Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

Who Is Esau or Edom in Bible Prophecy?

by HOIM Staff

A little understood but vitally important rivalry, down through the corridors of time, is briefly highlighted in the pages of Scripture. This intense and fundamental conflict and sibling rivalry began even before the birth of the two brothers, Esau and Jacob! Notice!

"And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger" (Genesis 25:21-23).

Esau came out of the womb first, "red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau ("hairy").

"And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob ["Supplanter"]....And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents" (see Genesis 25:24-27).

Esau was a man of powerful lusts and drives, and there was great competition between him and Jacob. Isaac loved Esau and favored him, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob" (v. 28). Esau was firstborn, but when he was hungry, he sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of lentil or bean soup (vs. 29-34); "thus Esau despised his birthright" (v. 34).

Nevertheless, when Isaac grew old, and the time came for him to bless his sons, he intended to bless Esau with the choicest blessings (Genesis 27:1-4). However, Rebekah overheard him, and Rebekah plotted for Jacob for him to impersonate Esau, and gain the blessing Isaac was about to bestow. Thus by subterfuge and clever deception Jacob gained the blessing (Genesis 27:5-38). The only "blessing" Isaac had left to give Esau was that his dwelling would be far from the fatness of the earth. Notice the account:

"Then his father Isaac answered him: 'See, away from the fatness of the earth shall your home be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you break loose, you shall break his yoke from your neck'" (Genesis 27:39-40).

The Moffatt translation has this:

"Far from rich soil on earth shall you live, far from the dew of heaven on high; you shall live by the sword and serve your brother; but when you grow restive, his yoke you shall break."

Because Jacob got the blessing from Isaac, Esau hated Jacob with a murderous fury, and plotted to kill him. He muttered, "It soon will be time to mourn for my father, and then I will murder my brother Jacob" (v. 41, Moffatt). He had an attitude just like that of rebellious CAIN! As a result of this bitter hatred and threat, Jacob had to flee for his life.

The Mystery of Esau or Edom

The book of Jubilees contains this same account of Isaac's words to Esau, after Jacob had fraudulently stolen his blessing. It contains this remarkable prophecy:

"Behold, apart from the dew of the land shall be your dwelling, and apart from the dew of heaven from above. And by your sword you shall live, and you will serve your brother. And it will happen WHEN YOU BECOME GREAT [at the End Time!], and you will remove his yoke from your neck, that THEN you will SURELY SIN COMPLETELY UNTO DEATH, AND YOUR SEED WILL BE ROOTED OUT FROM UNDER HEAVEN" (Jubilees 26:34).

This hatred of Esau, in the process of time, became an undying and unmitigated hatred for ever, a hatred which was infused into his children and descendants from generation to generation. This rivalry between these two peoples has continued down through history, and was to be a major factor in end-time prophecy!

Says Peloubet's Bible Dictionary:

"Esau's bitter hatred of his brother Jacob for fraudulently obtaining his blessing appears to have been inherited by his latest posterity. The Edomites preemptorily refused to permit the Israelites to pass through their land (Num. 20:18-21). For a long period we hear no more of the Edomites. They were then attacked and defeated by Saul (I Sam. 14:47), and some forty years later by David (II Sam. 8:13, 14)....They joined Nebuchadnezzar when that king besieged Jerusalem. For their cruelty this time they were fearfully denounced by the later prophets (Isa. 34:5-8; 63:1-4; Jer. 49:17)" ("Edom," p.161).

Because of the coloration of his skin at birth, Esau obtained a second name, and was called "Edom," meaning "Red" (Genesis 25:25; 36:1, 8). Names are significant in the Scriptures. "Red" of course is the color of blood, and bespeaks a bloody type of man, and character. Esau was a warrior and crafty hunter who "lived by the sword." "Red" is also the color of the Beast of Revelation, identifying Esau therefore with the final "BEAST" power (Revelation 17:3-5).

He married two wives, both Canaanites, when he was 40 years old, and because they displeased his parents greatly, he later married an Ishmaelite woman, a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 26:34-35; 36:1-2). It is worthy of note that the Spanish also married the descendants of Ishmael, during the Middle Ages, when the Moors -- Arabic peoples descended from Ishmael -- crossed over from Africa to Spain, under the banner of Islam. Esau, it appears, has always been a great proponent of intermixing the populations and racial intermarriage. His family line is also noted for incest, adulterous liaisons, and "confusion" in morality, as the Jewish Chumash, Art Scroll edition, shows:

"In the literal sense of the verses and from the parallel genealogies in Chronicles, it becomes clear that many of Esau's descendants were products of incest and illegitimacy....Esau's family was permeated with illegitimacy...The verse [Genesis 26:2] implies that Oholibamah was the daughter of two fathers, Anah and Zibeon, an obvious impossibility. Furthermore, verse 24 describes Anah as Zibeon's son. Consequently, our verse implies that Zibeon cohabited with his own daughter-in-law, Anah's wife, and Oholibamah was the product of their adultery. Thus, she and all her offspring were illegitimate" (p. 192-193).

We are told that "Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his household, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob" (Genesis 36:6). He moved out, lock, stock and barrel. Eventually, his descendants settled in Mount Seir, to the direct south of Israel.

Modern Day Descendants of Jacob and Esau

Interestingly, today the tribes of Israel which were carried into captivity by the Assyrians in 718-721 B.C. have settled in Northwestern Europe, from Scandinavia to France, from Belgium to Switzerland, with the tribe of Joseph in the British Isles and America. Many of the children of Esau also most likely moved out of the Middle East when the Assyrians invaded.

