The book of Ezekiel is one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. It was authored by Ezekiel who was set as a watchman to the house of Israel.
Ezek 3:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
The thirty-fifth chapter of Ezekiel is about a prophecy against Edom or mount Seir.
Mount Seir will become desolate
Ezek 35:1-6 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it, and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
- I will stretch out My hand against you,
- And make you most desolate;
- I shall lay your cities waste, And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Because you
- have had an ancient hatred, and
- have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end,
therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you.
God is against Edom and make their inheritance desolate and lay their cities waste because they had an ancient hatred and have shed blood of the children of Israel at the time of their calamity. There are two important lessons for us. We must not have any ancient hatred against anyone and not to cease opportunity to punish anyone when God is judging others through other means. If we do so, God will judge us the same way we judge others.
Matt 7:1-2 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
This is exactly what Jesus Christ taught us in the gospels.
Ezek 35:7-9 Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns. And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. I will make you perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; then you shall know that I am the LORD.
Considering the fact that this prophecy is more than two and a half millennia old, we can clearly see that Edom which is currently in southern Israel/Jordan border is in perpetual desolation.
Ancient Hatred
Ezek 35:10-13 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them,’ although the LORD was there, therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’ Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me and multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them.”
God is explaining how the ancient hatred is developing into bloodshed. Edom showed anger and envy because of their hatred and spoken blasphemies against the mountains of Israel. Edom assumed that Israel was given to them to consume and boasted against the God of Israel.
Ezek 35:14-15 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom–all of it! Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’
Therefore, because of their rejoicing when house of Israel was desolate, the whole earth will rejoice when God will make all of Edom desolate. We do know that Edom no longer exists and it is desolate. But when in history did they become desolate?
According to historical records (ref: britannica.com), Edom and Moab were conquered by the Nabataeans, and the Edomites migrated to southern Judaea, where they were known in New Testament times as Idumaeans. Then, they disappeared from history. Nabataeans left no lengthy historical texts. Hence, we don’t know the nature of the conquest by Nabataeans and the desolation of Edom.
You can also look into: Obadiah – Judgment on Edom for similar prophecy against Edom.
Thank you! Ezekiel is not an easy read for me, so this is helpful. I love how it was shared that we need to leave the judging an punishment up to God. It reminds me that I need to graciously extend forgiveness and pray for God to show mercy to others as Jesus prayed for his enemies while he was on the cross.