Many are puzzled over the prophecies concerning the descendants of national Israel being collected and brought to the land of ancient Israel. Some feel that these prophecies are simply analogies. Others believe that these prophecies will have a literal fulfillment; although, they may not know when and why the descendants of Israel will be gathered.

After Christ's return and the Battle of Armageddon, the modern descendants of ancient Israel who are still alive will be gathered from among the nations of the world where God has scattered them. These Israelites will be brought to a place called the Wilderness where Jesus Christ will separate the rebellious from the obedient prior to taking them to the land of their inheritance and establishing them as a new nation.

In order to understand the prophecies concerning the gathering of the tribes of Israel, one must first understand how this gathering relates to the time of God's wrath upon humanity and why God wants to establish a new nation of Israel under his care and protection.

The Covenant People

The Creator God brought the Israelites out of Egypt because he had a job for them to do and a purpose for their existence as a nation. These people were called to be a nation of priests who would represent God and his plan for the salvation of humanity. Moreover, the Israelites were chosen to be a righteous example of God's way of life which other people could follow in order to obtain salvation and eternal life in the Family and Kingdom of God.

After Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, the descendants of Israel will be brought into the land of their inheritance where they will be formed into a world power in order to fulfill their national destiny.

During this future age, the nation of Israel will again assume its responsibility as an example to the world of God's way of life. The city of Jerusalem will again become the focal point for the worship of God, and Jesus Christ will administer his and his Father's government and religion to the nations of the world while offering the opportunity of salvation to the world. See Deut.30:1-6; Mic.4:1-7; Joel 3:16-21; Zech.8:1-3.

With the return of Christ, much of the literal, prophetic, and symbolic meaning of the sacrificial system, the commanded observances, and the holy convocations contained in Israel's first covenant with God will have been fulfilled. However, the prophecies clearly show that, under the new agreement with national Israel, there will be a sacrificial system of worship along with commanded observances and festivals, which also existed under the first agreement with national Israel.

GOD REMEMBERS HIS PROMISES

Although national Israel disobeyed God and did not fulfill the purpose for which they had been freed from the bondage and slavery of Egypt, he has no intention of casting them away and beginning with another people. Keep in mind that centuries before Israel became a nation God made unconditional promises to the Patriarchs, and many of these promises included their Israelitish descendants:

"That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice" (Gen.22:17-18 Para.).

The promises to Abraham assured him multitudes of descendants and that, through these descendants, all the inhabitants of the earth would be blessed.

Although the peoples of national Israel failed to live up to their agreement with God, they still have an opportunity for national greatness and salvation. Because of God's unconditional promises to the Patriarchs, he will continue to work with the nation of Israel until his purpose for humanity is realized (See 2.Chron.6:14; Psa. 89:34; Zech.2: 10-12):

"For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be his own treasure out of all the people on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love on you or choose you because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you, and because he kept the oath which he swore to your fathers, the Lord has caused you to go out with a strong hand, and redeemed you from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Because of this, know that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to those who love him, and to those who keep his commands, to a thousand generations" (Deut.7:6-9 Para.).

"O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keeps covenant, and shows mercy to your servants, that walk before you with all their hearts" (2.Chron.6:14 Para.).

"He will ever be mindful of his covenant" (Psa. 111:5 Para.).

A New Agreement Promised

Because national Israel had great difficulty obeying God and broke their initial agreement, which they had made with him at Mount Sinai, God promised that he would someday make a new agreement with them, and that this new agreement would be much easier for them to keep because it would have much better terms and conditions.

"Behold the day comes, says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the Lord" (Jer.31:31-32 Para).

Because ancient Israel of the original covenant is not a nation today, and her descendants are scattered throughout the nations of the earth, which was prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah, when and with whom will God establish this new contract?

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, declares the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jer.31:33 Para.). See also Ezk.16:59-62.

Notice that the new contract will be made after those days. The phrase after those days refers to the time after God's wrath is poured out on humanity at the end of this age, and after Christ returns as conquering King. Therefore, this new contract will be made with a new nation of Israel.

Some Relevant Biblical Facts

The following are some facts that will shed light on God's new agreement with national Israel.

1. With the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., all laws practiced through the Levitical Priesthood and the sacrificial system were suspended.

2. Many scriptures show that after Christ returns, all peoples of the earth will eventually come under the rule of the government of God.

3. The prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah clearly show that a temple worship system with a priesthood and animal sacrifices will exist during Christ's rule on earth. See Ezk.chps.40-46; Zech.14:16-20.

4. During the rule of Christ, the temple system will be officiated by the male descendants of Zadok who is descended from Eleazar, Aaron's third son.

5. The sacrifices will be performed similarly to the way they were performed under the first agreement with Israel.

6. The commanded observances and holy convocations will be observed, but they will be significantly changed to fit the people, times, and circumstances of the new agreement with national Israel and the rest of humanity.

7. The new agreement with national Israel is not made only with Israelites although there are specific areas of the agreement that only apply to them. The new agreement also contains promises which apply to all of humanity as the plan of God progresses through the centuries toward its ultimate completion.

Although the Bible gives few details regarding the new system of worship which will be performed at the new temple in Jerusalem, it does document the fact that the laws, precepts, and principles that God has ordained for the purpose of worshiping him and regulating human behavior will still be in effect during Christ's rule.

All Israel to be Saved

There is no doubt that God has promised to again offer salvation to Israelites on a national and individual basis and to make a new agreement with them. It is also clear from scripture that the first agreement with national Israel has been canceled, and that Jesus Christ has initiated the process whereby a new agreement will be formed with them:

"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Israel): For this is my covenant to them (Israel), when I shall take away their sins" (Rom.11:26-27 KJV). See also Isa.30:15.

The first agreement that God made with national Israel at Mount Sinai was canceled on the Passover in 30 A.D. with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The events surrounding this Passover and the death and resurrection of the Redeemer of humanity ratified a new agreement with Israel and the rest of humanity. In this same year, on the Festival of Pentecost, many of the various terms, conditions, and promises of the new agreement went into effect for all those called to salvation during the gospel age.

"By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear" (Heb.8:13 NIV).

A united national Israel containing all of its various tribes does not exist today, so when will salvation be offered and when will this new agreement be formalized? Ezekiel said that the new agreement with national Israel will be ratified after the return of Christ.

The New Agreement

The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a future time when all of the tribes of Israel will be gathered out of the nations and the wicked will be purged from among them:

"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 you shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezk.20:38 KJV).

"As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land. . ." (Ezk.34:12-13 KJV).

A formal presentation and ratification of the new agreement with national Israel cannot be made until they are again a nation. Therefore, it seems that this will happen some time shortly after the return of Jesus Christ and the gathering of national Israel.

A Nation Born in One Day

The prophet Isaiah records that God intends to establish a new nation of Israel after the return of Christ.

"Who has heard such a thing? Who has 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. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord; Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? says your God" (Isa.66:8-9 Para.).

National Israel Will be Restored

"For, lo, the days come, says the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it" (Jer.30:3 KJV). See also Jer.12:15; 16:14-15; 23:1-8.

God promises to remove the House of Israel and Judah from captivity and return them to the land of their inheritance. Throughout the centuries, the descendants of ancient Israel have been captive to various nations and some will become captives in the end of the age; however, the captivity in verse three primarily pertains to being captive to sin and the Babylonian governmental and religious system.

The Land of Inheritance

The land promised to Abraham's Israelitish descendants lies between the Nile and Euphrates rivers. A very conservative estimate of this geographical area would be well over a million square miles of territory. See Gen.13:14-17; 15:18; Ex.23:31; Deut.11:24; Ezk.ch.47;48. This is

the land that the Israelites will be given after Christ returns as conquering King, and after he has established Jerusalem as the headquarters of his Father's government on earth.

"And these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus says the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace" (Jer.30:4-5 KJV).

Here, we see a time of great trouble that will come upon the nations of Israel and Judah in the end of this age. This trouble is analogous to birth pains (Isa.66:8-9). During this time of trouble, scattered Israelites will be prepared to be born as a new nation with a new governmental and religious system.

"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" (Jer.30:7 KJV).

Notice that all of these painful things that will happen to Israel (the scattered tribes of Israel) and Judah (the Israelis) are defined as Jacob's trouble (Jacob's descendants—all the tribes of Israel), and that Jacob's descendants will not be completely destroyed during this time.

"For it will come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and will burst your bonds, and strangers will no more serve themselves of him.   Therefore

fear you not, O my servant Jacob, says the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob will return, and will be in rest, and be quiet, and none will make him afraid. For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you: though I make a full end of all nations wherever I have scattered you, yet will I not make a full end of you: but I will correct you in measure and will not leave you altogether unpunished. For this says the Lord, Your bruise is incurable, and your wound is grievous. There is none to plead your cause, that you may be bound up: you have no healing medicines" (Jer.30:8,10-13 KJV).

