TIME OF THE END!

8- Edom, Moab, and Ammon

by Jeff Pippenger

"HE shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon." Daniel 11:41.

In the previous two articles of this series we identified the glorious land of Daniel 11:41 as being the United States, while also noting that when the Papacy, symbolized as the king of the north, enters into the United States, many people will be overthrown as others escape out of "his hand." Those who are overthrown clasp hands with the Papacy, symbolizing an agreement with the spiritual authority of the papal power, which occurs when the king of the north "enters" the glorious land by means of the passage of a national Sunday law in the United States.

The Onward March

In the last article we described this verse as illustrating a progression of events which unfold as the Sunday-law issue approaches and is increasingly enforced in the United States. As these events and issues proceed through time, they intensify, while accelerating "the shaking." The shaking for Adventism culminates with the final purification of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The purification is brought about by the apostasy of Adventists who never brought "truth" into their own personal experience, and therefore they were unprepared to stand against the increasing persecution brought against God's people over the Sabbath issue. At this time the influence and authority of the Papacy continues to increase as it carries on its spiritual conquest of the world before ending in perdition.

During this time period God's people will be purified, thus allowing for the outpouring of the latter rain, which will empower God's people to stand during the time of trouble, as well as to proclaim the final warning message. The final warning message is the "loud-cry" message, and it also progressively increases as it moves through the world.

"The Word of God in His law is binding upon every intelligent mind. The truth for this time, the third angel's message, is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, meaning with increasing power, as we approach the great final test." Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1710. All emphasis supplied unless otherwise noted.

Escaping Their Homeland

In recent history many nationalities have become refugees from repressive governments in their homeland. Whether we are thinking of the Vietnamese boat people, or the recent Cuban or Haitian citizens who attempted to flee their respective countries, we see that they not only escaped their homeland, but that they still reflected their particular nationality. The Vietnamese boat people were refugees, but they were still Vietnamese. Likewise, we will see that Edom, Moab, and Ammon represent those "refugees" who leave Babylon during the loud-cry message, thus reflecting the threefold division of modern Babylon.

As we begin the discussion of Edom, Moab, and Ammon we must recognize that their location in the sequence of events is at the very beginning of the loud-cry time period, when the Sunday law has just been enforced in the United States. At that time, the shaking is moving through Adventism and into the world, and we then see Edom, Moab, and Ammon described as those who "escape" the hand of the Papacy.

The word here translated as "escape," means to escape "as if by slipperiness," as well as "to release or rescue." This definition implies that previous to their escape, these three tribes were in the hand of the Papacy. The message which God's people proclaim at this time period is a call to flee out of Babylon, and Edom, Moab, and Ammon symbolize those people who begin to respond to the final message of Revelation 18:4, to "Come out of her, my people."

"Of Babylon at this time it is declared, 'Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.' Revelation 18:5. She has filled up the measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her. But God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments, these faithful ones must be called out, that they 'partake not of her sins, and receive not of her plagues.' Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from Heaven, lightening the earth with his glory, and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard, 'Come out of her, my people.' As these warnings join the third angel's message, it swells to a loud cry." The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 422.

These three symbolic tribes that respond to the call to come out of Babylon and thus escape the hand of the Papacy, are also represented as the "other sheep" whom Christ promised to call:

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:16.

Christ's illustration of "the day when the Son of man is revealed," contains an inference to these tribes:

"But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Luke 17:29-30.

Sister White adds further light to this passage when describing the loud-cry time period:

"Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from Heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction." Early Writings, 278-279.

Christ referred to Sodom and Lot's escape as an illustration of the end of the world, and Sister White further identifies Lot as a symbol of those who leave "the religious bodies" during the loud-cry time period. We see Christ and Sister White using the descendants of Lot as examples of the "other sheep" who respond to the final warning message. In agreement with these passages, Daniel 11:41 uses the same tribes when identifying Moab and Ammon, for these tribes are the descendants of Lot.

Sister White states that she saw "company after company from the Lord's army joined the foe," and then "tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God." These three tribes come from "the doomed churches," as well as from "the ranks of the enemy."

"In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army was led by banners bearing the world's insignia; the other was led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord's army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God." Testimonies, vol. 8, 41.

We see illustrated in these three tribes those members who respond to the loud-cry message. These tribes are those which flee from Babylon. These tribes had formerly been in the symbolic grasp of modern Babylon, but as the issues are clarified they respond to the call to depart. These are the "other sheep," or the other "children of the Lord that remain in Babylon," whom the Lord will call out during the latter-rain time period.

