Awaken Bible Prophecy Update 3-8-23: Imprecatory Psalms – Curse & Prophecy or No Big Deal?

There seems to be some confusion in Christian circles regarding the purpose of what are considered Imprecatory Psalms.  There are some fourteen psalms labeled in this way.  Typically, the thinking appears to categorize them as ones which call down calamity or destruction, yet they are not seen as having actually fulfilled their purpose.  In other words, these psalms denounce, but that’s as far as it goes.

I think it’s problematic to only view these imprecatory psalms as powerless figures of speech.  Doing so, robs them of their impact and also causes people to miss something very important.

We do well to remember first of all what an imprecation is:

  1. An imprecation is a curse that invokes misfortune on someone or something. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary an imprecation is literally a curse.  Because of that very specific definition, from a Biblical perspective, we must understand what that implies, i.e. what are the consequences when someone declares a curse in Scripture?
  2. An imprecation is also, for all intents and purposes, a prophecy. Again, as we consider Scripturally what occurs when someone utters a curse, we see that it has prophetic fulfillment.  That’s critical when we examine any imprecations, i.e. curses, whether they appear in psalms or in the books of the Prophets.

When examining various imprecations, i.e. curses, i.e. prophetic words, another angle on this is the subject of vows.  God considers vows of extreme importance, and we see the import of them throughout the Bible.  Additionally, when Jesus Himself speaks about vows, we’d better listen.  Here He is in Matthew 5:33-37:

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

These issues affect us today, and what we anticipate happening in the near term in regards to Psalm 83.  Psalm 83 is thought by many Bible prophecy teachers to be an imprecatory psalm that denounces certain peoples, and that’s all there is to it; or that it’s been completely fulfilled from past events.  I say, “Not so fast!”  As I’ve argued many times, I believe Psalm 83 is an unfulfilled prophecy because of the curses called down upon certain people groups.  What we think about this colors our view of the next-coming world events as we wind down the end of this age.  Specifically, our understanding of what will soon occur in Israel is directly affected by the Psalm 83 issue.  To that end, we’ll delve into this a little more deeply in our Update today.

 

 

Transcript:

There seems to be some confusion in Christian circles regarding the purpose of what are considered Imprecatory Psalms.  There are some fourteen psalms labeled in this way.  Typically, the thinking appears to categorize them as ones which call down calamity or destruction, yet they are not seen as having actually fulfilled their purpose.  In other words, these psalms denounce, but that’s as far as it goes.

 

I think it’s problematic to only view these imprecatory psalms as powerless figures of speech.  Doing so, robs them of their impact and also causes people to miss something very important.

 

We do well to remember first of all what an imprecation is:

 

  1. An imprecation is a curse that invokes misfortune on someone or something. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary an imprecation is literally a curse.  Because of that very specific definition, from a Biblical perspective, we must understand what that implies, i.e. what are the consequences when someone declares a curse in Scripture?
  2. An imprecation is also, for all intents and purposes, a prophecy. Again, as we consider Scripturally what occurs when someone utters a curse, we see that it has prophetic fulfillment.  That’s critical when we examine any imprecations, i.e. curses, whether they appear in psalms or in the books of the Prophets.

 

When examining various imprecations, i.e. curses, i.e. prophetic words, another angle on this is the subject of vows.  God considers vows of extreme importance, and we see the import of them throughout the Bible.  Additionally, when Jesus Himself speaks about vows, we’d better listen.  Here He is in Matthew 5:33-37:

 

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

 

These issues affect us today, and what we anticipate happening in the near term in regards to Psalm 83.  Psalm 83 is thought by many Bible prophecy teachers to be an imprecatory psalm that denounces certain peoples, and that’s all there is to it; or that it’s been completely fulfilled from past events.  I say, “Not so fast!”  As I’ve argued many times, I believe Psalm 83 is an unfulfilled prophecy because of the curses called down upon certain people groups.  What we think about this colors our view of the next-coming world events as we wind down the end of this age.  Specifically, our understanding of what will soon occur in Israel is directly affected by the Psalm 83 issue.  To that end, we’ll delve into this a little more deeply in our Update today.

 

First we’ll pray then read from God’s Word. . .

 

<PRAY>

 

Scripture

 

Deuteronomy 28:1

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

 

Deuteronomy 28:15

“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

 

 

Imprecatory Psalms – Curse & Prophecy or No Big Deal?