Clearly the time when Israel and Judah are released from the evil bonds that have held them captive for so many centuries will be after Christ returns, because it is only then that the resurrected king David will again be the king over national Israel. See Ezk. 34:23-24; 37:22-25.

God tells the descendants of Jacob not to fear because he will not completely destroy them, but he will save them. However, they are sick with an incurable wound that must be healed by removal. The wound that they have is a spiritual sickness; therefore, God is going to administer the cure in the form of punishment. Some will survive this cure and some will not, because God only administers the cure, it is up to each individual to make the proper use of it through repentance:

"All your lovers have forgotten you; they seek you not; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquity; because your sins were increased. Why cry you for your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable for the multitude of your iniquity: because your sins were increased, I have done these things to you" (Jer.30:14-15 KJV). 

"Therefore all they that devour you will be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; and they that spoil you will be spoiled, and all that prey upon you will I give for a prey. For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says the Lord; because they called you an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeks after. This says the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city will be built upon her own heap, and the palace will remain after the manner thereof. And out of them will proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small" (Jer.30:16-19 KJV).

"Their children also will be as before, and their congregation will be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles will be of themselves, and their governor will proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he will approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach to me? says the Lord. And you will be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it will fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days you will consider it" (Jer.30:20-24 KJV).

There is no doubt that these scriptures speak of the end of the age and the return of the descendants of Jacob to the land of their ancestors. Jeremiah 31:1-10 continues God's prophetic promise to gather the descendants of Jacob and restore Israel to national greatness under his care and protection:

"At the same time, says the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. This says the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him rest. The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you. Again I will build you, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel: you will again be adorned with your taborets, and will go forth in the dances of them that make merry. You will yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters will plant, and will eat them as common things. For there will be a day, that the watchman upon the mount Ephraim will cry, Arise you and let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God. For this says the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish you, praise you, 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 coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travail with child together: a great company will return here. They will come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they will not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord, O you nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock" (Jer.31:1-10 KJV).

Into the Wilderness

"So I am going to take her into the desert again; there I will win her back with words of love. I will give back to her the vineyards she had and make Trouble Valley a door of hope. She will respond to me there as she did when she was young, when she came from Egypt. Then once again she will call me her husband—she will no longer call me her Baal. I will never let her speak the name of Baal again. At that time I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and birds, so that they will not harm my people. I will also remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, and will let my people live in peace and safety. Israel, I will make you my wife; I will be true and faithful; I will show you constant love and mercy and make you mine forever. I will keep my promise and make you mine, and you will acknowledge me as Lord. At that time I will answer the prayers of my people Israel. I will make rain fall on the earth, and the earth will produce grain and grapes and olives. I will establish my people in the land and make them prosper. I will show love to those who were called "Unloved," and to those who were called "Not-My-People" I will say, "You are my people," and they will answer, "You are our God" (Hos.2:14-23 GNB).

Gathering Israel

"As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out" (Ezk.20:33-34 KJV). See also Isa.27:12.

God says that he is going to bring Israel out of the countries where they are scattered with great power and fury. The fury that is spoken of here refers to God's wrath that is poured out upon Israel and the rest of humanity just before Christ returns as conquering King.

A Time of Judgement

"And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face. Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says the Lord God" (Ezk.20:35-36 KJV).

The Israelites who survive God's wrath will be brought into a wilderness just as their ancestors were brought out of Egypt into the wilderness. And just as with their ancestors, God will also teach them his ways. Only this time, he will not teach with symbolism and difficult concepts. This time, he will teach them in very clear language in order to reveal who he and his Father are, what their plan for humanity is, and what national Israel's part in this plan will be. With this information firmly established, Jesus Christ will begin the process of sorting the Israelites into two categories: those who want to come under God's rule and those who do not.

"And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 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 you shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezk.20: 37-38 KJV).

Remember that the ancient Israelites were taught what God expected of them before being allowed to enter the promised land, and that the rebels among them influenced others to rebel against God, which caused a forty year punishment and a delay in entering the promised land. This time it will be different; in that, the rebels will be removed more quickly from among these Israelites.

