Putting the puzzle pieces together, we see that at this early stage of history Nimrod was holding the fort at Hiddekel / Tigris. This eastern boundary of the Promised Land was effectively walled off by the high and wide Zagros Mountains, so father Cush, brothers Mizraim and Phut, and nephew Havilah were sent to check the westward flow of refugees around the Fertile Crescent trying to escape Nimrod, and Uncle Canaan seized the territory surrounding Jerusalem itself.
By the time Abram was sent to the land of Canaan, these fathers of nations had spawned hosts of monster terrorist nations.
“The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites….nations greater and mightier than thou;” (Genesis 15:19-21, Deuteronomy 7:1)
Please don’t jump to the conclusion that biblical accounts of historic warfare justifies the current Israeli nation’s treatment of modern Palestinians therefore the Bible is nothing but propaganda for a racist imperial people and therefore can and should be rejected. The Hebrews and the Canaanites of the 2nd millenium B.C. are not the Israelis and the Palestinians of the 2nd millenium A.D.
Understand that when Abram was sent into Canaan to back up Shem at Jerusalem it was like being sent into Mogadishu.
“For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.”
Understand that when Abram is told he will be made a the father of a great nation, this is the expectation of the promised Seed of the Woman, Deliver from the Seed of the Serpent, Nimrod at the moment.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:5-7)
Understand that the land deal is simply an essential part of the package deal which includes all of the elements above as necessary conditions for retaking control of the original Garden of Eden with its hyper dimensional gateway to heaven. It is not an arbitrary gift to an exclusive people. It is not even a reward for good service. It is a base of operations for battle.
After Abram proved his righteousness by risking his life to “do the right thing” by rescuing his family member Lot from Nimrod’s latest military sweep through the area, he was justifiably on edge.
- “the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield (from retaliation by Nimrod), and thy exceeding great reward (reimbursing for the cost of the expedition since Abram refused payment from the Sodomites).
- And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless,
- the word of the Lord came unto him, saying…Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them…So shall thy seed be.
- And Abram believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:1-6)
“the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth….because the LORD…
- keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love / join affinity with him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
- And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them.” (Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 7:6-10)
“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18)
What does God mean by “the river of Egypt”?
Uhh, no. This map doesn’t show the boundaries of Israel established in the Bible.
The Bible is not a Chinese menu. Just pick whatever you want off it. It is more like a Chinese puzzle. Put the pieces together.
- In Genesis chapter 15 Abram was at most 85 years old when God established the western boundary as “the river of Egypt”. At this time “all the plain of Jordan was…even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Genesis 13:10)
The raining down of fire and brimstone doesn’t happen until Genesis chapter 19 when Abram was 99 years old.
As described in the post The Last Flood, the pyroclastic destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah left behind
a drop in floor of the valley to the deepest level on earth and- the reversal of flow of the Jordan River leading to
- the creation of the Dead Sea with the reversal of flow of the Jordan River
- providing evidence for the African and Arabian tectonic clash splitting Arabia and Africa as the northern-most section of the Great Rift Valley at this time
- and immersing the Gihon River into the Red Sea.
Prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, then, the river boundary of Egypt would have been the Gihon, not the Nile. The current boundary of the Land Grant is now the Red Sea.
2. At the time of the Land Grant to unnamed seed in chapter 13, Abram had no seed.
His first seed is Ishmael, whose mother was Egyptian.
“And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife…I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her…And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!” (Genesis 17)
Understand what Abraham is requesting when he uses the formulaic phrase “live before thee / in thy presence / as a prince of your kingdom.”
He is asking that his descent / dynasty be counted from Ishmael who would therefore be the heir of the land grant made 15 years earlier.
Many of the old Babylonian letters…include a greetings formula in which one or two deities are invoked and the hope is expressed that they will give long life to the recipient.
Abraham is clearly following the same formula, also used towards kings in expressing good wishes for the extension of their life / genetics / ongoing rule over the kingdom through their heirs. The contrary condition helps define this blessing.
And God grants Abram’s request, while keeping his plans for Isaac.
Follow the pattern.
- Like Jacob’s splitting of the totality of his Melchizedekian blessing between Judah with rulership and Joseph by doubling Joseph’s share and bestowing prosperity,
- God splits off part of the land deal to Ishmael.
- Like Issac did with Esau after Jacob made off with the majority of the prosperity blessing,
- God still blesses Ishmael with abundance.
“And God said…as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation….
“And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria” (Genesis 17:18-20, 25:12)
Havilah has been determined to be the Arabian peninsula. Ancient Shur is at the northern end of the Red Sea on the Sinai Peninsula, where Ishmael’s mother fled when she was put out by Sarah, and where Ishmael probably grew up when he was exiled at the age of 13.
The phrase “as thou goest toward Assyria” is without a doubt a geographical reference to natural boundaries. There are no rivers like the four that defined the Garden of Eden. No-one was drawing a straight line across a map. The natural boundary of “going toward” would be the travel route following necessary resources for water, food, and safety in numbers and civilization.
In other words, the Fertile Crescent over which successive empires spread, while bypassing the desert stronghold of Havilah / Arabia.
What does that leave for Greater Israel?
“From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.” (Joshua 1:4)
Using the above maps for natural geographical boundaries, I would suggest:
- The western boundary is clearly the Mediterranean.
- The eastern boundary clearly the Euphrates.
- The southern boundary is “the wilderness” of Arabia, following its curved northern frontier to the Euphrates. This incorporates Palestine, of course, as well as Jordan, Syria, and most of Iraq.
