Micah's End-Times Prophecy

We had one final chapter of Isaiah and several from Micah today, all of which were cryptic prophecies regarding end-times. I have always wanted to know more about eschatology but confess that I know very little about it. I could spend hours researching these chapters and still not be able to fully understand nor communicate what is happening. So please take whatever I write regarding end-times prophecy with a grain of salt! I will try my best to succinctly regurgitate what I have read on the subject.

In the 35th chapter of Isaiah, the destruction of Edom is predicted. Verse 8 tells us that "Edom will be paid back for all it did to Israel". The judgement that is described is very severe, which made me wonder what they did that was so bad. Who were the Edomites and what became of them? And why do they figure so prominently in end-times prophecy? For it is not only Isaiah, but also Micah, Obadiah, Joel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Jeremiah, who speak of this notable annihilation.

Remember that the Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother who sold him his birthright. There had probably always been enmity between them, due in large part to the favoritism shown by their parents, but the rivalry escalated when Jacob stole his brother's blessing from Isaac. Esau settled just south of Judah and married several women from pagan cultures, including an Ishmaelite (the tribe from which modern-day Arabs hail). The Amalekites were part of the Edomites and as a group committed many violent atrocities against Israel. The Edomites eventually joined forces with Nebuchudnezzar in the Babylonian captivity of Israel and delighted in her destruction. In many ways, Edom as a nation continued to act the part of the jealous sibling. Obadiah 1:10 says that because of violence toward it's brother (Israel), Edom would be completely cut off.

Edom was eventually overtaken by other Arab nations before being completely annihilated by the Romans in 106 AD. No one knows what became of the people, as the "Edomites" no longer exist. But they are presumed to have assimilated in and around the Jews themselves, becoming part of the people-group known as Palestinians today. "Edom" therefore is used in reference to Palestinians when discussing end-times prophecy. Referring back to the passage from Obadiah, "violence towards your brother", takes on a whole new meaning. The land the Edomites' occupied is in modern-day Jordan and it's most prominent cities, Bozrah and Petra, are now desolate archaeological dig sites. However, both cities play large roles in end-times prophecy.

Tomorrow's reading: Micah 6-7, 2 Chron. 32:1-8, 2 Kings 18:13-37, Isaiah

Isaiah continued

Today's reading continued in theme with what we read yesterday. There are several things going on. First, Isaiah speaks of the futility of trusting in "chariots and charioteers" to save Israel from the Assyrian threat. Judah would be judged for her lack of faith, in the form of the Babylonian captivity (Babylon rose to power in the wake of Assyria's downfall). In chapter 30:9-11, the prophet speaks of God's displeasure with the attitude of His people, who only wanted to hear what they wanted to hear... "don't tell us what is right", "tell us nice things", "get off your narrow path", "stop telling us about your Holy One". This description sounds pretty typical of the modern-day church-goer, doesn't it?

Isaiah goes on to talk about the future destruction of Assyria (which would come at the hands of Babylon) and then the future deliverance of Israel. This section refers to end-times doctrine, specifically a time when a righteous king (the Messiah) would come and rule from Jerusalem.

Tomorrow's reading: Isaiah 34-35, Micah 2-5

Isaiah's vision

Isaiah is a double-whammy of difficulty for me, as the book is both prophetic AND poetic. And to make matters worse, he dusted off a Leviathan reference just to really confuse me, (see previously post from January 31st). I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Leviticus! It was crazy in places with it's mildew regulations and rules about what fabrics could be worn together, but it was easy to understand! Isaiah has now transitioned into a vision regarding the future of Jerusalem and the entire earth. It is thought to be apocalyptic in nature, referring to events of the end times when the earth will be destroyed again (though not by flood) and rebuilt, and when God will reign from Jerusalem in that new earth. Yet, like many other prophecies, there is a two-fold fulfillment...one in the near future and one in the distant future. The "near future" fulfillment of Isaiah's vision may have been the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred 100 years after Isaiah's death. Frankly, it is difficult to know exactly what Isaiah is talking about.

Remember, there is a great deal of the Bible that is not meant to be fully understood. God has revealed much of Himself and His plan to us, but not all. I don't know if it frustrates you like it does me when something in the Bible doesn't make sense, but if it does, then join me in reaffirming 1 Corinthians 13:12. It reads, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known". Someday it will all make sense...

