The Time of Jacob's Trouble

An Exposition on Jeremiah 30 The Time of Jacob's Trouble Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.—Jeremiah 30:7 While many Bible students agree that there remains one more troublous time ahead for the nation of Israel as shown in Ezekiel 38 and 39, there is an honest dialogue as to whether this text in Jeremiah 30 refers to this battle. The purpose of this article is to take a closer look at the context of Jeremiah 30. First we want to divide the chapter into nine sections, as follows: 1. Verses 1 and 2—transitional from preceding chapters 2. Verse 3—God’s statement of purpose 3. Verses 4 through 9—Israel’s troubles 4. Verses 10 and 11—the purpose of the trouble 5. Verses 12 through 15—God’s diagnosis 6. Verses 16 and 17—the aftermath of the trouble 7. Verses 18 through 22—Israel’s kingdom role 8. Verses 23 and 24—Armageddon 9. Jeremiah 31:1, 2—transition to future chapters. Now let us pick up these pieces and examine them one by one. Transition—Verses 1, 2 "Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book." While the term all the words that I have spoken may refer to the whole of the prophecy of Jeremiah, they appear to have even more specific reference to chapter 29 which is the account of a letter which Jeremiah wrote warning Israel of the impending Babylonian captivity. This leaves us with one of two interpretations for the whole of Jeremiah 30. Either it refers to the return from that literal Babylonian captivity, or to the return from a larger captivity pictured by that period of exile. Since the thirtieth chapter talks about the restoration of the Davidic throne the latter seems more likely to be correct. In any case, the suggestion of these first two verses is that the lessons learned from their being sent to Babylon will have their fruitage in which he is now about to discuss. God’s Purpose—Verse 3 "For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." The regathering of Israel after their Diaspora of some two millennia is the subject of the chapter. This return would not be an overnight event, but would be a process requiring decades for its accomplishment. This regathering, according to the prophecy of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37, would be a four-step process. FIRST, there would be the bringing of bone to bone, the ingathering of the Jews back to their promised land, starting with the end of their double of disfavor in 1878. SECOND, there would be a strengthening, the building of an infrastructure, which could not begin properly until their period of being trodden upon, the Times of the Gentiles, came to an end in 1914. THIRD, the appearance would give them the appearance of being a nation, though not yet alive (having breath) in God’s sight. This has been true since the formation of the nation in 1948. FOURTH, God would give them breath, or life and recognition, when the four winds of anarchy would blow upon them in their final battle. These four steps, then, relate to the release of Israel from four unique chastisements, or punishments, through which God corrects his chosen people, disciplining them for their future work. The double of 1845 years from 33 to 1878 was for their rejection of the Messiah. The Times of the Gentiles of 2520 years from 606 BC to 1914 was for their failure to heed God’s laws, particularly its Sabbath system provisions. The hunters of Jeremiah 16 was most especially accomplished in the Nazi Holocaust of 1937-1945, chastising Israel for their failure to respond to the Zionist fishers and return to their promised land of Palestine. The effect of its release was national statehood in 1948. The future trouble of Ezekiel 38 and 39, from which the breath comes, is for the purpose of removing national pride and instilling the need for trust in God, resulting in his spirit (or breath) coming upon them. (See Zechariah 12:10). Nor are we to think of their return to the land and their possessing it, spoken of here in Jeremiah 30, as referring merely to their physical occupation of their ancient homeland. Note, in this regard, the prophecy of Ezek 20:38—"And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD." They shall not enter into the land of Israel. But they have. They are there. That is a fact. Here, as elsewhere, we must not let our expectations weigh as anything against the facts. The harmony, we suggest, is simple. The land of Israel here does not refer to a geographical area, but to the covenant land, the promise land which will be their kingdom possession. Israel's Troubles—Verses 4-9 "And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them." Verse 5 describes a condition in marked contrast to that of other nations who cry, Peace, peace, when there is no peace (See Jer. 6:14; 8:11; Ezek. 13:16). In verse 6 he likens this trauma to that of a man in travail with child. This, to say the least, is unusual imagery as the prophet himself admits when he compares it more appropriately to a woman in travail. This picture is reminiscent of one found in Isaiah 66:8: Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. While this nation born at once may refer primarily to the Church in context, there is apparently a double application—Israel will be that nation: (1) Spiritual Israel, the `holy nation’; (2) Fleshly Israel, its earthly representative. Travail describes the birth pang, the final trauma before giving birth. This is an apt description of the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Now, notice verse 7—building on this figure of the birth pang, the prophet defines it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble. But, unlike Rachel dying in giving birth to Benjamin, Jacob [Israel] will be saved out of it. Verse 8 appears to be an allusion to the blessing of Esau which is found in Genesis 27:39-40 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. This blessing of Esau is listed by Paul as a great act of faith on the part of Isaac in Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. In at least one picture, Romans 9:13, Esau represents natural Israel while Jacob represents the Church. Israel is indeed destined to have the dominion, but not while the Church is on this side of the veil. The yoke which Israel will break off their shoulders is their rejection from the highest prize, the Church, which cannot happen until the great gulf fixed of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is bridged. Note Romans 11:25, 26 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. It