Although we are not told how long this process of separation will take, we are told that each individual will be dealt with on a personal level: "And I will cause you to pass under the rod" (Ezk.20:37 KJV).

What is perfectly clear is that all who enter into the promised land under the new covenant will be in harmony with God the Father and Jesus Christ—no rebel will enter into the promised land and become a part of the new nation of Israel.

After the Punishment

The Prophet Jeremiah also foretold a time when the descendants of Israel will be gathered out from among the nations after the wrath of God has been poured out upon the earth and the Babylonian system of government under which they lived for centuries:

"In those days, and in that time, says the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces toward it, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten" (Jer.50:4-5 KJV).

Here, we see the tribes of the Houses of Judah and Israel united into one nation as they were before the death of King Solomon. These combined tribes will again seek to learn God's ways and will establish a national agreement with him that will withstand the test of time.

"And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve" (Jer.50:19-20 KJV).

Here, we see a repentant people, who have been washed of their sins and desire to follow the ways of God, being brought into the land of their ancient ancestors.

Washed Clean

God the Father will wash away all these people's sins. How will he do this? He will do this the same way that he cleanses his elect after the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. Through their repentance and acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and their subsequent baptism, they will be made clean and stand as righteous individuals before God:

"In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and splendid! for those who are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning" (Isa.4:2-4 KJV).

"For I will take you from among the heathen nations [i.e., any who worship a false god], and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God" (Ezk.36:24-28 KJV).

Few Will Survive

"And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, says the Lord, two parts in it shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God" (Zech.13:8-9 Para.) See also Ezk.5:12.

Relatively few Israelites will survive God's wrath to live in the time of the gathering of Israel. Some of those who do survive will be judged unworthy to be a part of the new nation of Israel because of their rebellious attitude and refusal to repent of their evil ways.

The population of the tribes of Israel will be greatly reduced from the hundreds of millions that live in the end of the age. Perhaps only a tenth of their original number will survive because of their refusal to repent and worship the God of their ancestors.

A Warning

"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Rev.18:3-5 KJV).

"And it will come to pass, that whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, and in the remnant whom the Lord will call" (Joel 2:33 KJV).

"And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:19-21 KJV). See also Rom.10:13.

When God begins to pour out his wrath upon the Babylonian governmental and religious system that will control this earth in the end of the age, the people of Israel will have been warned of the things to come and how to survive the seven trumpet plagues. Any person who calls on the name of the Lord as the remaining plagues are being poured out will be protected and spared from physical death, just as those of ancient Israel were protected from the last plagues upon ancient Egypt.

As a result of the seven trumpet plagues, the earth and its population will be devastated and in a state of utter chaos. Those who survive will have come out of the most horrible and terrifying period of human history. They will be frightened, confused, apprehensive, and in need of food, clothing, and shelter. It is into this world of confusion that Christ sends his angelic host to gather the people of Israel from among the nations where they were scattered centuries ago. The angels will bring these Israelites into the wilderness to be judged either worthy or unworthy to enter the land of their ancestors.

Into the Land of Inheritance

After the gathering of Israel into the wilderness, the removal of the rebellious individuals, and the formal presentation of the new covenant, the Israelites will be brought into the land of their inheritance. This is where they will begin to fulfill their national destiny under the care and protection of Jesus Christ who will rule the entire earth from Jerusalem:

"Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, wherever I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they will be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they will not depart from me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For this says the Lord; Like as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them" (Jer.32: 37-42 KJV).

"And it will come to pass, that as you were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you will be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For this says the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear you not. These are the things that you will do; Speak you every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord. And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, This says the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, will be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. Thus says the Lord of hosts; It will yet come to pass, that there will come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yes, many people and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. This says the Lord of hosts; In those days it will come to pass, that ten men will take hold out of all languages of the nations, even will 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.8:13-23 KJV). 

SUMMARY

After Christ's return to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth, the descendants of Israel will be brought to the land of their inheritance. There they will be formed into a world power in order to fulfill their national destiny.

During this future age, the nation of Israel will again assume its responsibility as an example to the world of God's way of life. The city of Jerusalem will again become the focal point for the worship of God, and Jesus Christ will administer his and his Father's government and religion, while offering the opportunity of salvation to the nations of the world. See Deut.30:1-6; Mic.4:1-7; Joel 3:16-21; Zech.8:1-3,13.

"That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice" (Gen.22:17-18 Para.).

By B.L. Cocherell              b2w21