The following are my notes accompanying my presentation on 22/04/2026 at my church Bible study.

Introduction

The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, with just 21 verses. Like many of the minor prophets it relates to the time Israel/Judah taken into exile. Like Joel and unlike the other minor prophets, the date of writing is disputed by scholars. The name “Obadiah” means “Servant of Yahweh” or “Worshipper of Yahweh” in Hebrew.

Theme:

God’s judgment on Edom (descendants of Esau) for their pride and violence against Judah (descendants of Jacob).

Structure:

1. Edom’s Pride and Downfall (1-9): Edom’s arrogance and security will be destroyed.

2. Edom’s Violence against Judah (10-14): Edom’s cruelty to Judah will be punished.

3. The Day of the Lord (15-21): God’s judgment on nations, restoration of Judah, and ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom.

Key Points:

– Edom’s pride and self-security will lead to its downfall (3-4).

– Edom’s violence against Judah, especially during Jerusalem’s fall, will be punished (10-14).

– The Day of the Lord is near, bringing judgment on nations (15).

– Judah will be restored, and God’s kingdom will triumph (17-21).

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Day of the Lord

V15 is a key verse and relates to a subject that is covered by many of the writing prophets.

Many days of the Lord BUT just one Day of the Lord (that could be over many days). Often discussed under different names. The OT often has a present and a future fulfilment.

References in the Old and New Testaments:

Old Testament (26 references)

1. Isaiah 2:12 – “For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low;”

    – Context: Judgment on pride and idolatry

2. Isaiah 13:6 – “Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.”

    – Context: Judgment on Babylon

3. Isaiah 13:9 – “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.”

    – Context: God’s wrath against sin

4. Joel 1:15 – “Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.”

    – Context: Locust plague and impending judgment

5. Joel 2:1 – “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;”

    – Context: Call to repentance before judgment

6. Joel 2:11 – “And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?”

    – Context: God’s mighty army and judgment

7. Joel 2:31 – “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”

    – Context: Cosmic signs before judgment

8. Joel 3:14 – “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”

    – Context: Nations gathered for judgment

9. Amos 5:18 – “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.”

    – Context: Warning against seeking judgment

10. Amos 5:20 – “Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?”

    – Context: Judgment as darkness

11. Obadiah 1:15 – “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thy own head.”

    – Context: Judgment on nations

12. Micah 1:2 – “Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.”

    – Context: God’s judgment on Israel

13. Zeph 1:7 – “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.”

    – Context: Silence before judgment

14. Zeph 1:8 – “And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.”

    – Context: Judgment on leaders

15. Zeph 1:14 – “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.”

    – Context: Imminent judgment

16. Zeph 1:18 – “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy rift of all them that dwell in the land.”

    – Context: Inability to escape judgment

17. Zech 14:1 – “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.”

    – Context: Jerusalem’s deliverance

18. Mal 3:2 – “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap:”

    – Context: Purification and judgment

19. Mal 4:1 – “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts.”

    – Context: Judgment on wickedness

20. Mal 4:5 – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:”

    – Context: Preparation for judgment

21. Isa 3:18 – “In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments…”

    – Context: Judgment on Jerusalem’s women

22. Isa 10:3 – “And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far?”

    – Context: Judgment on Assyria

23. Isa 22:5 – “For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.”

    – Context: Judgment on Jerusalem

24. Jer 46:10 – “But this is a day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge himself of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood:”

    – Context: Judgment on Egypt

25. Ezek 13:5 – “Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.”

    – Context: False prophets

26. Ezek 30:3 – “For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.”

New Testament (5 references)

1. Acts 2:20 – “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:”

    – Context: Joel’s prophecy fulfilled

2. 1 Thess 5:2 – “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

    – Context: Sudden judgment

3. 2 Thess 2:2 – “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”

    – Context: Timing of judgment

4. 2 Peter 3:10 – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

    – Context: Final judgment and renewal

5. Rev 16:14 – “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

    – Context: Gathering for Armageddon

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Day of the Lord in Revelation

1. Rev 6:17 – Seal 6

“For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

This quotes Joel 2:11, 2:31 + Zeph 1:14-15. The cosmic signs of sun/moon/stars + earthquake match OT Day of the Lord language exactly. This is the Day arriving.

