah:
"Roar at this monster that devours the fat of the
nations, that justifies its claims for
recognition through being a descendant of
Abraham by his grandson Esau, the nation
that forgives all for the sake of money
[as Luther enumerated in his Bull], that
kept Israel back from the study of the
Torah, and tempted them to deeds that are
in accord with the wishes of Satan"'
(Legends, vol. 3, page 167)
Esau was very influential in
Rome. No doubt that "Rome" in
a very real sense epitomizes the "way of Esau." In fact, the "book of Jasher"
contains the following pertinent information:
"And
the children of Chittim [Cyprus, Phoenicia] saw the valor of Zepho [a valiant
descendant
of Esau], and the children of Chittim resolved and they made Zepho king
over
them . . . . Zepho reigned over the whole land of Chittim and over the land
of
Italia 50 years"
(p.186).
Later in the book of Jasher, we read that great battles
arose between the children of Chittim and Edom,
"and
Edom became subject to the children of Chittim.
And the children of Chittim
ruled
over Edom, and Edom became under the hand of the children of Chittim and
became
one kingdom from that day. And from that day they could no more lift
up
their
heads, and their kingdom became one with the children of Chittim"
(p.251).
So the Rome-Esau connection is
verified! The children of EDOM or ESDAU
literally intermarried with the Italians, mixed with them, and they become
ONE PEOPLE! Thus Esau also stands
identified as the people of Italy, the Romans, and the well spring of the Roman
Catholic religious apostasy!
Esau, like Jacob, was a mighty man
of renown in ancient times. He was an
explorer and "wanderer," as well as a mighty "hunter." He and his descendants, also, founded or were
part of the founding of such ancient world empires as that of Rome, Troy, Tyre,
and Carthage , as well as Spain and the Ottoman Empire.
"The Age of Esau"
According to prophecy, this
"rivalry" was to characterize the ongoing relationships of these two
people throughout historical time.
Finally, the "age of Esau" will be replaced by the "age
of Jacob" or "Israel."
The book II Esdras in the Apocrypha speaks of this prophecy:
"'What will mark the parting of the times? Or when will the end of the first or the
beginning
of the second be?'
"And
he said to me, 'From Abraham to Abraham, for from him sprang Jacob and Esau,
but
Jacob's hand held Esau's heel from the beginning. For ESAU IS THE END OF
THIS
AGE, AND JACOB IS THE BEGINNING OF THE ONE THAT FOLLOWS. For
the
beginning of a man is his hand, and the end of a man is his heel" (II
Esdras 6:7i-10).
Esau, or Edom, can be identified with the Spanish Empire of
the Middle Ages. That Empire, so
powerful that Philip of Spain sent an armada of hundreds of powerful ships to
destroy the nation of England in 1588, was finally eclipsed by the powerful
English nation. The Armada itself was
destroyed by the English fleet, with help from ferocious storms at sea. The English began to "supplant" the
Spanish in world power -- just as Jacob," whose name means
"supplanter," supplanted his brother Esau in their own generation.
Esau became a "type" of
Satan's modern world system, which hates the things of God, and the people of
God. Thus he himself became a
"type" of modern "Babylon," which represents this world
age-system. Both are described as
"red." Esau is
"Edom" which means "Red," his major characteristic; and
Babylon the Great, this world-system, called the "Beast" in
Revelation, is also "scarlet" or RED -- "a scarlet
coloured beast" (Rev.17:3)!
According to the book of Jasher,
Edom's connection with Babylon started with Esau's desire to obtain "the
valuable garments of Nimrod, with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole
land" (Jasher 27:10). Nimrod was
the first tyrant or king over Babylon, the first one after the Flood to
establish a "kingdom" (Gen.10:9-10).
His garments represented and symbolized his ungodly and wicked
rule. Nimrod is the prototype of all
godless people. His name means
"rebellion" or "he rebelled," from the Hebrew word marad.
Esau patterned himself after the
tyrannical king of Babylon. According to
the book of Jasher, Esau actually is the one who killed Nimrod and "fought
a desperate fight," with two of his aides and killed them, and then fled
with Nimrod's garments. When he reached
his own homeland, he was weary and exhausted, and it was while in this weakened
condition that he "came from the field, and he was faint"
(Gen.25:29), and ravenously hungry, besought Jacob for food, and sold him his
birthright for lentil soup!