 

  • Before we get into imprecations and prophecies, let’s first consider vows in the Bible
  • In many respects, it seems as if a vow and a curse are very similar
  • If we look at the two major ones made by God early in Scripture, you’ll see what I mean
  • God’s Words in Genesis 3:15 declare an eternal war and ultimate victory over the forces of darkness through His Son, Jesus Christ:

 

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

 

  • I think it’s pretty difficult to separate the vow part from the curse aspect, wouldn’t you say?
  • God is both vowing to accomplish this enmity and victory, while at the same time pronouncing a curse upon Satan and his offspring
  • Either way we look at this as to a vow or a curse, God will make it happen
  • Speaking in this manner – as far as God is concerned – is a very serious thing
  • He will do all according to His Word
  • Further, consider Genesis 12:1-3:

 

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 

  • The vow is how God will make and keep Abraham and his descendants something very special, all the while bringing blessing to those who are on God’s side in this matter
  • In contrast, the curse is the curse
  • Those who disparage and harm Israel will pay the price – and they have throughout the ages . . .
  • Including America for a number of years as we’ve tried to push the two-state solution, which robs Israel of the land God specifically gave her
  • So you can see how intertwined a vow and a curse are
  • One of the most famous vows in the Bible occurs in the book of Judges
  • It shows in this instance how serious the man was in fulfilling his vow, rightly fearing consequences from God if he didn’t
  • Yet, in the fulfillment, a terrible act was committed – one very contrary to God’s intent for His people
  • In Judges 11 we read the narrative of Jephthah whose victory over the Ammonites also led to personal tragedy because of a rash vow he made
  • God used this man mightily despite a rough start in his life
  • As Jephthah leads Israel to battle, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him, and he vows to God that if He gives him victory, he’ll offer as a sacrifice whatever first comes out of the door of his house when he returns home
  • This is all well and good, although from our perspective thousands of years later, it seems Jephthah might have been a little more prudent in making this promise. . .
  • Like maybe saying he’d sacrifice the first animal to emerge from his sheepfold or something similar
  • Why his house?
  • But that’s what he said, and it became in his mind an irrevocable oath before God
  • Of course, the problem is that God is not like the gods of other nations which demand human sacrifice
  • But this is where the conundrum occurs
  • As fate would have it, Jephthah’s daughter is the first to emerge from his house – not some animal like perhaps he thought would happen
  • So Jephthah was stuck
  • This is truly being caught between a rock and a hard place
  • In effect he vowed to sacrifice his own daughter
  • Yet God would never have him do such a thing
  • In fear of God for going back on his vow, Jephthah indeed ultimately puts her in the fire
  • Can you imagine?
  • But that’s the power of a vow before God when someone fears the consequences
  • Jephthah had no idea what would happen if he didn’t keep his word before God, and that was a greater threat to him than the life of his own daughter
  • It’s exactly why Jesus said what He did as noted earlier:

 

“Do not take an oath at all. . . Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

 

  • This incident occurred, of course, during the time of the Judges when everybody was totally screwed up in their thinking and relationship to God
  • I think that if Jephthah had his head and heart completely in the right place with the Lord, he could very likely have repented of his reckless vow and not had to proceed with sacrificing his daughter
  • But nothing was right before God during that era, and such a tragedy as this was the terrible outcome

 

  • Now that we’ve seen the impact of a vow and the power behind it, let’s move on to imprecations
  • There are many more imprecations in the Bible than in those so-called Imprecatory Psalms
  • For the record, according to gotquestions.org, the fourteen major such psalms are:
  • Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, and 140
  • Some examples of the curses/imprecations are:
    • “Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you” (Psalm 5:10)
    • “Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked” (Psalm 17:13)
    • “Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland” (Psalm 79:6–7)
  • How much different is this than the curses of the Prophets?
  • In Jeremiah 49:7-39 we have an extensive denouncement upon the nation of Edom, specifically, here are vs 12-13:

 

For thus says the Lord: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink. For I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, that Bozrah [i.e. Edom] shall become a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes.”

 

  • We similarly see a severe imprecation in Ezekiel 25:12-14:

 

“Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, therefore thus says the Lord God, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.

 

  • Here is Joel 3:19 in this regard:

 

“Egypt shall become a desolation
and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah,
because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

 

  • And one more – here is Amos 1:11-12:

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Edom,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity,
and his anger tore perpetually,
and he kept his wrath forever.
So I will send a fire upon Teman,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”

 

  • You may have noted that Edom has been cursed pretty significantly
  • In fact, it’s worse than that
  • Here is Isaiah 34:5-6:

 

For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens;
behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom,
upon the people I have devoted to destruction.