Today, as in ancient times, to the south of Israel we would expect to find the descendants of "Esau." To the south of Israel in Europe, lies the country of "Spain." Also, the Spanish colonized the regions to the south of the United States, in the Western hemisphere. Mexico is largely Spanish mixed with the Indian population -- a mixture of peoples, as Esau married the indigenous populations, once again.

Interestingly, all through history there has been conflict between the sons of Jacob, or "Israel," and the sons of Esau, his wicked older brother. The Bible tells us that Esau was a violent man, a famous hunter, who "despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:34). Esau was a very capable man, and had great abilities, but Isaac gave the birthright promises of national greatness and power to Jacob instead (Genesis 27:20-30). Ever since that time, the descendants of Esau have hated and despised the descendants of Jacob, or "Israel."

As we know, Jacob's descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel, and most of them migrated out of the Middle East and settled in Northwestern Europe, Scandinavia, France, the British Isles, Ireland, Denmark, and North America.

But what about the descendants of "Esau"? History has proved that some of them settled in the region of Turkey, and became the "Ottoman Empire" -- a cruel, brutal historical empire that was finally conquered by the descendants of Jacob -- the British and Americans -- in 1917, when the Turks fought beside the Germans and Austrians, on the losing side.

However, it seems clear that other sons of Esau, like the Israelites, migrated farther west, and settled in Spain, once again to the south of the Israelite nations! The ancient hatred and "blood-feud" and religious animosity between the descendants of Esau and Jacob appears to have been carried down through the ages, and manifested itself in the Middle Ages in the rivalry of the Spanish and the English, and the Spanish and the Americans. This hostility is still evident in the conflict between Spain and England over the rock of Gibraltar, and in the historic rivalry and conflict between Mexico and the United States, an innate reality that goes all the way back to the rivalry and feud between Esau and Jacob in the book of Genesis. Just as "Ephraim" prophetically refers to all of Anglo-Saxon Israel, so "Edom" can embrace the whole Latin world even if most of its descendants do not come from Esau. As a spiritual part of the House of Esau, Spanish America -- especially Mexico -- is destined to play an important role in prophecy.

The remaining Edomites who stayed in Palestine were a thorn in the sides of the Judahite peoples. They sided with Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar attacked the Jewish state. Finally, in the days of the Maccabees, and John Hyrcanus, that king of Judah conquered many Edomites and compelled them to be circumcised, and adopt the Jewish religion. Thus some of the remnants of Edom became incorporated with the Jewish people, and are represented today amongst the peoples known as "Jews." The Babylonian/Edomite religious hierarchy in 1st-century Judea were responsible for putting the Messiah to death -- not the Romans as many seem to think.

A portion of modern-day "Jews" trace their ancestry back to Judah, the son of Jacob (Israel). Another portion can be traced back to Babylonian/Edomite roots while the vast majority of Ashkenazi Jews can be traced back to the Khazars -- a people of Turkic origin. We need to realize that the term "Jews" is NOT an ethnic or racial term but a RELIGIOUS one. The "Jews" of today are made up of many different ethnic/racial groups -- Ethiopian Jews (Hamitic in origin); Chinese Jews (Japhetic in origin); people of the ten northern tribes in dispersion and, of course, those others mentioned above. What the actual Judahite (descended from Judah) percentage is of modern "Jews" is hard to determine, but probably not very high. The vast majority of "true Jews" or Judahites were dispersed across the continent of Europe, entering the British Isles under the name JUTES. There are, residing in the United Kingdom and the former Commonwealth, a large number of true Jews who are totally unaware of their racial origins.

Throughout the New Testament, we read that "the Jews" opposed the Messiah, and persecuted him (John 2:13, 18, 20; 3:1, 25, 4:9). These were the Babylonian and Edomite "Jews" who made up the religious hierarchy centered in Jerusalem and surrounding areas. The true Jews (Judahites) of the Messiah's day mainly populated the region of Galilee and were those the Messiah referred to when he spoke to the woman at the well: "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know; because SALVATION is of the JEWS [Judahites]" (John 4:22, The Emphatic Diaglott). Also, John 1:11 -- "He came to his own, and his own did not receive him."

The problem of ethnicity was also true during the Messiah's day -- although the percentage of Judahites in the land was probably much greater than today. Once again, we have to be careful with the term "Jew" in the New Testament where, in verses such as John 5:10; 5:15-1`6, 18 and John 7:1, the term is referring to "religious" Jews -- NOT ethnic or racial Jews (Judahites). The Judahite people of Judea were taken into captivity by the Romans in 70 A.D. when they destroyed the Temple and the city of Jerusalem, and again in 135 A.D. after the Bar Kokhba revolt and dispersed throughout the Mediterranean area. These were true Jews (Judahites).

The Forgotten History of Edom

Esau, like his brother Jacob, was a wanderer and explorer. They had many attributes in common. The main difference between them was in character: Esau was a hunter and plunderer, whereas Jacob was a skilled worker and industrious husbandman or farmer and rancher.

