Daily Devotional – February 26

Biblical Accuracy

The Bible is full of prophecy – which simply is advance knowledge of the future. Since time is part of the physical universe, and God is the one who created the universe, God is “outside of time.” The fact that the Bible is filled with specific prophecies, that have come true, is one of the ways we can know the Bible is inspired by the One who is outside of time – God, the Eternal One.

One such prophecy concerns Edom. Edom was an ancient nation located near the Dead Sea. In Ezekiel 35:3-4, 9, God pronounced a curse on Edom, stating that this large nation would become desolate, all its cities would disappear, it would never be inhabited by humans, and it would be overrun by animals and beasts.

Today, we find nothing but traces of uninhabited towns in this area. Even the capital of Edom, Petra, considered one of the wonders of the ancient world with its buildings hewn out of beautiful rose-red solid rock, now stands in ruins. The only inhabitants are birds, reptiles, and assorted other animals. Imagine if a prophet of today came to New Jersey, which is about the size of Edom, and prophesied that New Jersey would become desolate, never to be reinhabited by humans and would be home only to wild animals and beasts. We would say that is ridiculous. Yet that is what has happened to Edom. The Edomites only existed for 1,700 years; their cities and even their language have utterly disappeared. The desolation of this land is a testimony to fulfilled prophecy.

I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make three most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD….I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

~ Ezekiel 35:3-4, 9

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett