The Restoration of Israel, as Described in the Holy Scriptures

[Biblewriter]

Probably the most common error made in interpreting Bible prophecy is attempting to interpret the symbolic portions of these prophecies without taking into account the explicitly stated portions.

We (almost) all agree that the Bible is a unified whole, and that we cannot correctly interpret any part of the Divine Word without considering the rest of what God has said about the subject under consideration. But very few seem to even be aware of many explicitly stated details of what God has said He will do at the time He returns to this earth.

This series of articles is an attempt to address this problem. It reviews five battles or campaigns distinctly spelled out in the prophetic scriptures as occurring after the Lord returns, with the scriptures that clearly state these details. It also reviews events occurring between and after these battles that help to understand the battles themselves and how we can know the order in which they will occur.

It is important to understand that these articles are not based on interpretations of the meanings of deep, mysterious statements of scripture. They are rather based on explicitly stated prophecies made in plain ordinary language. Thus, there articles are not a product of a fertile imagination, but a review of what God has expressly said He will do when He returns to this earth.

The material in these articles is generously borrowed from “Keys to Bible Prophecy,” by James C. Morris, and is thus copyrighted material. As I am the owner of the copyright, I have the right to publish it here. I hereby grant any reader the right to copy any of this material and to share it with their associates. But permission must be obtained before it is re-published in any form.

Scripture for these articles is taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214‑1000.

 

[Biblewriter]

The physical return of the Lord to judge the earth is one of the great themes of scripture. Probably the best known reference to this earth shattering event is John’s vision in Revelation 19:11‑16.

“I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

There can be no doubt that this vision, whose full symbolic significance is open to debate, indicates the Lord returning in an awesome display of power and glory. But is this intended to be taken as a literal fact? Many other passages of scripture make this abundantly clear. In speaking of this time, our Lord himself said “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30) Again, we read in verses 14‑15 of the epistle of Jude, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

These passages, though graphic, are general in nature. But Bible prophecy is not limited to the general. Much of the widespread error in interpreting prophecy stems from a failure to understand this basic fact. Much of Bible prophecy is specific, exact, and highly detailed. This includes the Lord’s campaign against the wicked. It is described in great detail. We first need to realize that when He comes, He will come in judgment. His ultimate goal is to bless the entire earth, but this cannot take place until he has judged the wicked. No more is he seen as “Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9) Now he comes in power and glory as the king. We read in Psalm 45:3‑5, “Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty. And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; The peoples fall under You.”

This is like the warning of Deuteronomy 32:39‑43:

“Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, ‘As I live forever, If I whet My glittering sword, And My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.’ ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.’”

When the Lord appears, Jerusalem will be under siege, surrounded by many nations, for we read in Zechariah 14:2, “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

The Lord will deal with this in summary manner. “Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:3‑4) So the Lord’s campaigns start at the Mount of Olives.

Micah 1:3‑5 says, “For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth. The mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will split Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place. All this is for the transgression of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel.” What can it mean that “all this is for the transgression of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel.” Isn’t this the Lord’s deliverance of Jerusalem? Jerusalem had been fortified, but this had been done in unbelief. (see Isaiah 22:11‑14)

The Lord, in His glorious appearing, drives the nations away. But Jerusalem must also be punished. As we read in Jeremiah 9:25-26, “’Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised—Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.’”

Jerusalem has to flee as well, not this time from an army, but from an earthquake. Zechariah 14:4, which we have just noticed, says that the earthquake will “make a very large valley.” The next verse continues with the words “Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You.” (Zechariah 14:5)

 

[Biblewriter]

Zechariah 14:3 says “Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.” Of the time when He keeps this promise, the LORD says “Moreover the multitude of your foes Shall be like fine dust, And the multitude of the terrible ones Like chaff that passes away; Yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly.” (Isaiah 29:5) Again, Isaiah 17:12‑13 says, “Woe to the multitude of many people Who make a noise like the roar of the seas, And to the rushing of nations That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.” Edom is particularly noticed in this regard, for concerning him, (Jeremiah 49:17) the Lord says, “Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd Who will withstand Me?” (verse 19)

Joel 3:1-2 says these nations will not come against Jerusalem of their own accord. They will be brought there by the Lord. But this passage also tells us where He will force them as they flee. “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.” He will “enter into judgment with them” in “the Valley of Jehoshaphat.”

Where is this “Valley of Jehoshaphat?” Scholars are not certain. But there are several common theories. Tradition (which is seldom reliable) identifies it with the Kidron valley. But this location does not fit some of the details we shall shortly examine. Some think it is the Valley of the son of Hinnom, on the opposite side of Jerusalem, because we are twice told that this valley will no more be called by that name, but will be called the “Valley of Slaughter.” (Jeremiah 7:32 and 19:6) But a careful reading of these passages shows that they do not refer to a judgment of the gentile nations, but of Judah.