is then that Israel will be free to independently serve the Lord their God and it is then they will recognize the greater than David, their Messiah, as their king. This is also suggestive of the fact that the Jacob’s trouble of verse seven is the precursor for this recognition of their Messiah. The Purpose of the Trouble—Veres 10, 11 "Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." Once again God states his intent concerning Israel. Once again he spans the entire period of the return. The salvation from afar and the return of the Jews from the land of their captivity reaches back as far as the coming together of Ezekiel’s visionary "bones"—to 1878. But the rest—the quietness and lack of fear—point forward to their full inheritance. Then, in verse eleven, he hones in on Israel’s final battle. He compares the effect of that battle on Israel and on the nations that attack her. The invading coalition will be destroyed. This expression full end should not be taken in the sense of total annihilation, for we read in Isaiah 66:18, 19: For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. Nevertheless the desolation will be massive. In contrast, the promise to Israel is that God will not make a full end of thee. This does not negate the fact that the troubles described will not be punitive in nature for Israel, for it is for the very purpose of wiping out their pride—purging out the rebels. These are described in Zephaniah 3:11 as those that rejoice in thy pride. The Lord’s Diagnosis—Verses 12-15 "For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee." We perhaps get the wrong thought when we look at the word incurable in both verses twelve and fifteen. We would suggest that the thought of the Hebrew is: "You have a severe fracture and a wide open wound." While describing a matter of grave concern, the word is often used of situations that are not truly incurable. For instance, in Job 34:6 we hear that afflicted man say: Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. Job’s wound was curable. God cured it. But, in the ordinary course of events, with the best medicines that human doctors could give it, it would not respond to treatment—it appeared incurable. Such is Israel’s situation entering Jacob’s trouble. With her back to the wall Israel has repeatedly applied miracle cures to her political and military situation. These have worked wondrously well. But now the situation is so bleak that these cures appear inadequate. "There is none to plead thy cause." Think of how the U. S. and other nations have pled Israel’s cause on many occasions during the past century. "Thou hast no healing medicines." Forced to stand more and more alone, Israel feels less and less up to solving her grave problems. "All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not." So descriptive of our own day. Then the final blow. These things have come upon you, not because of some external implacable foe; but "for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased." This statement seems hard to harmonize with Isaiah 40:1, 2: "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins." That double was over in 1878. It was (and I quote) for all her sins. If all her sins were covered by that punishment, why do we have a multitude of thine iniquity here? Simply because these are new sins. Before it was the sin of idolatry; now it is the sin of pride. Yet grievous as is that sin God says, I will not make a full end of thee. This, in verse fourteen. is called a chastisement. It is an experience for their education and correction. Whom the father loves more, he chastises the more. The higher role the one is to play, the stricter the requirements and the greater the correction to prepare the servant for his duties. The Aftermath—Verses 16 and 17 "Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after." Now, having spoken so harshly to his beloved, God directs the prophet’s attention to the invaders. The devourer shall be devoured; the spoiler shall be spoiled; he who took the prey shall become a prey. Notice Zechariah 1:15—"And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction." Even though God used the invading nations as an instrument of his own in punishing recalcitrant Israel, he does not hold them blameless. This is a principle of God’s operation. Assyria was the rod of mine anger said God, yet Assyria was destroyed. Jehu was used to destroy the wicked house of Ahab and Jezebel; yet Jehu was judged by God for this very act (Hos. 1:4). The man who led the scape goat into the wilderness performed a necessary function, yet he was unclean thereby and had to wash before reentering the tabernacle. Even the role of Judas was a required role in God’s plan, but he was heavily condemned for that act of treason. The thought of Israel’s enemies being spoiled and made a prey is a separate bypath which space will not permit investigating now. We merely mention Isaiah 33:1; Matthew 12:29; Isaiah 53:12; Isaiah 33:23. Now notice the contrast of the fate of these enemy nations with that of Israel in verse seventeen: "For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after." The incurable wound is cured. They will no longer be called Outcast The Hebrew word here is nadach and has a stronger implication than merely being one who is cast out. It implies moral laxity on the part of the outcast. Vine’s Dictionary has this to say: "The implication seems to be that an inner `drivenness’ or `drawing away,’ as well as an external force, was involved in Israel’s potential turning toward idolatry." In other words the accusation is not only of Israel being cast off, but that they deserved it, that they were backsliders. "Christ-killers" became a slogan of anti-semitism. Now the tables are turned. The spurned becomes the sought after. "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." (Zech. 8:23). Israel’s Kingdom Role—Verses 18-22 "Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." Now we come to the nice part of the story—"I will bring again the captivity of Israel." Again there is a process. In verse 18 he describes it in three steps: First, restoring Jacob’s tents Second, the city Third, the palace. The tents seem to indicate the poor and humble, the meek, those of the unwalled villages. Notice, in this regard, the words of Zechariah 12:7: "The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah." Here, too, are the same three elements—the tents of Judah, the palace of house of David and the city, "the inhabitants