2. Rev 11:18 – 7th Trumpet

“The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged”

The 7th trumpet announces that the kingdom comes and wrath/judgment begins. Trumpets are Day of the Lord imagery from Joel 2:1.4.

3. Rev 14:14-20 – Harvest + Winepress

“Put in your sickle… for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe… the winepress was trodden”

This is direct callback to Joel 3:13: “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe… the winepress is full”. Joel 3 is a Day of the Lord chapter. John’s showing it fulfilled.

4. Rev 16:14 – 6th Bowl

“…to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty”

“Great day of God” = Day of the Lord. This is Armageddon. Zeph 1:14: “The great day of the LORD is near”.

5. Rev 19:11-21 – Return of Christ

Christ comes on a white horse, treads “the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God”

This combines Isaiah 63:3 “I have trodden the winepress alone” with Rev 14:20. The Battle of Armageddon is the climax of the Day of the Lord.

6. Rev 20:11-15 – Great White Throne

Final judgment. This is the ultimate Day of the Lord when the books are opened. 2 Peter 3:10 ties “Day of the Lord” to the final judgment and melting of elements.

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Revelation 14

Revelation 14:14-20 alludes to the Day of the Lord, drawing on Joel’s prophecy (Joel 3:13) about the “grapes of wrath” and the sickle. Here’s the connection:

– Joel 3:13: “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe… the winepress is full”

– Revelation 14:14-20: Jesus harvests the earth with a sickle, throwing grapes into the winepress of God’s wrath

In Joel, the image is one of judgment: nations are gathered for God’s harvest, symbolizing the end-time reckoning. Revelation picks up this theme, depicting Jesus as the harvester, executing God’s wrath on those who oppose Him.

The “grapes of wrath” represent the wicked, ripe for judgment. Throwing them into the winepress symbolizes God’s fierce anger, leading to destruction.

This passage in Revelation is a clear nod to the Day of the Lord, fulfilling Joel’s prophecy and emphasizing God’s ultimate judgment on sin and evil.

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Got Questions

The phrase “day of the Lord” usually identifies events that take place at the end of history (Isaiah 7:18-25) and is often closely associated with the phrase “that day.” One key to understanding these phrases is to note that they always identify a span of time during which God personally intervenes in history, directly or indirectly, to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan.

Most people associate the day of the Lord with a period of time or a special day that will occur when God’s will and purpose for His world and for mankind will be fulfilled. Some scholars believe that the day of the Lord will be a longer period of time than a single day—a period of time when Christ will reign throughout the world before He cleanses heaven and earth in preparation for the eternal state of all mankind. Other scholars believe the day of the Lord will be an instantaneous event when Christ returns to earth to redeem His faithful believers and send unbelievers to eternal damnation.

The phrase “the day of the Lord” is used often in the Old Testament (e.g. Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:5) and several times in the New Testament (e.g. Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). It is also alluded to in other passages (Revelation 6:17; 16:14).

The Old Testament passages dealing with the day of the Lord often convey a sense of imminence, nearness, and expectation: “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!” (Isaiah 13:6); “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near” (Ezekiel 30:3); “Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1); “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14); “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near” (Zephaniah 1:7). This is because the Old Testament passages referring to the day of the Lord often speak of both a near and a far fulfillment, as does much of Old Testament prophecy. Some Old Testament passages that refer to the day of the Lord describe historical judgments that have already been fulfilled in some sense (Isaiah 13:6-22; Ezekiel 30:2-19; Joel 1:15, 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18), while others refers to divine judgments that will take place toward the end of the age (Joel 2:30-32; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:1, 5).

