Prophecy against Arabia…Ishmael the “wild man” being its founder.

Isaiah 21:13-17

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
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“The burden against Arabia.” Isaiah 21:13a.

The Spirit of the Lord gave a prophecy to Isaiah to speak against Arabia. Ishmael was the founder of Arabia, as quoted, “He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran…” Genesis 21:21 Paran was reported to be a city in Paran Desert, in Arabia.

Who was Ishmael and how did he arrive at Arabia? He was the half-brother of Isaac, and the following was spoken about him, “He will be a wild man; His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. and he will dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” Genesis 16:12 Isaac was the son of Abraham and the father of Jacob, and Jacob gave birth to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. At the birth of Isaac, Ishmael was cast out, “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian [Ishmael], whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman will not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” Genesis 21:9-10 In those days, a “maidservant” could be assigned to have a child on behalf of the woman over her, and the child would be referred to as being borne by the woman in charge. Hagar was the maidservant, and Sarah the woman over her. Eventually, the Lord made Sarah fertile and she became pregnant with Isaac, her one and only son. At that time, when Isaac was weaned, Hagar and Ishmael were cast out, and Ishmael came to live in what came to be known as Arabia.

The contrast between Ishmael and Isaac is this: Isaac was the son that brought the fulfillment God made to Abraham to multiply his descendants like the number of the stars in the sky. That came through Isaac’s son, Jacob, who gave birth to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, which brought the birth of Jesus Christ [from the Tribe of Judah]. Jesus brought the birth of Christianity, which is considered to be Abraham’s seed, as quoted, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29 On the other hand, Ishmael is the father of the Muslim nations. He is recognized in Islamic culture, seen as a symbol of the Arab people and Islam, and is considered a patriarch in Islamic tradition. The Muslim culture dominates the Middle East. That is exactly what God promised for Ishmael, as quoted, “And as for Ishmael… will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac…” Genesis 17:20-21

The Christ, whose name is Jesus, is the Son of God who brings Salvation, not the Muslim prophet called Muhammad. This is the covenant that God makes with us through Jesus Christ, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, O you traveling companies of Dedanites.” Isaiah 21:13b.

Why would the “traveling companies of Dedanites” encamp in the forest of Arabia? Because they were escaping the devastation and violence coming against the Babylonian Empire during the time of its collapse. Deep in the forest was the place of the Dedanites’ refuge. Jeremiah prophesied this about the Dedanites, “Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will punish him…” Jeremiah 49:8 Esau is Edom“ So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom...” Genesis 36:8 Today, Babylon represents the global government of the beast, as described in Isaiah 21:1-2. At the time of the collapse of the global government, lawlessness and violence will flood the world on all seven continents, and people will be seeking shelter wherever they can find it.

Our Lord Jesus says, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold…For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever will be…then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ” Matthew 24:12, 21, 16 Click for posts from Matthew 24.

Who were the Dedanites? They were of Arabia, as seen on the map below. Why were they called “traveling companies”? Because they traveled for the purpose of trading resources with countries all around them. The Dedanites probably helped to keep Edom prosperous, but the Dedanites fell by the sword and Edom was left desolate from Teman, of Arabia [seen on the map below], as quoted “…therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan will fall by the sword.” Ezekiel 25:13 Speaking to Tyre “The men of Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment.” Ezekiel 27:15 When the Babylonian Empire collapsed, all of the trade routes under their dominion were plundered. The Dedanites hid in the forest of Arabia in an attempt to avoid being brutalized. The Lord had the wrath of His judgment in store for them, “For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it… Dedan, Tema…” Jeremiah 25:15, 23

When the global government of the beast collapses, their trade routes will be plundered/destroyed by land and sea, as described in the post on Revelations 18. “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore…For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning…” Revelations 18:11, 17-18 There will be no help for the global economy, and traders who would try to help would be chased far into the forest of a lawless world.

Click here for a post on Isaiah 21:1-2, about Babylon representing the global government of the beast. Click here for a post on Isaiah 21:3-5, about the wonderful and fearful day of the collapse of “Babylon”. Click here for a post on Isaiah 21:6-10, about the formation of the beast’s earthly Garden of Eden collapsing in a torrent of devastation and violence.

If it seems like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are prophesying about the same thing, you are right! The Babylonian captivity happened around 586 B.C. and ended 70 years later in 538 B.C. Isaiah prophesied around 740-681 B.C., Jeremiah around 626-586 B.C, and Ezekiel around 593-571 B.C. Isaiah prophesied before the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah after Isaiah and up to the Babylonian captivity, and Ezekiel overlapped with Jeremiah for a few years before the captivity and continued during the early years of the Babylonian captivity. Another well-known prophet is Daniel, who was taken captive as a young boy of about 15 years of age, as described in the post on Daniel 1. He served as a governor for the Babylonian Empire for about 70 years, up to the time of the collapse of the Babylonian Empire. He remained influential to the Israelites, by the Spirit of God, even after their freedom was granted. Daniel was at least 85 years of age when the Babylonian Empire collapsed. The prophecy of Daniel and Ezekiel overlapped during the early years of the captivity to the Babylonian Empire…Ezekiel more on a grassroots level directly to the Israelites, and Daniel from the chambers of power within the Babylonian government.

“O inhabitants of the land of Tema, bring water to him who is thirsty; With their bread they met him who fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the distress of war.” Isaiah 21:14-15

As seen on the map below, Tema was a city of Arabia, located on the coast of the Red Sea. A place where the Dedanite traders would have been very familiar with, due to being traders and the seacoast being an economic highway. Tema was advised to offer relief, bread, and water to them. The Dedanites were traders not warriors, they fled from the distress of war that was fought with power and might. They chose not to fight against, nor for, any of the nations at war, which was the Babylonians vs. Persian and Medes. The Persians and Medes were united under Cyrus the Great. Because the Dedanites chose neutrality, not war, the Lord encouraged Tema to give them bread and water.

Our Lord Jesus offers us the Bread and Water of Life instead of death, destruction, and darkness. “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst. But the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 6:35, John 4:14

Today, the word of the Lord encourages us to come apart from today’s atheistic culture and to choose the peace that is given to us through Jesus Christ, not the peace that this world offers with power and might. “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities…Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Revelations 18:4-5, John 14:27

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:3-12

“For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail; and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.” Isaiah 21:16-17

The “year of a hired man” was an exact date in which a servant would be freed from all servitude. That would be like a contract that specified a specific date to start and an exact time to end the contracted obligations. In other words, the Lord assigned a specific date for when the glory of Kedar would fail. That is like the Lord assigning a specific date for the glory of the global government of the beast to fail. The Spirit of the Lord has said that the government of the beast would exist on this earth for “42 months”, as described in the post on Revelations 13:5-6.

Along with the glory of Kedar failing, what was left of their military power and might would be diminished as well. That is prophetic for how the global government of the beast is plunged into the Battle of Armageddon, as described in Revelations 16:12-17, using whatever is left of their power and might. The glory of their power and might is diminished in the Fifth Plague of Revelations 16:10-11 when the power center of the beast is plunged into darkness. At that time, the government of the beast will be powerless, no longer will the global culture be empowered with what to speak, do, think, and feel. No longer will there be uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, extraordinary skills and talents, uncanny authority over others, etc. The Battle of Armageddon will be fought the old-fashioned way, with whatever remains of the power and might of the global government. Global warming is the Fourth Plague of Revelations 16:8-9 and is instrumental in bringing the collapse of the power center of the beast.

“For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.” Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the Lord had sent me…Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert…” Jeremiah 25:15-17, 23-24

What was it about Kedar that provoked the Lord’s anger against them? Primarily, they used the power and might of military forces in order to help defend Babylon from the attack coming from the joint forces of Persia and the Medes. The Lord says to all of His creation, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” Zachariah 4:6 The warfare is not against flesh and blood,  “…but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

Prophetically, to defend “Babylon” from opposing forces is for the global culture to defend the government of the beast. Those who serve and defend the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel will fail and be diminished. “All who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb…And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelations 13:8 and 20:15

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city...Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—” Revelations 22:14, Ephesians 6:14-18

As seen on the maps below, Saudi Arabia of today is the same territory as Arabia during the time of Isaiah. The red line on the map to the left is to show how the border of Saudi Arabia is the same border as Arabia in Isaiah’s time. The map on the right shows the location of Dedan, of the Dedanites, Tema, and Kedar.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11