of Jerusalem." The beginning of Israel’s role will be with the meek and humble, the tent-dwellers. This is clear in Zephaniah 3:12 "I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD." Then comes the city or civil government, which will be through the ancient worthies, the judges and counselors of Isaiah 1:26. The last step will be the restored Theocracy, with the antitypical David, Christ, as their king—the palace of our text. Their expressions of joy and thanksgiving will be noted by the other nations around so that they, too, shall say: Let us go up to the mountain of the house of the Lord. (Isa. 2:2) Their children is apparently a reference to the former generations of Israel who, through the prayers of the living, shall come back from the prison house of death. These shall join with the living to form an ever-growing congregation that shall be established throughout the world. Then those that oppressed them will in turn be punished until they come to the Jew with humble hearts to learn of the Lord. This is beautifully pictured in the restoration of Job when his three comforters come to him and ask him to pray for them. But not only his comforters, even his neighbors and family come to him bearing gifts. "Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold." (Job 42:11). These four actions beautifully illustrate the recognition which the Gentiles will bring to the Jew at that time. (1) They will eat bread in the near eastern custom of the peace treaty, the covenant of salt pledging their friendship; (2) they must bemoan and comfort Israel for the harm which they have caused her. (3) The word for piece of money is, literally, a lamb of money, or the monetary equivalent for the purchase of a lamb. Thus will mankind bring to Israel their recognition of the cost of their redemption—the death of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Finally, (4) a golden ear ring showingthat they will have open ears to the divine instructions preceding from Israel at that time. In Jeremiah 30:21, the expression "their nobles shall be of themselves" is an apparent reference to their ancient prophets, now resurrected, who were, almost without exception, of their own kin. But, as nobles is in the plural, so "governor" is in the singular. One governor—Messiah—who also came from the midst of them (as Moses said in Acts 3:22). This governor will Jehovah cause to draw near and approach God on Israel’s behalf—as their mediator. Notice this same chain of command in Hosea 2:21, 22, "And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel." Jehovah will hear the new heavens—the mediator, Christ and his church. The church will hear the earth. The earth will be guided, as was Israel of old, by the prosperity of the corn, wine and oil. These shall come as they pay attention to Jezreel, a picture of Israel. Then, under the new covenant arrangements, ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Armageddon—Verses 23 and 24 "Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." The whirlwind of Armageddon is identified in the closing verses as the means by which God will accomplish his judgments concerning Israel and her attackers. This anger, we are assured, will not be assuaged until the work of judgment is fully accomplished. In a similar vein, in Rev. 15:1 we read that in the seven last plagues against Babylon is filled up the wrath of God—the full measure of judgment, both on Israel and much more so on her foes, will be poured out. But the whirlwind, like so many of the other images in our chapter, will have two effects—a different one upon Israel than upon the other nations. In Daniel 2:35 we see the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s mighty image. We see the stone strike it on the feet and then grind it into powder so that it became as the chaff of the summer threshingfloor. Now notice what happens to that chaff in Isaiah 17:13: "The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind." But the same wind that scatters the nations as chaff has a far different effect upon Israel as we saw earlier in Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones: "Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live" (Ezek. 37:9). The Next Transition—Jeremiah 31:1, 2 "At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest." As the opening verses of the thirtieth chapter connected our study with the Babylonian captivity of chapter twenty-nine, so the opening verses of the next chapter connects Jacob’s Trouble with the Millennial kingdom and its New Covenant with the house of Israel. Notice the opening words of chapter thirty-one, "At the same time." This is perhaps our most definitive text to identify the time period of chapter thirty and the "Jacob’s Trouble" mentioned therein. Even as the closing chapter of Isaiah dealt with the escapees of the armies of the north which attack Israel in "Jacob’s Trouble;" so verse two of this chapter deals with the escapees of Israel from the same trouble. We are not informed definitively of the size of this people which were left of the sword, but several texts suggest that it may be but a small percentage of the Jewish people who are found to have the right heart condition to form the nucleus of the kingdom under the ancient worthies. Isaiah 6:13 implies that it may be as small as a tenth, just ten percent. To this agrees the words of Amos 5:3, "For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel." Further indicative of the same point is Ezekiel 20:37, "And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. This text is based on the Jewish concept of tithing, as found in Lev 27:32—And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD." But, whether it be as few as ten percent or a more larger number, it is these humble and faithful ones who will have the courage to enter into rest even as their fathers failed to do when the spies brought back the evil report at Kadesh-Barnea. (See Heb. 3:15-19) Conclusion What we have seen, then, is that the thirtieth chapter of Jeremiah is one of many in the Scriptures which details the various features of the return of the Jews to their homeland at the second advent. We have noted the tight connections between this chapter and prophecies concerning Israel which are still in the future. Therefore, in answer to our original question, we suggest this term "Jacob’s Trouble" applies to the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 which we believe still lies ahead, hopefully in the near future.