When he killed Nimrod, and took his
garments, Esau assumed another birthright -- that of Nimrod and his Babylonian
rule, as one who would not and could not coexist with the way of God. He inherited the mantle of Nimrod; and he,
like Nimrod, went in the "way of Cain."
The prophecies regarding Edom and
Babylon are also parallel. Both are not
only characterized by the color "red," which stands for
"bloodshed," and "violence," but both will be burned and
destroyed by fire (Obad.1:18; Rev.18:8).
Both will be overthrown "like Sodom and Gomorrah" (Jer.49:18;
50:40). Both their habitations will be
made "desolate" (Jer.49:20; 50:45).
Both would for a time gain dominion over and afflict "Israel"
(Gen.27:39-40; Dan.7:21-25; Rev.12:17, 13:7, 17:6).
Both are connected with
"mysteries" (Rev.17:5; Obad.1:3-6, "hidden things").
Finally, Israel is destined to be
delivered from, and to destroy, both Edom and Babylon (Obad.1:16-18 and
Rev.18:4). This deliverance comes about
at the coming of the Messiah, when God's people will destroy their oppressors
(Zech.14:1-4; I Thess.4:14-16; Rev.19:11-15; Jude 14-15; Dan.7:26-27; Rev.18:6;
Psa.149:5-9).
The Role of Spain in History
Spain, of course,
is a relatively "small" country, with only a "little
power," today. Nevertheless, it has
played a very prominent role and was a mighty power, in history, particularly
during the Age of Colonization and Exploration!
It has also been perhaps the most staunch and fanatically Catholic
"power" in the history of the world, with its religious excesses and
brutality a by-word during the Middle Ages.
The Spanish conquistadors explored
Florida, the Gulf Coast of what was later to become the United States,
conquered Mexico and Peru, and Spanish galleons plied the Atlantic ferrying
gold and riches back to Spain. The
Spanish conquistadors were noted for their cruelty and brutality toward the
indigenous populations of the lands they conquered. The Indians were enslaved, treated as vermin,
and forcibly "converted" to Catholicism. The primary purpose of Spanish colonies was
to plunder and exploit the masses for gold, silver, and profit. They were "hunters" and "men
of war" -- just like their
ancestor, Esau!
Spain's influence
still remained strong in the western hemisphere, however, until the Spanish
possessions each broke away and gained their independence. Finally, in 1898, the Spanish-American war
saw the Spanish lose control of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and islands in the Gulf of
Mexico, as well as the Philippine islands in the Far East. Who replaced the Spanish descendants of Esau
in these places? The descendants of his
brother, Jacob the "supplanter"!
It was mighty Ephraim, the United States of America, which gave the
final death knell to the remains of the ancient Spanish world empire!
Throughout the
period known as the Middle Ages and the Age of Discovery, the two great
protagonists for the control and domination of the world were the Anglo-Saxons
of England and the Spanish. The conflict
was religious, political, economic, and military. The ongoing battle for world supremacy was
fought in board rooms, on the sea lanes, and in far-flung battle fields. The
rivalry lasted throughout the centuries.
Gradually, the power of Span and its colonies was supplanted by the
growing power of the sons of Israel or Jacob -- including the French (Reuben),
Great Britain (Manasseh), and the United States (Ephraim).
With the rise of
the Anglo-Saxon nations to world prominence, especially the house of Joseph --
the United States as Ephraim and Great Britain and Canada as Manasseh -- the
power of Spain gradually became diminished, and Spain became but a shadow of
her former power and influence. When the
United States fought the Mexicans in the Mexican-American war, and conquered
the territories of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and delivered Texas from
Mexico, the house of Joseph was once again "supplanting" the
descendants of Esau. And many Mexicans
to this very day hate the United States with a passion, and seek to recapture
and regain their "lost" provinces!
Mexican
Invasion/War?
Notice! Already the "war" for the
re-conquest of the American Southwest has begun! In a recent issue of Spotlight magazine,
the reality of what is now happening was revealed. Says this informative conservative newspaper
of the growing threat:
"The
opening volley of America's race war has been fired. It wasn't white and blacks fighting in
an urban
center. The first shots came from
radical Chicano educators and legislators in the
Southwest. The Mexican government added a quick jab of
its own.
"Somehow
the mainstream media overlooked the shot across America's bow. Consequently, many
Anglos don't
know we are at war.
"The
movement is known as Reconquista. It
numbers thousands of followers throughout the
Southwestern
United States. Adherents believe in
Mexico reconquering the land lost to the
United
States.
"Adherents
have used force to get their point across.
"For
example, Americans demonstrating in California last July 4, were attacked by
Chicano
radicals on
Independence Day. According to some
victims, the police did nothing to protect
them.
"The
political wing of the Reconquista movement is called Movimiento
Estudiantil Chicano de
Aztlan (MEchA). 'Their goal is to forge a Mexican army to
drive all Europeans from the Southwest,' says a California Coalition for
Immigration Reform (CCIR) newsletter.
"New
Country. Once black and white Americans
are expelled, the plan is to establish a country
named
Aztlan. The Chicano Mexicano Mexico
Empowerment Committee (CMMEC) is
MEchA's
militant wing.
"When
that region is cleansed of the white heirs of murderers and thieves who now
control it,
Lord's
followers [a gang] can rebuild the Aztec empire, bring back that glorious
nation of priests
and warriors
and reestablish its noble institutions of learning, religion, and justice,'
said Olin
Tezcatlipoca,
founder of CMMEC. . . .
"Mexican
President Ernesto Zedillo has warned Washington that his country 'is ready to
fight'
if the United
States enforces immigration laws and deports illegal Mexicans. 'We will not tolerate
foreign
forces dictating and enacting laws on Mexicans' . . .
"'We have
said for years that you won't know you're being invaded until you try to stop
it,' said
Glenn Spencer
of Voice of Citizens Together. 'What we are witnessing in Reconquista, using
drugs and
drug money to help drive Americans out of the Southwest.'
"'Those
militant Mexicans have established training camps in the mountains of northern
Mexico
and across
the borders in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas,' says newsletter
publisher
Alyn Denham.
'Recruits receive basic training, weapons introduction and political
indoctrination
in the camps
located in Mexico where they're also assigned to specific U.S.-based combat
units"
("Mexican Invasion Comparable to War," by Andrew Arnold, Spotlight,
March 6, 1998).
Esau and End-Time
Rome
What does
Biblical prophecy indicate about the future of Esau, the brother of Jacob?
In The Other Bible Code: Ancient Hebrew Revelations about Events of Our Time, written by H. M. Davidson, Davidson writes, “Not only will the Arab people and the Jewish people be at each other’s throats at the End of Days over control of the Holy Land. Throughout ancient Jewish texts, the Arabs are depicted as being engaged at the End of Days in a fierce struggle against a civilization which will be the ‘Esau/Edom/Rome’ of its time” (p.37).
Who is this
“Esau/Edom/Rome?”
Writes Davison, “In many ancient
Hebrew and Aramaic writings, Rome – and obscure Italian village which emerged
as an early hub of Western civilization and economic power – is identified as
an early extension of the Esau/Edom personality” (p.6-7). The Babylonian Talmud, a treasure of
information, identifies Esau/Rome’s scheming against the sons of Jacob as not
just a plot or scheme, but as a country:
Germany (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah, 6a).
The
civilization of “Rome” is the earliest branch or post-Biblical extension of
Esau and his family. It if were compared
to a tree, then Esau would be the “root,” and Roman civilization would be a
major branch from that tree’s root. It
has many branches. In fact, the
eighteenth century Lithuanian rabbinic giant, Elijah ben-Solomon Kramer, known as the “Genius of Vilna,” H. M.
Davidson says, “argued that half of the nations of the contemporary world
are branches of the Esau/Edom/Rome tree” (Davidson, page 37).
The
sixteenth century Rabbi Yehuda Lowe, the “Maharal,” argued that characteristics
which ancient Jewish writings attribute to Esau/Rome may be used to “identify
the contemporary groups of nations which today bear the torch of Esau/Edom/Rome”
(ibid.).
Thus,
“Euro-Western civilization may be regarded as a BRANCH OF THE ESAU/EDOM/ROME
TREE”, he explains.
European
and Western civilization is the immediate heir of the culture of Rome, with
similar institutions, government, and laws.
Also, like ancient Rome, modern Europe/America, and the Western world
enjoy largely uncontested military, economic and political dominance over most
of the world, and a vastly disproportionate part of the world’s wealth.
