The Timing of the Rapture - Part One

The 3 Pre-Psalm 83 Rapture views

By Bill Salus

Like Harold Camping found out the hard way on May 22, 2011, the bible doesn’t predict the specific timing of the Rapture. Mr. Camping, the widely listened to broadcaster, president, and general manager of “Family Radio,” had previously predicted the Christian disappearance would occur the day prior on May 21, 2011. However, when he and his followers woke up in their same beds the next morning, they all realized that his prediction was dead wrong.

The five primary views about the timing of the Rapture are: Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, Pan-Trib, Post-Trib, and Pre-Wrath. Mid-Trib and Post-Trib views are self-explanatory. A Mid-Tribber believes the rapture occurs in the middle of the Tribulation period (trib-period). Post-Tribbers believe the Rapture occurs after the trib-period has concluded. The Pan-Tribber is not dogmatic about any view but believes it all pans out in the end.

I’m a Pre-Tribber, which means I don’t eat Post-Toasties, buy green bananas, or drive in convertible cars unless the top is down. I believe the Rapture could occur at any moment between now and the commencement of the trib-period.

The Pre-Wrather tends to favor the timing of the Mid-Trib view, because they believe the wrath Christians are promised to escape begins about midway through the trib-period. They connect the wrathful events contained in the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-17 to the relevant wrath Christians avoid via the means of the Rapture. Because Pre-Wrathers tend to teach all the Seal Judgments occur within the trib-period, they caution that the Rapture could occur at the Mid-Trib point.

As I demonstrate in my upcoming book series, Revelation Road, Apocalypse Road, and Tribulation Road, the Pre-Wrather is a Pre-Tribber for the most part because it appears at least the first five of the seven Seal Judgments occur before the trib-period even commences.*

I am often asked whether the Rapture could occur before Psalm 83, or Ezekiel 38 find fulfillment. Absolutely! It could occur before, during, or after either event. This is possible because, like the Rapture, these events appear to conclude before the trib-period commences. To discover why I order Psalm 83 before Ezekiel 38, read the article entitled, “Psalm 83 or Ezekiel 38, Which is the Next Mideast News Headline.”

The above article lists a flurry of reasons that Psalm 83 appears to precede Ezekiel 38. Since Ezekiel 38 appears to be a pre-trib event, Psalm 83 should certainly be also. A few reasons illustrating why Ezekiel 38 is probably a pre-trib event are included in part two of this article series.

Operating under the reasonable presumption that all three events, the Rapture, Psalm 83, and Ezekiel 38, occur prior to the trib-period, below are some views regarding a Pre-Psalm 83 Rapture.

The Pre-Psalm 83 Rapture

Explained below are three differing perspectives addressing the timing of Psalm 83 in relationship to the Rapture. They are, “Psalm 83 is now imminent,””The Church could be part of Psalm 83,” and “Israel, not the Church, is called “my people” when Psalm 83 occurs.

Psalm 83 is now imminent – Some suggest Mideast signs of the times signal that Psalm 83 has become an imminent event. They don’t see any further preconditions prohibiting its modern day fulfillment. For instance, the Psalm calls for the destruction of Israel so that “the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” In order for the Jewish State to be destroyed, and the name of Israel banished forever, the nation had to first exist. On May 14, 1948 Israel regained its nationhood fulfilling that precondition.

The Psalm also predicts that an Arab confederacy or league forms in order to destroy Israel. In Cairo, Egypt on March 22, 1945 the Arab League was formed. Presently it comprises 22-members, and includes the prominent members of Psalm 83, like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Palestinian Authority, Iraq, and Lebanon. Originally it was established to unite the newly forming Arab States by developing their fledgling economies, resolving their regional disputes, and coordinating their collective political aims.

At the time there was no Palestinian Refugee crisis competing for the league’s agenda or resources. However as a result of the Arab – Israeli conflict, some suggest the Arab League has become pre-occupied with the plight of the Palestinians. The Palestinian Refugee crisis appears to be what motivates the prominent members of the league to confederate militarily against Israel according to Psalm 83.

