Prophecy for Edom

Scripture

Isaiah 34:1-2

Come here and listen, O nations

of the earth.

Let the world and everything in it hear

my words.

For the Lord is enraged against the nations.

His fury is against all their armies.

He will completely destroy them,

dooming them to slaughter

Isaiah 34:4-5

The heavens above will melt away

and disappear like a rolled-up scroll.

The stars will fall from the sky

like withered leaves from a grapevine,

or shriveled figs from a fig tree.

And when my sword has finished its work in

the heavens,

it will fall upon Edom,

the nation I have marked for destruction.

Isaiah 34:10-11

This judgement upon Edom will never end:

the smoke of its burning fire will rise forever.

The land will lie deserted from generation to

generation.

No one will live there anymore.

It will be haunted by the desert owl and the

screech owl,

the great owl and the raven.

Observation:

The Lord is making a prophecy against Edom. Isaiah is describing exactly what the land of Edom will be like when God brings his judgement against this land. Isaiah says the land will be deserted and no one will live there. Isaiah also named the animals that would dominate the land: the desert owl, the screech owl, the great owl and the raven. Some translations say that the pelican, the porcupine and the owl will posses the land, but you get the point, it will be overrun by wild animals. Isaiah even went on to say that it would be called the "Land of Nothing" and that thorns nettles and thistles will overrun it.

Then Isaiah tells us to test this prophecy in Isaiah 34:16-17

Search the book of the Lord,

and see what he will do.

Not one of these birds and animals will

be missing,

and none will lack a mate,

for the Lord has promised this.

His Spirit will make it all come true.

He has surveyed and divided the land

and deeded it over to those creatures.

They will posses it forever,

from generation to generation.

Application:

As I read this Prophecy, something inside me told me to do a little research. I wanted to find out what ended up happening to the land of Edom. I mean... think about it... if God said it would happen in the land of Edom, then it had to have happened. By the way, these were unbelievable predictions in those times, it would be like saying that Los Angeles would be wiped out and overrun by animals, while the rest of California was unaffected!

The capitol city of Edom was Petra. In 1865 George Smith visited Petra and wrote down two accounts of what he found. Compare George Smith's description of Edom's capitol, to what Isaiah's prophecy said.

Captain Mangles, who visited these ruins says, that when surveying the scenery of Petra(Edom's capitol) 'the screaming of eagles, hawks, and owls, who were soaring over our heads in considerable numbers, seemingly annoyed at any one approaching their lonely habitation, added much to the singularity of the scene.'

So plentiful, as observed by Mr. Cory, 'are the scorpions in Petra, that, though it was cold and snowy, we found them under the stones, sometimes two under one stone!' The sheik, and his brother, who accompanied Mr. Cory, assured him that 'both lions and leopards are often seen in Petra, and on the hills immediately beyond it.

Prayer:

Dear God, who can understand your ways? You are so awesome, and you are never wrong. Your judgements are always right, and you never twist justice. Thank you for your word, thank you for teaching me the truth, thank you for the Holy Spirit who guides me and comforts me. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you for allowing me to escape the Great White Throne Judgement! You are rich in grace and mercy! In Jesus name, Amen!