Bozrah as a Type of Heavenly City in Revelation
The city of Bozrah, mentioned in various Old Testament prophetic books, is not depicted as a type of heavenly city in the book of Revelation. Instead, Bozrah is consistently presented as an earthly city, primarily associated with Edom and Moab, and is prophesied to face destruction [1, 2, 3].
Bozrah is identified as a city in Edom, the home of Jobab, one of the early Edomite kings (Genesis 36:33) [1, 2]. It is located in the mountain district southeast of the Dead Sea, with its modern representative being el-Busaireh [1, 2]. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah specifically mention Bozrah in connection with Edom, foretelling its desolation [1, 2, 3, 6]. Jeremiah 49:13 states, "For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes" [3]. John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, interprets this as referring to Bozrah of Idumea (Edom), the royal city, emphasizing the certainty of its destruction [5]. Rashi, a Jewish rabbinic commentator, also identifies Bozrah as a city that would suffer due to its association with Edom, even suggesting it was originally a Moabite city that raised a king for Edom [7]. Another Bozrah is mentioned as a Moabite city in the "plain country" east of the Dead Sea (Jeremiah 48:24) [1, 2]. Some interpretations connect this Bozrah with Bezer in the wilderness, a city of refuge [8].
In contrast to the earthly and doomed Bozrah, the book of Revelation describes a "holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2) [4]. This New Jerusalem is consistently understood as a symbol of the heavenly state and the ultimate dwelling place of God's people [9, 12]. The concept of a "new heaven and a new earth" in Revelation 21:1 signifies a renewed universe, a new state for both the bodies of men and their souls [9, 13]. This heavenly city is distinct from any earthly city and represents a future spiritual reality, not a literal earthly location like Bozrah [10, 11].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Bozrah — Enclosure; fortress. (1.) The city of Jobab, one of the early Edomite kings (Gen. 36:33). This place is mentioned by the prophets in later times (Isa. 34:6; Jer. 49:13; Amos 1:12; Micah 2:12). Its modern representative is el-Busseireh. It lies in the mountain district of Petra, 20 miles to the south-east of the Dead Sea. (2.) A Moabite city in the "plain country" (Jer. 48:24), i.e., on the high level down on the east of the Dead Sea. It is probably the modern Buzrah.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Bozrah — (fortress). + In Edom, the city of Jobab the son of Zerah, one of the early king of that nation. (Genesis 36:33; 1 Chronicles 1:44) Mentioned by Isaiah, (Isaiah 34:6; 63:1) in connection with Edom, and by Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 49:13,22; Amos 1:12) and (Micah 2:12) Its modern representative is el-Busaireh, which lies on the mountain district to the southeast of the Dead Sea. + In his catalogue of the cities of the land of Moab, Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 48:24) mentions a Bozrah as in "the plain country" (ver 21), i.e. the high level downs on the east of the Dead Sea.”
- King James Version “[KJV] Jeremiah 49:13 — For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.”
- Revelation “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. -- Revelation 21:2”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 49:13: For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord,.... This he did, because he could swear by no greater, and to show the certain and infallible accomplishment of the event, and the importance of it; and which was so extraordinary, that it was scarce thought credible, and therefore an oath is used to confirm it: that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; not Rome, as Abarbinel; nor Jerusalem, as Cocceius; nor Bozrah of Moab, Jer 48:24; but Bozrah of Idumea, Isa 63:1; the royal city of Edom, as Kimchi; this should be utterly destroyed, and b”
- Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 34:6: 34:6 Bozrah was a city in Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Jeremiah 49:13: that Bozrah shall become desolation, reproach, waste, and a curse Bozrah was one of the cities of Moab, but because it raised up a king for Edom, as the matter is stated, “And Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah” (Gen. 36:33), it will suffer with them.”
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 4:43: Namely, Bezer in the wilderness,.... In Jos 20:8, it is added "upon the plain"; this perhaps was the wilderness of Moab, in the plains of it, the same with Bozrah, see Jer 48:24 and in the Apocrypha:"Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto Bosora; and when he had won the city, he slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned the city with fire,'' (1 Maccabees 5:28)it was in the plain country of the Reubenites, or lay in that part of the country which was allotted to them, and which the”
- Revelation (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Revelation 21:1: We have here a more general account of the happiness of the church of God in the future state, by which it seems most safe to understand the heavenly state. I. A new world now opens to our view (Rev 21:1): I saw a new heaven and a new earth; that is, a new universe; for we suppose the world to be made up of heaven and earth. By the new earth we may understand a new state for the bodies of men, as well as a heaven for their souls. This world is not now newly created, but newly opened, and filled with all those who were the heirs of it. The new heaven and the ne”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 94: shall call Him blessed; it is to be inferred that these predictions refer to a state of things which is to exist before the second coming of Christ. This state is described as one of spiritual prosperity; God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh; knowledge shall everywhere abound; wars shall cease to the ends of the earth, and there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. This does not imply that there is to be neither sin nor sorrow in the world during this long period, or that all men are to be tr”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — FROM THE GREEK. (part 2): next to the God and Father of all,[5] being thus the Father of every soul, as 371 22. Being taught, then, by him that there is one Israel according to the flesh, and another according to the Spirit, when the Saviour says, "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,"[1] we do not understand these words as those do who savour of earthly things, i.e., the Ebionites, who derive the appellation of "poor" from their very name (for "Ebion" means "poor" in Hebrew[2]); but we understand that there e”
- Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 21 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 21 This chapter contains an account of the happy state of the church, consisting of all the elect, both Jews and Gentiles, which will take place upon the first resurrection, and will continue during the thousand years' reign mentioned in the preceding chapter. The seat of the church in these happy times will be the new heaven and the new earth, Rev 21:1 the church that will dwell there is described by its names, the holy city, and new Jerusalem; by its descent, from heaven; and by its state and ornament, being prepared and”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 93: the bondage of corruption. The change to be effected is in the dwelling-place of man. ( d .) According to the Apostle Peter, it is the world which once was destroyed by water, that is to be consumed by fire. But although the predictions of Scripture concern only our earth, it does not follow that the material universe is to last forever. As it is not from eternity, it probably will not last forever. It may be only one of the grand exhibitions of the wonderful working of God in the field of infinite space, and in the course of unending age”