The Hope of Israel in the Light of the Prophecies of Moses

Speaking to the children of Israel, the Lord said unto Moses: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” Deuteronomy 18:18- 19 The message of Moses is full of importance to Israel and he should apply it to his heart. God promised Moses that from among the children of Israel he would raise up a prophet like Moses. This prophet would speak God’s word to Israel. The rejection of this prophet by Israel, Moses stated, would bring very serious consequences. This is the key message to the Jews from the prophecies of Moses. Each Israelite will have to decide for himself whether the disaster which today has befallen Israel is not to a great extent due to his rejection of God’s Prophet.

Moreover Moses further prophesied to Israel: “And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God.

“And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; So the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land wither thou goest to possess it.

“And the Lord shall scatter thee among all the people, from one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stones.

“And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the soles of thy feet have rest, but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of the eyes, and sorrow of the mind: “And thy life shall hand in doubt before thee: and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurances of life.” Deuteronomy 28:62- 66

Many years have passed since this message was delivered to Israel. As foretold, the GLORY OF ISRAEL IS GONE. Can any thinking Jew, as he meditates upon his lot today, doubt the fulfillment of the words of Moses” If Israel had read the writings of Moses carefully and thoughtfully, and especially the heart searching message to Israel, as found in the book of Deuteronomy, would he, today have been without God and without hope. All that Moses stated as quoted in the above extract has been fully, definitely, and literally, fulfilled in Israel. Could Moses have more fully described the lot of Israel today” Instead of being the most glorious nation of the world as they were under the rule of King Solomon, Israel today is a scattered nation. Today Israel has been scattered from one end of the earth to the other. He has been destroyed, persecuted, his efforts have been brought to nought, and he has been plucked out of every land to which he departed for rest and shelter. He has had no rest, no peace, fearful of the future, and the sorrow in his eyes betrays the anguish of his mind and heart. The messages from Moses are vital and decidedly crucial to Israel. In the, Israel will find the cause of his rejection by God. If the Jewish people will but meditate over their lot, if they will seriously think of the present in the light of their past history, if they will cast off prejudices caused by Godless people who were the instrumentalities of God in carrying out his judgments against Israel, then Israel must conclude that their present fate has come upon them because they “Would not obey the voice of the Lord their God” Deuteronomy 28:6 and because they have rejected Jesus, the anointed, whom the sincere people of God have accepted as the Prophet whom God raised up from among the children of Israel. Well may Israel note the warning: “And it shall come to pass (as Moses stated in Deuteronomy 18:19) that whosoever shall not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”

Israel must study his present situation. If Jesus, the Anointed is the Prophet of whom Moses spoke then his message should be accepted and he himself should be accepted also as the prophet from God. There is but one way in which the Jews may more fully be led to accept Jesus and to give, in faith, their hearts to God, and that is, to read the accounts of the words, the work and the testimony of Jesus as found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and then to compare what they have read in the New Testament with the message of Moses and the Prophets as found in the Old Testament. Of the Old Testament writings Jesus said and his words are a challenge to every Jew who is searching after God: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

“But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my Words””John 5:39, 45- 47.

Strange as it may seem to the uninitiated Jew, Jesus acknowledge but one God for he taught: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” How dear to the heart of every Jew is the statement of the oneness of God. Jesus proclaimed himself as the Son of God and he announced the privilege of sonship to every Jew who would come to God through him. Even David spoke of Jesus as God”s Son when he stated in Psalm 2:12 “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.

BLESSED ARE ALL THEY THAT PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM.”

Can you join in with David and claim the blessings which he promised to those who would acknowledge the Prophet of God whom he here designates as the Son of God” The writings of David are complete with prophesies which definitely point to Jesus as the hoped- for son of David, the King of the Jews, for David said: “The Lord (Jehovah) said unto my Lord, (Jesus the Anointed). Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Psalms 110:1 Through Moses and the Prophets the coming of the Messiah was definitely foretold. Yet when he first came, they were not able to receive him. Why” Because the glorious reign of Jesus as David”s son will appear in glory at the second coming of Jesus. When he first came, he came as the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb to take away the sin of the world.

“Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

Little did the Jews realize that the first work of the Messiah would be that of the atonement. For hundreds of years God, through the sacrifices of animals, had sought to prepare Israel for the Lamb of God which really could take away sin. If they had read Daniel they would have learned “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.”Daniel 9:26.

Israel was to some extent able to see the ultimate glorious Messiah, but he failed to see that the future glories were dependent upon the need for present atonement as the Jewish prophet Isaiah has very definitely foretold: “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us All.”Isaiah 53:5- 6

Because Israel has neglected to hear the message of God”s Prophet, the message of salvation has gone to the Gentiles just as the Jewish prophet Hosea had foretold: “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”Hosea 1:10 The privilege of the Kingdom is the birthright of the children of Israel. They were the Holy Nation.

Why should all the blessings of God go to the strange people because God”s chosen people are blinded to their own hopes as foretold by Moses and the prophets” Israel should lift up his eyes and behold the mercies of God. There is a reason for the sad plight of Israel. The reason can not be found in human social neglect.

God has abandoned Israel and Israel is too sorrowful to know the cause thereof. Jesus said that he came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but Israel’s house is desolate and the sad part of this crisis is that Israel does not understand the cause of his bereavement. He seeks to better his condition through worldly education and in commerce, not realizing his neglect of God and the prophet who spoke in God’s name.

Israel does not realize that as the Jewish prophet Daniel had foretold in Daniel, chapter two, that the Jewish Kingdom and power was turned over to the Gentiles and that the Gentile rule would continue until Messiah’s kingdom was set up in glory. The Babylonian King first received the kingdom from God (Daniel 2:37). The time between the overthrow of the old Jewish regime, until the coming of the Messiah for the second time, is called in the Scriptures “THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES.”

During these times the Gentiles are given the opportunity to rule and all realize what a terrible Job the gentiles have made of it. The terrible accounts in our newspapers seem to indicate that the Times of the Gentiles is nearly over. The conflagration in Europe indicates that soon the Gentiles will be dispossessed and the Kingdom of God would be established as the Jewish prophet Daniel foretold in Daniel 2:44. In the meantime Jesus said:

“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21:24 Jesus definitely foretold the desolation of Israel, while Israel still had their glorious Temple. Note also the reason, Jesus assigned for the distress of Israel: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO YOU DESOLATE. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Matthew 23:37- 39 Can Israel turn from her prejudices and turn to the prophet whom God has raised up” Let Israel remember that no real child of god has ever persecuted Israel. Let Israel realize that these are the times of the Gentiles and that the Gentiles have trodden down Israel, but let not Israel think that these Gentiles are God”s people. Since the coming of the Messiah to become “The Lamb of God That Taketh Away The Sin of the World,” the people of God have been selected from among both the Jews and Gentiles to become part of the Kingdom which will be set up when the Messiah come in glory.

