Lesson 3 Ch 1 cont 2

THE BOOK OF OBADIAH

Lesson 3, Chapter 1 Continued 2

Verse 8 of Obadiah chapter 1 (and there is only 1 chapter in Obadiah) was our drop-off point in the previous lesson. We closed with highlighting that the phrases “when that Day comes”, “the Day of Yehoveh”, “the Day of the Lord”, or just “The Day”, all refer to the same thing: an event of the Lord’s judgment and wrath. That wrath has, in the past, fallen on Israel as well as on a few of the many gentile nations of the world, and the same is prophesied in Obadiah to happen again in the End Times, only on a far larger scale.

As we study Bible prophecy the question for us all is, are we really nearing or in the End Times? And if we are, what, exactly, does that look like? What is its real-world effect on us personally, on our nation, on the world in general? The problem that we face is that life experience is relative. That is, we actually only have our individual generational experience to go by that feels real to us. We can read history books, the Bible, we can have our parents and grandparents tell us what life was like for them, but just how tangible or applicable does that feel for us? We all face the frog-in-the-kettle syndrome in that changes in world conditions generally happen slowly or sometimes incrementally such that we are adapting as we go, and in a relatively short time those changes become merely our new normal, and so, we move on. This is what makes Bible prophecy and its fulfillment hard for us to detect or even accept. And especially in the modern anti-God, trust-science worldview that is the new norm for the Western world, it is not socially acceptable to see dramatic or subtle world events as associated with biblical prophecy. This is a trap that we must avoid as Believers. And with the risk of being labeled a hysteric, or a backward thinking person, I tell you that what we are reading about in Obadiah and in other prophetic books about Israel and the gentile nations in the End Times is underway. It may be early in the process, but it is here, now. If you believe that, or think it might be true, then pay close attention because you are likely going to personally have to deal with what is being foretold. If not…well, then everything you’re going to hear from me is but science fiction and fairy tales.

In the Book of Obadiah, Edom is the primary focus as the recipient of God’s wrath. However, Edom is meant to be viewed in two forms: one, as the sovereign nation itself, and two, as the representative type of all the gentile nations of the world. That is, while it might not happen simultaneously, the sorts of things that God’s wrath will bring down on Edom will happen in like kind to all (or many) of the nations of the world. What is just as important to recognize is that God’s wrath will be directed towards these other nations for the same reasons it will with Edom. It will be because of their bad treatment of, and lack of support for, Israel. This reality will become more apparent as we go along in today’s lesson.

The best way to set the direction of today’s lesson is to re-read Obadiah starting at verse 8.

READ OBADIAH CHAPTER 1:8 – end

Just as parents are often dismayed as their children arrive at the legal age of adulthood, and for a few years afterward (hopefully very few!) do not reflect any kind of wisdom but rather seem to make decisions and choices that are baffling and at times self-defeating, so according to verse 8 it will be for Edom. The term “wise men” of Edom means their leadership…religious, governmental and academic. The men that are in a position of influence and authority who have been counted on to make the best possible decisions for the welfare of the people and the continuation of the homeland. But, now, those same people who have heretofore helped Edom to ascend in power and wealth and prestige seem to forsake the wisdom they claim to have and instead make unwise decisions that send their nation into a downward spiral.

The concept being spoken of here is that the unwise decisions of Edom’s leading men include policies of bad, oppressive treatment of Israel or even simply a lack of support when other nations might oppress or attack Israel. Nothing I’ve just said is difficult to understand; what is harder, however, is to move this beyond an ethereal concept without form to a clear mental picture of just what that could look like in practice. Verses 12 through 14 helps to draw that clear mental picture by God telling Edom what they must not do as regards Israel. We’ll get more into those kinds of details shortly.

I mentioned in our introduction to Obadiah that this book is very complex both in its message and in its construction. The first 18 verses are mostly Hebrew poetry, so we have to be looking more to the thought-pattern being presented than to the exact literal meaning. That is, Obadiah is quite difficult from a technical standpoint to interpret and so there is little choice than to examine the sentence structures and choice of words from a biblical Hebrew grammar approach combined with how certain words and thoughts are used in Hebrew poetry versus how those same words are used in normal rhetoric in order to extract proper meaning. So, I apologize in advance for the detail in which we’ll look at some of these sentences, but without doing so we’ll miss much of what Obadiah is telling us.

