The Millennial Reign of Christ Prophesied in Obadiah 16-21 (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday March 12, 2025

The Day of the Lord Series: The Millennial Reign of Christ Prophesied in Obadiah 16-21

Lesson # 62

Obadiah 16-21 describes the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

Obadiah 14 “Indeed, you should have never stood at the fork in the road in order to slaughter his refugees. Furthermore, you should have never caused his survivors to be handed over as prisoners of war during the period of distress. 15 For the period of judgment to be brought about by the Lord against each and every one of the nations is imminent. Just as you have done, so it will be done in the same manner to you. Your actions will return on your own head. 16 For just as each and every one of you drank on My holy mountain so each and every one of these nations will drink continually. Indeed, each and every one of them will certainly drink and will certainly gulp down. Consequently, each of them will certainly enter into the state of being like they never existed.” (Pastor’s translation)

The reference to drinking here in Obadiah 16 is a metaphor for experiencing God’s wrath, which refers to His righteous indignation and appears in several places in the Old Testament (cf. Ps. 60:3; 75:8; Is. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15-29; 49:12-13; Hab. 2:15-16; Rev. 14:10; 16:19).

Obadiah 17 “However, a remnant will live on this mountain, which is Zion. In fact, it will for certain be a holy place. Furthermore, Jacob’s descendants will as a certainty possess their own land inheritance.” (Pastor’s translation)

The reference to “a remnant” in the first prophetic declaration refers to regenerate Jews who will live during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and is echoed in Joel 2:28-32 and Joel 3:17.

Obadiah 18 “In fact, Jacob’s descendants will as a certainty possess the characteristic quality of fire. Even, Joseph’s descendants will certainly possess the characteristic quality of a flame. However, Esau’s descendants will as a certainty possess the characteristic quality of straw. Therefore, they will certainly burn them so as to consume them. Consequently, absolutely no remnant will exist with regards to Esau’s descendants!” Indeed, the Lord has issued the decree. (Pastor’s translation)

Obadiah 18 contains six prophetic declarations.

The first prophetic declaration is asserting that Jacob’s descendants, i.e., the southern kingdom of Judah would be the instrument of God’s judgment or in other words, they would be the instrument by which God would exercise His wrath or righteous indignation against the Edomites.

The second prophetic declaration recorded in Obadiah 18 is out of the ordinary or unexpected in Obadiah’s day and age in that it asserts that “even Joseph’s descendants will certainly possess the characteristic quality of a flame of fire.”

This second prophetic declaration is making clear that Joseph’s descendants, i.e., the northern kingdom of Israel would be the instrument of God’s wrath or righteous indignation against the nation of Edom since they are described as a flame of fire.

The third prophetic declaration in Obadiah 18 presents a contrast with the previous two prophetic declarations and predicts that Esau’s descendants will as a certainty possess the characteristic quality of straw.

The fourth prophetic declaration recorded in Obadiah 18 presents an inference from the first three prophetic declarations and declares that Jacob and Joseph’s descendants will burn Esau’s descendants.

The fifth prophetic declaration in Obadiah 18 expresses the idea that Esau’s descendants will be consumed by Jacob and Joseph’s descendants, which as we noted is a reference to the northern and southern kingdoms, as a result of these two burning Esau’s descendants.

The sixth and final prophetic declaration recorded in Obadiah 18 expresses the idea that the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah will reunite in the future to be used by God to exercise His wrath against the nation of Edom so as to destroy the latter as a national entity.

Obadiah 19 “In fact, they will indeed take possession of the Negev from the nation of Edom. Furthermore, they will in fact take possession of the Shephelah from the Philistines. Also, they will surely take possession of Ephraim’s territory as well as Samaria’s territory. In addition, Benjamin will certainly take possession of Gilead.” (Pastor’s translation)

Verse 19 contains four more prophetic declarations.

The first prophetic declaration in verse 19 predicts the future remnant of Israel which will exist during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ will surely take possession of the Negev from the nation of Edom.

