The Book of Obadiah and the Future of Palestine: Why Edom Is the West Bank, Ramallah, and the Eagle of Saladin (Verse-by-Verse Prophecy Study)
This is a verse-by-verse study of the book of Obadiah, the smallest book in the
Bible. This takes place after the war of Psalm 83; watch that video for more.
This book is also set in the seven-year tribulation, but at the end when Christ
returns. If you want more on what the seven-year tribulation is, watch "SEVEN
YEAR TRIBULATION" (Blue Collar Study) Reloaded Study uploaded by Don Nesbitt on
YouTube. That'll be in the sources.
The book of Obadiah is God's statements to Palestine and Palestinians.
Prophecies can have a historical and future fulfillment, and the historical
fulfillment would be Nebuchadnezzar's attack in Jeremiah 43:10 to 13.
Thank you to Dr. Ruckman for that help.
This will be focused on the future aspect.
Dr. Ruckman has an entire commentary on this chapter. I personally don't agree
with who he identifies Edom as; however, I still believe his book, such as any
Dr. Ruckman book, should be bought.
As I respect him, I'll share his views. He believed Edom to be America.
You can buy his commentary on KJV1611.org or Amazon Kindle!
To preemptively address it, Ramallah is not close to where Edom was
historically. God calls the Roman Catholic Church in Revelation the whore of
Babylon, and it is specified in Revelation 17:9 as the city of seven hills,
which is Rome.
The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a
rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and
let us rise up against her in battle.
Cross reference is Jeremiah 49:14: “I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an
ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come
against her, and rise up to the battle.”
Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
There are two statements in this verse:
"I have made thee small among the heathen"
Being small in this context refers to popularity. A good example of this is
Revelation 11:18: "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the
time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give
reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy
name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth."
"thou art greatly despised"
This verse won't be fully realized until the seven-year tribulation, where this
is taking place; however, we can see this is partially fulfilled with the Arab
world.
This is from Former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who was the United States
ambassador to Afghanistan (2011–2012), Iraq (2007–2009), Pakistan (2004–2007),
Syria (1998–2001), Kuwait (1994–1997), and Lebanon (1990–1993).
I will put the interview in the description.
I'll give two questions and answers from him.
Interviewer: Doesn’t it all start after the Six Day War in 1967, when Arab
leaders first recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization [the original
group founded in 1964 to re-establish control over the land that became Israel],
following the defeat by Israel and the fleeing of Palestinians from the West
Bank?
Crocker: The 1967 war and emergence of the PLO as the “sole legitimate
representative of the Palestinian people” was a watershed moment. Prior to that,
the Palestinians in political terms were effectively a function of other Arab
states and Arab militaries. You had the PLA, the Palestine Liberation Army, that
was under command of other Arab states — Jordan and Syria in particular. So in a
sense, you went from, say, 1947 and 1948 to 1967 without an independent
Palestinian voice.
The trauma of ’67 changed that, where the PLO did emerge as the voice of the
Palestinians. And what reaction did you get from the other Arabs? Fear and
loathing. The 1967 war forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into exile
following their brethren from the ’48 war [over the founding of Israel]. Many of
them wound up in Lebanon and Jordan. And in Lebanon they emerged as an entity
that was increasingly independent of any Lebanese government control. … In 1969,
the Cairo accords effectively gave the Palestinians under the PLO virtual
autonomy in areas where they were settled. They ran the camps and increasingly
ran south Lebanon, and that of course was a precipitating factor for the 1982
Israeli invasion.
But getting back to the main point: The last thing the Arab states, particularly
those around Palestine and Israel, wanted to see was an independent Palestinian
movement, let alone a state.
Interviewer: "Given all your experience as ambassador in the region since you
were first posted as political officer in Lebanon in 1982, reflect on your
discussions with Washington about these issues. Did the American administrations
get it?"
Crocker: I think we’ve missed the complexity of it, and the intensity. … I don’t
think we understood in depth just how deeply rooted Syrian fear and antipathy
toward the PLO and Palestinians really was. I don’t think we really understood
how deep the chasm was between Arab rhetoric supporting the PLO and the fear and
loathing behind the mask. In the case of Syria, how Assad could manage an
extreme anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian position … with action on the ground that
was decidedly anti-Palestinian. The Israelis certainly missed it as well.
"thou art greatly despised"
Even without proper fulfillment, that is very true for the Arab world.
Again, cross referenced in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 49:15: “For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised
among men.”
Obadiah 1:2: “Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly
despised.”
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of
the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me
down to the ground?
There are multiple layers to verses 3 to 4. The first layer is that thematically
God sets up this motif that Edom is exalting itself, and it is high up. If the
world is a skyscraper, Edom is at the top level.
The second layer is how God addresses Edom: "thou that dwellest in the clefts of
the rock, whose habitation is high."
The capital of "quote unquote" Palestine is Ramallah. That means "God's height"
or "the height of God." It is logical, then, that God would use the height motif
so extensively.