The family of Esau had settled in the land of Seir, the Horite. We read in Genesis: "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir" (Genesis 36:8-9). Undoubtedly, Esau and his children intermarried with the descendants of Seir the Horite (Genesis 36:20-21) who also dwelt there. In volume 1 of his Compendium of World History, Dr. Herman L. Hoeh of Ambassador College pointed out that Esau, the famous "hunter," became known as "Hercules" among the Gentiles. Writes Hoeh, "Hercules...has been proved to be Esau from Josephus and Greek history" (vol. 1, p. 451).

But in volume 2 of his Compendium of World History, Herman L. Hoeh mistakenly identifies Hercules with Seir, the Horite. Hoeh seems to confuse the accounts of Hercules, in one place calling him Esau, brother of Jacob, and in another Seir, the Horite. However, the misunderstanding is resolved when we realize that Esau became the dominant person in Mount Seir, and took the title of Seir the original Horite. He was, however, Esau the brother of Jacob. It is Esau of Mount Seir that had the on-going "blood-feud" with the line of Jacob down through history -- not the original Seir the Horite!

As such, Esau travelled widely, conquering and dispatching foes. He was known in Africa as Hercules Libycus, renowned for having subdued Libya, and the vast territories that lie west of Egypt (vol. 2, p. 116).

The early history of Spain is given in volume two of the Compendium. Dr. Hoeh points out that 520 years after the Flood, or in 1849 B.C., a great battle was fought in Spain in which many of the prehistoric "giants" were expelled. An Egyptian army led by Osyris Denis (Dionysius) fought and conquered the giants, and one giant was given his sister as wife, settled in Sardinia, and built the city of Norca. The site is famous for traditionally having been inhabited by giants, who left megalithic remains and giant tombs.

After the death of Osyris, Hercules -- Esau -- arrived on the scene. "He challenged the three sons of Gerion [the giant] to personal combat -- three against one -- and slew them all. Hercules [Esau] then turned the government of southern Spain over to Hispal, his son and one of his generals, and departed with the bulk of his army to Italy" (p. 115).

Thus the Biblical Esau began a dynasty of kings that ruled in Spain, beginning with Hispal (1807-1790 B.C.), who built what is now known as Seville. He was followed by Hercules' grandson, Hispanus (1790-1758 B.C.), who gave his name to Hispania (Spain!). He extended his rule throughout Spain, including the central and northern regions previously inhabited by wild tribes.

The time setting of this event corresponds to what is known as the First Intermediate Period in Egyptian history. "It is the period of the patriarch Jacob. The Hercules of these traditions has already been proved to be Seir the Horite [that is, Esau, the ruler of Seir and the Horites]. In Spanish history Hercules is often referred to as 'Oron,' meaning the Horite. He was a king of Egypt..." (ibid.).

Thus we see that the descendants of Esau established themselves as the rulers of Spain at an early period of Spanish history. There remains no doubt, then, that Esau became equated with Spain, and the Spanish dominions and territories scattered around the world, principally in Central and South America! The Spanish-speaking world is descended, in large part, from Esau, the brother of Jacob!

Is Spain Modern "Esau"?

Spain is the most Catholic country in Europe. Spain is more Catholic than Italy itself! During the Middle Ages, Spain was famous for being the most brutal and tyrannical Catholic monarchy on the face of the earth. The "Spanish Inquisition" has gone down in history as the worst and most atrocious religious blood-bath and bestial religious persecution of all time.

The Spanish were also vicious persecutors of the Jewish people, and forced thousands of them into Catholic conversions in the Middle Ages. In fact, while Columbus was discovering America (he was very likely a Jew in the employ of the Spanish king and queen), in 1492, the Spanish had launched an inquisition against the Jews and expelled all who would not convert into exile.

Spain historically has had a great hatred for Protestants and all non-Catholics. It has also had a great hatred for the Jews. Is this hatred a manifestation of the ancient hatred of Esau for his brother Jacob?

We have noted that modern Spain is south of the nations of modern Israel which located in Europe. This parallels the fact that ancient Edom was located south of ancient Israel. Modern Spain has outlets to the sea -- ocean harbors; ancient Edom also had an outlet to the sea -- an ocean harbor -- with a port at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea.

Jacob prophesied of Esau, that he would dwell "far from" the rich agricultural land (Genesis 27:39). Says the Worldbook Encyclopedia of the country of Spain:

"Spain is poor in natural resources. The country has little good farmland, and it lacks many important industrial raw materials....Most of Spain has poor soil and limited rainfall, which make it difficult to raise crops....But agricultural production in most regions has always been low because of the poor soil, dry climate, and inferior Spanish farming methods" (article "Spain," p. 579).

Writes Philo-Israel II in Stolen Birthrights: Jacob, Esau, and Healing the Politics of Revenge --

"Esau was to dwell away from the choice places of the earth given to Jacob. Spain is far more arid than France or most of Europe, and the same is true of Mexico. Edom was to the south of Israel. Spain in the 1500s mounted the Inquisition against the Jews, drove the Dutch to revolt, and tried to invade Britain but were stopped in 1588 by an act of God, the destruction of their Armada. Spain's rulers and settlers now turned their attention to the New World. Mexican Indians seem to be descended from the Canaanite Hivites. One of the tribes in that area was called Chivim....Tradition has it, though, that some of the ruling Spanish element in the Latin American population comes from Kenaz, duke of Esau...Just as Esau's clan came to conquer and amalgamate with the Hivites of Petra, so did the Spanish Conquistadores amalgamate with the Indians they conquered" (pages 3-4).

Thus even the topography and geography of Spain reveal that it could well be a country populated by the modern day descendants of ancient Esau!