The second prophetic declaration recorded in verse 19 predicts that this future remnant of Israel will indeed take possession of the Shephelah from the Philistines.

The third prophetic declaration recorded in Obadiah 19 asserts that this future remnant will as a certainty take possession of Ephraim’s territory as well as Samaria’s territory.

Now, here in Obadiah 19, the prophet Obadiah is predicting that the future remnant of Israel, which will exist during the Second Advent of Jesus Christ and His subsequent millennial reign, will occupy these territories.

The fourth and final prophetic declaration which appears in Obadiah 19 also predicts that the tribe of Benjamin, which will help to compose this future remnant of Israel, will certainly take possession of Gilead.

Each of these four prophecies predict that the future remnant of Israel, which was mentioned in verses 17-18, which will exist during the Second Advent of Jesus Christ and His subsequent millennial reign will fulfill the Palestinian covenant which is a part of the Abrahamic covenant.

It will also fulfill a basic sort of restoration promise (cf. Deut 30:3–5).

Therefore, Obadiah 19 predicts that the future remnant of Israel will once again occupy the territories lost by the destruction of the northern and southern kingdoms in the sixth and eighth centuries B.C.

Obadiah 20 “Furthermore, exiles belonging to this army, namely, the people descended from Israel, will surely take possession of what belongs to the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. Indeed, Jerusalem’s exiles who are located in Sepharad will take possession of the cities of the Negev.” (Pastor’s translation)

Obadiah 20 contains two more prophetic declarations from the Lord through the prophet Obadiah under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which are in addition to the six recorded in verse 19.

Now, the first prophecy in verse 20 asserts that exiles belonging to this army, namely the people descended from Israel, will surely take possession of what belongs to the Canaanites.

The second asserts that Jerusalem’s exiles who are located in Sepharad will take possession of the cities of the Negev.

Therefore, these two prophesies in verse 20 reveal that in addition to taking possession of the Negev, Shephelah as well as the territories of Ephraim, Samaria and Gilead, this future remnant of Israel during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ will take possession of the territory occupied by the Canaanites as far as Zarephath.

These exiles mentioned in verse 20 are a reference to those Jews who will be exiled from the land of Israel during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel because of the persecution waged against them by the Antichrist since this prophecy will be fulfilled during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, those Jews who will be exiled from Israel during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel will return to their homeland at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Then, during His subsequent millennial reign, they will occupy those lands promised to their forefathers by God under the Abrahamic and Palestinian covenants.

Obadiah 21 “Then, those who have been delivered will surely ascend Mount Zion in order to rule over Esau’s mountain because the Lord will indeed be king!” (Pastor’s translation)

Now, in verse 21, the prophetic Obadiah under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit issues another prophetic declaration which asserts that those who have been delivered will ascend to Mount Zion in order to rule over Esau’s mountain.

This speaks of this future remnant of Israel going up to Jerusalem which will be elevated geographically considerably more than it is today as a result of the events of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent which will change the topography of Jerusalem.

Thus, when it says that this future remnant will go up to Mount Zion, it is speaking of this remnant ascending to Jerusalem in order to govern or rule planet earth with Jesus Christ.

This will take place during the millennium.

On the other hand, the prophecies in verses 18-20 which speak of this future remnant of Israel taking possession of various territories in the Middle East will take place at the Second Advent.

Jesus Christ will lead this remnant in destroying the armies of the tribulation including Antichrist and his army who will oppose Israel.

Therefore, since the millennial reign of Jesus Christ takes place after His Second Advent, the prophesy in verse 21 will take place after the prophetic events presented in verses 17-20.

Obadiah 21 also asserts that this future remnant of Israel which will be delivered from Antichrist and Satan at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ will ascend in order to rule over Esau’s mountain.

The final prophetic declaration in Obadiah 21 and thus in this tiny book predicts that the Lord will be king.

This assertion presents the reason why this future remnant of Israel will ascend Mount Zion in order to rule over the territory which was once occupied by the Edomites.

They will do so because the Lord will be king over all the earth.

This too will be fulfilled by the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.