In Isaiah 63:1, the prophet says, “Who is this, coming from Edom, from Botzrah with clothing stained crimson, so magnificently dressed, so stately in his great strength?” The Messiah replies, “It is I, who speak victoriously, I, well able to save.” The prophet asks, “Why is your apparel red, your clothes like someone treading a winepress?” Messiah answers, “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the peoples, not one was with me. So I trod them in my anger, trampled them in my fury; so their lifeblood spurted out on my clothing, and I have stained all my garments; 4 for the day of vengeance that was in my heart and my year of redemption have come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, and I was appalled that no one upheld me. Therefore my own arm brought me salvation, and my own fury upheld me. 6 In my anger I trod down the peoples, made them drunk with my fury, then poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
This passage leads us back to Isaiah 34:5-6: “For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it shall come down on Edom, And on the people of My curse, for judgment. 6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, It is made overflowing with fatness, With the blood of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.” Proverbs 3:33 tells us that YHVH’s curse or punishment is in the house of the wicked. The lambs and goats mentioned here represent the wicked people that will be in Bozrah in Edom. The word botsrah can be H1224 which is defined as a place in Edom or H1223 which is defined as an enclosure or sheep fold. I want to remain open to the idea that it is not a specific city per se but simply a place in Edom. If that is the case, we can then look at the future destruction of Edom discussed in Obadiah.
In the vision of Obadiah, YHVH says that everyone on Mount Esau will be slaughtered. YHVH says all the nations will drink (be punished) in turn. Another place where the destruction of Edom is mentioned is in Jeremiah 25; it says kingdoms of the world including Edom will be killed by the sword. Obviously, there has to be people left living to reign over so I suspect that it is the warriors from these nations that will be slaughtered. Based on Isaiah 63, it appears that Edom will be first. The description of Isaiah 63:2-3 sounds very similar to Revelation 14:19-20 where the angel uses his sickle to throw the earth’s grapes into the great winepress of God’s fury. Revelation 16:16 says that when the sixth bowl/plague is poured out by the sixth angel, the kings of the earth will gather at Har Megiddo (Armageddon). Revelation 19:13 describes Yeshua coming with His robe already soaked in blood for the battle of Armageddon; therefore, by this point, the warriors on Mount Esau have been slain with the sword and their blood has stain Yeshua’s clothing. Yeshua, the Angel of His Presence, comes to Har Megiddo to execute judgment over Israel’s enemies and bring salvation to His people.
According to Isaiah, YHVH intends to show loving kindness and mercy to His people. He calls them His children and says they are not disloyal; this is the reason He became their Savior. Right now, we might be shaking our heads and thinking Israel does not deserve a Savior because they are not loyal to Him. We need to pray for them to repent and be loyal to Him because they are rebellious and are grieving His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Before all has been fulfilled, YHVH will be their enemy by bringing the nations against them as a rod in His hand. They are in trouble and don’t seem to know the remedy for their trouble. I do know that their condition is of great concern to YHVH. He will do whatever it takes in order to bring them to Himself. One day, in His love and pity, He will redeem them.
For now, His people need to read the Scriptures and remember the days of old, the days of Moses. They need to remember the Exodus from Egypt and how He led them across the Red Sea and through the wilderness like a shepherd who leads his flocks. They need to remember how the Ruach was on Moses and the 70 elders and how YHVH gave them rest.
YHVH, please hear my prayer! Look on all of us from your glorious dwelling in heaven. Don’t hold back your zeal, mighty deeds, inner concern, and compassion for your people. You are our Redeemer of Old! YHVH, don’t let us wander from your ways and harden our hearts; we need to fear you. YHVH, we are just like the nations around us who don’t know your name. Please return to the tribes of Jacob who are your possession! Please come down from heaven and make the mountains shake at your presence! Make your enemies know your name and make the nations would tremble before you! YHVH, please hear my plea!
YHVH, help us to do works in keeping with repentance and put sin far from us. Help us to keep your ancient ways so we can be saved. YHVH, we are unclean and our righteous deeds are gross; we are dying in this condition. Our perversity blows us away like the wind. It separates us from you and is destroying us.
YHVH, you are the Potter and we are merely the clay in your hands. Please take us, forgive us for provoking you, and refashion us according to your will. Please don’t give us more than we can bear. Help us to put our old natures to death and to walk by the power of the Ruach. Help us to see and separate ourselves from the unholy mixture that we’ve been raised in. Help us to know how to not offer something unholy to you. Help us to be clean and holy, unstained by the world. YHVH, our food supply is highly processed and we don’t know what’s in it; help us to know what we can and can’t eat. Help us not to become puffed up thinking we are holier than others, especially You. Don’t cast us aside; please find some good within us. Please, do not destroy us but bring us into the Promised Land. Amen.
Highway to Holiness 