Israel365News and Garner Ted Armstrong on the destruction of Edom

Artist’s portrayal of Obadiah
(Public domain via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Israel365News posted the following:

Rabbi Kessin: Europe’s riots are Isaiah’s winepress, and Edom’s day of reckoning has arrived

October 29, 2026

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, whose weekly lectures on the divine plan and the end of days draw a worldwide following, told his audience this week …

“We’re not looking here at the downfall of a nation,” Rabbi Kessin said. “We’re looking at the end of a civilization.”

“There’s something going on now which I think everybody should certainly be aware of, and that is the nations of the world,” he said. “There’s a tremendous unrest, or I should even say upheaval, in Europe. Tremendous. We’re not looking here at an incident.”

“There certainly looks like we have an acceleration of what is going to happen at the end of time,” Rabbi Kessin added.

Rabbi Kessin said the scenes from Paris, Marseille, Milan and Barcelona were written down more than 2,700 years ago by the prophet Isaiah, in a vision of God returning from the land of Edom with His garments soaked in blood. That leaves the question of why the prophet saw the final judgment of Edom as a man trampling grapes in a winepress, and what that image has to do with the streets of Europe in the autumn of 2026. …

“If Edom is Europe, what country is famous for its wine? It’s France,” he said. …

To explain why Europe stands in the crosshairs of Isaiah’s prophecy, Rabbi Kessin traced a lineage the Sages laid out in the Talmud. Esau, Jacob’s brother, became the nation of Edom. The Sages identified Edom with Rome. Rome adopted Christianity, and Christianity shaped Western civilization.

“That’s really what Western civilization is,” Rabbi Kessin said. “Western civilization, which is Christianity, which is Rome, which is Edom, which is Esau.”

He said Esau carried three defining traits, and each one settled into a different branch of the modern West. The first is ga’avah, arrogance. “That nation is Russia,” he said, pointing to its atheism under communism and its imperial pride. The second is mirmah, deceit. “Esau was known as a fraud, an impostor. So he becomes Europe. Europe is a very fraudulent place, full of deception.” The third is ta’avah, the drive for pleasure and appetite, which Rabbi Kessin assigned to the United States. https://israel365news.com/422278/rabbi-kessin-europes-riots-are-isaiahs-winepress-and-edoms-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/

No, Edom is not Europe.

Edom is also not Russia nor the United States.

Related to Edom’s identity and coming destruction, the old Radio Church of God published the following by the late Garner Ted Armstrong:

Turkey who remained neutral in World War II, be the recipient of some of the direst of Biblical indictments?

Turn to the book of Obadiah for the answer!

The book of Obadiah is utterly unique among the many prophecies of the Bible. It is a one–page prediction of the entire future history of the nation of Turkey!
Keeping in mind the geographically and geopolitically strategic location of modern Turkey, the most recent history of the Ottoman Empire and twentieth century Turkey, read the book of Obadiah in its true context in this modern time.

“The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord Eternal concerning Edom; we have heard a rumor from the Eternal, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen. Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.”

Who is this “ambassador sent among the heathen”? None other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth!
Remember that major sections of the Bible plainly predict the second coming of Jesus Christ. Though laughable to so many skeptics today, there is nothing more clearly stated in the Bible, time and again, and in the very teaching of Christ Himself, than His imminent return to this sin–sick world to bring peace at last and to RULE this earth with a rod of iron! (Rev. 2:26; 3:21; Micah 4; Isa. 2)

Before proceeding with this vitally important prophecy of the book of Obadiah, turn for a moment to the sixty–third chapter of the book of Isaiah and notice again the time setting of this prophecy.

“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is GLORIOUS IN HIS APPAREL, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness,” comes the answer, “mighty to SAVE.”

Plainly this is a prophecy that could refer to NO ONE, except Jesus Christ Himself!

Notice again the setting. First, the question comes from peoples as if with one voice, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?” And the answer is given — One who is glorious in apparel, who travels in the greatness of His strength, who speaks in righteousness, and who is mighty to save!

Now let’s continue with verse 2 of the sixty–third chapter of Isaiah. “Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat?”

And again the answer comes, “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

“For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of MY REDEEMED is come.”

Reading this important prophecy in context, beginning from the sixty–second chapter and verse 10, you will see the prophecy concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ: “behold, his reward is with him, and his WORK before him” (Isa. 62:11).

What this predicts for Edom, or modern–day Turkey, then, is just AFTER the return of Jesus Christ.

Now, back to the book of Obadiah. Who then is this “ambassador who is sent among the heathen”?

The “ambassador who is sent among the heathen” is Jesus Christ Himself! Listen, now, to the prophecies concerning modern Turkey. God says, “Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised” (verse 2).

And truly, among the huge Gentile nations of today, Turkey is relatively small and insignificant, though occupying one of the strategic land areas of the earth. Turkey’s present population is smaller than that of tiny Britain, though occupying a land area several times greater.

Then follows a series of verses concerning Edom’s great pride and arrogance — descriptions of their ancient habitual dwelling places of clefts in the rocks and high habitations.

A striking part of this prophecy is found in verse 6. “How are the things of Esau searched out? how are his hidden things sought up!” And, true to this verse in the book of Obadiah, there is great exploration for oil and natural resources in the nation of Turkey today. Then follows the specific part of the prophecy for this moment.

God says, “All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.”

And who is “at peace” with Turkey today?

Remember, Turkey is a heavy contributor to NATO. Since being here, I have seen numerous army and naval installations, including the fortifications along the mouth of the Bosporus and the Black Sea which were built from 1936 on. While driving up toward the mouth of the Bosporus, we passed a large number of U.S. made Patton tanks.

During the Korean War, Turkey supplied a considerable number of soldiers for that effort, and a large number of Turkish soldiers and military equipment have been committed to NATO forces.

But what will happen when NATO collapses? …. the United States and Great Britain WILL continue to find themselves burdened with increasing problems.

The internal problems of the United States and Great Britain — the drought, famine, mounting disease epidemics; increasing crime, mounting divorce, social and political debauchery — will increase until some of the most calamitous national disasters in our collective histories will occur!

These prophecies are SURE, they WILL come to pass, unless our peoples repent first!

Soon to emerge on the world scene will be a United States of Europe! (Armstrong GT. Trukey in Prophecy. Plain Truth, June 1966)

In time, Turkey will will align with the coming King of the South. My experience with the Turks (my wife and I have been to Turkey 3 or 4 times) is that they are a pragmatic people. After some time, the Turks will see problems with the ambitions of the King of the South. This will lead to one or more leaders in Turkey betraying the King of the South to the European King of the North (which is in the process of getting together) consistent with Daniel 11:26, who may well be a Habsburg (see also Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?).

In the past, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for an Islamic alliance–such an alliance will one day take place. Yet, Turkey ultimately will align with Europe.

Anyway, Israel365News often posts false prophecies and inaccurate predictions.

Yet, properly understood biblical prophecies will come to pass.