Jesus said: “Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness.” Matthew 8:11- 12 Darkness will still control most of Israel, but this pamphlet goes out with the hope and the prayer that some of God’s chosen people may still see the light of the glory of god as it was proclaimed in the words of that Prophet, of whom Moses spake, a prophet who was raised up from the Jews, and who was sent to proclaim the message of God. Since his time it should be interesting to note that God has not sent Israel another prophet nor has Israel received another message from God. Can Israel be constrained to say “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” As each Israelite accepts Jesus as the prophet from god, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, he is thus enable to see Jesus. The blessed relationship of divine approval is his lot. Today the glory of Israel is gone! Today the house of Israel is desolate! The hope of Israel still remaineth in the Prophet raised up from among the Jews.

Israel. Can you see” Can you turn from unbelief in prayer to the Living God and in faith accept Moses” prophet and live” Let Israel from his hear say: “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

(Christianity came in the fulfillment of the hopes expressed by the Jewish prophets. Jesus confined his message only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Later the privilege went to the Gentiles. Let it still be remembered that Jesus is the King of the Jews.)

THE BIRTH OF A NATION

God puts His plans into effect by means of chosen instruments. Of no time in the world’s history could it be said that His witnesses were not in the earth, manifesting His standards to a generally heedless world and telling the more thoughtful among them of things that must surely come to pass. In times of crisis His prophets have been ever to the front, and at seasons of disaster His ministers have been there pouring in the oil of comfort and binding up the brokenhearted. (Isa.61. 1). Who will fill that position when the last great crisis comes upon the nations? The world generally will be in a state of turmoil and in no particular frame of mind to listen to any voice that speaks for God; in any case it will be gathering its forces for the final onslaught on the citadel of God’s holiness. Awaiting that onslaught stands the nation which of all the world has pledged itself unreservedly to the standard of Heaven and is prepared to stand or fall by that pledge. Who are these people pictured dwelling at peace in an undefended land awaiting in confidence the advance of their foe? Old Testament prophecy awards this role to the whole nation of Israel, recovered from all the lands into which, for more than two millenniums past, they have been dispersed. In that manner the prophecies enshrine a vital truth, that God is to plant a “dedicated nation” in the land which is peculiarly His own (Deut. 12. 11) and in that manner reverse the terrible end to which Israel’s national existence came when the Roman general Titus captured Jerusalem in A.D.70 and dispersed the people of Judea and Galilee to all parts of the Roman world. But this was not the only dispersal among the nations suffered by Israel and a proper understanding of the regathering can only be had if consideration is given to the history of Israel’s exile among the nations. There have been three major scatterings. The first was due to the Assyrian invasions of the eighth century B.C. when Shalmaneser and Sargon of Assyria between them overran the ten tribe kingdom and carried most of the population into Armenia and Media. A few years later Sennacherib invaded Judea and sent many of its inhabitants to join them. None of these came back. Through the centuries their descendants drifted eastward, across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and westward into Southern Russia and Europe. The second dispersal was that of the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the sixth century B.C. His forces desolated the land, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and took the greater part of the people captive to Babylon. A few escaped into Egypt and the poorest of the peasantry were allowed to remain to cultivate the land. Seventy years later Cyrus of Persia, conqueror of Babylon, allowed those Jews who so desired to return and rebuild the Temple, and re-establish some sort of national life. The Jewish community in Babylon must have grown quite substantially but only some forty-two thousand accepted the offer and settled in Judea. The rest of the country was populated by Samaritans, Phoeniciansand Edomites and in after years these all became for all practical purposes one nation. Those Jews who remained at Babylon prospered and formed strong communities throughout the Persian Empire and eastward to India. With the growing prosperity of the re-established Jewish State—which at one time achieved virtual independence—there was continual migration of Jews into all the Mediterranean countries so that when St. Peter preached in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost there were Jews among his hearers who hailed from almost every part of the Roman world. The Jewish nation of the First Advent, therefore, was already very much a mixed people. Jerusalem and the south was populated mainly by full-blooded descendants of Judah and Benjamin with a strain of Edomite blood. Farther north remnants of the other ten tribes persisted with an admixture of Phoenician and Syrian; in the centre of the land, Samaria of the New Testament, alien strains were so pronounced that the rigid Jews of Jerusalem would not count them as Jews; they had “no dealings with the Samaritans”. The third dispersion followed the Jewish rebellion against Rome in A.D.70. Many went eastward to their brethren in Babylon and Persia, or northward to Roman Asia and into Greece. Some penetrated westward into Egypt and along the North African coast. Others penetrated Central Europe, their descendants appearing in Russia, Poland, Germany and finally England. But by far the greater number of those expelled by Titus made their way southward into Arabia where they joined with the native Arab peoples in laying the foundations of a great Judaio-Arab empire. This fusion of Jews with Arabs is one to which singularly little attention has been given in the study of prophecy. European history books, for obvious reasons, have little to say about the Arab supremacy of the Middle Ages in world affairs, and the part played by the Jews in that supremacy. This influx of Jews into Arabia at the beginning of the Christian era profoundly influenced the Arab population both physically and intellectually. H.G. Wells in his “Outline of History” says “It is difficult to say, in the case of this Arabic culture, where the Jew ends and the Arab begins, so essential and important were its Jewish factors”. By the eighth century A.D., three hundred years before William the Conqueror landed in England, this Arab empire extended from Spain to China, and was one of the most extensive empires the world has seen. Its builders were learned in the arts and sciences, being particularly well versed in astronomy, medicine, chemistry and mathematics. Much of our modern knowledge in these branches of learning is directly traceable to them, and a great many English technical terms are Arabic words. The modern Jews are, in the main, descendants of the Second and Third Dispersions, i.e. of those who occupied the land from the days of Cyrus the Persian until the expulsion of Titus. These are the people principally in evidence in the present State of Israel. It must be remembered however, that the promised regathering envisages reunion of the two houses of Israel, separated since the days of Solomon’s death. “I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will makethem one nation in the land . . . and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all” (Ezek. 37.21-22). Says Jeremiah “In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers” (Jer. 3. 