Obadiah 1:19-20

Obadiah 1:19-20

[19] And they of the south  shall possess  the mount  of Esau;  and they of the plain  the Philistines:  and they shall possess  the fields  of Ephraim,  and the fields  of Samaria:  and Benjamin  shall possess Gilead.  [20] And the captivity  of this host  of the children  of Israel  shall possess that of the Canaanites,  even unto Zarephath;  and the captivity  of Jerusalem,  which is in Sepharad,  shall possess  the cities  of the south. 

What does Obadiah 1:19-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Obadiah predicted that Jews living in various parts of Israel would possess parts of the Promised Land that other nations formerly occupied (cf. Isaiah 66:8; Zechariah 12:10 to Zechariah 13:1; Zechariah 14:1-9). These parts included Mt. Seir (Edom), Philistia, and territories to the north of Judah, including Ephraim and Samaria (the Northern Kingdom), and Transjordan (Gilead). Formerly exiled Israelites living to the north near Zarephath (in modern Lebanon) and in Sepharad (perhaps Sardis in modern Turkey or a territory in Media or Spain [1] ) would return and occupy the southern portions of the land, the Negev. The location of Sepharad remains a mystery. Israel would again conquer the land, but this time she would subdue it completely and occupy all the territory God had promised Abraham (cf. Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 26:2-5; Genesis 28:13-15; Deuteronomy 1:7).
"Was Obadiah"s prophecy fulfilled? By Malachi"s time (approximately450 B.C.), Edom had suffered a devastating defeat (see Malachi 1:1-4), though not of the magnitude envisioned by Obadiah. Obadiah"s description of Edom"s judgment is probably to some degree stylized and exaggerated. However, the cosmic dimension of the prophecy transcends historical developments and points to an end-time judgment of worldwide proportions. When viewed in this larger eschatological context, Edom serves as an archetype for all God"s enemies, who will be crushed by his angry judgment (see also Isaiah 34and Isaiah 63:1-6)." [2]