 

  • The Lord actually devoted Edom to destruction
  • That means they were to be completely annihilated per the Word of the Lord
  • We’ll come back to this shortly
  • Now, I want you to notice something
  • Contrast the imprecatory psalms I noted with these curses by the prophets
  • The psalms are non-specific whereas the Word from the Lord is quite specific, in this case against the nation of Edom
  • This holds true with all the Imprecatory Psalms noted except for two: Psalm 137 and Psalm 83
  • Let’s look first at Psalm 137:7-9:

 

Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!

 

  • There are those darn Edomites again in a very specific curse
  • How about Psalm 83:5-8:

 

For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Asshur also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. 

 

  • This psalm is quite definite about whom the curses are directed to
  • Interestingly enough, Edom is in this list of nations upon which the imprecation is brought
  • And what is the imprecation?
  • Note Psalm 83:13-18:

 

O my God, make them like whirling dust,
like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest,
as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so may you pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.

 

  • What happened that Edom is the recipient of such wrath?
  • Jacob’s brother, Esau, is the founder of Edom
  • In that relationship which should be close, Edom refused to offer Israel any mercy when God had her wandering in the wilderness
  • Seems a harsh punishment, but we all have choices
  • Moab, which itself has a very colorful history in opposing Israel, is also part of this curse
  • In fact, it was Moab that partnered with the Midianites in hiring the pagan prophet Balaam to curse Israel
  • Moab eventually followed Balaam’s advice to seduce the men and women of Israel into sexual immorality
  • This actually seems worse than what Edom did – but that’s just me talking
  • God obviously knew something about Edom that caused Him to proclaim a death penalty
  • Midian was the country Moses originally fled to when he left Egypt
  • It was across the Red Sea from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula south of Israel
  • Speaking of Egypt, the Hagrites noted in this psalm refer to the Egyptians
  • You’ll recall that Ishmael’s mother was Hagar the Egyptian
  • As to Ishmael, his descendants became the nation of Saudi Arabia
  • The other people groups noted in the psalm from the past are present today in the nations of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and – no surprise – Hamas and Hezbollah
  • Then, of course, there were the ever-present Canaanites who lived throughout Israel initially and periodically popped up to harass Israel and keep her under subjection
  • In that respect, God had significant issues with the Canaanites and let it be known
  • Look at how this psalm goes even further in singling out this people group by name of individuals
  • In the same manner, Midian is also called out
  • Note Psalm 83:9-12:

 

Do to them as you did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
who were destroyed at En-dor,
who became dung for the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
of the pastures of God.”

 