- The northern boundary seems to be traced simultaneously with the southern boundary from their western points on the Mediterranean- from the wilderness and this Lebanon. This name didn’t reference a political entity at that time, it definitely means the Lebanon Mountains. The question becomes what line is drawn from the northern border of the modern state of Lebanon east to the Euphrates? The answer is provided as “all the land of the Hittites,” or basically a big chunk of modern Turkey.
Given that Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, most of Iraq, and half of Turkey is slated to be turned into an empire ruled by Israel, it’s understandable that there is outrage over the idea. Not to worry. It’s not going to happen until “that day” in a new heaven and new earth.
Simplifying front page news by setting modern day Israel on a pedestal – regardless of their utter lack of adherence to God’s Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and blackballing the Palestinians, Arabs, Egyptians, Assyrians, etc., does not fit with the biblical record, nor a Christianity supposedly based on “For God so loved the world…”
Abram’s rescue of the cities of the plain from the four kings provides one example of Abram living up to his responsibility to bless all nations, even enemies, by preserving, protecting and defending, and leads us into the concept of the need for a geographical base of operations to do so. and just under thirty years, after becoming king over all the tribes of Israel, David succeeded in transforming a small kingdom in the central highlands of Judaea into a major empire stretching from the border of Egypt to the lowlands of Mesopotamia. In other words, he brought into being the totality of the Melchizedekian father / leader of many nations promised to Abraham, centered between the anchors Egypt to the south and Assyria to the East.
- He started with capturing Jerusalem from the Canaanite Jebusites and establishing the capital of Isra-el / Prince of God where God chose to put his name forever, henceforth called the City of David. Do you see the unification between YHVH and King David? This is essential for unification of territories creating the empire promised to Abraham’s Chosen Seed.
- Secured the northern border of Greater Israel in the Lebanon Mountains when he made an alliance – covenanting under YHVH only – with the coastal Phoenician king Hiram of Tyre.
- Completely subjugated the Philistines and took control of the southern coastal plain cities of Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron
- Subjugated the Syrians and placed garrisons to maintain the peace
- Secured the eastern border of his territory at the Euphrates.
- Accepted homage and tribute from Hamath in Hittite territory, had Hittites in both military and commercial branches of government. Later trade with the Hittites in horses / i.e. weapons is a clear indication of a positive relationship more in keeping with an alliance like that with Tyre and Egypt rather than military subjugation with enforced tribute.
- Subjugated the border raiders, like the Scots, including Moab, Ammonites, Amalekites, Edomites (from II Samuel 8)
Neither Assyria nor Egypt is an enemy nor a tribute territory to Israel. Why would they be? King David’s enforcement of security, like Roman roads, brought trade and prosperity to the entire region.
Solomon followed through and expanded on this system without expanding his territory.
“And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem [stockpiling the most destructive weapons of of the day]
And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance [through trade]
And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.” (II Chronicles 1)
I won’t take time in this post to dissect every concept packed into Isaiah’s prophecies, but for the purposes of this post just catch this one – the future return to Jerusalem as the original worship center for all people with faith in YHVH’s savior from all time, not just the nation of Israel.
IN THAT DAY shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar [memorial] at the border thereof to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour [as he is famous for doing for the Hebrews]…And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it…
IN THAT DAY shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve [in context – the LORD] with the Assyrians.
IN THAT DAY shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be [in effect, all the nations of the world]
- Egypt my people
- Assyria the work of my hands
- representative leader of the descendants of Japheth as Assyria was “worked over” from the original establishment under Asshur. “God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem” (Genesis 9:27)
- “the neo-Assyrian Empire of c 700 BC is the first of a line of [Aryan, Indo-European, Caucasian] Empires: Assyria to Babylon-Media to Persia to Macedonian to Greek Diodechi to Roman to Byzantine and Parthian and Sassanid.”
- Assyrian rulers converted from paganism to Judaism in the 1st century, and the Assyrians converted from paganism to Christianity between the early first and third centuries…with Osroene becoming the first independent Christian state in history.
- the Christians of the Middle East preserve a direct link with the ancient pre-Arab Middle East in their liturgy. In the Fertile Crescent this would be a variant of Syriac, but in Egypt it would be Coptic, the language which descends from ancient Egyptian.
- People living in Iran and eastern Turkey who identify as descendants of ancient Assyrians sent their DNA for analysis. Preliminary findings suggest their ancestors may have once mixed with local Jewish populations.
- Israel mine inheritance.”
- representative leader of all the descendants of Shem (Isaiah 19:18-25)
“IN THAT DAY shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth [Shem’s multi-ethnic Hebrew nation] may enter in…
IN THAT DAY…the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 26-27)
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen:
- that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he:
- before me there was no God formed [Creator and life-giver in all its dimensions], neither shall there be after me [Antichrist false life-giver].
- I, even I, am the LORD / YHVH;. and beside me there is no savior.
- I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, WHEN THERE WAS NO STRANGE GOD AMONG YOU [who could claim credit] THEREFORE YE ARE MY WITNESSES, saith the LORD, THAT I [only] AM GOD.
Yea, before the day was I am he / Creator; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let / prevent it?
- Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
- Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow…
- Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert…to give drink to my people, my chosen…
This people have I formed for myself;
THEY SHALL SHEW FORTH MY PRAISE.
Praise for what? Salvation from sin and death! Certainly not bragging that “Na na nana na! God gave US this land!”
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
- One shall say, I am the LORD‘s; [Hebrews of old and new covenants from many nationalities]
- and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; [Old Covenant Israelites]
- and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. [Messianic Jews] (Isaiah 43-44)
Kingdom Come 