THE SECOND EXODUS OF THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL
by Merlin Houzet
There is abundant Biblical prophetic evidence of a mass second exodus of all the Lost Sheep of both Houses of Israel from the countries of their captivities back into the Promised Land.Moses and the inspired Prophets of Israel foretold, upon repentance, of a full return and mass restoration of the Lost Sheep of all Israel to the physical, literal land of their forefathers.
This return and restoration would include those of both Houses of Israel, i.e., those of the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim/Israel) who were the first to be taken captive by Assyria as well as those of the Southern Kingdom (Judah/Israel) who were later taken captive by Babylon. Historically, only a remnant of those of the Southern Kingdom returned to the Land of Israel; the other Lost Sheep of the Northern Kingdom are still amongst the Gentiles and have lost their identity. The Prophet Hosea has ably dealt with this "lost identity" factor in the Book of Hosea and we shall not elucidate upon it in this brief discourse.
However as proof of the promises of the future mass exodus of the Lost Sheep we quote a sampling of Scripture texts:
The Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, quotes Genesis 48:19b "... a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved." (Romans 11:25b,26a); in Genesis, referred to above, the blessing of the "fullness of the Gentiles" was given to Ephraim whose descendants became known as the Ten-Tribed Northern Kingdom, banished to Assyria for their lawlessness.
"So it shall be when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where Yahweh your Elohim has banished you, and you return to Yahweh your Elohim and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then Yahweh your Elohim will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where Yahweh your Elohim has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there Yahweh your Elohim will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. Yahweh your Elohim will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers..." (Deut 30:1-5)
"When Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob..." (Isaiah 14:1)
"Seek from the book of Yahweh, and read: Not one of these will be missing; none will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them. He has cast the lot for them, and His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they will dwell in it." (Isaiah 34:16,17)
"And the ransomed of Yahweh will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." (Isaiah 35:10)
"I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and an heir of My mountain from Judah; even My chosen ones shall inherit it, and my servants will dwell there. Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks, and the valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me." (Isaiah 65:9,10)
"In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance." (Jer 3:18)
"Therefore behold, days are coming, declares Yahweh, when it will no longer be said, 'as Yahweh lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but, 'as Yahweh lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers." (Jer 16:14,15)
"I will be found of you, declares Yahweh, and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, declares Yahweh, and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile." (Jer 29:14)
"Thus says Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel, 'write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. For behold, days are coming,' declares Yahweh, 'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.' Yahweh says, 'I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.'" (Jer 30:2,3)
"Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded, declares Yahweh, and they will return from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, declares Yahweh, and your children will return to their own territory. I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for You are Yahweh my Elohim...' (Jer 31:16-18)
"And I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead." (Jer 50:19)
"Therefore say, 'thus says Yahweh Elohim, "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."' (Ezek 11:17)
"As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. And you will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your forefathers." (Ezek 20:41,42)
"I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in the inhabited places of the land. I will feed the in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and will lead them to rest, declares Yahweh." (Ezek 34:13-15)
"But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches ands bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and your will be cultivated and sown. I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt. I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh. Yes, I will cause men - My people Israel - to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children." (Ezek 36:8-12)
"For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your Elohim." (Ezek 36:24-28)
"After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them." (Ezek 38:8)
"Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, says Yahweh your Elohim." (Amos 9:14,15)
"In that day, declares Yahweh, I will assemble the lame and gather the outcasts, Even those whom I have afflicted. I will make the lame a remnant and the outcasts a strong nation. And Yahweh will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on and forever. As for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you will come - even the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem." (Micah 4:6-8)
"And the coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah, they will pasture on it. In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening; for Yahweh their Elohim will care for them and restore their fortune." (Zeph 2:7)
"Many nations will join themselves to Yahweh in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in their midst, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me to you. Yahweh will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem." (Zech 2:11,12)
"Thus says Yahweh of hosts, behold I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their Elohim in truth and righteousness." (Zech 8:7,8)
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