  • Doesn’t there seem to be quite a lot of specificity here compared to the other Imprecatory Psalms?
  • If you’re following along, you can see that there is a lot more going on here than a vague curse or denunciation
  • The nations named in the psalm were all ones that for one reason or another raised the ire of God because of their treatment of Israel
  • More than that, they wanted Israel completely wiped off the map
  • How did these several verses mentioned play out earlier in Israel’s history?
  • They refer first to the conflict with Canaan we see recounted in Judges 11 in which the prophetess Deborah and the commander Barack engaged
  • Jaban was the king of Canaan and Sisera was the general of his army
  • It was Sisera who died at the hands of the woman Jael who drove a tent peg into his skull
  • Later Jabin was defeated
  • Several chapters later in Judges 7-8 is the account of Gideon in his battles against the nation of Midian
  • It is here that the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, are pursued and killed
  • Similarly, the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, flee from Gideon, but in his pursuit of them, they likewise are killed
  • All of these enemies wanted to wipe Israel from her land, but God inevitably raised up the means to keep that from happening
  • Just so we can keep track, let’s plot where these nations lived
  • Of course, Canaan as I said was throughout Israel
  • Midian was located in what is now part of Saudi Arabia
  • If you were to go south to north in Jordan on the east side of the Jordan River, first you would have Edom, then Moab, then Ammon as those prior nations during that period
  • As noted, we’ve also got Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, along with the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah
  • All these surrounding nations and groups border Israel directly
  • They have all in one form or another been extremely hostile to Israel over the years
  • This includes several of them coming together against her in the War of Independence when she became a nation on May 14, 1948
  • Many of them subsequently tried to wipe Israel from the map in other various wars against her
  • But as we know from the aforementioned vow by God in Genesis 12, when anybody curses Israel, He will curse them
  • And so He has
  • Israel has prospered whereas these various Arab-Muslim nations have had continual discord and turmoil
  • However, the question we have to ask is: According to these very specific imprecations/curses in the Bible, has there been a final fulfillment of them?
  • I would argue NO.
  • We can see that most clearly with Edom and the death sentence pronounced by God that it would be devoted to destruction
  • Such a verdict means that ALL men, women, and children – plus in many cases all their livestock – were to be completely eliminated from the face of the earth
  • This has not occurred yet with Edom
  • How can I say that?
  • On two accounts. . .
    • #1 – the Tents of Edom in Psalm 83 refer to the so-called Palestinians which inhabit Gaza – these include descendants of Edom
    • #2 – Many descendants of Edom also continue to live in Jordan, in which as noted, Edom was a major nation
  • Obviously, Hamas in Gaza – many of whom, as noted, are Edomite descendants – are still alive, well, and gunning for Israel
  • Jordan also has many underground groups that would like nothing better than to attack and wipe out Israel
  • They are held in uneasy restraint by King Abdullah, who is weak and easily swayed by opinion
  • Edom is the first nation listed in Psalm 83 as interestingly: the tents of Edom
  • Are not the so-called Palestinian refugees always shown as besieged by Israel, living in tents, and coddled by the UN and the rest of the so-called International Community?
  • Is that a coincidence?
  • Midian is elaborated upon in the account of Sisera, Jabin, etc.
  • Why?
  • I think because a significant conflict is yet to occur and these will somehow play a big part
  • We simply have no reason to believe that the curse in Psalm 83 has been completely fulfilled
  • If it is a curse from God, will it be?
  • Absolutely!
  • That being the case, Psalm 83 has yet to run its course
  • As I’ve also noted recently, with Russia and Turkey otherwise engaged in significant issues. . .
  • Russia in the Ukraine War and Turkey with its massive earthquake. . .
  • Neither of these nations is in any condition to drop everything and come together in coalition against Israel
  • That just doesn’t make sense
  • What does that leave us?
  • It may be several years before the Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38-39 could happen
  • Yet we continue to have Iran inciting hostilities
  • Iran is really good at getting its proxies to go to war in its place
  • The proxies lose soldiers and expend their munitions, but Iran keeps its hands clean
  • That will change when the Ezekiel War comes along, but for now Iran would dearly love to decimate Israel without becoming bloody itself
  • Their attempt at doing this will more than likely come through the Psalm 83 War
  • In so doing, the imprecations – the curses – declared here will be fulfilled
  • Edom in the form of the so-called Palestinians, i.e. the terrorist factions of Hamas in Gaza and those in Jordan, will finally meet its prophesied end
  • Moab as well will potentially see a similar incident as the psalm portrays. . .
  • As will the Canaanite remnant descending from the kings and princes of Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna,
  • All these attacking nations in this coalition will be destroyed by Israel’s IDF (i.e. Israeli Defense Forces), certainly with a little help from God
  • They will perish in shame and disgrace just as Psalm 83 declares
  • This will position Israel with greater land mass in her victory and enable her to believe she is immune from further conflict
  • Thus, she’ll dismantle the walls, bars, and gates which must be removed in order to meet the description of a peaceful Israel in Ezekiel
  • The Psalm 83 War is coming
  • Watch for it

 

Sources:

 

https://www.gotquestions.org/imprecatory-psalms.html

 

https://readthehardparts.com/what-are-the-imprecatory-psalms-and-should-we-pray-them-today/

 

https://www.gotquestions.org/imprecatory-prayer.html

 

https://www.gotquestions.org/vows-God.html

 

https://bible.org/seriespage/q-scripture-what-exactly-vow

 

Imprecation = a curse (per https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprecation)

 

https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/CGG/ID/12171/Gebal.htm

6 Responses to “Awaken Bible Prophecy Update 3-8-23: Imprecatory Psalms – Curse & Prophecy or No Big Deal?”

  1. Reply Suzanne Swift

    Gary everything you describe sounds so far way. However as I look around the world everything seems to be in such chaos according to the news… yet when I set foot outside I see nothing and feel nothing but peace. I feel like the world is disintegrating in so many different ways. I am grateful the Lord has placed me in such an incredible peace… it is like walking through the Red Sea with the volume turned off. Lord Jesus take us home quickly… please.

  2. Reply Layne Dewlen

    Great! I appreciate your viewpoint. I’m very thankful to have your thoughts through the week. God’s blessings on you, Gary.

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