"When those that 'believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness' (2 Thessalonians 2:12), shall be left to receive strong delusion and to believe a lie, then the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of the Lord that remain in Babylon will heed the call: 'Come out of her, my people.' Revelation 18:4." Maranatha, 173.

A History of Hatred and Opposition

In order to recognize who and what these three tribes symbolize, we must apply the prophetic rule which we have used previously in this series, which requires that we seek to understand Edom, Moab, and Ammon as spiritual, not literal tribes. In prophecy, to understand a modern spiritual application we must first understand the ancient literal counterpart, and, in so doing, develop the foundation of information which establishes the modern spiritual application.

Edom means "red," and is another name for Esau and his descendants:

"And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright." Genesis 25:30-34.

"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews 12:16-17.

The tribe of Edom was a brother to Israel. Esau was a profane fornicator who had rejected his birthright for the pleasures of this world. Moab means, "from father," and is the tribe which descended from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his oldest daughter. Ammon means, "paternal uncle," and is the tribe which descended from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his youngest daughter.

"Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day." Genesis 19:36-38.

We see that the three tribes of Daniel 11:41 are close spiritual relatives of spiritual Israel, and are characterized with fornication or incest, thus identifying their involvement with unlawful relationships--a prime characteristic of modern Babylon. The history of these ancient tribes shows an ancient hatred and resistance to the work of God's people, illustrating that these modern spiritual tribes would spiritually oppose the work of God's modern-day people.

"Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them." Ezekiel 25:12.

"I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts." Zephaniah 2:8-10.

Notice that it was prophesied that God's remnant people would not only spoil them but also possess them. In ancient times these three tribes opposed God's people, and their false worship was a continual snare.

Anciently, Edom, Moab, and Ammon, though close relatives of ancient Israel, were enemies of God's people, practicing false worship in opposition to the true worship of God. Their relationship and their opposition to ancient Israel brought forth a special distinction by God in regard to their acceptance into the true worship of God. See 1 Kings 11:5, 7; 2 Chronicles 25:14.

"An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee. Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever. Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation." Deuteronomy 23:3-8.

Sister White informs us that Daniel and Revelation "complement" each other. When viewed as a single symbolic entity, the three tribes reflect the threefold division of modern Babylon, complementing the description of modern Babylon described in the book of Revelation.

Babylon and the Threefold Union

"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:18.

In prophecy "a great city" represents a kingdom. See Revelation 11:8; 21:10. The second angel's message is a call out of the kingdom of Babylon, for it is there identified as "that great city."

"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8.

Revelation identifies the threefold nature of "the great city" (kingdom of Babylon):

"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." Revelation 16:19.

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." Revelation 16:13.

The threefold makeup of modern Babylon consists of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. This threefold confederacy is brought together between spiritualism, symbolized by the dragon; Catholicism, symbolized by the beast; and apostate Protestantism, symbolized by the false prophet. Protestantism does not become apostate Protestantism until it fulfills Revelation 13:11, and speaks as a dragon by legislating a national Sunday law. It is therefore at that point in time that these three unclean spiritual powers are identified as coming together into the threefold union.

"By the decree enforcing the institution of the Papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near." Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

As these three spiritual powers unite against God's law and His people, they demonstrate the same hatred and resistance that their ancient counterparts portrayed in the history of Edom, Ammon, and Moab. These three tribes therefore reflect both the threefold division of modern Babylon, as well as representing those people who flee from modern Babylon. The threefold union between the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, which constitutes the great city of Babylon, is officially consummated at the time of the Sunday law, which is precisely when Edom, Moab, and Ammon are portrayed as escaping the hand of the Papacy.

Confirmation of the Prophets

In agreement with Daniel and Revelation, many prophecies in the Bible which illustrate the end-time scenario portray three enemies opposing God's work and His people.

In Numbers 22, we find a clear parallel to the latter-rain time period as the children of Israel were about to enter into the Promised Land. Then Moab, Midian, and Balaam were raised up to resist God's purposes and His people.

In the story of Nehemiah's time, a history which Sister White identifies as "symbolic" of the work which God's people today must accomplish, we find Sanballat, a Moabite; Tobiah, an Ammonite; and Geshem, the Arabian, raised up to resist God's work and His people.

In the history of Jehoshaphat's triumph, found in 2 Chronicles 20, we find an illustration of the final triumph of God's people as Jehoshaphat goes into battle against Edom, Moab, and Ammon, with his singers leading the march.