The first member listed in the confederacy is the “tents of Edom,” which in large part, appears to identify today’s Palestinian Authority. Thus it can be presumed that this League, which vehemently opposes Israel’s existence, is also in place. Apart from fragile peace-pacts Israel has with Egypt and Jordan, the entire region is extremely volatile and war could break out between the Arabs and the Jews at any time.

Because the Psalm 83 Arab – Israeli war could occur without further preconditions, and the Church still occupies the earth, advocates of this argument believe the Church could experience the fulfillment of Psalm 83. Although this is entirely possible, this assumption is primarily based upon logic and newspaper exegesis rather than scripture.

The Church could be part of Psalm 83 –Another reason some think the Rapture can’t occur until after Psalm 83, is because they believe the Church is identified within Psalm 83. Subscribers to this reasoning point to Psalm 83:3 as their evidence.

“They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.” (Psalm 83, KJV)

They identify “thy hidden ones” as the Church. To better understand their arguments and why I disagree with this possibility, read the articles called, “Is the Church Identified in Psalm 83,” and “The Treasured ones of Psalm 83.” Interestingly, this camp is split on whether or not the Rapture is a Pre or Post Psalm 83 event. Some suggest the church goes through Psalm 83, but are “hidden” or isolated from the event somehow. Whereas others believe the Church is previously Raptured and therefore “hidden” in heaven from the earthly events of Psalm 83. As pointed out in the two articles linked above, I believe the “hidden ones” probably represent the faithful remnant inside national Israel.

Israel, not the Church, is called my people when Psalm 83 occurs – This argument is
primarily based upon the description of Israel in Ezekiel 25:14, and secondarily supported by Obadiah 1:18. These passages seem to illustrate that the I.D.F. becomes the instrument used by the Lord to defeat the Psalm 83 confederacy. Ezekiel 25:14 identifies the Jews as “my People Israel,” during Psalm 83.

This chosen people classification suggests that Israel has been reinstated as God’s client nation by the time Psalm 83 occurs. If this is the case, then the whereabouts of the Church legitimately comes into question. Presently, believers in Jesus are considered to be God’s chosen people. If the Church is still present on the earth during Psalm 83, why is God calling the Jews “my People Israel?” This theme is developed thoroughly in the chapter called “My People Israel” in my book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East.

I will lay My vengeance on Edom (the tents of Edom in Psalm 83) by the hand of My people Israel, (the I.D.F.) that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 25:14, NKJV; emphasis added.)

Obadiah’s secondary passage below correlates with Ezekiel’s passage and pictures the houses of Jacob and Joseph as today’s I.D.F. (my People Israel.)

The house of Jacob (I.D.F.) shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph (I.D.F.) a flame; But the house of Esau (tents of Edom) shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” For the LORD has spoken. (Obadiah 1:18, NKJV; emphasis added.)

The startling comment made by Obadiah is that “no survivor” remains in Esau’s posterity. The I.D.F. destroys them! Today’s Palestinians have a remnant of Esau’s Edomite descendents inside their ranks. Not all Palestinians are Edomites, but as pointed out in the “Whodomite” chapter inside Isralestine, Obadiah appears to be alluding in large part to today’s Palestinians.

Connecting passages in Jeremiah read,

But I have made Esau bare; I have uncovered his secret places, And he shall not be able to hide himself. His (Palestinian) descendants are plundered, His brethren and his (Psalm 83 Arab) neighbors, And he (Esau’s posterity) is no more. Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.” (Jeremiah 49:10-11, NKJV; emphasis added)

In the end analysis, it doesn’t appear that any of these arguments provide conclusive evidence that the Church experiences a Pre-Psalm 83 Rapture. The important thing for Christians to grasp is that if we are here to experience the Arab-Israeli war of Psalm 83, it becomes our fantastic witnessing tool. Unbelievers can be directed to the content of Psalm 83 and align it up to the Arab-Israeli war it describes. By then they will have witnessed the fulfillment of the prophecy and should appreciate the fact that the bible predicted it accurately over 3000-years prior.