The New Testament calls it a day of “wrath,” a day of “visitation,” and the “great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14) and refers to a still future fulfillment when God’s wrath is poured out on unbelieving Israel (Isaiah 22; Jeremiah 30:1-17; Joel 1-2; Amos 5; Zephaniah 1) and on the unbelieving world (Ezekiel 38–39; Zechariah 14). The Scriptures indicate that “the day of the Lord” will come quickly, like a thief in the night (Zephaniah 1:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:2), and therefore Christians must be watchful and ready for the coming of Christ at any moment.

Besides being a time of judgment, it will also be a time of salvation as God will deliver the remnant of Israel, fulfilling His promise that “all of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), forgiving their sins and restoring His chosen people to the land He promised to Abraham (Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 30:19-31, 40; Micah 4; Zechariah 13). The final outcome of the day of the Lord will be that “the arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17). The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil and fulfill all His promises.

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History of Edom

Edom is mentioned numerous times in the Bible, and its narrative is complex. Here are some key references:

Key References:

1. Genesis 25:30 – Esau (Edom) sells his birthright to Jacob.

2. Genesis 36:1-8 – Esau’s descendants become the Edomites.

3. Numbers 20:14-21 – Israel-Edom conflict.

4. 1 Samuel 14:47 – Saul’s victory over Edom.

5. 2 Kings 8:20-22 – Edom revolts against Judah.

6. Isaiah 34:5-17 – Prophecy against Edom.

7. Jeremiah 49:7-22 – Prophecy against Edom.

8. Obadiah – Prophecy against Edom.

9. Malachi 1:2-4 – God’s love for Jacob, not Esau (Edom).

Blessed/Protected by God:

– Genesis 27:39-40 – Isaac’s blessing on Esau (Edom).

– Deuteronomy 2:4-5 – God warns Israel not to attack Edom.

Judged/Punished by God:

– Isaiah 34:5-17 – Edom’s destruction prophesied.

– Jeremiah 49:7-22 – Edom’s judgment.

– Obadiah – Edom’s pride and violence judged.

– Malachi 1:2-4 – Edom’s rejection.

Prevalent Narrative:

The prevalent narrative is that Edom is judged/punished by God, primarily due to its pride, violence, and opposition to Israel (Obadiah, Isaiah 34, Jeremiah 49).

Origin of the Name Edom:

The name “Edom” comes from Esau’s nickname, “Edom” (meaning “red”), given to him because of his red hair (Genesis 25:30, 36:1-8).

Why Judged:

Edom’s judgment stems from its:

1. Pride and arrogance (Obadiah 3-4).

2. Violence against Judah (Obadiah 10-14).

3. Opposition to God’s people (Psalm 137:7, Ezekiel 25:12-14).

The biblical narrative portrays Edom as a symbol of God’s judgment on proud and violent nations, while emphasizing God’s sovereignty and justice.

After the Babylonian exile, Edomites settled in southern Judah, an area known as Idumea. The region was later conquered by John Hyrcanus I, a Hasmonean ruler, around 107 BCE, and its inhabitants were forcibly converted to Judaism. This conversion wasn’t necessarily a change of heart, but rather a means to integrate into Judean society.

The Conversion and Its Impact

The Edomites, now known as Idumeans, became part of the Jewish population. Some Idumeans even rose to prominence, like Antipater, an Idumean governor, and his son Herod, who became King of Judea. Herod’s reign was marked by brutality, Roman alliance, and significant architectural projects, including the rebuilding of the Temple.

Herod’s Legacy

Herod’s Idumean heritage and Roman connections made him a complex figure. He ruled Judea with an iron fist, earning criticism from Jewish leaders. His descendants continued to play important roles in Judean politics.

Migration to Eastern Europe

Following the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, many Jews, including Idumeans, dispersed throughout the Roman Empire, including Eastern Europe. However, the exact migration patterns are unclear. Some Idumeans might have maintained their Jewish identity, while others assimilated into local populations.

David Pawson argues Edom went away with the destruction of the Temple in AD 70; Baruch Korman argues today’s Edomites are the Palestinians that wish to destroy Israel under the Jews; Laura Sanger argues there is a link between the Edomites of the Bible and some leading figures in the Zionist movement, e.g., the Rothchild dynasty.