[1] Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, [3] And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. [4] I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. [5] Because thou hast had 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: [6] Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. [7] Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. [8] And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. [9] I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Verses 1-2 Expanded Bible Comments
| Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, | |
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| Question | Answer |
| From whom does this message come? | "The LORD." |
| To whom is the message given? | "Son of man." Seventh Messenger, Pastor Russell. |
| Who is the target of this prophecy? | "Mount Seir." |
| Is the LORD for or against this target? | "Prophesy against it." |
Verse 3 Expanded Bible Comments
| And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Who (or what) is "Mount Seir?" | Mount Seir is where Esau and his descendents lived. Esau is Edom (Gen. 36:8.) Esau pictures the nominal church who, like Esau, sold their birthright for a mess of pottage. Thus, Mount Seir pictures (so-called) Christendom, the dwelling place of the nominal church. |
| Is Mount Seir in a good place? | "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee." Heb. 10:31. |
| What does the LORD say he will do with His hand, and what is the result? | "I will stretch out mine hand against thee." The result of this is: "I will make thee most desolate." |
Verse 4 Expanded Bible Comments
| I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Remembering that the LORD is still speaking about "Mount Seir", what do we learn about "I will lay thy cities waste?" | That Mount Seir is not made up of just one but several cities (governments.) Yet another evidence that this refers to so-called Christendom. |
| What is going to happen to "Mount Seir" (so-called Christendom?) | "Thou [Mount Seir, Christendom, not just the individual cities (governments) but so-called Christendom itself] shalt be desolate." |
| What is it they are going so learn because of this? | "Thou shalt know that I am the LORD." |
Verse 5 Expanded Bible Comments
| Because thou hast had 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: | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Why do the inhabiters of Mount Seir (so-called Christendom) have "a perpetual hatred?" | John 3:19-21. R2378. |
| What did Mount Seir do to "the children of Israel?" | They "shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword." |
| Was this shedding of blood literal or symbolic? | Yes. |
| What is indicated by "in the time that their iniquity had an end?" | The phrase "iniquity had an end" is comprised of only two Hebrew words, Strong's H5771 (iniquity) and Strong's H7093 (end.) The only other place in Scripture where these two words are used one after the other is found in Eze. 21:25-29. There it clearly refers to the iniquity of King Zedekiah and the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles. Here it again is indicating an end of iniquity, namely, the end of Gentile Times when they begin to be destroyed by our Lord. Psa. 2:8-9 |
Verse 6 Expanded Bible Comments
| Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| When God says "I will prepare thee unto blood," what does that mean? | It has reference to blood that has been shed (spilled.) "The life of the flesh is in the blood." Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11,14 |
| What is meant by "blood shall pursue thee?" | It means that those pictured by Mount Seir (so-called Christendom) will loose its life (blood poured out.) |
| Translate "since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee" into its real meaning. | Since you have NOT hated draining the life of others by spilling their blood, your life shall be drained out from you by the spilling of your blood. |
| How certain are we that this is the fate of Mount Seir (so-called Christendom?) | "I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will..." |
Verse 7 Expanded Bible Comments
| Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Why does this say "Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate?" Why not simply "desolate?" | So thoroughly will the LORD destroy so-called Christendom that the LORD doubled up on the Hebrew word Strong's H8077 (desolate.) In Hebrew this is how the word is emphasized, as if to say 'this desolation is doubly emphasized.' |
Verse 8 Expanded Bible Comments
| And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| "I will fill his mountains with his slain men." Of whom is the LORD here speaking? | "His mountains" and "His slain." This is referring to "Mount Seir," to the territory of so-called Christendom. Compare Isa. 34:3. |
| What is indicated by "in thy hills?" | Mountains are symbolic of Kingdoms. Hills are symbolic of lesser governments. The picture here is that of so-called Christendom as a mountain range. It has more than one mountain (in this case we suggest it had 10 mountains) and also many hills. |
| What is indicated by "in thy valleys?" | Same thought as above except "valleys" refer to lower places. |
| What is indicated by "in all thy rivers?" | Rivers are where most of the people get water (truths, doctrines.) This refers to the teachings of so-called Christendom. These teachings were shown to be in error by the presentation of "present truth" being preached by voice and by printed page during the days of the Seventh Messenger. |
| Who are they that "fall?" | "They that fall" are those who make Mount Seir (so-called Christendom) their home, i.e., they are the nominal Christians who believe the creeds of men. |
| What is meant by they "that are slain with the sword?" | The sword is the Word of the Lord, present Truth. Compare with Isa. 34:5-6. |
Verse 9 Expanded Bible Comments
| I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. | |
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| Question | Answer |
[10] Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: [11] 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. [12] And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume. [13] Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them. [14] Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. [15] As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Verse 10 Expanded Bible Comments
| Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: | |
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Verse 11 Expanded Bible Comments
| 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. | |
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Verse 12 Expanded Bible Comments
| And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume. | |
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Verse 13 Expanded Bible Comments
| Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them. | |
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Verse 14 Expanded Bible Comments
| Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. | |
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Verse 15 Expanded Bible Comments
| As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD. | |
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