*Watch for the soon release of book one, "Revelation Road." The book cover image in this article is approved for this article's use only, and may be altered by the time the book is release.

Israel Strikes it Rich Someday!

By Bill Salus

The bible predicted the coming of a reestablished and extremely prosperous Israel. Ezekiel 36:24 and elsewhere foretold that the Jews would be regathered from the nations of the world into their own homeland. What had begun as a trickle around the turn of the century and then accelerated in the aftermath of WWII, the return of the Jews to the land as prophesied became official on May 14, 1948.

Ezekiel 36:8-12 informed that upon their return, the land of Israel would be tilled, sown, and become extremely fruitful. Ezekiel declares the historic ruins would be rebuilt and the ancient cities repopulated. In these passages, he predicts the Jews will be more prosperous than at any prior time in their history. This is a startling prediction considering the land of Israel lay mostly desolate between A.D. 70 and May, 1948 when Israel was restored as the Jewish State.

Equally as impressive is that Israel’s abundance appears to proportionately exceed the national treasures King Solomon accumulated nearly 3000-years ago. According to 1 Kings 10, King Solomon was the wealthiest king on earth during his reign over Israel.

“So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.” (1 Kings 10:23, ASV)

1 Chronicles 22:14-16 informs that Solomon owned a seemingly limitless supply of gold, silver, bronze, and iron. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says Solomon possessed “A sum greater than the national debt of Great Britain.”We are told in 2 Chronicles 9:13 that one year Solomon’s estimated income was 666-talents, which is the approximate equivalent today of $708,400,000. (i) These earnings represented a monumental amount of annual wealth at that time.

Presently, the cities are being rebuilt and repopulated, and Israel is becoming very prosperous, but have they accumulated all the riches predicted?

In 2009 and 2010 Israel discovered large natural gas resources. Some eschatologists believe Israelis will also someday discover crude oil underneath their fertile soil. Natural gas and crude oil could certainly become contributors toward Israel’s foretold fortunes, but what does scripture point to, possibly in addition to these resources?

Ezekiel 38:1-13 informs that a major alliance will form to invade Israel to confiscate Israel’s riches. Ezekiel 38:13 specifically states this confederacy comes for Israel’s great spoil. This prophecy, commonly referred to among scholars as the Gog of Magog invasion, remains unfulfilled. Should no unforeseen circumstances prohibit, this means Israel has more time to amass an even greater fortune beforehand.

The Hebrew words utilized for the Magog invaders goal to capture great spoil are, shalal gadol shalal. According to the definitions given in the New America Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, these words can be translated successively to read, “Plunder the great spoil of the despoilers.” Despoil means to deprive someone of something valuable by force. (ii)

It suggests that the invaders are coming to plunder the spoils Israel previously captured from another. Along these lines, the widely respected eschatologist, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, teaches that the Magog invaders are coming to, “To take a spoil of a spoil.” (iii)

In the prior verse, Ezekiel 38:12, the prophet says the Magog invaders are coming after acquired, or gotten, cattle and goods. The Hebrew word is “asah” and suggests that Israel has acquired livestock and commercial goods externally, perhaps more so than developed them from their own natural resources and / or commercial endeavors.

If the enticing great spoil spoken of is acquired, more so than homegrown, then where does it originate? Zechariah 14:14 appears to hold an important clue in this regard. Apparently Israel acquires it from the Arab nations round about them.

“And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the (Arab) nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. (Zechariah 14:14, ASV; emphasis added)

Zechariah declares that Israel gathers great abundance from the neighboring Arab nations “round about.” Zechariah 14:14 appears to find connection with Zechariah 12:2, 6. To get a greater understanding of this connection, compare this article with the one called “Those Surrounding Israel to be Devoured!”

Zechariah chapters 12 and 14 find connection in that portions of each chapter address the wars between Israel and its hostile Arab neighbors, and the subsequent conflict fought by Jesus Christ against the Antichrist and his armies during the campaign of Armageddon. These are two distinct wars that are intricately interwoven between Zechariah’s chapters 12 and 14.

