Good morning,
This week we will look at Israel’s Return to the Land. I will be quoting from a book called Target Israel, written by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. This would be a good book to read to understand how Israel fits into the whole dynamic of the Middle East and end time prophecy.
Recovery of the Remnant of the People
“Then we come to the key verse: “It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left.” (Isaiah 11:11) Where will God recover His people from? According to the rest of verse 11, they will come from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, and other places-that is, modern day Africa, Iraq, Iran, and other places.
As we said earlier, this return has been going on for some time and continues on through today. They are part of the aliya (the Hebrew term for “return”), the regathering to the Promised Land itself. Many of them see themselves as fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy.
For Jewish readers of this book, let us share a word with you for a moment, from our hearts to yours. God has called you to be a unique people unto Himself. He has blessed you and sustained you through great difficulties as a nation over the centuries. But He is also calling you to faith in Himself. It is not enough to say, “We’ll rebuild the nation by our own political prowess, our own military might, and our own intellectual ingenuity.” While God may use those things, ultimately, there is more. Only if the Lord builds the house will it stand. If He doesn’t, it will not.
People frequently ask us, “Don’t you think Israel could suffer devastation and judgment again and be scattered once more? Humanly speaking, anything might be possible. But spiritually speaking, we believe that the Bible makes it very clear that once the Jewish people are gathered a second time, they will never be scattered again. Israel will remain in the land.
There are Biblical predictions that talk about war in the Middle East, and about Israel being chased into the wilderness. According to the Scripture, the Jewish people will face more difficulties in the days to come. But the Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional promise. God is fulfilling that promise now, and will never go back on it.
And there’s more. Bible prophecy tells us not only will the Jewish people return to the land and return to life, but they shall return to the Lord.” (Target Israel, pages 51-52)
Conclusion
- The Messiah has come
- The Messiah will reign with fairness and judgment
- The remnant will return to the land
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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