Ramallah is at a very high elevation, according to topographic maps:
"Ramallah (UK: /rəˈmælə/ rə-MAL-ə, US: /rəˈmɑːlə/ rə-MAH-lə; Arabic: رام الله,
romanized: Rām Allāh, lit. 'God's Height') is a Palestinian city in the central
West Bank that serves as the de facto administrative capital of the State of
Palestine. It is situated on the Judaean Mountains, 10 km (6 miles) north of
Jerusalem, at an average elevation of 872 meters (2,861 ft) above sea level,
adjacent to al-Bireh."
That is why God uses the elevation.
In the direct cross reference to Obadiah in Jeremiah 49 (remember historical and
future fulfillment), God uses this term:
Jeremiah 49:16: "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"
Obadiah 1:3: “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in
the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who
shall bring me down to the ground?”
"that holdest the height of the hill"
The height of the hill? What is the meaning for Ramallah? The height of God.
The Bible all but directly says the name of it, which is impressive. Jeremiah
says "the height of the hill," and the meaning is "the height of God."
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.
I'd like to directly apologize for a mistake I made in the past. When I
originally read this verse and made a short, I said that "as the eagle" meant
being as, and not comparing. That was wrong, and Jeremiah 49:16 clarifies that
mistake.
God is comparing them to an eagle. Why does God specifically compare them to an
eagle?
The Palestinian coat of arms is the Eagle of Saladin.
And there's another layer: why an eagle?
Look at Job 39:27 to 28:
"Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth
and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place."
The Palestinian coat of arms is the Eagle of Saladin, and eagles in scripture
set their nests in high places.
Jeremiah 49:16's cross reference: "though thou shouldest make thy nest as high
as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.”
The exaltation motif continues in this verse, and God adds to it that "though
thou set thy nest among the stars."
There are multiple interpretations for that verse.
The first interpretation is by Don Nesbitt: that it is a space base.
The second interpretation is that it could be a space elevator; there is nothing
saying it can't be.
However, the third interpretation is what I believe to be true regardless of the
first or second: there is an exaltation motif, and the verse will always have
that layer regardless of whether you think there is a more physical
interpretation.
If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they
not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would
they not leave some grapes?
This verse is explanatory. God is reinforcing how screwed they are; Jesus even
says, "how art thou cut off!" I want to emphasize that: God explicitly added
that into a sentence where it is already emphasizing how screwed they are.
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
There is a cross reference: 1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore judge nothing before
the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall
every man have praise of God."
Obadiah is when the day of the LORD occurs, which is when the Lord comes.
All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: 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: there is none
understanding in him.
This is a cross reference to Psalm 83.
Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom,
and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
Here is my current understanding of Obadiah: it applies to Palestinians;
however, Edom is a catch-all term for West Bank Palestinians, and the mount of
Esau is Ramallah.
Now, I could be wrong and Obadiah applies to both Gaza and the West Bank;
however, my current understanding is that this is specifically targeted at West
Bank Palestinians per verses 3 and 11.
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.
The exact area of Teman is unknown. What we do know from the verse is this:
Teman has mighty men. This doesn't narrow it down, as this is after the war of
Psalm 83, which means we don't know how that'll fully go.
Any amount of trying to figure out who Teman is, is truthfully speculation.
Jenin has the Al-Quds Brigades and the aptly named Jenin Brigades. Jenin had
some of the worst fighting in the intifadas.
Nablus has the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.
Tulkarm has the Tulkarm Brigade. Tulkarm starts with a T.
Again, all speculation. Here's even more speculation.
The reason I didn't say this earlier is that I wanted the intro to be short.
The Jews have spiritualized Amalek, Israel's original enemy, who were highway
bandits who tried attacking them (Exodus 17, Deuteronomy 25, 1 Samuel 15, and
Esther 3).
Jews spiritualize Amalek and call anyone who is a Jew-hater,think Hitler, Hamas,
or Hezbollah,Amalek.
I think God has done this with Edom, who stopped Israel from using the King's
highway originally.
God has spiritualized Edom and is using that label for West Bank Palestinians.
Logically, we can infer something about who Teman is from who the original Teman
was.
This is an inscription from the 9th century BC:
"I bless you to Yahweh of Teman and his asherah"
Modern Bibles translate it as Yahweh; however, Yahweh was a desert pagan god for
fertility. Jehovah, as properly translated by the King James Bible, is the
proper name.
That being said, I am not a Jehovah's Witness.
Yahweh came from Teman, if we're logically thinking about that inscription.
So, West Bank Teman has to be somewhere with a pagan god and his consort wife.
That doesn't narrow it down for me, because I'm not so good with Judea and
Samaria archaeology.
However, what is known is that Christ speaks that these are dismayed so that
everyone in Ramallah may be cut off by slaughter.
A picture of that is the Jews seeing the promised land and being afraid of the
giants and other strong men.
Numbers 13:32: “And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had
searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have
gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the
people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.”
A very interesting thing is that the first four times the word "dismayed" is
ever used are all linked to the Jewish conquest of Israel:
Deuteronomy 31:8: "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be
with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be
dismayed." Joshua 1:9: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with
thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 8:1: "And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear
not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise,
go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and
his city, and his land:" Joshua 10:25: "And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor
be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all
your enemies against whom ye fight."
