Amos 1,2 – Part six

Amos 1,2

Judgments are pronounced against Damascus (Syria), the Philistines (PLO), Edom and Ammon (Jordan) for various atrocities committed against Israel. The assertion is made that the section has some relevance to latter-day conquests of the Arabs over Israel.

However, the atrocities and the punishments for them have all been fulfilled. There is nothing to indicate these chapters have any last-days application at all. In fact, the only point that cannot be scripturally documented as a historical incident is one where Israel is not involved — Moab’s action against Edom (2:1).

Following is a chart showing the pertinent Bible verses.

Historical fulfillment of Amos 1:3-2:5

Nation         Amos          Provocations            Punishment

Damascus   1:3-5           2 K.13:7                      2 K.16:9 (Assyria)

Gaza           1:6-8           2 Chr. 28:17-18           Jer. 47 (Egypt & Babylon)

Tyre            1:9-10         Ezk .26: 2                   Jer. 47:4;Ezk. 26:7 (Babylon)

Edom          1:11-12       2 Chr. 28:17               Jer. 27:3,6;Mal. 1:3-4

Ammon       1:13-15       2 K.24:2;Jer. 40:14     Jer. 25:9,21;27:3,6 (Babylon)

Moab          2:1-3           no record                   Jer. 25:9,21; 27:3,6

Judah          1:4-5           Isa.1:23;3:14-15       2 K.25:9 (Babylon)

Clearly Amos 1 and 2 do not even come close to proving Israel will be defeated by the Arabs in the last days.

Obadiah

For the present consideration, verse 11 is a key verse in the book:

“In the day that thou [Edom] stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his [Israel’s] forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.”

Edom was a spiteful scavenger when Judah was defeated by Babylon. Edom was not part of the invading horde that overran the area, but, adopting the same hostile attitude toward Jewry, tormented Judah as much as possible by taking advantage of her desolated condition.

If there is a last-day application, the most that could be claimed is that Obadiah reveals a minor mid-eastern people will take advantage of Israel at the time of her defeat by some power foreign to the area. In no way is Edom likened to the massive force which overruns Israel as portrayed in Ezk. 38-39, Joel 2 and Zech. 12-14.

Remember Edom’s history

By 312 B.C., as noted by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (Diod. Sic. lib. 19 .74), Edom had been displaced from her mountain fortress centered at Petra by the Nabatheans. Compare Obad. v.7: “the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee.”

In 166 B.C., Judas Maccabeus attacked and defeated the Edomites. In 135 B.C., the conquest of Edom was completed with any survivors being compelled to submit to circumcision and required to merge into the Jewish nation (Josephus, Antiquities, XII. 8,6; XIII. 9, 1; I Mace. V. 3,65). Compare Obad. v.18: “the house of Jacob shall be a fire…and the house of Esau [Edom] for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them.”

In A.D. 66, the Roman general Simon of Gerasa attacked the ancestors of these Edomites who were now a sub-group of the Jewish people. In the words of Josephus, Simon “did not only ravage the cities and villages, but lay waste the whole country…so was there nothing left behind Simon’s army, but a desert” (The Jewish War, IV. 9,7). Compare Obad. v.16: “they shall be as though they had not been.”

Edom represents the Gentiles

In Scripture, the fate of Edom speaks of the fate of all the Gentiles who hate Israel. Compare Obad. v.15; “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee.”

As indicated in the comments on Ezk. 35, Edom represents the Gentiles in Scripture prophecy, not the Arabs. The following quotation is most interesting in this regard: “So ingrained in Jewish minds was the loathing of the cruelty am treachery of this people that, long after Edom had disappeared from history, he remained the type of all oppressors and persecutors of Jews; and in Rabbinic writings `Edom’ became the stock term of obloquy [verbal abuse] by which the Romans were named” (Introduction to Obadiah, S. Goldman, in The Soncino Books of the Bible).

Gradual punishment suggestive

As a point of interest to ourselves, Obadiah portrays Edom’s punishment as coming in stages, first from her deceitful allies and then from Israel. This may have a parallel in Israel’s ascent to her place in the kingdom.

In verses 19-20, the areas conquered by Israel do not cover the full extent of land she will ultimately occupy (note Gen. 15:18-21; Ezk. 47:13-21 which show the northern boundary will extend to the Euphrates and the southern will include all of the Sinai peninsula). Note from the following table how Obadiah’s prophecy only includes part of this area. This suggests Israel will control those areas as one stage to her final inheritance.

Obadiah                Ancient name               Modern area                 Current status

v.19                        mount of Esau             Southern Jordan          part of Jordan

v.19                        Philistine’s plain            Gaza strip, Israel          controlled by Israel

v.19                        fields of Ephraim         West bank area             Controlled by Israel

v.19                        fields of Samaria           West bank ares           controlled by Israel

v.19                        Gilead                            Central Jordan            part of Jordan

v.20                        Zarephath                     Southern Lebanon      Israeli dominated

v.20                        cities of the south        Negev                          part of Israel

The full glorious inheritance will be a reality when “the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.” In the meantime, watch Israel.