Zechariah 12:6 below, and 14:14 above, specifies that the I.D.F., represented as Judah, fights the Arab nations round about for possession of Jerusalem.

In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem. (Zec. 12:6, ASV)

The I.D.F. is instrumental in Israel’s fight against the Arab confederacy of Psalm 83, but does not appear to get involved in the war waged between Christ and the armies of the Antichrist. Isaiah 63:1-6 informs us that the Messiah, as the one who is mighty to save, goes into battle alone. The absence of the I.D.F. in the battle of Armageddon is reinforced by Zechariah 13:8, which points out that two-thirds of the Jewish population living in the land of Israel at the time will not survive. Zechariah’s prophecy infers the I.D.F. will flee from the armies of the Antichrist, rather than fight against them.

Conclusion

According to bible prophecy, Israel is on route to striking it rich someday. Their blossoming portfolio appears to include Arab spoils of war. Once obtained, the Ezekiel 38 Magog invaders are enticed to coalesce in an attempt to capture Israel’s new national livelihood, which should by then include the acquired Arab resources, including oil and natural gas, plundered by Israel after their decisive victory over the Psalm 83 Arab nations round about.

Psalm 83 is a prophecy formatted into an imprecatory prayer. It foretells the coming of a climatic concluding conflict between the I.D.F. and the Arab nations that share common borders with Israel. Presently those Arab nations are using the Palestinians as pawns in their ongoing war against Israel. This plight of the Palestinians also appears to have been predicted. Refer to the article called “Palestinians to be forced to Israel’s borders.”
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(i) Internet accessed on 6/16/2010 at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_rich_was_Solomon - “In the Bible at 2 Chronicles 9:13 it says that Solomon had a basic yearly revenue of 666 Talents or 22,000 kilograms of Gold. A talent weighed between 20 and 40 KG but the average estimated is 33kg. The price today of one kilogram of Gold is estimated at $32,200 so his yearly income was $708,400,000 a year. Seven hundred eight million, four hundred thousand dollars a year.”
(ii) Definition of despoil accessed on the Internet at this link on 6162011http://www.thefreedictionary.com/despoil
(iii) Dr. Fruchtenbaum's quote can be listened to in his Ezekiel audio studies, and is also believed to be located in either his original or revised "Footsteps of the Messiah" book, but is unconfirmed. In this article usage it was quoted from memory.

Those Surrounding Israel To Be Devoured!

By Bill Salus

The prophet Zechariah informs us in chapter 12 that those peoples surrounding Israel, will someday be devoured by Israel. The key to understanding portions of his prophecy rests in recognizing the direct correlation between Zechariah 12:2 and Zechariah 12:6.

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. (Zec. 12:2, nkjv; emphasis added)

Someday Jerusalem becomes a cup of “raal” in the Hebrew, which is commonly translated as reeling, trembling, or drunkenness. This occurs when the surrounding peoples lay siege against both Judah and Jerusalem. This cup of “raal” should not be confused with the “heavy stone” classification of Jerusalem in the following passage.

And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (Zec. 12:3, nkjv; emphasis added)

Jerusalem becomes a heavy stone for all peoples from all nations, rather than a cup of trembling to the surrounding peoples sharing common borders with Israel. Certainly, Jerusalem will feel like a burdensome stone, and a cup of trembling to Israel's bordering nations when they lay siege upon Judah and Jerusalem, but the heavy stone application applies to a much broader worldwide audience.

Zechariah 12:6 informs us that the Israeli Defense Forces devour those sharing common borders with them like a fiery torch consumes sheaves or rows of fallen grain.

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. (Zec. 12:6, nkjv; emphasis added)

The differing imageries of a cup of trembling, verses a burdensome stone, seems to represent different prophetic events. Although they are somewhat interrelated due to their connection with Jerusalem, the first event describes the I.D.F. causing their surrounding enemies to tremble because they retaliate against them for laying siege upon Judah and Jerusalem. As a result of a decisive I.D.F. victory, Jerusalem is inhabited again by Israelis.