The greatest evidence, however, that the Spanish people are at least in large part related to Esau is in their national characteristics -- their idolatrous religious fanaticism, which today is Catholicism, and their brutal historical hatred and antipathy toward the Israelites nations of Europe, in particular the English, and their persecution of Protestants and Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. These traits which bespeak an undying hatred and deep-seated resentment and jealousy are just what one would expect from the descendants of "Esau" toward the descendants of "Jacob"!

According to prophecy, this "rivalry" was to characterize the ongoing relationships of these two people throughout historical time. Finally, the "age of Esau," or this present End-time Babylonish world society, will be replaced by the "age of Jacob" or "Israel." The book II Esdras in the Apocrypha speaks of this principle:

"'What will mark the parting of the times? Or when will the end of the first or the beginning of the second be?'

"And he said to me, 'From Abraham to Abraham, for from him sprang Jacob and Esau, but Jacob's hand held Esau's heel from the beginning. For ESAU IS THE END OF THIS AGE, AND JACOB IS THE BEGINNING OF THE ONE THAT FOLLOWS. For the beginning of a man is his hand, and the end of a man is his heel" (II Esdras 6:7-10).

Esau, or Edom, can be identified with "Babylon," which represents this world age-system, by the fact that both are described as "red." Esau is "Edom" which means "Red," his major characteristic; and Babylon the Great, this world-system, called the "Beast" in Revelation, is also "scarlet" or RED -- "a scarlet colored beast" (Revelation 17:3)!

According to the book of Jasher, Edom's connection with Babylon started with Esau's desire to obtain "the valuable garments of Nimrod, with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole land" (Jasher 27:10). Nimrod was the first tyrant or king over Babylon, the first one after the Flood to establish a "kingdom" (Genesis 10:9-10). His garments represented and symbolized his ungodly and wicked rule. Nimrod is the prototype of all godless people, and means "rebellion" or "he rebelled," from the Hebrew word marad.

Esau patterned himself after the tyrannical king of Babylon. According to the book of Jasher, Esau actually is the one who killed Nimrod and "fought a desperate fight," with two of his aides and killed them, and then fled with Nimrod's garments. When he reached his own homeland, he was weary and exhausted, and it was while in this weakened condition that he "came from the field, and he was faint" (Genesis 25:29), and ravenously hungry, besought Jacob for food, and sold him his birthright for lentil soup!

When he killed Nimrod, and took his garments, Esau assumed another birthright -- that of Nimrod and his Babylonian rule, as one who would not and could not coexist with the way of YEHOVAH God. He inherited the mantle of Nimrod; and he, like Nimrod, went in the "way of Cain."

The prophecies regarding Edom and Babylon are also parallel. Both are not only characterized by the color "red," which stands for "bloodshed," and "violence," but both will be burned and destroyed by fire (Obadiah 1:18; Revelation 18:8). Both will be overthrown "like Sodom and Gomorrah" (Jeremiah 49:18; 50:40). Both their habitations will be made "desolate" (Jeremiah 49:20; 50:45). Both would for a time gain dominion over and afflict "Israel" (Genesis 27:39-40; Daniel 7:21-25; Revelation 12:17, 13:7, 17:6). Both are connected with "mysteries" (Revelation 17:5; Obadiah 1:3-6, "hidden things"). Finally, Israel is destined to be delivered from, and to destroy, both Edom and Babylon (Obadiah 1:16-18 and Revelation 18:4). This deliverance comes about at the coming of YEHOVAH God and the Messiah, when YEHOVAH's people will destroy their oppressors (Zechariah 14:1-4; I Thessalonians 4:14-16; Revelation 19:11-15; Jude 14-15; Daniel 7:26-27; Revelation 18:6; Psalm 149:5-9).

The Role of Spain in History

Spain, of course, is a relatively "small" country, with only a "little power," today. Nevertheless, it has played a very prominent role and was a mighty power, in history -- particularly during the Age of Colonization and Exploration! It has also been perhaps the most staunch and fanatically Catholic "power" in the history of the world, with its religious excesses and brutality a by-word during the Middle Ages. Could history once again repeat itself? Where does Spain really fit in Bible prophecy?

It was Christopher Columbus, flying the flag of Spain, who discovered the "New World," in 1492, thinking he had reached the "Indies." Over the next few centuries, the power of Spain was paramount in Europe. The Spanish conquistadors explored Florida, the Gulf Coast of what was later to become the United States, conquered Mexico and Peru, and Spanish galleons plied the Atlantic ferrying gold and riches back to Spain. The Spanish conquistadores were noted for their cruelty and brutality toward the indigenous populations of the lands they conquered. The Indians were enslaved, treated as vermin, and forcibly "converted" to Catholicism. The primary purpose of Spanish colonies was to plunder and exploit the masses for gold, silver, and profit -- not like the English colonies, to seek freedom of religion, to find a new way of life, to settle down, develop the land and resources, and to build a new and better society!

Spain was an arch rival of France and England during the period of exploration, and as the rivalry for supremacy grew heated and violent, Philip II sent a huge Armada of ships to conquer England in 1588. His plans were ruined by the vagaries of the weather, and the plucky stoicism and heroism of the English sailors, who outfought his magnificent galleons, and defeated his mighty fleet.

Spain's influence still remained strong in the New World, however, until the Spanish possessions each broke away and gained their independence. Finally, in 1898, the Spanish-American war saw the Spanish lose control of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and islands in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Philippine islands in the Far East.

