THE FOUR THOUSAND YEAR HISTORY OF ESAU’S GENEALOGY—ESAU IS EDOM – GENESIS 36

Today we examine Esau’s genealogy beginning with the Biblical record and modern history. Jacob and Esau have been in a blood feud since Biblical times. Surprising information contained in this post will help us to understand the current crisis in the Controversy of Zion and Jacob’s Trouble.

The previous five posts are part of this series.

The Biblical record of Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael show that God desired Abraham’s son Isaac would be the son of promise (God’s promise that Sarah, Abraham’s wife, would have a son). Abraham’s son with midwife Hagar would be mightily blessed but the birthright would be given to Isaac. Genesis 21.1-21 explains the birth of Isaac and God’s promise that Ishmael would become a great nation. Ishmael would have 12 sons and become the Arab nations.

Most of us know the story of Jacob and Esau and their birthright controversy. God told Rebekah in Genesis 25.23 that she would have twins and one people shall be stronger than the other people and the elder would serve the younger. Genesis 25.24-34 recounts how Esau glibly sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red pottage.

The 12 tribes of Ishmael and Esau, who is Edom are distant cousins. Esau went to his uncle Ishmael for wives (Gen 28.8-9) while Jacob went to Haran and took wives of his uncle Laban.

From the National Library of Medicine: Archaeologic and genetic data support that both Jews and Palestinians came from the ancient Canaanites, who extensively mixed with Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Anatolian peoples in ancient times. Thus, Palestinian-Jewish rivalry is based in cultural and religious, but not in genetic, differences.

Jacob, Ishmael, and Esau have been at odds ever since. This is root of the Controversy of Zion. It is a family feud! It also proves the truth of the Bible.

Later, instead of Rebekah waiting for God to bring about his promise of the elder serving the younger, she conspired with Jacob to receive Isaac’s blessing (Genesis 27.1-40). The result of this has been a four thousand year blood feud between the brothers. We know about Jacob’s sons and how they became Israel but we know little about Esau. Today we will examine Esau’s history and genealogy.

We must keep in mind that when God makes a promise it is immutable and unchangeable. God is God. He is our creator and His word is unchangeable. The controversy exists between the brothers. God blessed Esau and was fair to him. Esau has never forgiven Jacob or God. If he would have accepted God’s decision the world would be a different place.

God’s word and the world’s refusal to accept it are the cause of all of the problems we now face. God has given us free will to accept or decline His Law and truth. He is still the one true God. The world will experience and know this at the end of the age. The Holy Scriptures explain everything—but mankind chooses to go their own way. Elohim, Jehovah, God will reveal His glory to the world when all things are fulfilled. The time is short.

THE ANCIENT ERA

Genesis 36 details the promises and blessing God bestowed upon Esau. It tells us Esau is Edom (Edomites). Esau took his wives and family and all his cattle and riches to Mount Seir and settled there. This is south east of the Dead Sea and Esau’s descendants would build the fortress city of Petra to protect themselves.

One of Esau’s descendants was Amalek who fought against Moses and the children of Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17.8-16). At this time the Lord told Moses to write in a scroll that the Lord would have war with Amalek throughout the generations for this attack on the Israelites.

This is the first recorded attack on Israel by Esau/Edom. They started the war against the Israelites.

1 Samuel 15 is the account of Samuel the priest telling Saul, the first king of Israel, to smite the Amalekites because of what they did to Moses in the wilderness. Saul was instructed to kill all of the Amalekites—even the animals. Saul did not follow these instructions and kept the best of the animals and took Agag, king of Amalek alive. Samuel would later kill Agag.

Now we look at the Book of Esther and the story of Haman the Agagite. Haman is considered to be a descendant of Agag. The name Haman means violence or hate in Hebrew. King Herod the Great is considered to be a descendant of Haman.

The Greek name for Edom is Idumea. King Herod was an Idumean a descendant of Esau. This is why the Jews hated Herod even though he rebuilt the Temple to appease them. We are beginning to see how this is all connected.

Now we go to the overlooked book of Obadiah. This book is an ancient prophecy against the Edomites/Esau for the attack on Moses in the wilderness, for not allowing the children of Israel to travel through their land (Num 20.14-21) on their way to Canaan, and for looting Jerusalem when it fell to the Babylonians.