Continued Israeli claims of exclusive sovereignty over Jerusalem meet with ongoing resistance throughout the world. From Joel 3:2, Psalm 2:1-3, and elsewhere, we realize Anti-Semitism spreads throughout the world and ultimately causes all peoples from all nations to assemble against Israel in the final stages of the Armageddon Campaign.

Clues

The main clues given to separate the two Jerusalem centered prophecies are:
1. The Surrounding Peoples,
2. The Fiery Torch,
3. The Heavy Stone.

The Surrounding Peoples – appears to identify those sharing common borders with Israel at the time Jerusalem becomes a cup of trembling. The Hebrew word used for the surrounding peoples is Sabiyb. This same word is used to describe the enemy Arab nations encircling Israel in Ezekiel 36:3, 4, and 7. It is doubtful Zechariah was loosely identifying all peoples from all nations by using this specific Hebrew word. If he was, why didn’t he repeat the same word again in Zec.12:3?

The Fiery Torch – The illustration of a torch devouring a swath of sheaves is a clear picture of a military conquest. Since it is the governors (also translated as clans or captains) of Judah that wield the torch, rather than the Lord single-handedly like in Isaiah 63:3 and Ezekiel 38:18-39:6, it must be regarded with a prophecy involving the Israeli military.

Ezekiel 25:14, Obadiah 1:18, Isaiah 11:13-14, Zephaniah 2:9, and elsewhere describe the Israeli Defense Forces in end time’s military action. However, the I.D.F. is not instrumental in Isaiah 63:3 or Ezekiel 38:18-39:6. These events involve the destruction of Israel’s enemies solely by the Lord. In Isaiah’s prophecy it is the Messiah that is “mighty to save,” that fights against the Antichrist and his armies. In Ezekiel’s account, it is the Lord that destroys the Ezekiel 38 invaders. In neither Isaiah’s, nor Ezekiel’s scenarios is the I.D.F. influential in the battle.

Thus, there must be at least three end time’s battles over Israel. Two of which the I.D.F. plays no decisive role whatsoever. If Zechariah 12:2 and 12:6, which both identifies surrounding peoples, is not part of Armageddon or Ezekiel's Gog of Magog invasion, then what battle remains? The only logical conclusion is described in the Psalm 83 prophecy. The Psalm identifies the surrounding peoples sharing common borders with Israel that want to destroy Israel.

The Heavy Stone – although some allegorical correlation to the stone of Daniel 2:34-35, 45 could be made with Zechariah 12:3, the illustration appears to deal with disputed territory. Sovereign Israeli claims over Jerusalem become a burden to all peoples from all nations, and Jerusalem is pictured as an immovable stone. Due to its weight it can neither be heaved away nor cut into pieces to be removed fractionally. Even though the international community continuously attempts to heave it out of Israel’s real estate portfolio, it falls back in its same location injuring those attempting to cast it away.

The prophet Joel predicts this matter's final resolution as an end time's event occurring after the Jews return from the nations of the world into the reestablished State of Israel.

“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. (Joel 3:1-2, nkjv)

The nations of the world are guilty of attempting to divide the land of Israel including Jerusalem. This is occurring now, and will probably continue to occur after the Psalm 83 conflict. Ultimately, the Lord gathers all the nations to do a final battle against the Jews, which appears to be when Zechariah 12:3 finds its final literal fulfillment. Partial geo-political fulfillment has been occurring since Israel was reestablished on May 14, 1948.

The Palestinian Confederacy

By Bill Salus

The Palestinian Confederacy is a chapter in the book called Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East. (2008)

All the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it. (Obad. 1:7, NKJV; emphasis added)

The prophet Obadiah had a prophetic vision regarding the Edomites. He declares that the Edomites enlist in a future confederacy that ultimately forces them to a border. Obadiah 1:10, 18 makes it clear that the confederacy forms to fight Israel. Thus, we can deduce that the border in question must be Israel’s.

Obadiah 1:7 says - “your” confederacy, “you” to the border; peace with “you,” deceive “you,” prevail against “you,” "your" bread, a trap for “you.” The fact that Obadiah uses “you” or “your” seven-times in combination suggests the Palestinians play a key role within the confederacy.

The prerequisite reading to this study is Psalm 83, whereby Asaph foretells the formation of an Arab confederacy seemingly consisting of Palestinians, Syrians, Saudis, Egyptians, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Jordanians, Iraqis, and Hamas. This confederacy, which wishes the final destruction of the modern-day Jewish State of Israel, is the topic of this study. The premise for interpretation is that the Psalm 83 confederacy appears to be the same as the confederacy contained in Obadiah 1:7.

Furthermore, the Palestinians of today have a contingency of Edomites amalgamated within their overall composite population. Thus, when this study refers to Esau, his descendants, or the Edomites, it finds its closest association with their modern-day equivalents, the Palestinians.

All the men in your confederacy - The whole (kol), or entirety of the confederacy is of the same conspired mindset. All the confederates agree with Esau, the lead member of the confederacy, “your confederacy.” They are all of common cause, and this cause drives or forces Esau’s descendant Edomites to a border or boundary.

Shall force you to the border - The confederate consensus is that the Palestinians must man the borders. Since this confederacy has mandated the destruction of the nation Israel as per Psalm 83:4, this suggests the strategic area of their deployment to be the borders surrounding the reforming nation of Israel.

The men at peace with you - The men, “all the men,” each one, are at peace (shalom) with the Palestinians. This is technically Esau’s confederacy, and the men who conspire with him pledge their allegiance to his cause. However, the prerequisite for achieving such peace is that Esau, as lead member, holds down the frontline at the borders of Israel. The Palestinians are to entrench themselves in the Isralestine territories that most closely surround Israel.

Shall deceive you and prevail against you - Inherent in the conditional peace and support that the Palestinians receive from “all” of the Arab men in alliance with them is their obligation to occupy these borderline territories. In essence, they are not encouraged to assimilate themselves as citizens within the outer lying confederate member territories. This would be unsound strategic deployment of the Palestinians. In fact, most of these member nations make it very restrictive for Palestinians to become naturalized citizens within their respective nations.

They are to maintain their own distinct ethnic identity. Though many of them have ancestral roots from among the surrounding confederate Arab nations, they are discouraged from calling themselves Syrians, Egyptians, Saudi’s, etc. We call them the Palestinians, in spite of the fact that up until 1948 no such ethnic label ever existed. Until that time, the world knew them as the Arabs of the grossly undefined territory of Palestine. Though they are currently predominately a population of refugees, mutual confederate consensus leads them to believe that they deserve their own state and citizenry therein. This propaganda promoted by the Arab community has become the successful deception of “all” the men of Esau’s confederacy.

The prevalent belief among all the nations listed in Psalm 83:6–8 is that the Palestinians are a distinct people, deserved of their own state. Their belief is that all of Israel, including the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, is to become earmarked territory for the drafting of another Arab State in the Middle East called Palestine. This goal discourages the successful establishment of an Isralestine scenario, whereby Israel exists cooperatively in the region, with the Palestinians specifically and the Arabs generally. This is the reason for the confederate call to eradicate the nation of Israel as the Jewish State:

They [all the men in Esau’s confederacy] have said, “Come, and let us cut them [the Jewish State] off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4, NKJV; emphasis added)

The Arab nations who participate alongside the Palestinians in this momentous quest leave the Palestinians little choice but to fight for their own Palestinian statehood. The Palestinian inability as a displaced population group to assimilate adequately into the outer-lying Arab nations leaves them no option but to remain in a refugee status indefinitely. Thus, “all the men” of the Palestinians confederacy have “deceived” them, the Palestinians, and “forced them to the border” of Israel, and in so doing have “prevailed against” them.

