Bible prophecies explained:
Bible prophecies fulfilled by other nations
These selected prophecies from the Bible involve ancient nations other than Israel, including Edom and Egypt.
1. Daniel predicted the four great kingdoms
Bible passage: Daniel 2:32-33
Written: About 530 BC
In Daniel 2:32-33, there is a passage that symbolically identified the four great kingdoms that would rise up and control much of world, beginning in Daniel's lifetime. The passage uses symbolic imagery:
1. The head of gold, as Daniel explained, refers to the Babylonian empire that ruled much of the world about 2600 years ago.
2. Daniel said that the head-of-gold empire would be followed by an empire symbolized by arms of silver. Christian scholars have often interpreted this to refer to the Medo-Persian empire which later conquered the Babylonian empire. The scholars say that the two arms refer to the two groups - the Medes and the Persians - who comprised the Medo-Persian empire.
3. The third kingdom was symbolized by the statue's belly and thighs of brass. Some scholars believe that this is a reference to the Grecian empire, which conquered the Medo-Persian empire. The symbol of a belly and thighs of brass suggests that the kingdom was to start out as a united empire but end up as a divided empire. Under the leadership of Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire was a united empire. But after Alexander's death, the empire was divided into four parts and was later reduced to two parts.
4. The fourth symbol - that of iron legs and feet that were part iron and part clay - has often been suggested to be a reference to the Roman Empire, which later conquered the Grecian Empire. The Roman Empire was very powerful, but it was also very diverse, claiming dominion over a wide variety of different nations. That diversity later contributed to the downfall of the empire.
These four kingdoms ruled over much of the world, and each of the four ruled over the land of Israel during times in which a significant number of Jews - and perhaps a majority of Jews - were living in their homeland. Before the collapse of the Roman Empire, Jerusalem was destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced into exile. Even today, a majority of Jews still live outside of Israel. Many Christian scholars suggest that the Roman Empire will be revived and will once again seek to control Israel.
Daniel 2:32-33:
32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
2. Edom would be toppled and humbled
Bible passage: Jeremiah 49:16
Written: Sometime between 626-586 BC
In Jeremiah 49:16, the prophet said that Edom, a long-time enemy of Israel, would be destroyed. Edom's capital city, Petra, was carved out of a mountain side and had great natural defenses. Nonetheless, it was destroyed and the kingdom of Edom no longer exists. Today, Petra is part of Jordan. The city was conquered by the Romans in the year 106 AD but flourished again shortly after that. But a rival city, Palmyra, eventually took most of the trade away and Petra began to decline. Moslems conquered Petra in the 7th Century and Crusaders conquered it in the 12th Century. Petra gradually fell into ruin.
Jeremiah 49:16:
The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down," declares the Lord.
3. Egypt would never again rule over nations
Bible passage: Ezekiel 29:15
Written: Between 593-571 BC
In Ezekiel 29:15, the prophet says that Egypt would recover from a desolation (perhaps Babylon's attack about 2600 years ago), but that it would never again rule over other nations. Up until the time of Ezekiel, Egypt had been a world power for centuries, dominating many nations, including Israel. But for most of the past 2500 years, Egypt has been controlled by foreign powers, including the Romans, Ottomans and Europeans. Today, Egypt is an independent nation again. In 1948, 1967 and 1973, Egypt tried to dominate Israel but was unsuccessful each time, despite the fact that Egypt is 10 times larger than Israel. Egypt today, in many respects, is an impressive nation. But since the time of Ezekiel, it no longer rules over other nations.
Ezekiel 29:15:
… I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations.
4. The Jews would avenge the Edomites
Bible passage: Ezekiel 25:14
Written: Between 593-571 BC
In Ezekiel 25:14, the prophet said that the Jews would one day take vengeance on Edom, a nation that had often warred with the Jews. When Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, he and many other Jews were living as captives in Babylon. They didn't have control of their own country, let alone anyone else's. But, about 400 years later, Jews regained independence for Jerusalem and the surrounding area during the "Hasmonaean Period." During this time, the Jewish priest-king John Hyrcanus I defeated the Edomites. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition: "Edomite history was marked by continuous hostility and warfare with Jews… At the end of the second century B.C., they were subdued by Hasmonaean priest-king John Hyrcanus I…"
Ezekiel 25:14:
I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.'"
5. Nations around Israel would be destroyed
Bible passage: Zephaniah 2:4-12
Written: Zephaniah lived about 2600 years ago
Zephaniah 2:4-12 speaks of four ancient countries that surrounded the land of Israel during ancient times, including the time of Zephaniah, a prophet who lived about 2600 years ago. The four nations are Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Cush, and they are to be destroyed because of "their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty." - Zephaniah 2:10b.
We also are told that their lands will be appropriated for other uses, including as plunder, land for animals grazing, and even wasteland.
In particular, we are told that Moab and Ammon, which were east of the Jordan River, near Israel, would be utterly destroyed, like the more ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah:
"surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever." - Zephaniah 2:9.
Tersely, we also are told that the people of Philistia and Cush would be wiped out, in verses 4-6 and 12. Philistia was a coastal land, between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea, that included the cities of Gaza and Ashkelon. The Cushites resided in the upper Nile delta.
Today, with our own eyes, we can see that each of these four nations have lost their hold on their lands, they have lost their culture and language, as well as their identity as distinct groups of people.
Zephaniah 2:4-12:
4 Gaza will be abandoned
and Ashkelon left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
O Kerethite people;
the word of the LORD is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines.
"I will destroy you,
and none will be left."
6 The land by the sea, where the Kerethites dwell,
will be a place for shepherds and sheep pens.
7 It will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah;
there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The LORD their God will care for them;
he will restore their fortunes.
8 "I have heard the insults of Moab
and the taunts of the Ammonites,
who insulted my people
and made threats against their land.
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,"
declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel,
"surely Moab will become like Sodom,
the Ammonites like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
the survivors of my nation will inherit their land."
10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,
for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty.
11 The LORD will be awesome to them
when he destroys all the gods of the land.
The nations on every shore will worship him,
every one in its own land.
12 "You too, O Cushites,
will be slain by my sword."
Notes: Bible verses are from the New International Version (NIV) translation.
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A selection of Bible prophecies explained
• End time prophecies
• Prophecies fulfilled by Jesus' birth
• Fulfilled by Jesus' life
• Fulfilled by his crucifixion
• Others involving Jesus
• Fulfilled by Israel - part 1
• Fulfilled by Israel - part 2
• Fulfilled by Babylon
• Fulfilled by Tyre
• Fulfilled by Nineveh
• Fulfilled by other nations
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