Tomorrow's reading: Isaiah 30-33

Emerging from the Psalms

Thank goodness the Psalms are actually songs, many of which have been put to music in our time. I have been amazed at how many popular praise and worship songs have sprung to mind as I've been reading the psalms. Their lyrics have been lifted right off the pages of the Bible! We have officially passed the mid-point of the Bible. Did you know that the exact center of the Bible is Psalm 118:8, which reads "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men." Interesting trivia. Another interesting thing I learned from the arrangement of the Psalms in the chronological Bible, is that they were not all written by David, nor written during his lifetime. I have never lingered in the Psalms nor given them much thought, and always assumed they were all David's. The Psalms are attributed to David because he wrote the majority of them, with authorship of at least 73 of the 150. But Moses, Solomon, the sons of Korah, Asaph ( David's choir director), and several others also had a hand in composing the book. Additionally, many are anonymous, and therefore of an undetermined date.

After passing through this collection of Psalms, we jump right back into Isaiah and his prophecies regarding the threat of Assyria to Israel and the surrounding nations. Judgement was coming to all of them in the form of military conquest. Israel continued to look elsewhere for help, specifically to Egypt, out of a lack of faith in God's protection. God wanted to make a point, through Isaiah, that hoping in Egypt was futile, as that nation would soon succumb to the Assyrians as well. In Isaiah 20:3-6, he is asked to deliver this message NAKED AND BAREFOOT. Apparently, it was commonplace for a conquering nation to remove captives from the land by stripping them, and essentially humbling and shaming them. Isaiah's humiliation (which he apparently endured without hesitation), was to be an object-lesson to the people of Israel. This prophecy is dated at 713 BC. Israel, the northern kingdom, had already fallen to the Assyrians ten years prior. In 701 BC, twelve years after this prophecy was received, Sennacherib of Assyria conquered Egypt. 100 years later, Assyria fell to Babylon, who began the process of conquering Judah 12 years later.

Tomorrow's reading:Isa. 24-26, 29

Later Psalms

You know how I glaze over when I get to a long run of Psalms! Keep reading!

tomorrow's reading: Psalm 47-49, 84, 85, 87

Proverbs 30 and 31

Proverbs 30 and 31 closed out the collection compiled by King Hezekiah's scribes. Noboby really knows who the authors were; whether Agur and Lemuel were actual people or just pseudonyms of Solomon. For example, Lemuel means "belonging to God"' and Agur means "gatherer or collector", both of which could be construed as alternate names for Solomon. And several times in Proverbs, Solomon refers to himself as "the preacher", so it would not have been out of character to use a pen name. However, there are a few clues that work against this theory. For example, the writing style of Agur's poetry was very different than the remaining proverbs. He repeatedly uses the phrase..."there are three things, no four...". A second clue is from one of my favorite verses from Proverbs 30. Agur asks that God give him neither riches nor poverty, yet Solomon was known to be the wealthiest man on earth at the time.

In regard to Lemuel, there is no record in Kings or Chronicles of any king in Israel by that name, so if not Solomon, then he must have been a God-fearing foreign king. There are evidently a number of words borrowed from other languages in the poem, which is consistent with this theory. Some object to the notion that a non-Jew could have penned any book of the Old Testament, but if these men were true believers, why not?! I don't see how this would cause any problems with the authenticity of Scripture because God can inspire whomever He chooses. Many scholars suppose that when Hezekiah's scribes were assembling the king's favorite proverbs, others were included as being the king's current favorites, written much later than Solomon's time.

Proverbs 31 speaks for itself, but I do want to draw your attention to the verse in the previous chapter that asked several questions about the identity of God, specifically the name of His son!!! Awesome....

Tomorrow's reading: Psalm 42-46

More Proverbs

As much as I like Proverbs, I can't find much to comment on. I do love that they are succinct and simple and for that reason would make great daily readings for my boys. Just one verse a day could provide lots of discussion about good character, moral living, etc. Completing the entire Bible will be a big accomplishment and we are officially half way there! Keep at it...

Tomorrow's reading: Proverbs 30-31