18). The schism which resulted in the creation of a ten tribe nation and a two tribe nation at the death of Solomon will be healed and descendants of all the tribes will appear in the regathered people. There are grounds in the prophetic Scriptures for the expectation that membership of this “Servant Nation” of the end of the Age will not be rigidly confined to the natural sons of Jacob. St. Paul stated an important principle when he said “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9. 6). Developing this theme he shows that fitness for the purpose in view and above all things sterling loyalty to God counts more with Him than racial descent. Ultimately, he says “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, but the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him” (Rom. 10. 12). The fourth chapter of Hebrews extends this argument to show that so far as the Christian calling of this Age, initiated at Pentecost, is concerned “they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief ” and the opportunity passed to the wider world and the consequence of that has been that the Christian Church has been predominantly Gentile and only to a minor extent Jewish. The Church is one instrument in the Lord’s hand for the conversion of mankind in the next Age, but there is also to be another instrument, restored ideal Israel, the Servant Nation, in the Holy Land, and this is fundamental to the whole structure of Scriptural doctrine. The same principle, of faith and dedication of life to God, is the indispensable prerequisite. It seems reasonable therefore to expect that men and women sharing the faith and hopes of Israel and prepared to be identified with them, even if not of Israel stock, will not be turned away. Isaiah’s 56th chapter speaks of this. It is addressed to the “son of the stranger” who wishes to identify himself with the dedicated people of God in the land. The imminence of the Millennial Age is indicated in verse 1; the blessing which comes upon the man who already partakes of the spirit of that Age, in verse 2. Verse 3 refers to “the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord” and the theme is continued to verse 7. The “son of the stranger” who is consecrated to God is to be brought to His holy mountain and his offerings will be acceptable on God’s altar. The “eunuch” (separated man) who has taken hold of God’s covenant is given a place and name within God’s walls. “The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered to him” (vs. 8). “I will yet gather others to him, beside his own scattered outcasts” says Leeser, and Rotherham “Yet others will I gather to him besides his own gathered ones”, a clear intimation that when God gathers the scattered outcasts of Israel He is going to gather others, non-Israelites, as well, and give them to Israel as brethren and fellow-citizens. The vision of the Millennial Israel recorded by Ezekiel (chap. 47) confirms this principle of adoption of the “strangers”—a term for all non-Israelites dwelling with Israel—so that they enjoy full rights of inheritance and are “as born in the country among the children of Israel”. Although the time here referred to is after the establishment of the Millennial reign, the passage does afford proof of this element in the constitution of the Servant Nation. The “strangers” are to be received into full fellowship and accorded full rights of citizenship. The new nation, then, may well find room for individuals of other races, who on the basis of faith in God and belief in the coming earthly kingdom desire to join themselves to the people being gathered together in the Land of Promise. Such will form a valuable contribution to the Nation although we must not lose sight of the fact that the sons of Jacob are certain to be predominant if only because of their past training and experience in the ways and purposes of God. It has frequently been remarked that the Semitic race is the most reflective and spiritually inclined of the races of mankind. The Hebrews are the foremost of Semitic peoples in this same respect and there may therefore be a very sound reason why in the Divine disposition of things they will form the major constituent of the Nation “in that day”. It may well be, however, that this adoption of “strangers” into the commonwealth of Israel proves a feature of the later consolidation into the dedicated Servant Nation rather than the initial gathering into the land. Most of the prophetic foreviews depict the Return as that of the descendants of those who were driven out by the Assyrians and the Babylonians and the Romans. Perhaps therefore a distinction ought to be made between the initial stages of the Return, in unbelief, as an element in the political events characterising the “End Time” of this Age, and the ultimate consolidation of the Servant Nation, in belief and faith, at the climax when the final crisis occurs. Much of the prophetic description is satisfied by current immigration of Jews into Israel and the creation of an independent and virile State in the ancient land. The astounding progress made in over sixty years in face of bitter outside opposition has evoked the wonder of the world and led many to claim evidence of Divine power working on Israel’s behalf. The “fishers and hunters” of Jer. 16. 16 whom the Lord said He would raise up to urge the exiles back to their own land, are doing their work; this is only one of the many textual statements which associate the operative power of God with the social and political forces that for several generations past have made more and more inevitable the establishment of the State of Israel. But this does not imply that the Most High in any way endorses the position or the policies of that State. Israel of today is one of the nations of this world, shaping its course in conformity with the standards and conventions of this world, defending its terrain and its frontiers with the weapons of this world, and no more entitled, at this juncture, to be called a Servant Nation, meet for the Divine purpose, than its fellow nations. Before the fullness of Old Testament prophecy is realised there will have to be a great change, and the immensely important and momentous part which this Servant Nation is to play in the concluding events of this Age renders it imperative that only those who are fitted for God’s purpose be selected. Sterling faith, utter confidence and steadfast loyalty to the cause of Heaven must characterise each member of that Nation. It is clear from the prophecies that this initial regathering, which apart from a relative few is not accompanied by any special profession of faith, and is essentially a return in unbelief, must eventually develop into one that is inspired by faith. Before Israel is ready to play its ultimate glorious role at the end of the Age there has to be seen a stage in which the returning ones come in belief. “I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth . . . they shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them . . .I will turn their mourning into joy . . . and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord” (Jer. 31. 8-14). “They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten” (Jer. 50.5). “My supplicants beyond Ethiopia, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering” (Zeph. 3. 10) and Isaiah’s triumphant cry “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in” (Isa. 26. 