Take from that what you will.
For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou
shalt be cut off for ever.
God is banging the hammer and explaining why he is judging them. This verse is
God's statement on every Arab act of violence against Israel and Jews.
In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers
carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast
lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
This invasion of Jerusalem is pictured by many things in history: Nebuchadnezzar
invading Jerusalem, the Romans invading Jerusalem, and even European Jews being
put on trains in the Holocaust.
However, the greatest picture of this is October 7th and the memory of Hamas
kidnapping innocent Jews.
I will not put them on screen: the images of the hostages crying as they are
taken, or the GoPro videos of the Jews being murdered by Hamas.
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.
The ancestors of all Jews are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The ancestors of all Ishmaelites are Abraham and Ishmael.
Jews and Palestinians are related, proving the Bible correct.
Read "Jewish and Middle Eastern non-Jewish populations share a common pool of
Y-chromosome biallelic haplotypes."
The term "the day that he became a stranger" is interesting.
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;
Notice that Edom is able to enter Jerusalem, and notice the proximity. This is
why I believe it is the West Bank: because of how Obadiah describes that they
were present in two ways.
They were standing on the other side. Why would they be standing on the other
side if they are together with the military force invading Israel?
The Bible doesn't exactly give how Edom is involved with the war, aside from
them being involved. Psalm 83 cites them as an enemy.
Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that
did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did
remain in the day of distress.
There are four "neithers" in Obadiah. A type of these all happened on
October 7th.
October 7th is not the fulfillment; however, it is a picture to help you
visualize.
"neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of
their destruction"
There is a lot of footage from when the hostages were just taken back to Gaza,
showing them all rejoicing over the hostages. I won't show it.
"neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress"
There are also a lot of online posts of them rejoicing on that day,so much so
that there is an entire category of pro-Palestinians who want a ceasefire who
were cheering on October 7th.
"Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that
did escape"
Hamas blew up people driving away with rocket launchers.
"neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the
day of distress."
"Delivered up" can mean killing or taking hostages.
For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it
shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
The same wording of a reward falling upon their head is in Joel 3:
"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the
captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, and will
bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there
for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the
nations, and parted my land. 3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have
given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. 4
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of
Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and
speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;"
Notice: "all the coasts of Palestine." Gaza takes hostages; West Bank
Palestinians tend to kill. I did an entire video that is purely text on this:
"How the King James Bible predicts Houthis and Hezbollah | King James Bible is
Perfect."
For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink
continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall
be as though they had not been.
This is probably a reference to Joel 3:3; however, I'm sure there are more cross
references that I am missing.
But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the
house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the
house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and
there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken
it.
This is a cross reference to Psalm 83, and it shows the prayer is fully
fulfilled.
Asaph prayed:
“O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.” “As the fire
burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;”
The House of Jacob is all of Israel, but notice Joseph being involved with Edom.
Why Joseph/Manasseh? There are twelve tribes. Why not Simeon or Dan, who
directly border Judah?
Edom is located at the direct end of the Dead Sea, located at the literal
bottom. Manasseh didn't even border the Dead Sea.
It'd be illogical for Joseph to be involved with the war effort compared to
other, closer tribes.
If you look at a map of the West Bank, it very much overlaps the house of
Joseph/Manasseh and Ephraim, who are both mentioned later on.
Another point: I've thought about how to disprove this being in the past, and I
realized one thing. Every prophecy ever about God restoring Joseph states that
God will save them, restore them back in Israel, and be gracious to them. Every
single one.
In the New Testament, we do not experience the tribe of Joseph. They're still
lost. If this prophecy has been fulfilled, we should've met the tribe of Joseph
in the New Testament:
Amos 5:15: "Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the
gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of
Joseph." Amos 6:6: "That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the
chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph."
Obadiah 1:18: "And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a
flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and
devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the
LORD hath spoken it." Zechariah 10:6: "And I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them;
for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off:
for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them."
The only reference to Joseph is in Revelation, and Revelation is yet to occur.
Watch Vincent Strycula, "The Heresy of Preterism" for more.
19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain
the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of
Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
The southern tribes were Judah and Benjamin; the plains are the coastal plains
of Israel, now Gaza. The fields of Ephraim and Samaria (both of the tribe of
Joseph) are located in the West Bank. Gilead is in Jordan.
20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that
of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is
in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
Self-explanatory. I have no idea where Sepharad is, as this is future tense. It
probably won't be known until it happens.
21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the
kingdom shall be the LORD'S.
I have no idea who these people are, and I won't lie to you that I do.
Sources:
Don Nesbitt - "SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION" (Blue Collar Study) Reloaded Study
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aNSsmWWVjw
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/02/21/why-arab-states-wont-support-palestinians-qa-00142277
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman's commentary
https://kjv1611.org/products/minor-prophets-commentary-volume-1?_pos=1&_sid=742428f02&_ss=r
https://www.amazon.com/Minor-Prophets-Obadiah-Commentary-Believers-ebook/dp/B005CQPSFO
Jewish and Middle Eastern non-Jewish populations
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC18733/