In Obadiah chapter 1 verse 8 Yehoveh says that He will destroy the wise from Edom. Because of the Hebrew grammar (combining a personal object with a verb), the notion of destroying the wise means that those wise men (the leadership) of Edom will literally die, thus also indicating their complete removal from the scene. This is versus “destruction” more meaning they are removed from power or their personal reputations are ruined. As a consequence of these men’s removal from leadership Edom will find itself a rudderless ship. A rudderless ship wanders aimlessly and is also easily overtaken by an enemy.

One of the reasons that the subject of wisdom is brought up is that in that ancient era Edom was widely known for its wisdom. Likely this wisdom was of a purely humanistic, secular type that allowed for economic expansion along with creating a strong military, manifested by the political decisions the leaders made. But, according to the prophecy, there will be a reversal of fortune. Those wise men will die and leave Edom with other leaders who will not be adept at leading the nation. This will lead to its weakness and its downfall. And, of course, this is what has happened throughout history to nearly every nation that has ever existed, and it continues to happen that way in modern times.

The mention of Mt. Esau is more than a parallel term with Edom. Remember: what we are looking at is Hebrew poetry so this sort of thought-pattern structure is regularly used . But, it also serves to remind us that Edom’s founder is Esau. Esau is not just a founding father, the way the USA might look at George Washington. He is far more than a historic figure or fact. Biblically speaking, Esau represents all of humanity that is not in covenant with God; while his brother Jacob, called Israel, represents all those who are. This is why we must pay close attention to what happens to Edom because the same is going to happen for all those nations whose leaders and people are not in covenant with the God of Israel… so are automatically opposed to Israel.

God gave a similar message to others of His Prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In Jeremiah we read this:

CJB Jeremiah 49:7-8 7 Concerning Edom, this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: "Is there no wisdom left in Teman? Have her wise men forgotten how to counsel? Has their wisdom vanished? 8 Flee! Turn back! Hide yourselves well, you who live in D'dan; for I am bringing calamity on 'Esav, when the time for me to punish him comes.

And in Ezekiel:

CJB Ezekiel 25:12-13 12 "Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because Edom has taken severe vengeance against the house of Y'hudah, incurring much guilt by its acts of vengeance against them, 13 therefore,' Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I will stretch my hand out over Edom and eliminate both its humans and its animals. I will make it a ruin; from Teman to D'dan they will die by the sword.

In verse 9 of Obadiah, we’re told that Edom’s warriors…or more literally, their mighty men, which indicates their best soldiers or even war heroes more than simply run-of-the-mill soldiers… will become terrified and, therefore, become ineffective. That is, either they run from the enemy or throw down their weapons and surrender, when before this event they were among the bravest and fiercest of all their warriors. In my opinion, what most likely causes this seeming swing from bravery to cowardness is actually more a sense within Edom’s battlefield military leaders that their nation’s leadership is not worth fighting for. They are not willing to lay down their lives (or ask those soldiers under them to lay down their lives) for an incompetent and/or morally corrupt leadership who sees the soldiers as but cannon fodder for their political ambitions and personal wealth aspirations. This is, again, something that has happened all throughout history and is happening in modern times as well. When the soldiers of a nation’s military feel they have nothing worthy to fight for, they are very reluctant to lay down their lives just because they are told to do so. So, at best, they become a reluctant and ineffective fighting force. At worst they simply refuse to fight. Therefore, the absence of effective military protection results in the enemy slaughtering the nation’s governing leaders, and in this way “wisdom” is removed from Edom and its demise becomes complete. This is what I think these prophetic words are getting at.

The mention of Teman is interesting if for no other reason there is no academic agreement on what or where this is. Some think it is a city in southern or southeastern Edom. Others think it is the entire southerly region of Edom. Others think it is up north in Edom and associated with the known city of Bozrah. Be that as it may, in the end what we can be certain of is that the term Teman, and especially when it pairs with the term Bozrah, is but another word to indicate all of Edom. Such use of multiple terms for the same place is common in Hebrew poetry.