Scholars of today do not know of any valley that was ever called the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” but there is a valley that could very appropriately be called by this name. In 2 Chronicles 20, “some came and told Jehosh[bless and do not curse]aphat, saying, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar’ (which is En Gedi).” (verse 2) Jehoshaphat called all Judah to fast and pray, and the Lord answered “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!” (verses 15‑17)

Believing this promise, the people “rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa.” (verse 20) And “the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.” (verses 22‑24) There was so much spoil it took three days to gather it. “And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LO RD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.” (verse 26) (The name of this valley, Berachah is transliterated from the Hebrew word berakah, meaning blessing, word number 1293 in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary).

As noted above, the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” would be a most appropriate name for the place where this happened. To locate this valley, we first need to locate the places named. “En Gedi,” the place where the invading army was encamped, is near the center of the western shore of the Dead Sea. The “Ascent of Ziz” is a ravine that rises from a lower wilderness called the “Wilderness of Jeruel” to an upper wilderness called the “Wilderness of Tekoa.” (Actually, there are two ravines that fit this description, but most scholars think the northern one is the Biblical “Ascent of Ziz.”) This upper wilderness is not the top of the mountain, but only a plateau that forms a broad valley. This valley is almost certainly where the invading army was destroyed, and is believed to be the Biblical “Valley of Berachah.” This valley runs generally east to west, from the cliffs above Ziz (about six miles north of En Gedi) to about nine miles south of Jerusalem. The prophetic name of the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” almost certainly refers to this valley.

 

[Biblewriter]

Isaiah 10:24-25 explicitly says that the indignation against Judah will cease, as will God’s anger, in the destruction of the Assyrian. This is when the deliverance of Judah begins. In Joel 2:20 the Lord declares “But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.” The valley we have been discussing runs through “a barren and desolate land.” An army driven away from Jerusalem and fleeing down this valley would have its “face toward the eastern sea” and its “back toward the western sea.” Thus we see that this valley fits both the name “the Valley of Jehoshaphat,” and also the description of where the Lord will deal with “the northern army.”

We can now understand why the Kidron valley does not fit this description. It fails on several counts. First, “the northern army” will be “removed far from” Jerusalem. The Kidron valley begins just under the walls of Jerusalem. An army driven into this valley would not be “far from” Jerusalem. Second, the Hebrew word translated valley in both the “valley of Berachah” and the “valley of Jehoshaphat” is ‘emeq. (word number 6010 in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary) This is also the Hebrew word used in the “valley of decision,” which Joel uses to describe the “valley of Jehoshaphat.” (Joel 3:14) This word indicates a broad valley, (as in our English word vale) not a narrow one. The Hebrew word translated brook in each place where the “Brook Kidron” is mentioned is nachal. (word number 5158 in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary) This word means either a brook or a narrow valley. This is very suitable, for the Kidron valley is indeed narrow.

This reason applies even more strongly to the “Valley of the son of Hinnom.” The Hebrew word used for this valley is gay’. (word number 1516 in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary) This Hebrew word means a gorge, that is, a valley even narrower than a nachal.

A final reason, based on logic rather than the Biblical description, is that the Kidron valley is between the Mount of Olives, where the Lord will appear, and Jerusalem. Unless the besieging army was actually on the Mount of Olives, it would have to run toward the Lord, rather than away from Him, to get into the Kidron valley. But we remember that the Mount of Olives will split when the Lord’s feet touch it, half of it moving toward the south and half toward the north. (Zechariah 14:4) If the army was actually on the mountain as it split, it would seem that such a violent earthquake would destroy it so completely it would be unable to flee.

This geographical digression has been made because knowing the locations of these events helps in understanding them. While the reasons for concluding that the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” is the “Valley of Berachah” seem very strong, this is only an interpretation of scripture. Since this is only an interpretation, it may not be correct. But the events that will take place in this valley are not based on interpretation. These are not things that might happen, but things that will most certainly happen. For “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the LORD of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?’” (Isaiah 14:24‑27)

The king of Assyria will escape at this time, for we read in Isaiah 31:8‑9 that “‘Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor. He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,’ Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.”

 

[Biblewriter]

But not only is “the northern army” destroyed in this valley. Though men make much more of Armageddon, and indeed that will be a great battle, the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” is “the valley of decision.”

“Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, “I am strong.”’ Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. ‘Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow; For their wickedness is great.’ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:9‑14)

We should notice that this is not the great judgment of the nations described in Matthew 25:31‑46. At that judgment there will be reward as well as punishment. Here, there is no blessing, but only unsparing destruction of the enemies of God’s chosen people.