2), among a number of related Scripture passages, seem clearly to picture this aspect of the Return. And since the climactic feature of the whole process is the Divine deliverance of Israel from what would appear to be inevitable ruin, and in all recorded history God has delivered Israel only upon repentance and faith, it is clear that the present state of national unbelief must merge into one much more nearly approaching faith and trust, manifestly fulfilling the prophet’s words, before the climax comes. We should expect, therefore, the eventual emergence of a dedicated and faithsustained nation in the land of Israel, principally of natural descent from Jacob, but including a sprinkling of others, which awaits, in confidence that God will deliver, a concerted assault upon its achievements and way of life by outside evil influences. That the deliverance comes in consequence of that faith is the consistent testimony of the prophets (Micah Chap. 4 and 5, Zeph. 3. 10, Zech. 12, Jer. 3. 12-25 and 31. 6- 9) besides being demanded by the basic principles of Divine dealings with Israel. But inside this general picture there is the insertion of an aspect in which trouble comes on the land, with the cutting off from Israel a section of the people, before the enemy is defeated. In the symbolic language of Zechariah, Jerusalem is not delivered until first it has been surrounded and a portion of its inhabitants sent into exile. Since any question of such fate befalling those who have staked all upon their faith is unthinkable, it follows that this story of capture and exile must denote, even at that late date in the sequence of events, an element in the nation which does not truly believe, and whose true character is only revealed when the fiery trial comes upon the people. This factor in the prophecy constitutes a bridge between the initial regathering of Israel in almost total unbelief and her final stand against the enemy in what is perhaps almost total belief—converted to totality of faith and full deliverance when the unbelieving element has been purged out. To what extent do the events of our own times point to the imminence of these expectations? At what stage in their development have we arrived? This is where a very real danger exists of becoming prophets instead of prophetic students; nevertheless there is the undisputed fact that a remarkable chain of happenings extending over a century has led to the creation in our own generation of the first independent and self-governing Jewish State for over two thousand years. A glance at the salient peaks in that chain will not be out of place. The story begins in 1878 when six European powers met under the presidency of Benjamin Disraeli, Jewish Prime Minister of Great Britain, to draft the Treaty of Berlin, mitigating penalties laid upon Turkey by Russia following the RussoTurkish war. At this time Palestine was, and for four hundred years had been, under Turkish rule, numbering amongst its inhabitants some 25,000 Jews. This treaty included, for the first time, definite provision for Jewish interests in Palestine and was the first of the successive steps which led to the Israeli State of 1948. 1897 saw the first Zionist Congress headed by Dr. Herzl. By this time there were 55,000 Jewish residents in Palestine but there was now a Turkish ban on new immigrants and this was not lifted until 1906. Until the first World War progress languished. The situation changed dramatically in 1917 when General Allenby captured Jerusalem and Turkish rule in Palestine came to an end. As far back as 1883 Dr. Grattan Guiness had suggested that the year 1917 would see a noteworthy event in the history of Israel’s recovery of Palestine and now the interest of many Christians as well as Jews was aroused. 1917 witnessed the Balfour Declaration, promising British support for a Jewish National Home in Palestine. The granting of the League of Nations mandate to Great Britain in 1922 placed Palestine under British political control and by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 Turkey formally renounced all claims to sovereignty over the country. Palestine became the scene of an increasing flood of Jewish immigrants on the one hand and a mounting wave of Arab opposition to this incursion upon a land they regarded as theirs on the other. By the time of the Second World War the Jewish population had risen, from 84,000 in 1922, to half a million in 1939. Zechariah, long ages before, had said of this very time “In that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces” (Zech.12. 3). That last word means to be hurt or lacerated through trying to lift too heavy a weight. England began to discover the truth of that prediction and in 1948 renounced the Mandate and left the land and its peoples to their own devices. The result, after a short but sharp conflict between Jews and Arabs, was the establishment of a Jewish State, pitifully small in area but at least truly independent for the first time since the short lived Maccabean State of 135-65 B.C. At once the doors were flung open and Jews from any part of the world granted entrance as by right. The tide of immigration was immense, straining all the resources of the new-born State, but by dint of determination and hard work the newcomers were absorbed and some kind of economic foundation laid for the future. The rest of the story, covering the past sixty years, is well known. Today, Israel is an established nation taking her place among the nations of the world, and in some important respects a leading place. In certain branches of scientific discovery Israeli scientists are in the forefront. Advisers and technicians go from Israel to assist and instruct newly developing nations. In more than one direction there is already to be seen the beginnings of that era spoken of by Isaiah when he said that “Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit” (Isa. 27. 6). But all this is only Stage One of the process. This Israel is as yet one of the kingdoms of this world and orders its national life according to the standards of this world. In 1948 and in 1956 and in 1967 it demonstrated how well it has learned the arts of war whereby the kingdoms of this world maintain their existence against the assaults of their enemies. It may have to fight again; it may experience reverses. It has yet to pass into that state of national sentiment in which there is acknowledgment of the supremacy of God and faith in His protecting power. There may be further political changes, with ebb and flow of fortune for Israel, before that condition comes into sight. Stage Two is not yet discernible on the horizon—but it will come. Zechariah says of that day that the governors of Israel will perceive the strength of Israel in the Lord of Hosts their God (Zech. 12. 5). Those governors, destined to lead the Servant Nation through the last ordeal, must be remarkable men indeed. Perhaps their appearance on the political stage of the day will be the signal that the preliminary gathering of Israel under the protection of military force is completed and the consolidation of the nation into an assembly of faith is beginning; in consequence the assault of Gog and Magog is imminent. For we do know this. When there is peace and security in that present troubled land, and that without the aid of military defences, when the people there gathered begin to proclaim their determination to abide by the principles of Divine Law, looking to God as their Leader and Defender; when material prosperity and extension of territory towards the boundaries promised to the patriarchs begin to become evident; when, most wonderful of all, men of supernormal physique and intellect come to the forefront in the affairs of that nation, none knowing whence they come, men who manifest a remarkable grasp of the world situation and a wonderful flair for incorruptible administration; then, without further delay, will the forces of Gog move forward and God rise up to deliver. 8th Century B.C. Ten tribe kingdom taken to Armenia & Media 6th Century B.C. Babylonian captivity for 70 years 135-65 B.C. Maccabean State
 A.D. 70 Capture of Jerusalem and dispersal from Judea & Galilee
1878 Treaty of Berlin
1897 First Zionist Congress