Throughout this period, the two great protagonists for the control and domination of the world were the Anglo-Saxons and the Spanish. The conflict of interests included religion -- Catholicism versus Protestantism -- and geographical and economic rivalry for political dominion. The rivalry lasted throughout the centuries. With the rise of the Anglo-Saxon nations to world prominence, especially the house of Joseph -- the United States as Manasseh and Great Britain and Canada as Ephraim -- the power of Spain has been submerged.

However, what does Biblical prophecy indicate about the future of Spain? The mystery of Spain and the true Biblical identity of the Spanish people has never before been revealed -- or written about! It is as if a vital page of a missing dimension of Biblical prophecy has been ignored, misunderstood, and completely buried in the dustbins of history. Just who is "Spain" in Biblical terms, anyway? And what role will Spain play in Biblical prophecy?

YEHOVAH God's Punishment on Esau

YEHOVAH God Himself says, "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness" (Malachi 1:2-3). In fact, YEHOVAH says of this people:

"Whereas Esau saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, the PEOPLE AGAINST WHOM THE LORD HATH INDIGNATION FOREVER" (Malachi 1:4).

In other words, the ancient hatreds continue, and in the end-times YEHOVAH God will again punish the nations of Esau, because of their perfidy and treachery against their brother Jacob!

In the "Day of the LORD," the time when YEHOVAH God shortly will intervene in world affairs, and send judgment upon this world, Esau, too, will be dealt with severely. We read in Isaiah:

"And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll [the "heavenly signs" which introduce the final "Day of the Lord" -- see Joel 2:31]: and all their host shall fall down [compare Revelation 6:12-17], as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

"For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon IDUMEA [ESAU], AND UPON THE PEOPLE OF MY CURSE, to judgment. The sword of the LORD is filled with blood...for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah [ancient capital of Edom], and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea....For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever" (Isaiah 34:4-10).

Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah predicts concerning Esau, or Edom:

"Flee, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the CALAMITY OF ESAU UPON HIM, the time that I will visit him....But I have made ESAU bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and so he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbors, and he is not....Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse: and all the cities thereof shall become perpetual wastes...Also EDOM shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it" (Jeremiah 49:8-17).

Obviously, to bring such judgment upon itself, during the coming "Day of the LORD," modern "Edom" must be guilty of heinous sins and horrible crimes in the sight of YEHOVAH God! What could stir YEHOVAH up so, that His wrath will be poured out in such unmitigated fury?

The prophet Ezekiel also prophesies against this end-time nation and people, the descendants of Esau:

"Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all IDUMEA, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey" (Ezekiel 36:5).

"Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Because thou hast a perpetual HATRED, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel BY THE FORCE OF THE SWORD in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: Therefore, as I live, saith the LORD GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since you have not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. And I will fill his mountains with his slain men...I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD...Therefore, as I live, saith the LORD GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee" (Ezekiel 35:3-11).

These are horrible predictions and prophecies of impending doom and awesome judgment which will be meted out, in our day, upon the end-time descendants of Esau, or Edom, a people that have had an enduring, centuries long vendetta and hatred against all Israel, the northern tribes, as well as the kingdom of Judah.

The End-Time Prophecy of Obadiah

In the book of Obadiah the prophet, who lived circa 587 B.C., at the time of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, he was inspired by YEHOVAH God to condemn the behavior of Esau, or Edom, and his descendants, for their vicious attitude toward the descendants of Jacob, or Israel. The pride of Esau, YEHOVAH says, will bring him down. YEHOVAH God continues:

"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...

"How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! All the men of thy CONFEDERACY [Psalm 83 -- the Islamic nations, and Catholic Spain] have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at PEACE with thee have DECEIVED thee [the Russians and Oriental hordes?], and PREVAILED AGAINST THEE....

"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. For thy VIOLENCE against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

"In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. 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. 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; 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" (Obadiah 1:6-14).

If Edom is today as it was in the days of ancient Israel and Judah, located to the "south" of modern, end-time Israel and Judah, and is represented by the Spanish peoples of Spain, and Mexico, and others, then this prophecy takes on vital new significance! When the modern nations of Israel fall, and suffer awesome distress -- the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:6-7) -- then modern Mexico will no doubt rejoice, at the calamity of "El Colosso del Norte," the United States, and Mexicans will come across the borders in hordes, to rape, pillage, occupy and devour what they can seize of the United States. In anger and rage, they will re-occupy California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.

Philo-Israel II explains that,

"all of the American Southwest was populated and ruled by Spaniards and Mexicans. After 1820 Anglos poured in, first to Texas, which revolted against Mexico in 1836. In 1845 U.S. President James K. Polk annexed Texas and this led to the Mexican War of 1846-1848 in which the United States seized California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Even though we paid Mexico for them, many Mexican patriots have never accepted the loss of this stolen birthright. Consciously or unconsciously Mexico is taking it back, through immigration, free trade, and a higher birth rate" (Stolen Birthrights, p. 4).

Historically political turmoil in Mexico has often spilled across the border. In 1910, Mexico underwent a violent revolution which led to civil war and the death of 10% of the Mexican population. Roving bands of political armies from both the left and the right terrorized the countryside and one of them, led by Pancho Villa, attacked the state of New Mexico, bringing in the U.S. Army. Some factions were already getting German arms and Mexico was invited to join the First World War on the German side in return for her stolen territories. In light of this, the current issues swirling around our southern border take on tremendous significance.

Tom Chittum (a Croatian immigrant to the U.S.) has written a book entitled Civil War Two: The Coming Breakup of America (Show Low, Arizona, American Eagle Press, 1996) in which he predicts that within a couple of decades Hispanics will be a majority or near-majority in the Southwest and that many will have dual U.S./Mexican citizenship. Spanish will become the majority tongue and the Anglos will move out and the Hispanics move in. Ethnic tensions may well grow and political movements agitating for annexation to Mexico may well emerge.

Mexico has never forgiven the United States for its conquest of that nation in 1848. The memory of their defeat still rankles nationalistic Mexican leaders and agitators, who hate the United States. Even today Mexico is the leading smuggler of dope, cocaine, and drugs into the United States and, interestingly, the drug cartels are the biggest proponents of beheading in this part of the world! A staggering number of people have been beheaded in Mexico in recent years and, it is reported, they learned it from their Islamic namesakes in the Middle East!

Similarly, Spain today still hates the English for their conquest of the rock of Gibraltar, and seizure of that vital sea-gate. Spanish leaders have no love for the English, and if the opportunity afforded itself, would no doubt seek revenge. Is this not part of the ancient blood feud and hatred of Esau?

Note that the prophecy states that Edom will "stand in the crossway" to stop fleeing Israelites from seeking to escape their enemies. Any who foolishly seek "refuge" in these Edomite countries, then, will be turned over to the "Gestapo"-like authorities of the Islamic World Order. Woe be to those who seek to "hide" in Spain, or Mexico, or similar countries, "south of the border." They will be delivered up to their enemies!

Note, too, that Edom is part of a "conspiracy" or "confederacy" against Israel -- that is, an end-time UNION of nations! A similar prophecy is found in Psalm 83, where we read: "They have taken crafty counsel against thy people...They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation...for they have consulted together with one consent: they are CONFEDERATE against thee: the tabernacles of EDOM [Catholic Spain and colonies and Turkey], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabians]; of Moab [Jordanians], and the Hagarenes [border Jordan and Saudi Arabia]; Gebal [Golan Heights and Syria]; Ammon [Jordanians] and Amalek [descendant of Esau -- Sinai Peninsula and Negev]; the Philistines [Palestinians -- Gaza Strip] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanonese]; Asshur [Syrians and Iraqis] is joined with them" (Psalm 83:1-8). This prophecy seems to implicate Catholic Spain and her colonies and the Arab states around Israel!

Note that these are the only "ten nations" mentioned in Scripture that are to attack Israel during the End Times. There is NO MENTION of a coalition of ten European nations anywhere in the Bible!

What About the "Beasts" of Revelation 13?

Revelation 13 indicates that there will be two beasts at the time of the end -- one from the sea and one from the land. While the beast from the land is Islam, the beast from the sea represents the nations controlled by the Vatican.

Beast From the Sea:

The apostle John wrote, in chapter 13, about a frightening beast that came up out of the sea, which had "ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were TEN royal crowns....To it the dragon [Satan] gave its power, its throne and great authority" (Revelation 13:1-2). The fact that this beast "came up out of the sea" is highly indicative of Spain and her empire. Spain was at the height of her sea-power when she acquired her colonies in the New World. As we have seen, the galleons of Spain plied the oceans bringing the conquistadors to conquer new lands and to take the ill-gotten wealth of these lands back to mother Spain. Also, it should be noticed, Spain had (by some counts) TEN COLONIES at the height of her power: New Spain, New Granada, Cuba, Spanish Florida, Puerto Rico, Peru, La Plata, Felipenas, Spanish West Africa and the Canary Islands! Could this be a mere coincidence?

In the vision John was instructed as to the MEANING of the great beast that came up out of the sea --

"I will tell you the hidden meaning...of the beast with seven heads and TEN horns...the seven heads are SEVEN HILLS on which the WOMAN is sitting; also they are SEVEN KINGS -- five have fallen, one is living now and the other is yet to come....The TEN horns you saw are TEN KINGS who have not yet begun to rule, but they receive power as kings for one hour, along with the beast. They have ONE MIND, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will go to war AGAINST THE LAMB [the Messiah] but the Lamb will defeat them...and those who are called, chosen and faithful will overcome along with him" (Revelation 17:7, 9-10, 12-14).

John goes on to write --

"As for the TEN HORNS that you saw and the beast, they will hate the WHORE [the woman], bring her to ruin, leave her naked, eat her flesh and consume her with fire. For God put it in their hearts to do what will fulfill his purpose, that is, TO BE OF ONE MIND and give their kingdom to the beast until God's words have accomplished their intent. And the woman you saw is the GREAT CITY that rules over the kings of the earth" (verses 16-18).

This scarlet woman is also called "the GREAT CITY" that rules over the kings of the earth." This is not the city of Rome itself but Vatican City IN Rome. She is the whore of Babylon riding the power of Catholic Spain and her empire. The Vatican is the city that makes no pretensions about her claim to the right to govern kings and kingdoms. This she has never repented of.

John mentions that the TEN HORNS -- or ten kingdoms of Psalm 83 -- are "to be of one mind." The word mind, in this instance, means "point of view" or "opinion." What "point of view" or "opinion" is that? THE POINT OF VIEW OF ISLAM! Nine of the ten kingdoms will be motivated by their common adherence to the tenets of Islam and its founder Muhammad! The tenth kingdom (Edom) will be motivated by the Vatican and Catholicism. In reality, there is the same basic motivating force behind both the woman and the ten horns -- that of SATAN THE DEVIL!