Remember the Biblical pattern for Chastising nations and Israel. Elohim allows enemy nations to come against them as His rod of chastisement. The Babylonians came against Judah because of their sins, but later the Persians came against the Babylonians for their cruelty to Judah. Obadiah is a prophecy of this kind.

The vision of Obadiah. Thus hath the Lord GOD said concerning Edom: We have heard the message from the LORD, and a messenger is sent to the Gentiles, Arise, and let us rise up against her in battle. Behold, I have made thee small among the Gentiles: thou shalt be greatly humbled. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars, from there I will bring thee down, said the LORD. Obadiah 1-4…for your violence against your brother Jacob shame shall cover you and you shall be cut off forever. Verse 10

The prophet is telling Edom they feel safe in their impregnable city of Petra but they are going to be brought down by the Nabateans. Nebajoth, son of Ishmael and brother in law of Edom (Gen 25.13; 28.9) is the connection. They would be the agent of chastisement against Edom and take Petra from the Edomites. This was 500 years before the birth of Yeshua.

Edomites fled to the area south of Judah and later became known as Idumeans the Greek name for Edomites. Herod would later be installed as King over Judea by the Romans. He was an Edomite.

THE MODERN ERA

As we move into the modern era things begin to get really interesting. Jerusalem fell to General Allenby and the British army in December 1917. This was the end of the 500 year Ottoman Empire.

Hussein al-Husayni a Palestinian politician surrendered to General Allenby and died shortly thereafter in 1918. His relative Haj Amin al-Husseini (1897-1974) was appointed Mufti of Jerusalem by the British in 1921 and was the most important Palestinian in Palestine during the Mandatory period prior to Israel becoming a state in 1948.

Al-Amin was a spokesman for the Palestinian Arabs during these times. He fled to Berlin in 1941 during unrest in the Middle East where he met with Adolph Hitler. The Nazi’s used him to gain support from the Arab world and to kill their common enemy—the Jews. He reportedly toured in Yugoslavia to recruit Muslims for Germany’s SS and Wehrmacht and wrote to various European leaders urging them to bar Jews from leaving their countries contributing to their demise in the Holocaust.

Some scholars believe descendants of Edom migrated to what is now called the Balkans.

Yasser Arafat claimed to be a member of Haj Amin al-Husseini clan, claiming Haj Amin was his uncle but that is not true. Arafat said that to strengthen his position as leader of the PLO.

Today Mahmoud Abbas is president of the State of Palestine and chairman of the PLO.

Hamas is led by Ismail Haniyeh. The Hamas army is 15,000 to 40,000 strong. They are not regular army but can be classified as a terrorist group. There is disillusionment among Palestinians as to who the leader should be and the goals of Hamas.

The people groups in Gaza have connection to Esau and the Philistines of ancient history. The name Palestine was given to Judea by the Romans after the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans in 132-135 A.D. The Roman name was in honor of the Philistines who resided in Gaza and were the Biblical enemies of Israel.

The enmity will continue until Yeshua the Messiah returns and restores order. God gave Jacob and Esau blessing of riches and territory. Esau has never been satisfied with his portion. Esau/Edom struck first in Exodus 17.8-16. That is the true history and root of the Controversy of the Land.

In 1948 the Arab nations were given a state along with the Jewish people. The Arabs rejected the offer and Israel accepted the offer. The Palestinians were told to leave by their Arab brothers in order that the Jews could be annihilated. Then the Palestinians would be allowed to return and possess the Land for themselves. The Jews won the war and the area is still contested.

Nations and men refuse to accept God’s will. Therefore there will be bloodshed and suffering by the entire world until the Messiah returns.

All hearts will be tested in the coming tribulation. After the tribulation Messiah will rule and reign for a thousand years in peace. At the end of the thousand years the nations will rebel for the final time (Rev 20). It is written and it will come to pass.

This is the history of Esau who is Edom. Prophetically in Obadiah Edom can also represent the nations that will join with them at the end of this age to destroy God’s chosen people. Ishmael and Edom are distant cousins. As I write the world is coalescing to support them in the Controversy of Zion.

In closing a video: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/11/journalist-douglas-murray-schools-piers-morgan-true-horror/

The Nations are going to rage (Ps2) against the Jewish people and any who follow Yeshua. It may make many of us uncomfortable but it is the truth. Truth sets us free. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ask for courage and fortitude in the coming trouble. Amen.