Verse 10 explicitly explains just why God is going to intervene in human affairs and cause this slaughter of Edom’s leadership and the disbanding of Edom as a nation. It is because of the violence and harm Edom has done against Israel. Very likely this is much less about any direct armed attack of Edom upon Israel. It is quite interesting that, as I write this lesson in the early spring of 2024, Israel is in a war for its existence against an Islamic faction called Hamas. In Hebrew the word for violence is hamas, and that is the word used in this verse. Hamas in Arabic carries with it the sense of zealousness as in battle. What is also rather fascinating is that the Hebrew and Aramaic sense of the word hamas includes murder and rape and the acquisition of the property and land of another through an unjust means. The October 7, 2023 sneak attack upon Israel by the Islamic faction Hamas included barbarous and murderous atrocities, along with sexual violence against little girls and women. And their goal is to boot Israel from their land and take it in order to make it an Islamic Palestinian State. Can this mention of hamas in prophecy be pure coincidence? Can it also be coincidence that we find explicit biblical prophecy saying that Edom (Jordan) is going to bear the brunt of God’s wrath because of hamas against Israel? Or ought we to take it as yet another example of prophecy unfolding before our very eyes even though the bulk of Christianity or Judaism cannot see it?

What is also interesting is that the Islamic faction called Hamas is not a Jordanian inspired organization; it is Iranian. And yet, Jordan fully supports and aids Hamas’s purposes, intentions, and actions against Israel. What we coincidentally find in historical reality is that Edom itself is not really associated with much in the way of direct military confrontation with Israel but rather they are known more for their co-operation and support for the military actions against Israel that come from other nations. Perhaps the most infamous of all was when Babylon invaded Israel and led the people into exile early in the 6th century B.C., and Edom aided and supported that action. In the next few verses that scenario is actually discussed in terms of what Edom should not have done.

What greatly exacerbates the matter is that Esau is a literal brother to Israel (to Jacob). It’s one thing for Edom to aid and abet an unjust attack on some nation at large. But to do it on a brother nation is beyond the pale… at least it is in God’s eyes. To do it to the nation that God has made covenant with is the worst of the worst. God has made covenant with exactly one people and one nation is all human history: Israel. So, when someone determines to stand against Israel, those persons or nations have put themselves against God because God is the guarantor of that covenant. This is not some ancient myth or protocol that has since become retired. It is the critical factor in everything that is prophesied to happen in the End Times and beyond. Yet, because the Constantinian Church has so blatantly and blasphemously made it a bedrock principle that the gentile church has replaced Israel as God’s covenant people, then everyday Christians simply cannot fathom what is happening as regards Israel, today, in terms of prophetic biblical fulfillments. If you are hearing this message, then any excuse you might have had regarding siding with Israel’s enemies that you are innocent because you didn’t know, has just evaporated. Those with ears, hear.

The resulting consequence for Edom shall be shame. Shame is not an emotion, like the term ashamed means. Shame is a negative social status one does not want to have in a Shame and Honor based society. This type of society is the basis of all Islamic oriented societies, so the whole of the Middle East operates on shame and honor. Shame is the opposite of honor. All people operating in a Shame and Honor system necessarily must be in a state of honor to function normally within their society. To exist in a state of shame is intolerable, and so any means to shuck it off and return to a state of honor will be used even if it results in that person’s death. Thus, the prophecy is that all the people of Edom…modern day Jordan… will be relegated to a social status of shame. A truly terrible thing for them that has nearly no possible remedy.

Let me explain something to you about the intense hatred that exists for Israel since its modern rebirth as a nation in 1948 to try to make all this more real for us. Islam has a core belief that any piece of land that a Muslim steps foot upon is now Muslim land. Since many Muslims lived for centuries as nomads passing through the general area of modern Israel… then for them that land is inherently Muslim. That the offspring of Jacob…Israel… now dwells there as a nation causes a great shame upon all Muslims. Even worse, the several wars of Arab and Persian nations against Israel…all of them resulting in losing… heaps even further shame upon Muslims (from their point of view). This is why there exists such seemingly irrational hatred against Israel and it is why no compromise between Islam and Israel in which Israel continues as a Jewish state is possible. One need only hear the chant from mobs the world over of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine shall be free” to grasp the Muslim worldview. The River in the chant is the Jordan. The Sea is the Mediterranean. In other words, all of Israel. So, even in the chant we’ve all heard on TV and on social media of mobs demonstrating against Israel, their goal is explicitly being stated for all the world to hear. The sphere of Islam cannot escape their shame and return to a place of honor until Israel no longer exists. It is the only remedy according to the protocols of a Shame and Honor society, and according to the doctrines of Islam. There is no option “B”, and there is no possible political compromise.

The final words of verse 10 say that Edom will be cut-off forever. This has never yet happened in history, so this means that the incidences in the past of Edom supporting Israel’s enemies (as with the Babylonian invasion) have not been terminal, like the one that will happen in the End Times. The final incidence of Edom (Jordan) coming against Israel will result in them no longer existing, and with no hope of ever being re-established. Here’s the thing: remember that the term Edom is both the name of a specific nation and its people, as well as a representative type of all gentile nations in general. Since this is an End Times prophecy, it means that God’s wrath against these nations means those nations as currently constituted will cease to exist. So, the effect being spoken of here will extend far beyond the nation of Jordan…possibly to the shores of every nation of every person hearing me.

Verse 11 is a bit odd. It seems a little disjointed and we’ll see if there is a way to approach it that makes it a little more connected. First, though, we need to notice that grammatically speaking, this verse speaks of a past event as opposed to something future in the End Times. And, it is why many Bible scholars think this prophecy was written after the Babylonian conquest of Judah in the early 6th century B.C. A few scholars have suggested that for the sake of understanding this better (and, again, this is Hebrew poetry so every word or sentence isn’t presented in its most readable, straightforward way) we can do a rearrangement of the verses’ component parts to make it clearer. Let me say it plainly that no one is suggesting there is a problem with the text itself. It’s merely trying to understand the verse’s intent, as we try to see through the ancient literary style.

So, here’s what it says in the order it is given:

CJB Obadiah 1:11 On that day you stood aside, while strangers carried off his treasure, and foreigners entered his gates to cast lots for Yerushalayim- you were no different from them.

A way that works better for modern English-speaking Westerners is this:

On that day you stood aside, while foreigners entered his gates; on the Day when strangers carried off his treasure, and cast lots for Jerusalem.

This works much better if for no other reasons than it puts the actions in a proper order. Obviously the foreign invaders have to enter the city gates before they can carry off the property located inside the city walls.

So, God condemns Edom for standing aside and allowing the invading army into Jerusalem, rather than defending the city alongside their brother, Israel. They act as a hostile witness to what is happening or they are completely unconcerned about it. It is of note that the prophecy stresses the idea of foreigners, or strangers, attacking Jerusalem. When we think of family relationships, foreigners and strangers are those who are outside of the family dynamic. Of utmost importance is that these attacking nations are people outside of those who are God’s covenant people. In his commentary on Obadiah, Paul Raabe says the context of the word foreigners or strangers is very much akin to the English word barbarians. So, this is a pretty nasty epithet against the Babylonian invaders and their pals the Edomites. Such a divine viewpoint includes the idea that Edom is no different than Babylon even though Edom would argue that they are different. I cannot stress sufficiently a biblical principle that is found throughout the Old Testament: siding with Israel’s enemy makes you Israel’s enemy. And siding with Israel’s enemy also makes you siding against the God of Israel.

There is a movement today particularly within the West (including America) that says that is not anti-Semitic to side with Palestine against Israel. Rather this is only a personal or political stance, and not a religious stance. This is but a modern spin of deception that attempts to slice that onion far too thin. Those of this movement might try to create that distinction to offer a difference, but Yehoveh clearly does not. Another scenario that is especially prevalent in some branches of Evangelical branches of Christianity is a naive determination to take an even-handed approach. That is, to support and care about Israel as much as they support and care about Israel’s enemies. In fact, it is my opinion that what we generally see today in the Church hovers somewhere between full support for Hamas and the people of Gaza, and trying to provide equal support for both sides. Therefore, not taking firm sides is said to be the loving, Godly approach for a Believer. We see no such choice is available in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament we read the following about the nature of attempted neutrality or even-handedness on moral issues of all kinds.

CJB Revelation 3:15-16 15 "I know what you are doing: you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth!

Taking sides is the duty of God worshippers. Being neither hot nor cold… neutrality…choosing neither good nor evil…acting like Switzerland…is not an option for Believers. We are to stand with God’s covenant people and nation without reservation. This doesn’t mean we have to agree with their every political decision. But, as in the case of this current Gaza-Israel war, it certainly wasn’t started by Israel. They were attacked and now are fighting back. But the world, and many within the Christian sphere, is throwing its support against Israel and for the Palestinians. This will have long lasting consequences of the most negative kind for those foolish enough to think they can have it both ways.