Beast From the Land:

Earlier, in Revelation chapter 9, John saw an army of locusts come out of the smoke that issued out of the bottomless pit. So, what was John talking about when he described the army of locusts? Christians of the past, who knew history better than most of us do, saw this army of locusts as a prophecy of the rise and spread of Islam. 

The army of locusts came forth from a dark cloud of smoke that rolled out of the bottomless pit. The "bottomless pit" in Greek is abussos, the source of our English word abyss. Some English Bibles simply translate it "the abyss." It is remarkable that Abul A'la Mawdudi, one of Islam's most prominent scholars of the 20th century, used the very word abyss when writing about the beginnings of Islam. In a book written to introduce English-speaking people to the basics of Islam, Mawdudi tells his readers that Muhammad and his message came out of "Arabia -- the Abyss of Darkness." These are his exact words, and they appear in bold print as a sub-heading in his book. It is no mere coincidence that this outstanding Islamic author unwittingly identified Islam's source, in bold print no less, as "the Abyss of Darkness," using the very same word that appears in Revelation.

Why an army of locusts to represent an army of Arabs? About 900 years before John's Revelation, the Prophet Joel had symbolically described an invading, attacking army as a swarm of locusts. Any large, invading army might be compared to a swarm of locusts, but the Arabs and Muhammad have a unique connection to the locust: "In the Bedoween romance Antar, the locust is introduced as the national emblem of the Ishmaelites (one of the ancestors of the Arabs). And it is a remarkable coincidence that Muslim tradition speaks of locusts having dropped into the hands of Muhammad, bearing on their wings this inscription -- 'We are the army of the Great God."' 

As we saw a Muslim writer unwittingly connect Islam's beginnings to the Abyss, here we see Muslim writers unwittingly connect Islam to the locusts that come from the Abyss.

In Revelation 13:11 we read --

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth [abyss]; and HE HAD TWO HORNS like a lamb and spoke like a dragon."

What is this two-horned governing beast? Among the 6,666 verses of the Qur'an (Koran) -- the sacred book of Islam -- are found the words "Dhul-Qarnayn," which literally mean "He of the two horns." This is found in verses 18:83 to 18:98. It tells the story of the two-horned one who will take the religion of Islam from the East to the people of the utmost West. It will then be determined by the two-horned one whether to show kindness to the people or to punish them -- depending on whether or not they will accept Islam.

We also know that the great symbol of Islam is the crescent moon with two sharp horns. Has the two-horned beast risen up from the earth in the Western nations, including the United States? It is a dark, Satanic religion that demands the death of all who will not convert to it. It is a religion of fierce cruelty that also has another symbol -- the scimitar or curved sword. It is a religion of beheading, terrorism and bloody torture.

The most fundamental article of faith in Islam is a belief in strict monotheism (tawhid). The opposite of tawhid is known as shirk, or associating partners with Allah. This is often translated as polytheism. Shirk is the one unforgivable sin in Islam, if one dies in this state. Associating a partner or others with Allah is a rejection of Islam and takes one outside the faith. The Qur'an says:

"Verily, Allah forgives not the sin of setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that. And whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far from the path" (4:116).

The "people of Shirk" in the passage above are, therefore, the people of those who support polytheism -- in other words mainstream paganized "Christianity" that is prevalent today.

The Mark of the Second Beast

We read the following in Revelation 13:16-18:

"And he [the beast from the land or abyss] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand [or arm] or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666 [Chi Xi Stigma]" (NKJV).

The apostle John was told to write what he saw. We believe he did just that. We believe he wrote exactly what he "saw". It is as literal, simple and direct as that. He said people would wear a "666" on their foreheads and right arms. But, what exactly, did John see? Did he see "666" as we do today? No. We use Arabic numerals. In the Greek text, "666" is represented by Greek letters that also have numerical values, specifically: Chi Xi Stigma -- or "Six-hundred, three-score and six".

So what John saw was something that looked like "Chi Xi Stigma" being worn on the foreheads and right arms of the "multitude" who belong to the Beast. What does "666" mean? Is it something we can look at today and say, "There it is!" Is it something we can see? And the answer is, "yes you can".

The Greek letters Chi Xi Stigma also spell a phrase in another language. And that language is Arabic. The word it spells is "Bismillah" which means (literally) "In the name of Allah".

Next to it is a something from the beginning -- from Cain. See the "mark"? The cross? Tilt it about 45 degrees -- because it is just enough off kilter to be like what Satan does to the truth of YEHOVAH God. The mark found in Revelation 13 is like that of Cain. It is contained within the symbol that is the name of the Beast itself. The mark of Cain is coded inside the Chi Xi Stigma that spells "in the name of allah"!

Now, go back and re-read Revelation 13:18 ("Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666") inserting "bismillah" in place of Chi Xi Stigma or 666. It reads:

"Here is knowledge! Let him with understanding decipher the multitude of the beast, for it is a multitude of people and is the same as the number of a man, and his number is "in the name of Allah".

Where do you see this today? It is what is written on the green banners and green arm-bands that Muslims wear at protests, rallies, parades, dancing in the streets on 9/11, etc. It is also what the Martyrs for Islam wear on their heads and right arms when they blow themselves up yelling "Allah Akbar" -- or "God is great". It is on the new Muslim coinage. And everything in Islam is done, "In the Name of Allah".