1906 Turkish ban on immigration lifted
 1917 End of Turkish rule in Palestine
1917 Balfour Declaration
1948 Formation State of Israel

Israel’s—Return.

Just what is meant by “Israel’s Return”?

 
Answer.—By Israel, the Bible means the Jewish people (John 4:22; Matt. 10:5, 6; 15:24). And it sets forth two lines of thought connected with their return: (1) their return to their land, and (2) their return to God’s favor. Let us first consider (1):
 
The antecedents to their return to their land are their dispersion among all nations and their persecutions, both during the Dark Ages and in more recent times. Their dispersion throughout the Gospel Age in many lands was forecast in Lev. 26:33-39; Jer. 16:13-16; 30:11; Hos. 3:4. The desolation of their land and cities was forecast in Lev. 26:31-35, 43; Deut. 29:22, 24, 27; Isa. 17:4-6; Jer. 4:20, 26-28; 12:4-7, 10-13; 19:8; Amos 3:14; 5:3, 5; 7:8, 9; Mic. 1:6; Matt. 11:20-23; Luke 10:12-15; 21:24. These prophecies have had an abundant fulfilment. Until recently, the land has been practically bereaved of the Israelites, its fertility has been greatly diminished and it has been desolate. The inducements to Israel’s returning to their land are their religion, their patriotism, their persecutions in various countries, their need of a place where they can dwell in safety, the awakening of national consciousness, the returning fertility of the land and the resumption of business there. We see it becoming an actuality, in part due to the individual and collective initiative manifested by the Jewish people in Israel, e.g., in their colonization and collective immigration. The prophecies point it out (Jer. 16:14-18; 30:4-8, 18-22; 31:4-14, 21, 23-25, 27, 28, 35-40; 32:36, 37; 33:7, 10, 11; Ezek. 36:1-15, 24-38; 37:1-28; Hos. 3:4, 5; Amos 9:14, 15). These Scriptures cannot refer to their return from Babylon, for they call it the return from the North country, while Babylon is east of Palestine. The predicted seven times (7X360 years) or 2520 years’ punishment (Lev. 26:18, 21, 24, 28), lasted from 607 B. C. to 1914 A.D. Particularly since 1914 A.D. there has been an ever increasing activity along the lines of the above inducements. Even as far back as the 1890’s political Zionism began to influence numbers to return to the land, and their return is progressing rapidly.
 
Secondly, we consider Israel’s return to the Lord’s favor. The cause for their loss of the Lord’s favor was their stubbornness and pride, culminating in their rejection of Christ. In Lev. 26:14-45 Moses gave a remarkable prophecy of the punishments that God forecast as coming upon them for their violations of His covenant. Hos. 3:4, 5; Matt. 23:27-39; Luke 19:42; Rom. 11:10, 11; 11:25 also indicate their loss of the Lord’s favor. However, their blindness and disfavor were not to continue forever, according to the Scriptures (Lev. 26:40-45; Psa. 102:13-17; Isa. 40:1, 2; Ezek. 16:60, 63; Rom. 11:25-32). In harmony with these prophecies, and the fact that we are living in the time to expect their fulfilment, we find Israel’s blindness and prejudice against Jesus passing away; whereas Jews formerly were very bitter against Jesus, many of them now regard Him as the greatest of their prophets. We find the New Testament translated into Hebrew being circulated among the Jews; we find much non-sectarian evangelism being used to awaken in them a recognition of their mistake in rejecting Jesus, and also in helping them to see that He is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. The glorious results of Israel’s return to the Lord’s favor are shown in Rom. 11:12, 15, 16; Ezek. 16:46-63. For more details on this subject, please see The Bible (E Vol. 12) pp. 367-377.  ’72-70