Those who eat your bread - All the men of Esau’s confederacy are eating Esau’s bread in contrast to their own. Again, we see Obadiah use the pronoun “your” in this passage. It is your, Esau’s, confederacy, and your, Esau’s, bread. Esau is the one who invites all the others to his table to deliberate over his Palestinian plight. They break Esau’s bread and agree with him, that Israel must perish as the resolution to the Palestinian problem. Esau does not request these men to open their national borders to his descendant people; rather he beckons their assistance to destroy the descendants of his twin brother Jacob. In essence, the Palestinians request support to destroy the Jewish State, and replace it with a Palestinian State.

The symbolism of these Arab nations eating bread together finds association with a common confederate cause. Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, and Luke 4:4 declare that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. It is possible that the prophet Obadiah alludes to the eating of bread in this passage as a spiritual thread that binds these Arabs together religiously. All of the members of Esau’s confederacy are predominately Islamic.

They digest Esau’s baked bread possibly referring to their ideology that it is the will of their god Allah that they form an allegiance with the Palestinians to destroy the Jews. Islam does not favor the existence of the contrasting religion of Judaism, especially in their Middle East neighborhood. The Jewish State of Israel has its religious roots in Judaism, and this is generally problematic for their Arab Muslim neighbors. The confederacy of Esau is motivated to destroy Judaism, and promote Islam, throughout the entire Middle East.

Shall lay a trap for you - “All the men” who participate in Esau’s confederacy entrap his Palestinian descendants. The Hebrew word utilized by Obadiah for trap is mazor, and can refer to an ambush, or as defined by Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary, to a turning aside from truth, a treachery, a plot, or a wound.

What Obadiah likely alludes to, is that the Palestinian descendants of Esau have allowed themselves to be deceived by “all the men,” in their confederacy, and as such have turned aside in a treacherous act from some truth. What truth could they have turned aside from, which ultimately proves to trap or ambush them? This truth must have something to do with the Jewish people and their Jewish State, since this is what the confederacy is attempting to destroy according to Psalm 83.

The truth is that nobody can destroy the Jewish people, according to the covenant their God made to their patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The LORD promised these patriarchal fathers of the Jewish people an everlasting family tree. In order for the predominately-Islamic confederacy of Esau to accomplish its mission, which is the effectual destruction of the Jewish State, it must attempt to destroy every last Jew in the world. If there were any Jew left, the potential would exist for that Jew to restore a Jewish State in his or her ancient promised land. Furthermore, other scriptures refer to the eternal existence of a Jewish State in the land between the Nile River of Egypt and the Euphrates River of modern-day Iraq.

Therefore, the minor premise is that the confederacy of Esau must believe that they can destroy the Jewish people and their potential for any current or future Jewish state, and the major premise is that the God of the Jews, who promised the eternal existence of a Jewish people and a Jewish state, is in essence a promise-breaking liar. Esau thoroughly knew that the God of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac made these promises to the Jewish people in ages past, but his descendants down through the ages have turned aside (mazor) from this truth. They have allowed themselves to be successfully deceived into thinking that they can prove the Jewish God to be a liar. They contest the Jewish claims of being heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant and often attempt to substitute their patriarch Ishmael as the rightful heir, rather than Isaac; however, this is all part of the deceit of their religion, Islam. The truth they seem to have turned aside from is that the God of the Jews intends to preserve the Jewish people forever. This is a dangerous miscalculation that will ultimately lead to the destruction of Esau’s confederacy.

No one is aware of it - Neither Esau nor all the men in his confederacy realize how severe this miscalculation is. They will leave the God of the Jews no choice but to make an end of their confederate effort aimed at the destruction of the Jewish people and their Jewish State. They will force the enactment of the curse-for-curse-in-kind clause contained in the Abrahamic Covenant (as specified in Genesis 12:3). They will attempt to destroy the Jews, but the Jews will destroy them instead (Ezek. 25:14, Obad. 1:18).

The modern-day Jewish state of Israel will not be eradicated from the formerly recognized territory of Palestine. The Israel of today, which has become superimposed upon the Palestine maps of yesterday, has providential protection. No adequate tool can be found to exist in the confederate arsenal that can blot out the Jewish survival clause contained in the Abrahamic Covenant.