Simon Altaff, a Christian who was once a former Terrorist, and Walid Shoebat, also a Christian who was a Terrorist, saw the New Testament manuscripts at separate times and places. Immediately, they both recognized this character as Arabic. Other Christian Arabs make the same claim that the Bismillah symbol in this photograph of the Codex Vaticanus is the symbol for "in the name of allah".

This Arabic character spells the Arabic word "Bismillah" which means "in the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most kind".

The second Beast of Revelation 13 is, therefore, Islam. The Beast's prophet is Muhammad. And "The Mark of the Beast" is that infernal Arabic writing across their jihad head and arm bands, which is "the name of Allah" -- called the "bismillah" in Arabic. For more information, read our article The REAL Mark of the Beast!  

Revelation 13 indicates that there will be two beasts -- one from the sea and one from the land. While the beast from the land is indeed Islam, the beast from the sea represents the nations controlled by the Vatican -- such as Spain and her colonies. The Vatican and Islam will forge a partnership that will shock the world and plunge the nations into turmoil -- bringing on the return of YEHOVAH God and His Messiah to usher in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God and to finally bring peace to a war-weary and Satan-controlled world.

The Prophecy of Balaam

A very unusual prophecy was given by the prophet Balaam during the time of Moses, about 1452 B.C. He prophesied about the "latter days," the time just prior to the prophesied coming of the Messiah and YEHOVAH God:

"There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And EDOM [ESAU] shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

"And when he looked on AMALEK [leading tribe or nation of ESAU], he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations [greatest, most powerful, and first to rise to power and greatness -- i.e., such as the SPANISH EMPIRE]; BUT HIS LATTER END SHALL BE THAT HE PERISH FOREVER" (Numbers 24:17-20).

YEHOVAH God does not forget. He is not a man, that He should forget. He remembers well the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, and the persecutions, tortures, and brutality and savagery of the Spanish during the Middle Ages. And history repeats itself with the Islamic atrocities going on today! The Middle East and many countries around the world will also be the scenes of carnage and an unprecedented "bloodbath" of unbridled fury and horror. Yeshua the Messiah said:

"They shall put you out of the synagogues [churches, religious meeting halls]: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me" (John 16:2-3).

In the book of Revelation, John sees a scene of the horrible persecutions down through the ages, and a view of the end-time religious bloodbath which will soon sweep over the nations. He wrote:

"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, THAT SHOULD BE KILLED AS THEY WERE, should be fulfilled" (Revelation 6:9-11).

Will history repeat itself? Your Bibles says it will. Another martyrdom of saints and true Christians is right around the corner! Will Spain once again be involved -- up to the "hilt," as it were, hip and thigh in slaughter, led by the Catholic authorities, as one of the ten heads of the prophesied first "Beast" of Revelation 13?

For many years, it has been assumed by many that the Biblical prophecies against "Edom" refer to the land of Turkey, and the "Dardanelles" straits only. Although it appears that many Edomites settled in Turkey -- the descendants of "Teman" in particular -- and gave their name to the "Ottoman" Empire, this interpretation of the identity of modern-day Edom is only part of the true story. Remember, Esau himself established a famous line of kings in Spain during the time of Jacob.

Also, remember, ancient Edom was located south of Israel -- not to their "north." Therefore, it makes much more sense that modern Edom includes far more than the small and relatively unimportant nation of modern Turkey. It would also be "south" of the modern nations of Israel, today -- and the only nations which legitimately fit this description would be Spain in Europe, and Mexico and the LATIN countries in Central and South America!

Thus modern "Edom," or "Esau," in Bible prophecy is much more than the small nation of Turkey. Rather, Esau, brother of Jacob, has descendants who resemble in many aspects the descendants of Jacob. That is, they are Hispanic people -- Caucasian or Western European in appearance. And, as we would expect, their history parallels that of Jacob's descendants, as the rivalry of the two siblings has been perpetuated down through history between their descendants.

The location and whereabouts of modern Esau -- or Edom -- stands identified! Esau is none other than Catholic Spain, and the Spanish-derived nations and territories of Central and South America! As was always the case, the descendants of Esau intermarried with the local inhabitants, wherever they migrated, and the resultant offspring are none other than modern Edomites, in Biblical language.

When the Scriptural and historical evidence is all combined together, we find that the majority of Esau is today represented by the Spanish-speaking nations of the world!

"As the nations of Israel decline," asserts Philo-Israel II, "the nations of Edom will become more assertive seeking the return of what they feel is their land. According to prophecy, they are in danger of letting their bitterness over some real injustices cause them to over react. The U.S. does owe Mexico respect and financial support, for the fate of the two Distant Neighbors are closely linked. Mexico owes the U.S. forgiveness for past injustices and a recognition that America's fate is also Mexico's" (Stolen Birthrights, pp. 4-5).

YEHOVAH God will judge Israel first, but He holds the nations of Esau DOUBLY accountable for how they will act at that time, because they are brother nations. If they join forces with Israel's enemies, they will suffer a similar fate -- see Ezekiel 35:11-15.

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Proclaiming the Good News of the Soon-Coming Kingdom of YEHOVAH God Here On This Earth!

Hope of Israel Ministries P.O. Box 853 Azusa, CA 91702, U.S.A. www.hope-of-israel.org

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