Says
Davidson, “And the mind-set of the contemporary West also suggests a
kinship with Esau/Edom/Rome.”
The West
champions democracy, freedom, opportunity.
Most people in the Western nations cheer these concepts, but these
principles are not of themselves intrinsically good! A society consisting of thieves and crooks,
even though it has a “democratic” government, will still be evil. Democracy and decently are not
identical. Iraq today has “democracy”
but is filled with hatred, conflict, and is on the verge of Civil War due to disagreeing
factions of Islam battling each other for supremacy.
Says
Davidson, “According to ancient Jewish sages, the essence of Esau/Edom/Rome was
its emphasis on outward form and appearance over intrinsic
goodness. Good manners took precedence
over good morals. Etiquette over
ethics. Judicial process and procedure
over justice. System over substance”
(p.39).
Ancient
Rome was the hub of civilization during its time – a mega city which was the
financial center of the world. Its torch
or legacy, today, which would symbolically be called “Rome,” would be New York
City – a magnet for influential people, wealth, and business.
Davidson
goes on, “In today’s world, the city of New York has no equal as a financial
hub. Many of the world’s most
influential companies are based in New York and it is in New York that their
shares are traded. The adage, ‘When Wall
Street sneezes, the rest of the world catches the flu,’ captures the essence of
New York’s financial hegemony over the rest of the world” (p.40).
“In
addition,” he says, “the presence of the United Nations in Manhattan
underscores New York City’s status as an unparalleled magnet for dignitaries
from across the globe, much as Rome was in ancient days.”
In Psalm 140:9, we read, “Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked man; further not his plotting – lest they be exalted.” In the Babylonian Talmud, in a commentary on Psalm 140:9, the wicked man in this verse is identified as one of Esau’s later day manifestations – namely, Rome. Israel here pleads with God to withhold the desires of “Rome” and to contain Rome’s plotting.
Indeed,
the world today seems to be plotting against Israel. The so-called “Road Map to
Peace,” which threatens Israel’s very future, is evidence of a vast conspiracy
or global plot to ‘contain’ if not eliminate the Jewish state, in favor of Arab
oil, on which the world’s economy depends.
In the
same passage from the Talmud, Esau/Rome’s plotting is identified with or
connected with German (Babylonian Talmud, Megilla 6a, H. M. Davidson, page 7).
Germany
has been a fore-front of anti-Semitism in the twentieth century. Hitler’s pogroms, and his “final solution,”
which led to the deaths of some six million European Jews, was not an isolated
episode or anomaly. German resentment
and antipathy toward the Jews was
historic, and today still remains very strong against the Jewish state
of Israel. The Germans, as a leader in
the European Union, are strong advocates of the disingenuous “Road Map to
Peace.” Germany has long been a powerful
advocate of the Arabic lobby and the Palestinians, in their confrontation
against Israel.
Says
Davidson, “The Talmud continued that Jacob/Israel feared that if Germany and
Rome were to end their mutual antagonism (as we see in the world, today, with
Germany being a part of the “Western Alliance” and NATO) and combine forces,
they would set forth to ‘destroy the world’” (page 8).
God warned
the ancient Israelites to never forget the attack of the Amalekites, when they
left Egypt under the leadership of Moses.
God said, “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey out of Egypt,
how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and struck down
all who lagged behind you; he did not fear God” (Deut.253:17 NRSV). Amalek was a sub-tribe of Esau!
The Jewish
and Israelite struggle against Amalek was not a one-time affair, but was to
continue down through history. Amalek
was to be blotted out, but it never happened.
A
descendant of Amalek rose up to come close to annihilating the Jews during the
Persian empire. An Amalekite by the name
of Haman, viceroy to the king, sought to kill every Jew in the kingdom of
Persia -- genocide (Esther 3:13).
Likewise,
Germany, in the twentieth century, fulfilled the same role. Germany is a latter-day kingdom with a strong
Amalekite/Esau influence, as well as being populated by many Assyrians, who
anciently also fought against Israel.
God Himself says, "Was not Esau
Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I
loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste
for the dragons of the wilderness" (Mal.1:2-3). In fact, God says of this people:
"Whereas Esau saith, We are
impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate
places;
thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they
shall
call them, The border of wickedness, and, the PEOPLE AGAINST WHOM THE
LORD
HATH INDIGNATION FOREVER" (Mal.1:4).
