Did Balaam Prophesy Israel's Victory? (Numb. 24)

This morning I was doing my morning devotion and my “read through the Bible in a year,” and I was in 1 Sam. 15.  But a commentary on one of the verses referenced a prophecy that Balaam had made about Israel’s king being greater than Agag, the Amalekite king.  My first read through Numbers this year, I didn’t make such a note, of this prophecy, I was so enthralled with how YHWH was taking this pagan diviner, and using him to bless Israel, much to the chagrin of king Balak.

⁵ How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!  ⁶ "Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters.  ⁷ "Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.  Numbers 24:5-7   

And then we have a reiteration of the promise that YHWH made to Abraham, to curse those who curse Israel, and bless those who bless Israel, showing that Balaam was really speaking through the mouth of YHWH: Numbers 24:9  ⁹ "He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you."

I know this is a side tangent, but it seems as if the nations of the world, under the leadership of the U.N., are standing against and opposed to the King of All.  They are taking their stands and stance against Israel, the Covenant People of Elohim YHWH. 

Psalm 87:2-3  ² The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.  Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah.

The nations of this world, led by the occultism of Helena Blavatsky in The Secret Doctrine, are falling in line with the ruler of this world (1 John 5:19), to bring about his one-world empire (Dan. 7:19), and it is quickly falling into place.

But what about Balaam’s prophecy.  It seems to have foreseen King Saul’s defeat of Agag and the Amalekites in that region, but did his prophecy indeed go beyond to the last days?  Before his departure, Balaam tells king Balak:

Numbers 24:14, 17-19   I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come."… ¹⁷ "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.  ¹⁸ "Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, while Israel performs valiantly.  ¹⁹ "One from Jacob shall have dominion, And will destroy the remnant from the city."

Num. 24:19 is one messianic prophecy that could be used in disproving Islam, for the Muslims say Muhammed is the final prophet of God.  But clearly here, a pagan diviner predicted that one descended from Jacob, that is, Israel himself, would be the ruler, and would have dominion.

Back to the prophecy, we see hear ancient foes of Israel mentioned, many of whom are closely related to Israel.  And many of these nations mentioned, Moab, the sons of Sheth, Edom and Seir ( a mountain range in the territory of Edom) are also mentioned in Psalm 83, described what most theologians today believe is a final battle to initiate the ultimate signing of the peace treaty prophesied in Daniel 9:27, by this one who confirms the covenant, but in the middle of the seven years, takes his seat in the Temple of God, calling himself God, and requiring all peoples to take the mark of his name and worship him!

The list in Psalm 83 is more expansive, including all of the enemies living around Israel currently in the Middle East:

Psalm 83:4-8  ⁴ They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more."  ⁵ For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant:  ⁶ The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites;  ⁷ Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;  ⁸ Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot. Selah.

As always, we look with confindence to Almighty God’s Word, because in it He has declared the end from the beginning, and He has revealed to us about Himself, His redemptive purposes and ways.  Let us fear God, for His destruction is coming quickly upon the earth.  Turn from your sinful way of life, and read God’s word, and obey it.  Maranatha!