In the history of Gideon, found in Judges 6-8, we find a powerful illustration of the final movements of earth's history, as Gideon wars against Midian, a descendant of Abraham; Amalek, a descendant of Esau; and the children of the East.

But one of the most important prophetic passages identifying the three enemies is found in Isaiah 11:10-15. Sister White comments on the first three verses of this passage:

" 'The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, besides those that are gathered unto him.' Isaiah 56:8.

" 'Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read.' Isaiah 34:16. 'In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.' Isaiah 11:10-12.

"These words outline our work. This scripture is to be received by our people as a message for today. The glad tidings of salvation are to be carried to those who have not heard them." Review and Herald, June 23, 1904.

This passage in Isaiah is identifying our work in relation to the Sabbath issue, for an ensign is defined as a flag or banner:

"ensign--5251: from 5264; a flag; also a sail; by implication a flagstaff; generally a signal; figuratively a token:--banner, pole, sail, (en-)sign, standard.

"5264: to gleam from afar, i.e. to be conspicuous as a signal; to raise a beacon:-lift up as an ensign, standard bearer." Strong's.

The standard or ensign which is associated with "the book of the law," and which will be "set up," is the Sabbath:

"It is at this time that the true Sabbath must be brought before the people both by pen and by voice. As the fourth commandment of the Decalogue and those who observe it are ignored and despised, the faithful few know that it is the time not to hide their face but to exalt the law of Jehovah by unfurling the banner on which is inscribed the message of the third angel, 'Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' Revelation 14:12." Evangelism, 281; see also Testimonies, vol. 6, 352-353; and Early Writings, 74.

Sister White also comments on the next verse in Isaiah's prophecy:

"The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." Isaiah 11:13.

"The cross of Christ is the pledge of our fellowship and union. The time must come when the watchmen shall see eye to eye; when the trumpet shall give a certain sound; when 'Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim' any more." Review and Herald, January 3, 1899.

We therefore understand that this passage is identifying our work in connection with the Sabbath issue. It also is identifying the time period when God's people come into unity and bring "the glad tidings of salvation" "to those who have not heard them."

The next verse in Isaiah's prophecy identifies the three tribes which escape the hand of the king of the north in Daniel's prophecy:

"But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

"And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

"And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." Isaiah 11:14-16.

The issue confronting the world at this time is God's law, and we see God's unified people "lay their hand upon Edom, Moab; and the children of Ammon." The three tribes which have escaped the hand of the Papacy in Daniel's prophecy, come under the hand or dominion of God's people and "obey them," symbolizing their agreement to the power and authority which actuate the people of God. Thus these three tribes are not only spoiled but possessed in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zephaniah 2:8-10, which we quoted earlier.

"Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." Zechariah 8:22-23.

This passage finishes with the illustration of the final deliverance as the remnant follow the "highway" which has been prepared for them "as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt."

We see Edom, Moab, and Ammon here portrayed at the very end of the latter rain, for the final deliverance is the next scene in the passage of Isaiah. Isaiah is using Edom, Moab, and Ammon in describing the closing up of the loud-cry message, whereas these three tribes in Daniel 11:41 are describing the beginning of the loud-cry message. There is only one difference between these three tribes in Isaiah and Daniel. That difference is that in Daniel we see the "chief of the children of Ammon," while in Isaiah, it is simply "the children of Ammon."

The word chief in Daniel 11:41 means firstfruits, and it comes from the root word which means shaking. Edom, Moab, and Ammon in Daniel are the firstfruits of the loud-cry message which begin to join God's people at the time of the passage of the Sunday law in the United States, which is also when the shaking moves through Adventism into the world. When the latter rain is illustrated coming to an end by Isaiah, the three tribes are no longer the firstfruits, and therefore, they are no longer the "chief" of the children of Ammon.

When we understand these three tribes as a reflection in Daniel of the threefold division of Babylon which is identified in Revelation, we recognize a powerful connection between these two prophetic books. This agreement is what we have been told we should expect when we come to understand these prophetic books "as we should."

Daniel 11:41 provides information concerning events which are progressively moving ahead. Events such as the shaking, persecution, the purification of God's people, the Sunday law, and the latter rain. If this understanding of events is accurate, does it not demand that our own personal experience must progress in proportion to the times in which we are presently living? One great strength to this understanding of Daniel 11:40-45 is the events which are taking place in our world today. Certainly we can see the signs of the times unfolding which testify that the issues described in these last three articles concerning Daniel 11:41 are increasingly imminent with every passing day.