In other words, the ancient hatreds continue, and in the
end-times God will again punish the nations of Esau, because of their treachery
against their brother Jacob!
In the "Day of the LORD,"
the time when God shortly will intervene in world affairs, and send judgment
upon this world, Esau, too, will be dealt with severely. We read in Isaiah:
"And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and
the heavens shall be rolled together
as
a scroll [the "heavenly signs" which introduce the final "Day of
the Lord" -- see Joel
2:31]: and all their host shall fall down [compare
Rev.6:12-17], as the leaf falleth off
from
the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
"For
my sword shall be bathed in heaven:
behold, it shall come down upon IDUMEA
[ESAU],
AND UPON THE PEOPLE OF MY CURSE, to judgment. The sword of the
LORD
is filled with blood. . . for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah [ancient
capital of
Edom],
and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. . . . For it is the day of the
LORD's
vengeance,
and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams
thereof
shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land
thereof
shall
become burning pitch. 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" (Isaiah 34:4-10).
Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah
predicts concerning Esau, or Edom:
"Flee, turn back, dwell deep, O
inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the CALAMITY
OF
ESAU UPON HIM, the time that I will visit him. . . . But I have made ESAU bare,
I
have uncovered his secret places, and so he shall not be able to hide
himself: his seed
is
spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbors, and he is not. . . . Bozrah shall
become
a
desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse:
and all the cities thereof shall become
perpetual
wastes. . . Also EDOM shall be a desolation:
every one that goeth by it shall
be
astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and
Gomorrah
and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there,
neither
shall
a son of man dwell in it" (Jer.49:8-17).
Obviously, to bring such judgment upon itself, during the
coming "Day of the Lord," modern "Edom" must be guilty of
heinous sins and horrible crimes in the sight of God! What could stir God up so, that His wrath
will be poured out in such unmitigated fury?
The prophet Ezekiel makes the truth
plain. He prophesies against this
end-time nations and peoples who are descended from ancient Esau:
"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;
Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken
against
the residue of the heathen, and against all IDUMEA, which have appointed
my
land into their possession with
the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to
cast
it out for a prey" (Ezek.36:5).
It is Almighty God who gave the bounds of the land of
modern America and Canada to the
descendants of Joseph. It was God who
led the American forces to victory over the Spanish and Mexicans in the
Mexican-American war in 1847 and gave the sons of Joseph – Ephraim and Manasseh
– dominance over the world for the past two centuries. The descendants of Esau and biding their time
and waiting for the right opportunity to bring the descendants of Jacob
down!
It is evident that God will allow
them to rise up, because of modern day Israel’s
mounting SINS, corruption, and wickedness!
God declares that He will use Esau
to punish Jacob in the “End of Days.”
But then Esau itself will also be punished – much more severely!
The Lord says:
"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 a perpetual
HATRED,
and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel BY THE FORCE OF
THE
SWORD in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an
end:
Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD,
I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood
shall
pursue thee: since you have not hated
blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
Thus
will
I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and
him
that
returneth. And I will fill his mountains
with his slain men. . . I will make thee per-
petual
desolations, and thy cities shall not return:
and ye shall know that I am the LORD
.
. . 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; and I will
make
myself known among them, when I have judged thee" (Ezek.35:3-11).
These are horrible predictions and prophecies of impending
doom and awesome judgment which will be meted out, in our day, upon the
end-time descendants of Esau -- the people of central Europe, Germany, Italy,
Spain, Mexico, and their cousins, the Palestinians!
The
End-Time Prophecy of Obadiah
Obadiah the prophet, who lived circa 587 B.C., at the time
of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, was inspired by God to condemn the
behavior of Esau, or Edom, and his descendants, for their vicious attitude
toward the descendants of Jacob, or Israel.
The pride of Esau, God says, will bring him down. God continues:
"Though thou exalt thyself as the
eagle, and though thou set thy nest among
the
stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. . .
"How
are the things of Esau searched out! how
are his hidden things sought
up! All the men of thy CONFEDERACY [the
New World Order, and European
Union]
have brought thee even to the border:
the men that were at PEACE with
thee
have DECEIVED thee [the Russians and Oriental hordes?], and
PREVAILED
AGAINST THEE . . . .
"And
thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of
the
mount of Esau may be cut off by SLAUGHTER.
For thy VIOLENCE against
thy
brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
"In
the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried
away
captive
his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem,
even
thou wast as one of them. But thou
shouldest not have looked on the day of thy
brother
in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over
the
children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have
spoken
proudly in the day of distress.
Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of
their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the
day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of
their calamity; neither shouldest thou have STOOD IN THE CROSSWAY, to cut
off those of his thatdid escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up
those of his that did remain in the day of distress" (Obadiah 1:6-14).
Part of Edom, today, is located to the "south" of
modern, end-time Israel and Judah. Part
of it is represented by the Spanish peoples of Spain, and Mexico, and other
nations in Central and South America.
With this understanding, this
prophecy takes on vital new significance.
Notice! When the modern nations
of Israel fall, and suffer awesome distress -- the "time of Jacob's
trouble" prophesied in many Scriptures (see Dan.12:1-2; Jer.30:6-7) --
then modern Mexico will no doubt rejoice, at the calamity of "El Colosso
del Norte," the United States, and Mexicans will come across the borders
in hordes, to rape, pillage, occupy and devour what they can seize of the
United States. In anger and rage, they
will re-occupy California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. Mexico has never forgiven the United States
for its conquest of that nation in 1847.
The memory of their defeat still rankles nationalistic Mexican leaders
and agitators, who hate the United States.
Even today Mexico is the leading smuggler of dope, cocaine, and drugs
into the United States.
The prophecy indicates that the
Spanish-speaking descendants of Esau will seek to re-conquer lands they lost
historically. God says of them,
"they have appointed MY LAND into their possession" (Ezek.36:5).
Esau-Germany-Rome is also in the
forefront of seeking to undermine the Jews in Israel, by hamstringing them
through the ‘Road Map to Peace” with the Palestinians. They will be among those who attack the
people of end-time Israel and the Jews, with the sword, during the day of their
calamity.
Notice, too, that God will judge
Esau because they entered the gate of His people, and laid hands on their
substance, in the day of their calamity, and "stood in the crossway, to
cut off those of his that did escape" (Obadiah 1:14). Here is a direct reference to a vital
END-TIME "CROSSWAY" -- a vital sea-gate -- which the peoples of Esau
will BLOCK -- preventing the children of Israel -- Americans, British,
Canadians, and the like -- from escaping from their enemies!
Is this not a plain reference to the
PANAMA CANAL -- the most vital "crossway" for ships in the entire
world, allowing them to cross from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and vice
versa? Even now, operational control of
the Panama Canal has been SOLD by the Panamanians into the hands of the
Communist Chinese -- the enemies of the United States.
Similarly, Spain today still hates
the English for their conquest of the rock of Gibraltar, and seizure of that
vital sea-gate. Spanish leaders have no
love for the English, and when the opportunity affords itself, would no doubt
seek revenge. Is this not part of the
ancient blood feud and hatred of Esau?
Note that the prophecy states that
Edom will "stand in the crossway" to stop fleeing Israelites from
seeking to escape their enemies. Any who
foolishly seek "refuge" in these Edomite countries, then, will be
turned over to the "Gestapo"-like authorities of the New World Order
– modern “Rome”!
Woe be to those who seek to
"hide" in Spain, or Mexico, or similar countries, "south of the
border." They will be turned on and
delivered up to their enemies!
Note, too, that Edom is part of a
"conspiracy" or "confederacy" against Israel -- that is, an
end-time UNION of nations! A similar
prophecy is found in Psalm 83, where we read: "They have taken crafty
counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them
off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in
remembrance. For they have consulted
together with one consent: they are CONFEDERATE against thee: the tabernacles of EDOM [Rome, Italy,
Germany, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, etc.], and the Ishmaelites [Arabs]; of Moab
[Jordanians], and the Hagarenes [Iraqis]; Gebal [Lebanon] and Amalek [a
powerful descendant of Esau]; the Philistines [more Amalekites and descendants
of Esau]] with the inhabitants of Tyre; Asshur [Germany] is joined with
them" (Psalm 83:1-8).
This prophecy indicates that the
nations descended largely from Esau, including those of the “New World Order,”
together with the Arab states around Israel, will form a vast CONSPIRACY -- a
confederacy -- of nations, to attack modern Israel.
This vast, far-flung attack will
lead to the “battle of that great day of the Lord” – also called, “Armageddon”!