 

[Biblewriter]

In the mad flight of the nations, Edom appears to be pushed by the armies behind them, for we read in Obadiah 7 that “All the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it.” (The wording of the New King James translation, which we are using, along with numerous others, implies that this will be an intentional plot by Edom’s confederates. But this is not necessarily the meaning of this passage, as we see in Young’s Literal Translation, by the Dr. Young of Young’s Concordance fame: “Unto the border sent thee have all thine allies, Forgotten thee, prevailed over thee, have thy friends, Thy bread they make a snare under thee, There is no understanding in him!” This seems to imply carelessness or recklessness, as would occur in a state of panic, rather than intent.) Edom apparently continues to flee through the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the rest of the armies will be destroyed, down the Ascent of Ziz, and along the shore of the Dead sea toward their homeland. Edom reaches home, but not safety, for Jeremiah 49:8 says, “Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, The time that I will punish him.”

The Lord prophesied “concerning Edom” (Obadiah 1) “For violence against your brother Jacob, Shame shall cover you, And you shall be cut off forever.” (verse 10) Verse 15 concludes this section with the words, “For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.”

Edom’s previous crimes against Judah, both during Daniel’s seventeenth week and during preceding thousands of years, are the reason for the terrible judgment that now falls on this land. Again, Amos 1:11 says “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever.’” The next verse reads, “But I will send a fire upon Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.”

Isaiah and Jeremiah describe this judgment in detail.

 

[Biblewriter]

“Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?; ‘I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’ Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the wine[bless and do not curse]press? ‘I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.’” (Isaiah 63:1‑6)

But the work is now only well started, “For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies.” (Isaiah 34:2) God returns to Jerusalem after destroying Edom. But when He returns, it is not yet in blessing. It is still in judgment, for we read in Habakkuk 3:3‑6 that “God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden. Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting.”

 

[Biblewriter]

In Malachi 3:1‑3 we read, “‘And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.’” But the righteous had been cast out three and a half years earlier, when the Antichrist had ascended the throne of God in the temple of God, showing himself that he was God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4) All who are left are wicked. This coming is not deliverance, but a terror, as we read in Isaiah 66:6. “The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, Who fully repays His enemies!”

 

[Biblewriter]

Such events could not fail to get the world’s attention. “The kings of the earth and of the whole world” respond to this new threat. (We should note in passing that this expression “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” shows that in Bible prophecy the terms “the earth” and “the whole world” have different meanings.) “The kings from the east” are particularly noticed. The Euphrates River is dried up so they can cross it. In light of this detail, it is interesting to note that a dam has now been built on the Euphrates River, so this has become possible by mere human means.
“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ‘Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.’ And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” (Revelation 16:12‑16)

Armageddon is on the edge of the plain of Megiddo, about 55 miles north of Jerusalem. Some call it the “valley of Arma[bless and do not curse]geddon,” but it is not so called in scripture. There is a reference to the “Valley of Megiddo” in 2 Chronicles 35:22 and in some translations of Zechariah 12:11. But it is important to realize that the Hebrew word translated valley in these places is distinctly different from the Hebrew word used for the “valley of Jehoshaphat.” Megiddo is a biq'ah. (word number 1237 in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary) This indicates a wide level valley between mountains, or a plain. This Hebrew word is also used for Megiddo in Zechariah 12:11, where our translation renders it as a “plain,” rather than a valley. We have already noticed that the “valley of Jehoshaphat” is an ‘emeq, that is, a vale. This plainly shows that these are different valleys.

Thus we understand that the prophesied judgment in the “valley of Jehoshaphat” is not just another description of the battle of Armageddon.

Demons go out performing signs, to gather all the nations. (Revelation 16:13‑14) The ten kings allied with the Beast are particularly noticed. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:12‑14)

But it is not only “the kings of the earth” that prepare for this battle. The Lord makes preparations of his own. “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’” (Revelation 19:17‑18)

 

[Biblewriter]

There can only be one outcome in such an uneven contest. “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:19‑21)

 

[Biblewriter]

This is explicitly stated in Isaiah 66:18‑20, where the Lord says, “‘I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,’ says the LORD, ‘as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.’”

We see this again in Jeremiah 16:14‑16, where we read; “‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that it shall no more be said, “The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.”’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers. ‘Behold, I will send for many fishermen,’ says the LORD, ‘and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.’”

This is celebrated in Isaiah 52:7. “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” It is also celebrated in the fourth book of the Psalms. Psalm 93:1, 96:10, 97:1, and 99:1 announce the wondrous news that “The Lord reigns.” Psalm 95:2 and 100:2 sound the call to “come before His presence” and Psalm 96:8 invites them to “come into His courts.”