The idea of casting lots for Jerusalem is probably not literal but rather it is said to make a point. Casting lots was a common way in ancient times to help make a decision, and it was used to decide how to divide up something of value. The problem here is that Jerusalem equals Mt. Zion, and Mt. Zion equals the place that God calls His own. It is where He rules from in a figurative sense, and will rule from in a literal sense in the Millennial Kingdom. So, for an enemy to think they can divide up and take that which belongs to God is folly. It doesn’t mean that they might not try, and that they might not succeed for a time, but in the end such an act is suicidal.

Now as we approach verses 12 – 14 we are prepared for what God says Edom ought not have done. It speaks of Edom’s open hostility towards Israel (primarily Judah) and what it was they did to demonstrate that hostility that will lead to their extinction.

CJB Obadiah 1:12-14 12 You shouldn't have gloated over your kinsman on their day of disaster or rejoiced over the people of Y'hudah on their day of destruction. You shouldn't have spoken arrogantly on a day of trouble 13 or entered the gate of my people on their day of calamity- no, you shouldn't have gloated over their suffering on their day of calamity or laid hands on their treasure on their day of calamity. 14 You shouldn't have stood at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives or handed over their survivors on a day of trouble."

These are 8 quite specific commands of what Edom should not have done in the past, and by extrapolation, better not do in the End Times (although, we already know that they will do all these things again). Because Edom is modern day Jordan, we can see what Jordan has done and is doing regarding Israel. While not all 8 actions are happening by Jordan, some are such as gloating over Israel on the day of their calamity.

I want to speak to something now that is quite unsettling for me to do, because it is not my practice nor goal to ever be political. On the other hand, politics has invaded what once was the exclusive territory of faith communities, and so what I must speak about is so current that it is not possible to speak of it in terms that avoid indicting which side of the political isle the current government of the West, and of America, represent. I will do this because the seriousness of the matter concerns Believers and God worshippers of all kinds, and is so vast in its impact because it is precisely what the prophecy of Obadiah is revealing to us. We need to take it to heart and act upon it where we can.

America and the West initially were behind Israel after the people of Gaza, led by Hamas, attacked, killed, raped, and kidnapped hundreds of Israeli citizens, some of whom…now almost 6 months later… are still being held. These include the elderly, the disabled, small children even babies. Now, however, American and European leaders of the current governing administrations have become far more concerned with the welfare of the people that perpetrated this atrocity than for those who suffered it. The people that danced in the streets when the Israeli hostages were brought to Gaza, when some of the murdered Israelis were pulled naked through the streets behind vehicles and spit upon, and when Hamas’s own videos they took of the bloodshed were proudly put out on the Internet for all to see, are now being depicted as victims. Israel, which is fighting for its right to exist and through great sacrifice is making excellent inroads to destroying the army of Gaza and its leadership, are being told by America’s President and his State Department, and by virtually all the leaders of the European nations, that they must stand down. The enemy continues to hold onto the hostages, continues to fire rockets indiscriminately into Israel, and continues to maintain its stance that they will never be satisfied until their goal of wiping Israel off the face of the earth is accomplished. They refuse to back down or surrender, upon which time the fighting would stop and their decimated cities and towns could begin the long task of rebuilding. But, Israel is now viewed as being in the wrong, and is being threatened by the leadership of what to this point has been its greatest ally, the USA. The UN just passed a resolution demanding that Israel stop fighting and rather than veto it (as they could have), the USA only abstained from voting, which is essentially a yes vote. The World Court in the Hague is hearing a series of actions brought by various nations wanting Israel’s leadership arrested and put on trial for the crime of defending themselves and trying to rout out a great evil that is Hamas.

The UN organization called UNRWA was caught red-handed helping Hamas attack Israel, and a number of nations stopped supporting it. Now in the name of fairness and even-handedness, most nations have turned the money-spout back on so that millions and millions of dollars directed to UNRWA that are supposed to aid Gazan citizens will in reality fall into the hands of Hamas. In the USA, at college campuses throughout the nation, thousands and thousands of students and teachers have marched in support of Gaza and Hamas, and in condemnation of Israel, even of Jews in general. The same is being repeated all over Europe.

But worse, many of America’s traditional Churches regularly send up prayers for the Palestinians, send money for aid to them, join in condemning Israel for battling so fiercely against Hamas, and blame Israel for the conflagration saying that if Israel had just given the enemy what they wanted in the first place none of this would have happened. The mantra is that it is only right that Israel should give up more land and be supportive of an independent Palestinian State with a corridor built through the heart of Israel that joins Gaza to the West Bank. Now; how does all this square with what we have read today in Obadiah? Or in others of the Prophets? If you are part of the Constantinian Church (meaning every branch of the Church since the 4th century), you say it doesn’t matter because what the Old Testament says no longer matters. If you are one of the countless millions in the Constantinian Church, you’ll hear preached that since Jesus is love so we are to love the Palestinians equally with the Israeli Jews. To that I say this is simply not so. Such a stance is not biblical. It only expresses a misunderstanding of the “love your enemies” instruction, as well as the modern attitude of replacing God’s definitions of love, mercy, and justice with our own intellect and emotions.