(Rev.16:13-16).
However, their attack will be
foiled, for the Messiah Himself will deliver Israel from their clutches! The
Psalmist cries out, "O my God, make them as a wheel; as the stubble before
the wind. As the fire burneth a wood,
and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; so persecute them with thy
tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm" (Psa.83:13-15).
Setting the mountains on fire no
doubt refers to powerful volcanic eruptions which will shake, devastate, and
destroy some of these nations which come against end-time Israel! Italy, as well as Mexico and Central America,
and the Andes mountains of South America, are noted for their many ancient
volcanoes -- many of which could erupt at any time! (see also Rev.16:16-18).
The Prophecy of Balaam
A very unusual
prophecy was given by the prophet Balaam during the time of Moses, about 1452
B.C. He prophesied about the
"latter days," the time prior to the second coming of the Messiah:
"There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and
a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
and
shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
And
EDOM [ESAU] shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession
for
his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
"And
when he looked on AMALEK [leading tribe or nation of ESAU], he
took
up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations [greatest,
most
powerful, and first to rise to power and greatness]; BUT HIS LATTER
END
SHALL BE THAT HE PERISH FOREVER" (Num.24:17-20).
God does not forget. He remembers well the horrors of the Medieval
Inquisition, and the persecutions, tortures, and brutality and savagery of the
Inquisitors of the Roman Catholic church, during the Middle Ages. He also remembers the cruelty of the Germans
in World War II, and the ancient Turks.
It is a fact that
history repeats itself. The violence of
the Middle Ages, and the Spanish inquisition, will also be repeated in this
END-TIME AGE! The descendants of ancient
Esau will make one final attempt to destroy the descendants of Jacob. They will take part in unleashing an
unprecedented "bloodbath" of unbridled fury and horror. Jesus Christ said:
"For then shall be
GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning
of
the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be
shortened,
there should NO FLESH BE SAVED [alive]:
but for the elect's sake,
those
days shall be shortened" (Matt.24:21-22).
In the book of Revelation, John sees a
scene of the horrible religious inquisition of the Middle Ages, and a
repetition of that same religious bloodbath which will soon sweep over the
nations in this end-time. He wrote:
"And when he had
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them
that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and
they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou
not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white
robes
were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should
rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their
brethren,
THAT
SHOULD BE KILLED AS THEY WERE, should be fulfilled" (Rev.6:9-11).
Will history
repeat itself? Your Bibles says it
will. Another martyrdom of saints and
true Christians is right around the corner!
Edom
in Prophecy!
For many decades,
the Worldwide Church of God taught that the Biblical prophecies against
"Edom" refer to the land of Turkey, and that the
"crossroads" mentioned in Obadiah's prophecy refer to the
"Dardanelles" straits.
Although it is true that many Edomites settled in Turkey, the tribe of
"Teman" in particular, which gave its name to the "Ottoman"
Empire -- this fact only shows us that modern Turkey is merely a part or branch
of ancient Esau.
But the vast
majority of the children of Esau migrated to the north and west, just like the
children of Israel. They settled in
Europe and the Spanish-speaking lands.
As history shows, the early Spanish kings were descended from ancient
"Hercules" -- a title of Esau the famous hunter himself! And, as history shows, the Italians -- the
ancient Chittim -- are a people who
mixed and mingled with the children of Esau.
Also, remember,
ancient Edom was located south of Israel -- not to their
"north." Therefore, when all
the evidence is assembled together, it becomes crystal clear that modern Edom
includes the nations located "south" of the end-time nations of
Israel, today. The only nations which
legitimately fit this description are Italy and Spain in Europe,
and Mexico and the LATIN countries in Central and South America!
The western
branch of modern "Edom," or "Esau," in Bible prophecy are
the Italian and Hispanic peoples! Their
history parallels that of Jacob's descendants, and the ancient rivalry of the
two siblings -- Jacob and Esau -- has been perpetuated down through history
between their descendants.
The location and
whereabouts of modern Esau -- or Edom -- stands identified! Esau’s descendants include the peoples of
Italy, Germany Spain, and the Turkish people, the Palestinians, and their
offspring! As was always the case, the
descendants of Esau intermarried with the local inhabitants, wherever they
migrated. The resultant nations are none
other than the descendants of ancient Edomites.