 

[Biblewriter]

The return of all Israel to their land is one of the great themes of prophecy, and is found in too many places to cite them all. A typical one is Jeremiah 31:7‑9:

“Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O LORD, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’ Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”

This is celebrated in the fifth book of the Psalms:

“When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.” (Psalm 126:1‑3)

Unlike the previous return of Judah to her land, this is not a partial return. All Israel will be gathered. We see this in Ezekiel 36:10, where the Lord tells the “mountains of Israel” (verse 8) that He “will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.” (The Hebrew word for all, kol (word number 3605 in Strong’s Hebrew dictionary), does not always mean the sum total of each and every member of a group. But the fact that the word all is repeated in this statement makes it plain that this is the meaning intended here.) We see it again in Micah 2:12, where the Lord says “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.”

“They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” (Isaiah 49:22‑23)

 

[Biblewriter]

But many of the children of Israel are rebels. To such, the Lord’s appearing does not mean blessing, but judgment. These will be removed from among the people.

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 20:33‑38)

“In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” (Zephaniah 3:11‑12)

 

[Biblewriter]

When Israel finally sees their long awaited messiah, “one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’ (Zechariah 13:6 - I am disappointed that the New King James translation, which we are using, has joined a number of other modern translations in abandoning the apparent reference to our Lord’s crucifixion in the King James reading, “What are these wounds in thine hands?”) The result is that “In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.” (Zechariah 12:11‑14)

Again, we read, “Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7) “And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26)

This is how “it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy; everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judg[bless and do not curse]ment and by the spirit of burning.” (Isaiah 4:3‑4)

 

[Biblewriter]

This is detailed in Ezekiel 37, in which the Lord says: “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.” (Ezekiel 37:16‑17) The Lord then told Ezekiel that when the children of his people asked him what this meant, he should answer them that “the Lord GOD” says: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.” (Ezekiel 37:21‑22)

Isaiah also speaks of this, saying that the Lord “will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.” (Isaiah 11:12‑13)

This is celebrated in the fifth book of the Psalms:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing; Life forevermore.” (Psalm 133:1‑3)

 

[Biblewriter]

But the Lord has come to judge the nations, and His work is not yet finished. The nations that have hated Israel must now be punished. The Lord, in His justice, decrees that this must be done by the very ones they have so long tried to destroy. He commands Israel to destroy them. The justice of this is pointed out in Habakkuk 2:8; “Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men's blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it.” We see this again in Isaiah 49:26. “I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Again, in Isaiah 51:22‑23, the Lord says, “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.”

In keeping with this decree, the Lord gives Israel a most awesome charge: “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.” (Jeremiah 48:10) This may seem unlike the gracious God we know, but we must remember that the present age of grace is over, and it is now “the Day of the LORD.” As we read in Psalm 110:6, “The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.”

In response to this instruction “the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.’” (Zechariah 12:5)

In the fifth book of the Psalms, Israel responds:

“Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two‑edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment; This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 149:5‑9)

“All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.” (Psalm 118:10‑12)

So we read that “In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left... In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them.” (Zechariah 12:6‑8)

 

[Biblewriter]

We noticed the prophecy about Ephraim being recon[bless and do not curse]ciled with Judah. The rest of that prophecy says, “Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim. But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; To[bless and do not curse]gether they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them.” (Isaiah 11:13‑14)

We see this again in Ezekiel 25:14, where the Lord God says, “I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance.”

The destruction of these lands will be complete.

“For Gaza shall be forsaken, And Ashkelon desolate; They shall drive out Ashdod at noon-day, And Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: ‘I will destroy you; So there shall be no inhabitant.’ The seacoast shall be pastures, With shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them, And return their captives.” (Zephaniah 2:4‑7)

“‘Therefore, as I live,’ Says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah; Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them.’” (Zephaniah 2:9)

All this must of necessity be future, for since the days of Isaiah Ephraim and Judah have never joined together in a successful military operation. Ezekiel wrote after all of Ephraim and most of Judah had been carried away captive. And since the days of Zephaniah Israel has never destroyed any of these nations.

 

[Biblewriter]

“For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man. Then the LORD will be seen over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And go with whirlwinds from the south. The LORD of hosts will defend them; They shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; They shall be filled with blood like basins, Like the corners of the altar.” (Zechariah 9:13‑15)

The term “your sons, O Greece” is a reference to “the king of the North” (Assyria) and “the king of the South” (Egypt), two of the four splinters from the breakup of the kingdom of the Greek king Alexander the Great. This can be plainly seen in the following references.

 

[Biblewriter]

This is expressly stated in Micah 5. This has to be future, for Israel has never invaded Assyria.

“And this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men. They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, And the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall delver us from the Assyrian, When he comes into our land And when he treads within our borders.” (Micah 5:5‑6)

 

[Biblewriter]

“Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation.” (Joel 3:19-20)

“In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has determined against it.” (Isaiah 19:16-17)