The other thing that I must say is this: clearly the tide has turned. One side of America’s political aisle and the West in general are now staunchly and proudly anti-Israel, anti-Jew. I don’t have to say which side it is because it is on our news media every hour of every day, and the words are present in our politicians’ speeches. Some of the steps taken to harm Israel probably can’t be undone even if a new regime who might feel more positive towards Israel was to be put into power. Thus, I am compelled to alert you: if God’s Word is true (and it is) then what other conclusion is possible except that our future that in any way resembles a history of, or a hope for, blessing and bounty is greatly in doubt. History proves that nations that go against God’s recorded will and morality code, and sets itself against God’s people, will not thrive or survive in the long run. Calamities within those nations invariably increase in proportion to their morality decreasing and their oppression of the Jewish people increasing. Abundance gives way to scarcity. Stability and peace give way to aimlessness, violence and turmoil. Wisdom and common sense flee and are replaced with convoluted humanistic ideals brought forth from our intellectual elites, and from irrational governing philosophies of our politicians that have never proved workable, only destructive. And yet, in the face of a rapidly crumbling society these notions, ideals, and philosophies are embraced to the death.

Folks, the scriptural bottom line is that Israel’s ongoing existence is assured by God; the ongoing existence of every other nation is not. In fact, our nation’s destruction…and the destruction of most nations… is assured. I caution all who call on Christ for salvation: you cannot go against God’s chosen people, Israel, and think that you are in good standing with the Almighty. You cannot stand with Israel’s enemies and be blessed. You cannot attempt straddle the fence that exists between good and evil. You cannot blur the distinction between God’s covenant people and those who are not. Dear friends of the Constantinian Church…and that is who you are even though most of you have no knowledge of this reality… God made all of His covenants including the New Covenant with Israel… not with anyone else. All of us have one way and only one way to become part of those covenants, and that is to be joined to God’s covenant people. Trusting in Messiah Yeshua is the means that allows us to be grafted into the covenant people of Israel by bowing to God’s covenants with Israel and accepting and obeying the terms and provisions of those covenants… all of them. And if we claim we have done so, then it is neither scriptural nor rational to also support Israel’s enemies. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

I’m a born optimist. So, it pains me to say that in my opinion the entire world can now expect only increasing turmoil, lawlessness, chaos, and catastrophes as God pulls back from us…and justly so. I’ll never forget going on 20 years ago, on August 15, 2005, after unbearable pressure had been applied upon Israel by America and Europe to empty Gaza of thousands of Jews who had lived there for decades, and so were forced to turn it over to the Palestinians, that only 8 days later one of the worst calamities ever to hit America…Hurricane Katrina…happened. A few brave Pastors had the courage to suggest out loud that the connection between those two events was remarkable and shouldn’t be regarded as coincidence. However, our government and the Catholic Pope and most of Protestant Christianity denounced those Pastors for what they said mostly because they believe that God’s wrath is a thing of the past. I have little doubt that soon, when something terrible and unprecedented again happens, there will be some faith leaders who rightly see the connection and say so, but most will deny it because they are blind to it. Obadiah predicts exactly this scenario as we approach the End Times.

At this point, I think mankind has crossed over some cosmic line in the sand and stand firmly on the wrong side of it. I have serious doubts that we’ll be able to do enough repenting to bring God’s blessings back upon my nation or yours…but I hope I’m wrong. So, as I have been urging for some time now: no matter where on this planet you live, if you believe God you know turmoil and catastrophe are coming our way…we just don’t know the day or the hour… so, prepare. Above all prepare your spiritual life. But also prepare your pantry and your finances. God is gracious to tell us in advance of what is coming, even if dates and times aren’t provided, giving us the opportunity to prepare but only for those who listen and believe. He also tells us what triggers His wrath and what signs to look for. Obadiah tells us what those signs are and what that trigger is, and I believe those signs are now present and the triggering action has occurred.

We’ll continue with Obadiah next time.